What to do with a essentially totalled Buddy?

winslow81 · Post by **winslow81** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:12 pm

I was in an accident last night and thank God, walked away, but my faithful little Buddy was not so lucky. I don't know what to do with him now... Will shops take him for parts, the tires are new, etc... I pushed him home, but I hate leaving him long on the side of the rode. Any suggestions for a place near San Francisco?

Thanks,
Winslow81

iMoses · Post by **iMoses** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:23 pm

Glad you were not hurt. You going to have a insurance claim? And get yourself back on 2 wheels?
You could part it out... motor, lights, tires, brakes... whatever else is not broken.

winslow81 · Post by **winslow81** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:34 pm

I think so...now I just keep hearing everyone who told me not to ride in my head and see the car pulling out in front of me and I am still kind of in shock. I would like to think that in dry weather, I would have been fine, but the wet pavement let me slide to safety. I have Geico and because I didn't COLLIDE with the car, I would have to pay for the tow. Bastards. So I live and learn, but hope to get back on.

iMoses · Post by **iMoses** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:50 pm

It may not be totaled, but that is for your insurance company to figure out.
You could always keep it with a salvage title and then mod the heck out if it.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:57 pm

And the answer to your original question is yes, shops are often interested in buying a totaled scooter for parts (especially if the engine is okay). If you want to go to the extra trouble, you could part it out yourself and make a bit more off of it.

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:31 pm

Another very good option is to take the insurance money and buy another scooter (if you want to) then buy back the totaled scooter from the insurance company. Then you have spare parts and/or sell some parts for cash that you can use for mods, accessories, upgrades etc.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:50 pm

Glad you're OK Winslow. That's the most important thing. Take it easy for a few days. It was a week or two at least before all the adrenaline finally left me after I went down.

Do get assertive about getting your insurance company to pay up. That's what they are there for. Sadly as insurance companies do, they will lowball you, and nickel and dime anything they can get away with. You don't have to settle for their first offer but you will have to provide evidence your scooter is worth what you are claiming. Negotiate.

Maybe you can get enough for a good down payment on a new Buddy 170!

[Edit: total typo that changed the meaning... oops sorry. Should have read: you don't have to settle...]

winslow81 · Post by **winslow81** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:24 pm

170? I like that. Thanks for the advice. Thanks to all of you.

Chilly · Post by **Chilly** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:41 pm

Part out stuff like the seat, mirrors, wheels, some of that stuff is gold. I just spent way to much on a pair of new mirrors for instance. I'm sure you could sell a lot of parts here. Glad you made it ok, nice recovery skills! Get back in the saddle soon.

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:31 am

Glad you're okay. That's what's most important!

If your insurance company totals out the scooter, they take it into their possession then give you a check. That's about it. You usually can't buy it for parts; they go to auctions and are sold with salvage titles. Dealers sometimes pick these up for parts bikes that way.

The scoot should go to a dealer anyways. They're the best ones to decide if it can be repaired and provide an accurate estimate. Insurance adjusters are often scooter-ignorant and will try to total out bikes that can be fixed. On the Buddy, the big issue is bending the frame. If it's bent, it's totaled. Sometimes they can show a lot of body damage and not be bent. Those plastic panels can be replaced. Sometimes they can show little body damage but if they hit the front fork just the right way, the frame can be bent.

If it's totaled, you can try selling it to that dealer, but remember they need to make a profit on the parts themselves, too. Parting it out yourself can make you some coin, but only if you can strip those parts off quickly and easily, post them online or wherever, and get them sold and shipped. Otherwise the time and effort may not be worth it and there's always the chance you could be sitting on a bunch of useless (to you) parts for many months.

wifiducky · Post by **wifiducky** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:25 am

im happy to hear your ok

i say try parting it out as everyone said

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:51 pm

here is the big thing you need to find out first before you try and part it

what your buy back will be
the insurance will tell you what they are giving you less your deductable
then they will figure what they might get for it at auction heck some even call up bent bik shops or wrecking yards and ask what the salvage value of the scoot is

the other year when my stella was totaled it cost me 500 bucks to buy it back from the insurance compnay of the guy that changed lanes into me

once you know what you will have to pay you will have to figure out if what you are paying for the scooter and your time to part it out are worth what you might make on the parts

if the damage isnt bad and you are considering rebuilding it you will have to figure out the salvage title issue
some states will have it branded some wont
i got lucky and my stella was not branded salvage but i dont have plans on reselling her in the future
if a salvage title is issued your blue book value will be about 1/2 of what it is on a non branded scoot

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:28 pm

Find out if the frame is bent. If the frame is NOT bent, then if the insurance company totals your scooter out, think about buying it back. I did this when the insurance company totalled mine out. I think I paid $400 to get it back, then put another $400-$500 to fix it back up again (parts only...we did the work ourselves).

It worked out well for me and I've put an additional 1,500 miles on it since (quite a bit at max speed) with no regrets or difference in rideability. However, you will need to find out how much you'll be in to it for parts if you go that route. This option may or may not be the way you want to go.

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:07 pm

If the frame *IS* bent, think about pulling the motor and selling it to me

I can always use good Buddy motor parts for projects I'm working on if the cost isn't too much.

bosco · Post by **bosco** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:18 am

in SF

it most likely will go to SF ScooterCenter.

Barry can tell you if it is banged up or not.

claerion · Post by **claerion** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:07 am

bosco wrote:in SF

it most likely will go to SF ScooterCenter.

Barry can tell you if it is banged up or not.

This.

Barry is a great guy and always willing to help from what I know.

I know he wouldn't let a buddy to go to waste if he has anything to say.