OMG- Need Advice- Dealership DUMPED my scooter!

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:22 pm

UPDATE: now that this is largely settled, I figured I would state that the shop in question is Sportique Scooters in Colorado Springs.

http://www.sportiquescooters.com/

This other thread has the updates on what happened to resolve this whole mess.

topic15825.html

To summarize from the other thread, I feel I am about a B to a B- in terms of satisfaction. I feel the work done on the bike is generally quality work, and I got back a good running, good looking bike that really only I could tell was dumped.

I'm not completely A+ satisfied because of some of the responses with the shop, but I feel ok about a tough situation.

______________________

Ok, so right now I'm pretty ticked off, and more than a little concerned.

I have a 2009 Stella 2T with 1300 miles that I picked up in September. Last Wednesday I dropped it off at the shop to fix the gas gauge under warranty and look at a miss that had just started happening.

On Friday I was a little concerned that I hadn't heard anything back, but was busy and didn't get a chance to call. Saturday I am out of town.

Just now I listen to my voicemail messages and find a message from the shop from Saturday. The paraphrased message is:

"We were out testing your scooter, and somebody turned in from of us, and we laid it down. To fix it, we will need to order several parts, and replace the front fender and a cowl. "

This is all the information I have right now. I don't know how bad it really is, but I really have no idea how to react here, both in how ticked I should be at this shop, and what I should do to make sure that this is made right.

SON OF A ....

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:34 pm

Accidents happen. Without being a witness, it is hard to say who was at fault, but it is more than reasonable to assume that some jerkwad cut them off and caused the accident.

It also sounds like they are already fixing everything that broke. I am sure they will do absolutely everything they can to avoid a lawsuit.

So it looks like the only thing to be upset about is the extra time you'll be without your scooter. So I'd say that your reaction should be annoyance at the extra time, but that anger at a person or the shop is an overreaction.

rsrider · Post by **rsrider** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:41 pm

yeah, sh%t happens, but it sucks when it happens to you. They'll have to repair the damage and then you'll get it back. Could take some time, so tell them you want a loaner until repairs are complete. And also a cookie. Hopefully the guy who was out on the ride didn't get hurt.

Cheshire · Post by **Cheshire** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:42 pm

Sometimes even the best riders have crap happen to them.

Sounds like they're trying to own up to it, if I'm reading this right. If I was the shop, I'd have called the customer immediately to let them know what happened to their scooter and what's going to happen, which sounds like they did. Much better that than find out after the fact...they're not hiding what happened, that's good. They should fix the damage on their dime (obviously) and quickly, but unfortunately everyone waits while parts get shipped.

This really sucks to read, sorry it happened to you.

Take a step back, breathe, and give them a chance to correct the situation. I know I'd be seeing red for at least a day if it were me. Has your shop treated you well so far? If so, we're all just human...don't kill on sight.

What's the chance of a loaner while yours is under?

myras_girls · Post by **myras_girls** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:42 pm

It's definitely an inconvenience, however accidents happen and imo, the most important factor is that your dealer fixes it quickly and properly. As a long time employee of small business, I can tell you that things will go wrong from time to time. The mark of a good business is one that will make whatever corrections/reparations are necessary.

Sorry to hear about the accident. Repaired quickly or not, it is a hassle!

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 7:13 pm

Sounds like they are being pretty stand up about the lay down.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 7:23 pm

They are definitely responsible for damage while they have possession of the scooter. Reputable repair shops have insurance for just this purpose. Sounds like they are accepting responsibility and getting on with the repair as they should. Depending on how long the repairs will axtually take, you might talk to them about a loaner.

broke · Post by **broke** » Sun Jun 20, 2010 11:27 pm

This definitely was unfortunate, but one glass-half-full take away:
They were actually riding your bike to diagnose and/or evaluate changes. I've read of repair shops just bolting things back together and not even bothering to wring the repair out.

Good luck to you. I hope the rider is OK.

bigbropgo · Post by **bigbropgo** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:13 am

I would have freaked out! But... I think everybody has been summing up a reasonable, positive and healthy second reaction. If they take the steps to make it right then all will be well in the universe. If not then unleash hell. Check on it tomorrow and see what the plan is and if the rider is okay. Best-o-luck.

laxer · Post by **laxer** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:40 am

With the small nature of most scooter shops, inconveniences can happen pretty regularly. However, I'll bet they are much more personable, friendly, honest, etc. than your local automotive shops and other places and they really do want you to be happy with your scooter and riding experiences. It was an accident, and as a wise man once said "only a fool takes offense when none is intended." They didn't mean to hurt your scoot, it's the last thing that they wanted, but they're manning up and taking care of it. If it's going to take a significant amount of time to fix I'd ask about a loaner for the time being.

TobyDanger · Post by **TobyDanger** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:59 am

Yikes, that sucks! Hope the rider was ok. Like others said, accidents do happen, but how the shop reacts is the important part here. It sounds like they are being upfront and taking responsibility, so that's good. If you feel cynical at all, you might make a surprise stop at the shop on Mon/Tuesday morning and ask to see your bike just to make sure the damage is only as bad as they say it was.

Also I don't know what exactly was damaged or what your upgrade options might be for those parts, but there may be upgrade opportunities. Say the mirrors got scraped up, maybe the replacement could be something aftermarket? If there is a difference in price you could make the difference wholesale, but get something nicer for a fraction of the cost, free install to boot?

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:15 am

Thanks for the responses.

I'm not really sure what to do here. On a rational level, I understand it probably wasn't their fault.

On an irrational level I am enormously pissed that this happens.

On a further rational level, I gave them a near-new bike in pristine condition, and no matter what happens from here on out, I am getting a bike back that was dropped and needed significant repairs. That in and of itself makes this bike worth less. I'm not sure what to do about that.

I'm going to go in tomorrow and look at it, and then try to figure out where to go from here. I do really hope the rider is ok.

This sucks.

Ray Knobs · Post by **Ray Knobs** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:14 am

Anachronism wrote:I gave them a near-new bike in pristine condition, and no matter what happens from here on out, I am getting a bike back that was dropped and needed significant repairs. That in and of itself makes this bike worth less. I'm not sure what to do about that.
.

It was worth less the minute you rode it out there door.
No offense but it's only a scooter, it's no lamborghini.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:39 am

hopefully your scooter still drives ok and you dont find out little annoying things like a vibration that wasnt there before etc etc. hope everything works out!

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:45 am

Ray Knobs wrote:
Anachronism wrote:I gave them a near-new bike in pristine condition, and no matter what happens from here on out, I am getting a bike back that was dropped and needed significant repairs. That in and of itself makes this bike worth less. I'm not sure what to do about that.
.
It was worth less the minute you rode it out there door.
No offense but it's only a scooter, it's no lamborghini.

Pretty sure you'd feel different if it happened to you.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:46 am

gearhead wrote:hopefully your scooter still drives ok and you dont find out little annoying things like a vibration that wasnt there before etc etc. hope everything works out!

This is exactly what I am concerned about-specifcally that Stellas don't have a tubeframe, but sheetmetal, and a tweak can play hell with the bike.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 5:28 am

Anachronism wrote:
gearhead wrote:hopefully your scooter still drives ok and you dont find out little annoying things like a vibration that wasnt there before etc etc. hope everything works out!
This is exactly what I am concerned about-specifcally that Stellas don't have a tubeframe, but sheetmetal, and a tweak can play hell with the bike.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:29 am

Cheshire wrote:Sometimes even the best riders have crap happen to them.

Yes I definately have. anyway Anachronism, I hope they make it right and fix your ride. At least nobody was seriously hurt and they didn't try to bull$hit their way around it or cover it up.

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 2:51 pm

Anachronism wrote:
gearhead wrote:hopefully your scooter still drives ok and you dont find out little annoying things like a vibration that wasnt there before etc etc. hope everything works out!
This is exactly what I am concerned about-specifcally that Stellas don't have a tubeframe, but sheetmetal, and a tweak can play hell with the bike.

Give them every chance to make it right, you left your property in their care, they are obglitated to do that for you.
If after they have made every attempt to do this and they have failed then and only then you, have to again give them the chance to make it right. EVEN if that means you have to demand they replace your scoot not just repair it! At some point you should talk to an attorney just for advice to cover YOUR ass, THEY DID!!
Demand they provide you with a loaner while your ride is in the 'hospital' and enjoy life, it ain't worth worrying untill there's something to worry about.
Sure it sucks, hope the rider is OK and buy him a beer, unless THAT was why he went down..........

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:15 pm

Anachronism wrote:On a further rational level, I gave them a near-new bike in pristine condition, and no matter what happens from here on out, I am getting a bike back that was dropped and needed significant repairs. That in and of itself makes this bike worth less. I'm not sure what to do about that.

Certainly you have the right to demand that the scooter operate and look as good when it is returned to you as when you brought it in. And that definitely includes things like frame or fork misalignment. On the other hand, you will not win the argument that they owe you something more because it has been repaired and is now "not really new". That issue comes up all the time in auto insurance settlements. Owners don't get compensated for the fact that they now own a repaired vehicle rather than a "nearly new" vehicle.

glamourgirrrl · Post by **glamourgirrrl** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:43 pm

I think the biggest thing is to make sure that they are willing to repair any additonal items that may pop up as you ride in the first month after the repairs. Sometimes it takes awhile for strange vibrations or other issues to surface. You defiantely don't deserve to be on the hook for repairs that pop up because of their crash.

KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:49 pm

I'd expect a couple of t-shirts and some nice bolt-on accessories too. Maybe a jacket. Take your attorney to lunch and tell him or her that you have one stop to make on the way back to the office.

Hwarang · Post by **Hwarang** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:54 pm

Just be cool, they didn't do it on purpose, and seem to be up front about it. Be pleasant but take the time to inspect the scoot when accepting the it back, and don't be afraid to be nitpicky.

jijifer · Post by **jijifer** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 4:53 pm

you and this scoot are on a different trajectory now- not better or worse, just different. You didn't crash it but it's being repaired with the utmost care and consideration. They likely have to take it out for a test ride when maintenance is done and that comes with risks like this. Taking them to task for test riding your scoot would net a lot more longer term consequences, like everyone having to go back to the shop multiple times to get tuning right since the mechanics can't test ride their work.

+1 on sh*t happens and it sucks when it happens to you. In all actuality there is probably something in the fine print of the estimate that protects them from much liability if they weren't being reckless.

You're scooter is being repaired to it's original state. Ask to have the right to come back for reasonable amount of miles with concerns or adjustments and try to reconcile that this is always possible when you're having maintenance done but that it won't happen more often that it will. They seem like a stand-up shop. They aren't hiding it from you.

Sorry. Sucks but really it's the best outcome considering the circumstances.

dawg onit · Post by **dawg onit** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 8:28 pm

Burn the building, collect insurance. Jus kiddn, anything that the warranty doesn't cover, it sounds like your shop will for a long while. Just be anal about your scoots condition.

pocphil · Post by **pocphil** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:01 pm

Just be glad you weren't riding it when it happened. Scooter shop employees are exposed to way more risk than the average rider b/c of the amount of time we spend riding service bikes and bikes being prepped. Our insurance rates reflect this.

It's funny to me when someone who knows nearly nothing about motorcycles is looking at a used bike for sale and starts the conversation by saying "has it been down?".

I assume every bike I'm looking at "has been down", just like I assume every used car I'm looking at has been in some sort of an accident. Serious accidents will show up on carfax, others won't. It's my job to make sure the bike I'm buying is everything I'm hoping it is. I will look at it with an educated eye and test ride it to be sure it's straight and true. If it has been down, but repaired correctly, I'll be satisfied. But, in most instances, I'd never know.

Some people would never be happy with this scooter...they'd always look at it with a jaundiced eye because they know "it's been down" and they take the attitude that it's somehow worth less because of it. They would feel different if they were the one who'd been hit while riding it, but because it was in someone elses care they now feel entitled. I'm sure you're not one of these people. I ride a scooter that was stolen, ridden into the ground, bounced off of at least a hundred curbs (both rims were bent) and clearly crashed on all 4 sides. The repairs were done correctly, and now I don't hesitate to loan it to anyone who needs a ride and it's always performed flawlessly. Only the previous owner and I know how bad it really was when I got it.

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:45 pm

the stella can take a licking mine has been down twice
and both times were hard
once at 30 mph and then the trailer the idiot that tried to kill me hit the scooter too
and onece when the crank took a crap at 60 mph
she was put back on the road both times
at least she didnt have fresh paint the second time i still have to do the bofy work
she rides just as good as the day i got her and after the body work she will look better then the day i got her thanks to the body mods

i personaly would look at this as the opertunity too look into some custom body work
like a diffrent fender style or a cut down fender or some mods to the cowels

VeganScoot · Post by **VeganScoot** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:12 pm

Sounds like the shop is taking responsibility..Just hope they pick up the tab. Good luck!

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:23 pm

I went to look at the bike today. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday, so I was looking at it through their shop gates. I still can't see all, but what I saw was not pretty -looking at it made me feel pretty sick.

It was dropped on the spare tire side. From how it looks, I would guess 30 mph. The fender and cowl have rash, but what I am most concerned about is the leg shield damage. I can't see how bad it is, but the trim is mangled, that side of the leg shield looks to be folded in and wavy, and it looks like the glovebox is no longer fitting well.

Basically, it will need sheetmetal work to fix the leg shield, work which will likely not hold up as well as the rest of the bike.

I don't want the shop to buy me a new bike, I don't want to sue the shop, I like the shop. I've bought two bikes form them. They have treated me well, and I want to continue having a relationship. To this point, I have not mentioned which shop it is, as I don't want to give them any negative press.

I just don't know what to do about this. It cannot be put back to the quality it was going into the shop. The leg shield needs sheetmetal work, filler, repaint etc. Those repairs do not hold up as well as unmolested panels. To me, this means that I need something else to be made right in addition to just "fixing" it.

I just have no idea what is fair or how to put a value on that.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:31 pm

When I get my bike serviced, I want them to test ride it before it's returned to me. To me, this is one of the most important things the shop does. Stuff does happen on test rides, it's rare but almost inevitable. Sorry your bike was one of the unlucky ones, happy to hear that the shop came clean about everything.

If I were you, I'd check in with the shop and talk to whoever worked on it and test rode it. Naturally, you'll also want to see your bike, I know I'd want to see mine. In all honesty, the biggest concern I'd have here is for the rider, not the bike. My second biggest concern would be how long I'd need to wait for a ride-able bike, considering some parts could take a while to arrive. Hopefully they can make yours ride-able while the parts are shipping.

Sucks for everyone involved. Hopefully, the repair cost is coming out of the car driver's insurance.

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:57 pm

Anachronism wrote:I went to look at the bike today. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday, so I was looking at it through their shop gates. I still can't see all, but what I saw was not pretty -looking at it made me feel pretty sick.

It was dropped on the spare tire side. From how it looks, I would guess 30 mph. The fender and cowl have rash, but what I am most concerned about is the leg shield damage. I can't see how bad it is, but the trim is mangled, that side of the leg shield looks to be folded in and wavy, and it looks like the glovebox is no longer fitting well.

Basically, it will need sheetmetal work to fix the leg shield, work which will likely not hold up as well as the rest of the bike.

I don't want the shop to buy me a new bike, I don't want to sue the shop, I like the shop. I've bought two bikes form them. They have treated me well, and I want to continue having a relationship. To this point, I have not mentioned which shop it is, as I don't want to give them any negative press.

I just don't know what to do about this. It cannot be put back to the quality it was going into the shop. The leg shield needs sheetmetal work, filler, repaint etc. Those repairs do not hold up as well as unmolested panels. To me, this means that I need something else to be made right in addition to just "fixing" it.

I just have no idea what is fair or how to put a value on that.

I'm gonna have to disagree a big with your statement about sheetmetal work. If its done well you'll never know. My father has been an automotive body man for 30 years now, and he can straiten a car body panel so well you'll never know it was bent. He's worked on everything from Hondas to Ferarri's, and they've all come out perfect. If done right there is no problem with body work.

Don't sweat it, I'm sure they'll do right by you in any event.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:06 pm

I'm not going to say who the dealer is and would appreciate it if people would not conjecture. It will not help the dealer, it will not help me.

Kaos, my concern is not that it won't look perfect the day it is done, my concern is how it will hold up 15 years down the road. My experience is that body work of this sort (smoothing dents), does not hold up in the long term.

jijifer · Post by **jijifer** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:08 pm

Anachronism wrote:I went to look at the bike today. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday, so I was looking at it through their shop gates. I still can't see all, but what I saw was not pretty -looking at it made me feel pretty sick.

It was dropped on the spare tire side. From how it looks, I would guess 30 mph. The fender and cowl have rash, but what I am most concerned about is the leg shield damage. I can't see how bad it is, but the trim is mangled, that side of the leg shield looks to be folded in and wavy, and it looks like the glovebox is no longer fitting well.

Basically, it will need sheetmetal work to fix the leg shield, work which will likely not hold up as well as the rest of the bike.

I don't want the shop to buy me a new bike, I don't want to sue the shop, I like the shop. I've bought two bikes form them. They have treated me well, and I want to continue having a relationship. To this point, I have not mentioned which shop it is, as I don't want to give them any negative press.

I just don't know what to do about this. It cannot be put back to the quality it was going into the shop. The leg shield needs sheetmetal work, filler, repaint etc. Those repairs do not hold up as well as unmolested panels. To me, this means that I need something else to be made right in addition to just "fixing" it.

I just have no idea what is fair or how to put a value on that.

would that fall under "frame damage" such that if your insurance looked at it would be considered "salvaged" and perhaps would no longer insure the scooter? If that's the case then it's a different story or are "salvaged" titles a California thing? If you're saying the legshield is not replaceable just fixable I'd call that "frame damage", right?

Perhaps tell the shop you want to have this be considered "salvaged" so that you can get money for a new one or used one? There's a chance that would come out of your insurance since you turned it over to them with the keys. But I don't know. Maybe it's cheaper for the shop to pay your deductible than it is to fix this? N2Tattoos didn't his insurance increased when he made a claim after his no-fault accident.

Bent frames have "totaled" two of my friend's buddy's. Insurance didn't want insure a bent bike - one was still ridable the other was not. But bent is bent. Maybe that's the case with yours such that fixing it wouldn't even be reasonable? Something to think about. Can you call your insurance claims, tell you don't want to make a claim, you want advice?

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:59 pm

yes the leg sheild and the rear fender are frame damage and with frame damage it should be considered a total loss
my stella had a small dent in the rear fender under the bumper and the insurance company totalted it out
in both my wrecks the trim was damaged but not the leg shield but yes look at it closer when you get a chance

i dont know what you paid for the scoot or what the ins will pay for yours the guy who ran me overs ins paid more then what i paid for mine and after the buy back there was almost enough to buy another one if i hadnt done the buy back i could have had a new scoot

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:01 am

How about the shop gives you a new Stella and keep the damaged one for themselves. If they think it is truly as good as new they should have no problem with that.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:02 am

Seems like a good place to start here is to ask them what their insurance company thinks of this, yes?

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 12:13 am

Anachronism wrote:Seems like a good place to start here is to ask them what their insurance company thinks of this, yes?

Sounds reasonable to me.

Ray Knobs · Post by **Ray Knobs** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 1:23 am

Skootz Kabootz wrote:How about the shop gives you a new Stella and keep the damaged one for themselves. If they think it is truly as good as new they should have no problem with that.

The only problem they didn't wreck a new stella, they crashed a used one.
One that also need work apparently.

jmkjr72 · Post by **jmkjr72** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 1:35 am

Ray Knobs wrote:
Skootz Kabootz wrote:How about the shop gives you a new Stella and keep the damaged one for themselves. If they think it is truly as good as new they should have no problem with that.
The only problem they didn't wreck a new stella, they crashed a used one.
One that also need work apparently.

the needing work should have nothing to do with the value as it was under warranty so the warranty will or would have paid to fix it
so it will be considered to be in good running order

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:47 am

Anachronism wrote:Seems like a good place to start here is to ask them what their insurance company thinks of this, yes?

The "talking to them" idea seems to have been very much underplayed so far. Just from what I've read.

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:51 am

Sounds to me like your making yourself crazy!

If they have been good to you and straight shooters in the past give them an opportunity to tell you what they want to do to make things right.

Post by **Lostmycage** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:27 am

BuddyRaton wrote:Sounds to me like your making yourself crazy!

If they have been good to you and straight shooters in the past give them an opportunity to tell you what they want to do to make things right.

+1

Good shops will prove themselves time and time again. I haven't gotten the impression that the shop is trying to slight you in anyway. What I have seen is that you're speculating wildly to the point where your head will start to spin. Calm down, go down to the shop, look at the bike and ask them how it's all going to play out. Give them a chance to be a top notch shop. Worrying yourself to a tizzy while posting on the internet isn't going to make you feel any better.

Just remember to keep breathing, yeah?

Also, I'm also in the camp of "is the rider OK". You can't do anything about moronic, oblivious cagers. If you want a different spin on the situation, then be glad that it was not you that was hit on your bike. Life's too random, and you might have beaten some odds. Again, it's a spin on the situation and not a good one (since someone got hit) but there's always another way of looking at a circumstance.

Good luck!

jijifer · Post by **jijifer** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:05 am

Anachronism wrote:Seems like a good place to start here is to ask them what their insurance company thinks of this, yes?

if it goes to insurance, saying it is "totaled" remember - you can't buy a used scooter with warranty like you had on this new scooter. So they can't give you less the OTD or you won't be able to get the SAME deal you had. That was something N2Tattoo successfully argued on his own behalf.

If the rider was injured then insurance is already in play. They should argue on your behalf to have the scooter totaled and the rider's medical bills handled. The money given for the scooter should be yours to decide how you want to spend it not theirs to tell you how you have to spend it.

I guess I'm not hoping with the mind buzzing. They'll be open tomorrow. You can get some answers finally. But if you don't want this fixed and you want a new one, ask them to total it for their insurance since the frame is bent. Most scooter shops buy the 'totaled' scooter wicked cheap from the insurance company and sell the parts for profit.

2T stellas are done. No more will be made or imported, correct? All the more reason to have a perfect one like you dropped off.

Be civil. Be sincere but also look out for yourself. You don't get what you don't ask for so if you want a new one, then ask them if insurance would say this was totaled due to frame damage.

Just some thoughts. Hope this works out for you!

Roose Hurro · Post by **Roose Hurro** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:08 am

pocphil wrote:Just be glad you weren't riding it when it happened. Scooter shop employees are exposed to way more risk than the average rider b/c of the amount of time we spend riding service bikes and bikes being prepped. Our insurance rates reflect this.

It's funny to me when someone who knows nearly nothing about motorcycles is looking at a used bike for sale and starts the conversation by saying "has it been down?".

I assume every bike I'm looking at "has been down", just like I assume every used car I'm looking at has been in some sort of an accident. Serious accidents will show up on carfax, others won't. It's my job to make sure the bike I'm buying is everything I'm hoping it is. I will look at it with an educated eye and test ride it to be sure it's straight and true. If it has been down, but repaired correctly, I'll be satisfied. But, in most instances, I'd never know.

Some people would never be happy with this scooter...they'd always look at it with a jaundiced eye because they know "it's been down" and they take the attitude that it's somehow worth less because of it. They would feel different if they were the one who'd been hit while riding it, but because it was in someone elses care they now feel entitled. I'm sure you're not one of these people. I ride a scooter that was stolen, ridden into the ground, bounced off of at least a hundred curbs (both rims were bent) and clearly crashed on all 4 sides. The repairs were done correctly, and now I don't hesitate to loan it to anyone who needs a ride and it's always performed flawlessly. Only the previous owner and I know how bad it really was when I got it.

The main thing is, car or bike, "down" or "hit"... so long as it was repaired CORRECTLY, yes, only those "in the know" will know.

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Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:50 am

Lostmycage wrote:
BuddyRaton wrote:Sounds to me like your making yourself crazy!

If they have been good to you and straight shooters in the past give them an opportunity to tell you what they want to do to make things right.
+1

Good shops will prove themselves time and time again. I haven't gotten the impression that the shop is trying to slight you in anyway. What I have seen is that you're speculating wildly to the point where your head will start to spin. Calm down, go down to the shop, look at the bike and ask them how it's all going to play out. Give them a chance to be a top notch shop. Worrying yourself to a tizzy while posting on the internet isn't going to make you feel any better.

Just remember to keep breathing, yeah?

Also, I'm also in the camp of "is the rider OK". You can't do anything about moronic, oblivious cagers. If you want a different spin on the situation, then be glad that it was not you that was hit on your bike. Life's too random, and you might have beaten some odds. Again, it's a spin on the situation and not a good one (since someone got hit) but there's always another way of looking at a circumstance.

Good luck!

I agree with everything you are saying. The timing on this is bad, where I only found out about it after the shop was closed for their Sunday/Monday "weekend." I'm going in to talk with them tomorrow.

BuddyLicious · Post by **BuddyLicious** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:09 pm

The parts that would scare me most is the unseen damage or the mysterious problems that start happening either soon after or even a few months down the road.Depending on what road you go down with all of this I would want at least 2 other scooter professionals to give it a complete check over. I mean complete as in a fine tooth comb.Get 2 pro's to ok it and you will be taken care of.GOOD LUCK!

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:32 pm

I finally got to look at it up close and talk with the shop about it.

While it is still pretty scarred up, the real damage is less than it appeared looking at it from ten feet away from the other side of a fence.

The front fender is trashed- it is bent into a trapezoidal shape when looked at from the top.

The rear cowl is dented and scraped, though not terribly. The spare cover has scrapes.

The legshield looks OK. It is not bent up as it originally looked. The trim is destroyed, but the seam underneath still looks ok. It is scraped and scratched from the turn signal to the rear of the floorboard, but looks like it needs to be sanded and painted rather than "real" bodywork.

The rider is ok, with a few minor scrapes. After talking with him, it seems it happened right when the scooter started to miss on him, and he was a bit more focused on figuring out what was making the scooter miss rather than the road in front of him, and at that moment a truck decided to pop out in front. Truck didn't stop for him, just kept right on going.

My only rear concern is that the steering is tweaked- the handlebars are about 15* apart from where the wheel points.

Is fixing that a matter of readjusting the headset, or to play things safe, should I ask for them to replace the headset parts?

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:41 pm

you should ask them to return it to you the way you left it with them.

Anachronism · Post by **Anachronism** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:08 pm

gearhead wrote:you should ask them to return it to you the way you left it with them.

So, they should go grab one of their 2009's on the showroom floor, put 1300 miles on it, and then give it to me?

I'm not sure what you are trying to say. From square one that have said they would take care of it. I was deeply concerned about stuff like bodywork and repairs that were more in depth than just replacing damaged parts, but it really doesn't seem that there is much of that beyond MINOR paint work.

They have agreed that any issue related to this that comes up at any time will be fixed. In looking at the damage, I am satisfied that after repairs, I will have a materially similar bike as to what I had before, so I am not asking for additional money on top of the repair. I'm not getting a frankenbike back with a lot of patchwork, I'm getting a bike that will be a solid bike.

Post by **jmazza** » Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:26 pm

Anachronism wrote:They have agreed that any issue related to this that comes up at any time will be fixed. In looking at the damage, I am satisfied that after repairs, I will have a materially similar bike as to what I had before, so I am not asking for additional money on top of the repair. I'm not getting a frankenbike back with a lot of patchwork, I'm getting a bike that will be a solid bike.

Glad to hear it! It really sounds like you have a great shop you are dealing with.