layed scooter over...need advice about repairs :(

kmrcstintn · Post by **kmrcstintn** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:43 pm

I was slowing for a yellow light and ended up losing control and the scoot went down on its left side when I hit a section of wet pavement (that had a directional arrow painted on it that was wet) shortly after a thunderstorm;

I rode the scooter home and the only functional issue I noted was the handlebars are twisted a bit to the left...everything else seems to be cosmetic; the following items are damaged:

the chrome headlight trim (very bad); front fender (minor paint scraped); left brake lever (moderate road rash and paint scraped); part of centerstand that sticks out (major road rash and paint scraped); back lower corner of CVT cover (minor-moderate road rash and paint scraped); left mirror arm (minor-moderate road rash); top panel of handlebars (minor-moderate crack); side rear painted panel (minor crack); unpainted panel in front of seat that wraps around to sides (moderate crack where it meets the side rear panel)

my short term plan is to get the handlebars straightened and mirrors adjusted; then I will buy coverup paint that closely matches the various parts and paint the scraped areas and the minor cracks on the painted panels/front fender; if there are no other mechanical/functional issues I will ride it in the Meltdown rally next month

I am seeking advice for the 'long term' repair situation...I will have my dealer give me a quote on repair parts/labor to assess the financial damage...my insurance deductible is $500 and I am 'roughly' estimating repairs will be slightly over $500; my blue book is @ $1100 in good condition...

if you were doing this would you pay out of pocket if total costs were close to deductible amount? would you pick-n-choose what to replace vs cosmetic repairs (eg: replace headlight surround & panels with moderate cracks and 'live with' painting front fender, painting brake lever, and painting centerstand) to keep out-of-pocket costs down?

thanks all...BTW 'my' total damage is much less LOL!!!

Mousenut · Post by **Mousenut** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:10 pm

I'm glad you are ok and it wasn't worse.

I only replaced the really obvious stuff and let the minor cosmetec scrape stuff fly. Getting to "perfect" just made no sense for the costs involved. Bought some safety gear instead.

Wiggins · Post by **Wiggins** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:15 am

I just ordered all the replacement parts for my Buddy. If I had gone through the dealer it would have cost $1000. He wanted to hand me a brand new looking Buddy.

In the end I was able to salvage some of the old parts and got the final price tag down to $270 with me doing the work.

As long as it works good I would live with it not looking perfect. The handle bars might be worth replacing though. They are only $49.

Kyle

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:45 am

I replaced what needed to be replaced (re-aligned handlebars is a big deal) and left a lot of the rest. I bought some used parts from people here and still have some scrapes and scratches.

spr0k3t · Post by **spr0k3t** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:50 am

I still think you should just slap a roll of duct-tape on it and call it good. No, j/k. Glad it was cheaper than expected though. Got any pics of the aftermath?

(Why do they call it aftermath... is that like, after destruction? Is that why some people think math is so horrid... it creates all sorts of carnage when the math is done?)

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:53 am

Glad you are OK!

When I went down and my handlebars got skewed the boys at NoHo Scooters just put the front wheel between their legs and twisted the handlebars back into alignment, much like you would do with a bicycle. I'm not sure if that is kosher, but it worked.

My scooter still has some cosmetic scars which it wears with pride.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:55 am

Yup, just pick and choose what to fix. It'll cost you a fortune if you have the dealer restore it back to new. Order the parts from Scooterworks (via phone) or Scooterloungeonline and do the work yourself. As for that headlight ring, those seem to get destroyed with even the tiniest drop and they're also the most simple thing to replace. Be creative on the rest. My scooter had the ends of the brake levers scraped. I dipped them in plastidip and they look like they were meant to be that way.

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:01 am

Start with having the dealer look at it and getting a quote. It's always good to have the dealer check it out and make sure there aren't other, less apparent, issues.

I've had a few instances when I've had to get scoots repaired or replaced. My deductible is also $500. All the repairs were MUCH more, over $1500. Though I could have lived with some damage, at that point, I was content to pay out the $500 and get everything fixed or replaced.

Once you have an itemized list of charges, it might be easier to decide what you want to do.

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Glad you are OK!

When I went down and my handlebars got skewed the boys at NoHo Scooters just put the front wheel between their legs and twisted the handlebars back into alignment, much like you would do with a bicycle. I'm not sure if that is kosher, but it worked.

My scooter still has some cosmetic scars which it wears with pride.

Can't say I've never done this on the Stella.

There is an adjustment bolt, but I think on the Buddy you have to remove panels to access it.

mhardgrove · Post by **mhardgrove** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:21 am

+1 to Eric, have the scooter checked out by someone that knows what damage to look for. May be simply what you describe, but where the frame is made of tube steel you can bend it when you lay them down. I know it doesn't take much to total out a modern scooter. May want to look at that option if the frame is bent. Sometimes it just costs more to fix than is feasible. Then again it could be just as you describe...

When I was a kid I had a Honda Spree that had a cracked frame from being laid down that snapped when I hit a pothole throwing me going 15-20mph. Thankfully I wasn't killed, walked away with a nasty road rash and busted scooter, but the moral of the story is I was stupid as hell and didnt look my scooter over after laying it down a week earlier. Have someone that knows what to look for take the panels off and make sure nothing is screwed other than the obvious.

As for rebuilding the scooter you can always post a wanted ad and see if anyone here has the parts you need. A dealership can order what you need, but expect to pay a premium for it, and like others have suggested scooterwork or other scooter sites. Best of luck to you!!!

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 5:21 am

mhardgrove wrote:I know it doesn't take much to total out a modern scooter.

...but luckily, due to that (so long as the frame isn't bent) it typically doesn't cost that much to get them back into almost new condition. I bought my "totalled" Buddy back for $350 or so, then spent another $350 or so on panels, handlebars, headlight and a couple other miscellaneous items, did the work ourselves, and now 5,000 miles later it is still going strong.

kmrcstintn · Post by **kmrcstintn** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:57 am

if it gets totalled I will be done with scooters since I have very little financial buffer left and can only afford piecemeal repairs at this point; I can pay to have the handlebars straightened and a thorough lookover but cosmetic repairs will have to wait...

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:09 pm

kmrcstintn wrote:if it gets totalled. I will be done with scooters since I have very little financial buffer left and can only afford piecemeal. repairs at this point; I can pay to have the handlebars straightened. and a thorough lookover. but cosmetic repairs will have to wait...

I doubt that it's truly totaled. If you made an insurance claim, they might call it totaled simply because the cost to have a shop replace all of the damaged pieces is probably greater than the value of the scooter. But it's not functionally totaled if the frame is not bent. Based upon the description of your accident, I doubt that you bent the frame. Just replace the most egregious damage and live with the rest. I'd recommend doing the headlight ring as it's cheap and simple and will immediately make you feel better about the way your scooter looks. The rest (other than getting the handlebars straightened) can wait or just be left alone.

kmrcstintn · Post by **kmrcstintn** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:58 am

I am waiting to decide whether to make an insurance claim until after I get my itemized quote...based upon that:

1) if total is right below, exactly, or slightly above my deductible ($500) I will restore functionality, paint the scrapes and small cracks, and defer major cosmetic repair until late fall/winter after I get more money saved up

2) if total is above $750 I will place a claim in a few months when I can afford the deductible

3) if total is close to, exactly, or higher than fair market value (Kelley Blue Book 'good condition' for retail sales) then I will contact the insurance company and let them decide what will happen after their appraiser gets done inspecting the scoot

however the chips fall, the process starts tomorrow when I haul it to the dealer and let them do their thing over the next few days; I am hopeful that 95% will be cosmetic which can be addressed later and 5% functional (crooked handlebars and mirrors which can be re-aligned) and I can have the scoot ready for Meltdown rally in @ 3 weeks and replace damaged parts a few at a time before Spring 2013...

rfman81 · Post by **rfman81** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:50 pm

Skootz Kabootz wrote:Glad you are OK!

When I went down and my handlebars got skewed the boys at NoHo Scooters just put the front wheel between their legs and twisted the handlebars back into alignment, much like you would do with a bicycle. I'm not sure if that is kosher, but it worked.

My scooter still has some cosmetic scars which it wears with pride.

Honestly, this does work... I would have the forks checked but I do know this works, don't ask how I know...