| Author | Message | ||
     Toddm2l |
Ok, I have or had a 2002 M2 cyclone. I have invested much time and money into this bike. I enjoy it very much. But, it was acting funny one day when I was riding it. So I drove it to the dealer so they could look at it. This is my first bike, so I want to be safe you know. Well , to the point, one of the mech. took it out for a spin to check it out, well they didn't make it back. Half way down the road they dumped it. Now, I guess I am really lucky that it didn't happen to me, I just rode 30 miles or so. But, my bike is trashed and it will never be the same. They said they would fix it. ok, but the bike has been down now and like I said, it will never be the same. What should I do? Should I demand a new bike? Or take it in the balls and have a fixed bike that will lose 1000.00 right of the bat? The dealer has been very good to me, and I don't want to do anything bad, But business is business right? Oh, yea, the mech. who rode the bike is ok. just a few bumps and bruses. | ||
| Sportsman |
Unless it's really tore up, it'll be OK. They should replace everything and anything that has a scratch. You'll never know it by looking at it or by riding it. Think of it as getting a bunch of free new parts. Heck, if you work it right, maybe you can get some upgrade stuff, V&H pipe, Force intake, Corbin seat, whatever's scratched. | ||
| Dynarider |
The money you paid for the bike is gone already no matter what you do. You will never recoup the cost, so just have the dealer fix & upgrade everything & anything. | ||
| Toddm2l |
I don't think the dealer will do anything like upgrading. I think they will try to thrift fix it. The money I paid is gone, But I didn't wreck the bike nor did I buy a wrecked bike. Upgrage? I have upgraded just about everything that can be done within reason. Could I get a hella deal on a new bike? A bike that still has it's cherry? You know one that I can drop myself... I am still in shock now. Guess, I'll just plant one of them money trees... What is even worse, is I like the people at the dealership. Throwing away money is fun fun fun... | ||
| Toddm2l |
Does Buell Make Body work for the 2002 model now? Don't want an EBay fix... | ||
| Dynarider |
The dealer wrecked it, they should be responsible to put it back in A1 shape. They have..or at least should have...insurance to cover just such an incident. 1 of the techs at my local stealership worked on a harley, dont recall the model, took it for a test ride after the work & was hit by a car. Shops insurance had to payout to have this bike repaired. The plastic should still be available. Hell I bought an extra set for my X1, I have an orange set & a black set, depending on my mood. Only takes about 20 minutes to swap it all out. Cost is about $350 for everything & they come with the Buell stickers on em already. | ||
| Nevco1 |
Todd... It is between your insurance company and theirs. Trust me, yours has bigger Huevos and more Clout than you do!!! Go for it!!! | ||
| Rick_A |
I agree with most of whats here. They are entitled to fix it to it's original condition or better. If it was just laid down and not crashed into a solid object, it should be just fine. I seriously doubt you'll get a new bike...and you bit the bullet by buying a Buell in the first place. No matter what you put into it...it won't sell for much more than the average going price on the used market. | ||
| Stormfool |
Often I have wondered what would happen if the tech damaged my ride while taking it out--I would suggest calling Buell if you have any concerns regarding a "thrift fix" this way it will be on the record. Please be nice to the Buell people (see Home Court Avantage, Customer Service 101)--the number for Buell is to be found on Badweb under "For the Factory" whihch perhaps is another forum to detail the incident as it is quite possible the factory reps peruse our site, that area in particular... I understand and agree with your concerns that "it will never be the same" but perhaps can allay them to some degree... I recently restored a 1979 Triumph Bonneville Special--this bike has not been in production for over twenty years--I have been able to find every piece of trim/fiberglass/plastic I needed for a ground up resto...I then managed to go off the road in the mountains at night in the rain totally trashing the cosmetics/running lights etc...was able to find everything again....Bike was even nicer than before ('cause I was getting pretty good at fixing it  ).... Had an accident again--this time involving a truck which dragged the bike some 100 feet (I bailed thank god) wiped out the front wheel/forks/more cosmetics. This model/year only came with a rare Lester Magnesium wheel--found one in Chicago through a bit of networking--rebuilt the bike again and have since avoided any mishaps--Bike runs as good as ever--hands off straight down the road, etc., etc.... Fear not--motorycles (unlike some cars) can acutally handle a pretty severe crash without disturbing either their frame geometry or their overall roadability. Still a bummer, new bike and all. I would suggest taking any pictures you might have of the bike before the incident and archiving them in case there are any questions as to the quality of rebuild... Buell may not be able to oversee its dealerships, but they are interested in keeping their customers happy. Good luck and keep us posted on the outcome! | ||
| Court |
>>>Half way down the road they dumped it. Your dealings will be between YOU and YOUR DEALER. You'll likely have involvement of their insurance carrier. Buell Motorcycle Company had nothing to do with wrecking your bike nor would they have any involvement in resolving the problem. My advise would be to not waste your time nor dilute your focus but to deal directly and earnestly with your dealer. There is no reason your motorcycle should not be restored to identical condition promptly. Court | ||
| Toddm2l |
Talked to one of the Techs this morning. Just at a glance over $1500 worth of damage. He said the bike will never be the same. Fix, it? not going to be worth the time and problems. | ||
| Davegess |
I have to agree with most of this. The dealer and theri insurance will take care of you. If it is a good dealer, and really the vast majority of HD dealers are pretty good people and good business people so you have nthing to worry about. Heck you get the advantage of teasing not only the tech but the owner for years to come! | ||
| Dynarider |
Why would the bike never be the same? I am willing to bet the frame isnt touched. $1500 doesnt even sound like that much damage. Bike parts are expensive as hell. When I dumped my Dyna a little over 2 months ago my insurance carrier ended up totalling out the bike. The dealer came out with a totally wacked out figure of $10,000 in damage. They looked for every little knick they could find on a 7 yr old bike. Hell the price quoted on a stock tank alone from Harley was $905. I bought the bike back with the $$ they gave me, bought all the parts to repair it & actually do a pretty decent custom job on it too. I will probably have about $5000 into when I get done, but I have no fears that it wont be as good as new. I know it wont, Its going to be better than new because I built it myself.  | ||
| Spiderman |
Yes the dealer should pay the full cost of fixing your bike with there insurance. Don't worry about your Buell being down, 'cause if i had a nickle for every time my bike has been down i'd have about a quarter (mind you alot was stupid little shit and racing) | ||
| Newfie_Buell |
Having been in the claims industry and currently a Commercial Insurance Broker heres my 2cents worth. Court is correct in his postings, Buell is not responsible for what happened to your bike. This is strictly between you and your dealer. Provided the tech was responsible for the accident (you have to establish liability) the dealership would be responsible for the damage. The dealership may have coverage for this on their own policy or depending on the quantum of damage they may decide to not make a claim on their own policy and pay for the damage themselves. If its only $1,500.00 damage to the bike give them the chance to make the repairs and see how it goes, they may also only responsible for the A.C.V. (Actual Cash Value) at the time of the loss. In other words the bike has to be put back in the same condition it was prior to the loss, of course subject to the value of the machine. If the repairs are more than the value then the bike will probably be a write off. Of course insurance regulations differ from State to State and I am not up on your particular rules but the basic principles of insurance still apply. If you are unsure about the repairs make sure there is no major damage to the frame, swingarm, front forks and any other sections that would affect the handling. These parts would have to be "within spec" in order to be safe. If they are not bent then they are fine, engine cases, handlebars, plastic and other parts can be replaced fairly easily. If there is no frame or structural damage the bike should be fine after the repairs are made. Seeing how claims and accidents can really stress people out my advise is to let the dealer have the chance to make good on the repairs, the dealer is not going to want negative publicity on this. Sit down with the general manager and explain your concerns and I am sure it will work out for you. Good Luck | ||
| Sarodude |
Todd- Don't sweat it. The bike (N)Ever Being the Same thing is kinda moot as soon as just about ANY non factory person lays a wrench on it. My opinion, anyway... Unless REALLY MAJOR components were damaged (frame, engine) everything's pretty much a remove & replace proposition. In my little experiences, I've found that developing and maintaining a relationship with a dealership is important as it can affect your whole riding experience from a high level perspective. Be cool. The dealer seems like they're doing their part. Just wait and see. Giving a little now may benefit you down the road in many little ways. -Saro | ||
| Stormfool |
I stand corrected--my opinion obviously didn't stand up in Court --just to clarify I never thought or meant to convey Buell was in any way responsible--they do seem interested, however in the relationship between dealer and new owners...please correct me on this if I am mistaken. Hence my suggestion to bring any concerns about a "thrift fix" to their attention (as this would fall under Customer Relations)--am I still muddled in thinking this? At any rate let us know how this turns out for you. | ||
| Dynarider |
Storm, Buell CS doesnt have anything to do with dealer relations & has no way to control what a dealer does or does not do. If you call with a complaint about your dealer they will listen, tell you they are sorry, & then suggest you find another dealer if you are unhappy. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Motorcycles fall over and go sliding down the road all the time. "Never been down" listed on a bike for sale can be translated one of several ways: 1) Never ridden. 2) Never been down... that YOU can see. 3) Never been down.... except for that 30 mph low side into a guard rail deal... but that was really just a "parking lot drop" after all. 4) About to go down tomorrow. I have seen all sorts of awful stuff done to dirt bikes. You usually pick them back up, hammer any bent bits back into place, and ride off when the bleeding stops. I lowsided my 2000 cyclone and slid it a good 20 feet and a couple 360 degree slow spins. $35 worth of damage to bike. I helped a buddy clean up a low sided SV-650, some persistent nicks and scratches but all very repairable. If it were me, my first choice would be to get the dealer to give me a deal on a new XB9S... but thats just because I am seriously jonesing for a new XB9S. Otherwise, I would just go over it very carefully and look for damage and get it replaced. The only other things I might consider would be asking for a loaner bike from them until yours is fixed (if the weather is ridable there) and perhaps getting an independent inspection of the list of damages to be fixed. Then let them fix it. A bike made to be ridden will fall over from time to time and just get fixed. If it's not meant to be ridden its just taking up space anyway. When I was buying my Cyclone (never been dropped) the owner parked it on an incline in the wind. Sure enough, 5 minutes later, after we inked the deal.... CRASH! We worked it out like adults... I guessed there was about $80 worth of damage, asked him for $40 cash, deal was done, no biggie. Got most of the replacement parts from two different Buell dealers on the way home (4 hour drive). (IMHO) | ||
| Stormfool |
Reminds me even though I advertised my X1 on Ebay as "never been down" I had in fact parked it on an incline just after running Deals Gap, all excited to get at my camera--not in gear, bike rolls forward off stand--and falls onto me! Knocks me on my ass with a resounding thwap to the helmet--KOed by my own ride--of course two other riders were there to appreciate the situation--snapped the shifter off (shitty pot metal that it is) but not a scratch on the bike thanks to all the soft luggage in the way...hmmm "Never Been Down" will never sound the same anymore... Suppose you all are right about CSR etc. I guess it's just wistful thinking on my part. If I was a major MC Co. I would definitely be interested in how my dealers were treating my customers--guess I still have a bit of naivete to scrub off... | ||
| Mikej |
ToddM2Low wrote: "But, my bike is trashed and it will never be the same. They said they would fix it. ok, but the bike has been down now and like I said, it will never be the same." "He said the bike will never be the same." I'm in the wrong frame of mind to reply to this, but here goes anyway....  It sounds to me that you will never like the bike the same since it's now been down once. If so, then perhaps motorcycling isn't for you. Stuff happens, and the moment your bike left the dealership it would never be the same. It sounds as though you feel like your bike has been soiled at the hands of someone else and it sounds like you don't want anything to do with it anymore because it has been soiled. Sorry, stuff happens, get over it, or get rid of it. I saw a guy in a jeep once that was slightly rear-ended, or else he rearended someone else, I don't recall which, but I do recall that the driver/owner was throwing all sorts of fits, looked like he felt his Jeep would never be the same again now that it had been tagged. Didn't matter that the impact was very minor, couldn't see any obvious damage, just the guy wretching his hair out and flailing his arms around as though his newborn infant had just been devoured by a cougar in his living room. Stuff happens, get over it, and get on with life, there are more important things to be overly concerned with. Your bike should be restored to the same condition as it was in when they took possession of it, period. By the way, you never did say what was wrong with it when you took it in, nor did that problem have anything to do with the crash. Please fill in the missing details. My bike was rear-ended when I was away from home on vacation by a pickup. The other guy's insurance company totally tried to jerk me around, sent me some letters that are in disagreement with each other, never could tell me the same story twice, flat out tried to take advantage of me in my opinion, and that insurance company has more formal complaints lodged against them in the state where the accident happened than any other insurance company there, and they are not the biggest one either. Net result, my insurance company fixed my bike for me, I lost several days of vacation, missed out on some events, and had to pay the shipping to get my bike back home. If someone didn't know the history of my bike they could ride it and look at it and never be able to tell that it had been rear-ended by a pickup and nearly totalled. The insurance company of the other guy likewise has now lost many thousands of dollars of customer business, many times more than they would have paid out to just fairly settle up with me at the time, and the game isn't over yet due to some residual medical issues. Will my bike ever be the same? No. Why? Because it has more miles on it now than it did then. Does it matter? No. Why? Because it has been mostly repaired to pre-crash status (I just have to replace a throttle cable barrel adjuster that was missed in the repair work), and because it works just fine for me, and because I took second place in the local BattleTrax series in my category. A bike is for fun and/or transportation, insurance is for accidents, and life hopefully goes on. Enjoy life if you can, and if a little milk gets spilled then help clean it up. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, or a nightmare, with your local dealership (where ever you and they are located, unknown since you don't have your profile filled out ) depending almost totally on how you handle it. I would hope you'll become one of those people who in this Holiday season remember the reason for the celebration, and I truely hope you don't become one of those people who the dealership hopes permanently goes away. They had an accident, how things go from now on with them is in a large part up to you. Yes they and their insurance carrier will have a say in how things settle out, but how far they are willing to go will in large part come down to how you present yourself to them. Since you're focus seems to be only on the feeling you have that your "bike will never be the same", then I'd suggest you do like some are told when they find out they are not the first one to kiss their girlfriend, get over it or get on with life with someone else. It sounds like you are just looking for justification or commuity support in order to make up your mind publically to do what you're already decided in that you can not live with your bike anymore since it has now been crashed. That decision is your's and your's alone. The bike can probably be repaired to the same or better condition it was in before, if not then it should be totalled. Either deal with it or walk away from it, but fretting over it solves nothing. That's life, and stuff happens sometimes. Sorry for your hassles, but I still want to know what was wrong with it when you took it in, and I still want to know about the crash and how it happened. Please fill in the missing details. At the very least the rest of us will learn a lesson or two. And I highly doubt any of us will ever accept the offer to ride your bike should you ever offer it. Nothing personal. Some people ride to ride, life goes on, Merry Christmas. I told you I shouldn't have replied to this. I think I go back to packing now. bye. | ||
| Court |
>>>I would definitely be interested in how my dealers were treating my customers-- You are absolutely right. I am definitely interested, as well, with regard to United States military movements in the Middle East as well. They effect me and my future. I hope that those entrusted servants I helped elect do the right thing. I have no plans to call Tommy Franks. By the way, I am also very interested in who wins the upcoming NASCAR race but am quite certain I'll not be allowed to steer the car. Bottom line is that Buell is VERY interested, much like I am with my two sons in college. I've trained them, tried to set an example and let them know what I expect. But, at the end of the day, what the 21 and 23 year-old lads do largely comes down to their decision. Another element, which time and content preclude, are the legal issues involved if Buell. Buell, at this point, has no involvement other than, as you suggessted, the cursory "interest". That is, from a logical and commecial standpoint, as it should be. To "recenter" the thread, the question was Bike Down What Should I Do? The answer is, in my opinion, to act reasonably, responsibly, honestly and assertively with your dealer, the other party in the situation. Court | ||
| Dynarider |
Buell has no involvement with the dealers, they dont set prices, shop hours, what gets repaired & what doesnt etc. That is strictly controlled at the dealership level. You can go to 1 shop & they will say, "no buell will not cover that" go to another shop and you will hear "sure buell will cover that no problem". It all depends on how far the dealer is willing to go. Buell CS may be interested in the dealers, but no matter what they cant do a damn thing about it. Dealers are independant & unaccountable for their actions. I dont think this is right, & Harley & or Buell should set some guidelines & if said dealer does not abide by them, they lose their franchise. | ||
| Cjmblast |
Mikej, you really spent some time typing that !! I agree with your opinion, but you must have felt pretty darn strongly about it !! Kinda sucks to be at work today !! CJM  | ||
| Henrik |
No matter how slow a drop, there is always the chance (or would that be risk  ) that the frame/swingarm/fork tubes were tweaked. I would insist that the whole bike was measured up at a quality outfit like GMD Computrack. Do not!!! let the shop take a quick look and give you the: "looks ok to me ...." BS. A good friend of mine dumped his track bike pretty bad, but got it back together and rode it for the rest of the year. Felt fine to him at the time. At GMD they found the front-to-rear wheel alignment 2" off. He'd looked it over as well, done the "string thing" and didn't find anything alarming. Just my 0.02 Henrik | ||
| Al_Lighton |
What Henrik said..... And one more: while it may look fine, the one thing that an impacted bike may have a problem with in the longer term is the front head motor mounts. More than one person has had either the motor mount go or the head go where the mount bolts on. Depending on the type of wreck and the impact, there could be a latent failure in the making there. If it were me, I'd be discussing that with them, i.e., I'd take possession of the bike if they agree that they're responsible for a failure there in the next 10,000 miles or some such thing. Maybe I'm paranoid, but it strikes me as a very stressed part of the tube-frame Buell design. A lot is hanging on a couple aluminum struts and head bosses. But most of the other parts are bolt-on replaceable, and should be replaced if damaged and not if not. Al | ||
| Toddm2l |
MikeJ How many Bikes have you wrecked? Can I have one of your Money Trees? This was my first bike, I love to ride, I loved my bike. I spent much time and money on that bike. Now, when a tech tells you that your bike will never be the same, I would believe him. Maybe buell is just not for me... Maybe I just want a jap bike that will not have problems and run circles around my old M2. Yes, out of the 5 months I have had my bike 1 and 1/2 of the months it was in the shop. Your damn right my bike was soiled by someone else. That was my cherry to pop! There was a front brake problem. Oh yea mikej listen to Henrik that is what I am worried about. You can send the depreciation check to me. Should be about 1000.00 ok. And this isn't my girlfriend it's my bike. I can stay out late it don't complain. I can ride her hard and put her up wet, it's all good. no complaints no moaning and no PMS. | ||
| Nevco1 |
Back to my original comment. Get your insurance carrier involved. Their adjuster can determine the extent of damage without penalizing you. Consider this a form of consumer protection in the event that you do not trust your dealer to do the right thing. Incidentally, other than a dollar amount, you never mentioned the extent of the damage or the circumstances of the accident. Perhaps a pic with a description would yield more pertinent comments. As far as the bike never being the same, Forks, Frame and Engine internals should be all that would cause this. All the other parts are expendable and unlike an auto they can be repaired or replaced without those annoying squeaks and rattles. It is funny how when an owner lays a bike down they form a special bond with it. Whereas when someone else does it to your ride the marriage is psychologically marred forever. You can substitute the F-Word and your Significant other in the respective places if you need a better understanding of the concept. | ||
| Toddm2l |
nevco1 "It is funny how when an owner lays a bike down they form a special bond with it. Whereas when someone else does it to your ride the marriage is psychologically marred forever. You can substitute the F-Word and your Significant other in the respective places if you need a better understanding of the concept." so that is why i feel this way... | ||
| Dynarider |
Todd, no offense here, but Mike is good people. I know him personally & your whining sounds like you are simply being a pussy. Its my first bike..wah wah, whatever. They dropped it & they can fix it. It wont cost you a goddamn dime, unless there is something you arent telling us about this whole sordid tale. Maybe Buell isnt for me...you know something, I think you are right. Obviously you have an attitude to begin with regarding your bike having some kind of problems so now you are simply looking for an easy scapegoat to blame & to rid yourself of bike that you are not happy with. Have the dealer fix it, then sell it & go buy yourself a nice new virgin unspoiled Honda Z50. Grow up goddamn it. |
