Great responses! I sincerely appreciate the feedback and direction. Sounds like I'm heading in the right direction, now to see what I can negotiate with the folks at the ins company.

 

I have been settling claims for over 20 years. When i first started , my job was explained to me this way. We hired you to pay every penny we owe, but not one penny more. How you do that is up to you. It is up to you to prove your claim.
I settle claims all the time with people who do not have a clue what their veh is worth. If you leave the valuation up to me, I will use NADA and pay you split book, which is the average between retail and trade in. If the veh is clean and low miles i will add in for that. You need to do some research and go into the meeting with the adjuster with facts about what your bike is worth, low miles, add ons, what bikes are listed for sale in your area and how much. Remember, insurance companies love paperwork, the more the better. If i meet with someone and they have paperwork to prove their veh value, I have no problem paying them, even if it is higher than what i have come up with. I just have to document everything I pay and why. If I have supporting documents to show why i paid you what i did, i don't catch any **** from the higher ups. Bottom line, it is up to you. Also, are you dealing with your own insurance company or dealing with the at fault party's company. Are you claiming a bodily injury? All these things can come into play. Also rules vary by state as to how things are done. I am in North Carolina. If I can help you, just PM me with any questions you may have and i will help you to a good outcome if I can.

 

Personally I don't think that I would want a brand new wrecked bike that had been fixed. JMO. I'd tell them to replace the bike.. There's a lot of them out there..

 

Look at the bottom line .. How much is the bike actually worth if its totaled.. How much more will it cost to get you on a new bike.. I wrecked my 06 classic the 2nd summer I owned it but if they totaled it id have lost big time so I was thank full they fixed mine . They should have totaled it but the agent handling the deal turned it over to some others while he was on vacation so it got fixed! just cost me 250.00 for the deductible.. To all the nay sayers that the bike wont be right after its fixed you guys literally have your heads in your asses... Nothing wrong with a repaired bike they fix **** all the time.. Its gets annoying listening to you keyboard cowboys giving advice just for the sake of thinking you actually really know something ! .. To the O/P its your bike and your decision.. You have heard it from people that work for the insurance companys and from people that dont know **** ..

 

If he takes the money, will he be able to keep the wreck, or will the insurers take that away?

I had a dilemma some years ago. My 1990 FLHS had a few things wrong with it and was very rough looking. I priced up replacing it against rebuilding it and it was cheaper to rebuild it, customising as I went through it.

So I tend towards repairing it, especially as it has a special place in the family.

 

If you're confident with the place that will do the rebuild, go for it. The only thing I would caution is there are sometimes hidden damages that can be discovered down the road after the repair is completed. Sometimes those after the repair costs can be labor intensive and expensive. Other than the inconvenience, that will not be a problem as long as the insurance company will cover it.

 

I'm really feeling better about this now. Definitely think I want the bike rebuilt. Have a great Harley dealership 10 mins from the house that I've used successfully for years. Always do great work and they treat me right. Think financially I'd be better off rebuilding her, not to mention I absolutely love the motorcycle.

Thanks all for the continuing opinions and advice. Now to prepare a good case and paperwork for the insurance man.

 

Totaled my 03 Ultra back in 03 on the Pig Trail in Ark. Dealer/State Farm said theyed repair it. It was $13500 in damages. It was the best thing that ever happened to me(well almost).
What I did was work with the dealer and have all upgrades done to the bike(chrome front end, air seat, Thunderstar wheels, gages, etc.) and all I had to do was pay the difference between the stock part and the upgrade part. Labor was already paid for.
With all the paperwork involved, the service manager said he'd never do that again. LOL

 

That sounds and feels like the right decision. It sounds as if you are in as good a position with your dealer as you can hope to be. I can even get the vibes across 'the pond'!

bikes is right about the risk of hidden damage, but getting the work done by a local known dealer is going to work as well as it can get. Keep us posted - best of luck, and don't forget those pics when she rolls for the first time, 'born again'. My old FLHS died a few years ago and carries that slogan on her licence plate!

 

If you dont have another bike which means you will likely lose a good part of the riding season. That is priceless! There are good deals on pre 09 touring bikes right now. Consider the $$ Also, your bike will always be a rebuild and if I were in the market for a used bike I would pay less for a rebuilt bike than one never having been in an accident. Tough call but I traded my bike after a much less serious accident just so I did not have to deal with the BS and be out a bike for half the riding season. Good Luck