V-Twin Forum banner

Crashed, bike totaled - rebuild, or replace???

21K views 157 replies 29 participants last post by  Slingshot383 
#1 ·
I crashed my 2002 Road King a week ago, on Tuesday night. Insurance adjuster was here today to look at it, and while I don't have 100% solid $$ numbers yet, the bike is totaled. That said, it is also VERY fixable. So, I'm weighing options. Do I buy it back and fix it? Or do I take the money and put a down payment on a leftover 2019 Street Glide?

My bike: I bought it in 2003 with 3,000 miles on it, so nearly new, but not quite. It now has around 116,000 miles. I built an all-bore 107" a few years - I guess about 5 - ago. Should have done that 15 years ago. I LOVE the power and the way this bike runs and rides. I've also done fairly extensive suspension work including stabilizing the swingarm to eliminate the dreaded Bagger Wobble; Ohlins rear shocks; Race Tech front springs and Intiminator valves, which were custom tuned for my bike and my weight. This bike handles extremely well for a 750 lb motorcycle. It has a very cool custom flame paint job, which is now all F-ed up and has to be redone. I have detachable tour back, fairing, backrest and the stock window - actually not stock, it's a Long Ride Shileds window. Also Mustang Wide Touring seat. And fairing lowers for winter. Along with a bunch of other "this and that" things. This bike has been with me a long time; my wife and I bought it together soon after we got married (which was in 1999) when I replaced my stroker Ironhead Sportster chopper (she promptly got her license and her own bike, then upgraded to her current ride, a 2005 Super Glide). I rode this bike from NJ to Vegas, and a bunch of other major road trips. It took me nearly 15 years to get it the way I want it, but now that it is, I love it. It does have a recurring check engine light that I can't seem to solve: It sets a code for "secondary ignition misfire, rear cylinder" at WOT and high RPM (above 5k) pretty consistently. Those are the only conditions under which it does it, and it's not noticable to the seat of the pants or the dyno for that matter. I think it might need a new control unit, but that's another story. Bottom line is, I haven't figured it out 100% despite some effort and all new ignition parts.

2019 Street Glide: The one I'm looking at has the 107 M8 motor. But that looks to be pretty easily converted to a 124 with S&S 4.25 cylinders, which apparently bolt on. T-Man offers several kits also. So there's aftermarket support to make a serious hot rod, which is important and I would definitely do. I love the color, which is a bright metallic red. I would want put a similar flame job on it as I currently have, which would look great over the stock paint (my current bike is Luxury Rich Red with silver flames). It has the Infotainment system - and built in navigation, which I REALLY liked having when I rented a '14 Limited while touring Montana a few years back. It has a 6 speed, which is something I've been planning to put in my bike for years. That was going to happen this winter - and will if I buy it back and rebuild it. I love the wheels on the 19 SG. Similar to the '14 wheels, which I was thinking about putting on my Road King for a while. I rode tested an 18 SG a year or so ago for fun, and was WAY more impressed with it than I expected to be. Handled very well, was very responsive and had gobs of power for a stock bike. Again I'd build a 124", or possibly a 128" if I stroked it, but it could still be fun for a stocker until that were to happen.

Without getting into all the details, I'll get somewhere around $8,000 for mine totaled. Buying it back will cost somewhere around $2,000. That gives me $6k to work with. By ebay shopping used bags and other parts, and doing my own work, I can put this back together and get the Baker 6 speed for that money, and possibly have a few hundred left over. OTOH, I could take the ~$8k and put it down on the leftover 19 SG - the dealer is making deals on the leftovers. I'd have a payment, which I don't currently. Plus I'd have to spend ("have to" in quotation marks, I guess) on hot rod parts, a tune, etc. Not to mention detachable tour pack, a proper seat, lowers, flame job, etc.

Thoughts???? What would you do???

Regarding the accident, I got lucky: bumps and bruises only, no major damage. I hit an extremely bumpy road surface on a bridge over a creek pretty close to my house, though I'm not THAT familiar with the road. I hit the bridge, which is in a pretty sharp curve, at 35 or so MPH, which is the recommended speed posted for the bridge, and the potholes and bumps literally bounced me off the road and into the grass by the side of the road. Once in the grass, the bike went sideways, threw me off and then bounced around and fu<ed itself all up. My neighbor came and got me, so no cops, ambulance, or tow vehicles. I'm lucky to have him as a neighbor. He and his son are also bikers, so he was pretty happy to help.

Anyway, let's hear some input. I am surprised at how tough a decision this is turning out to be. I thought I'd always have this bike. Right after the crash I thought I'll definitely buy it back, and definitely fix it, and definitely keep in indefinitely. But I'm thinking hard on the other option.....
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Easy decision, buy it back and piss around w it, get the 2019 Glide....they run very well w just a few mods. I talked **** about the M8, but ended up w one in 2018, and it is a good bike...Road King Special. I take it back on the new engines, as it runs great, and would outrun my Fatboy easy. The Fatboy is a 95" with every hop up mod i could do from the heads down.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
Easy decision, buy it back and piss around w it, get the 2019 Glide....they run very well w just a few mods. I talked **** about the M8, but ended up w one in 2018, and it is a good bike...Road King Special. I take it back on the new engines, as it runs great, and would outrun my Fatboy easy. The Fatboy is a 95" with every hop up mod i could do from the heads down.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
A buddy of mine suggested this last night, too. Giving serious thought to doing it, buying it back and buy a 19....
 
#5 ·
Had a similar situation and was just my own call because the Fairing was Damaged Badly, and looked like could have a lot of Electrical Nightmares from all the Electronics like TBW, ABS, Crank Sensors, etc.. Just took the money and put it towards a Low Mileage Garage Queen and quite happy with it after 20,000 Trouble Free Miles .. If i was younger might have considered it as a Project Ride to work at at my own pace .. But to me getting back on the Road was the most critical priority in my case ..
 
#13 ·
From what the insurance adjuster told me yesterday, there is no such thing as a salvage title in NJ for bikes. This was news to me, but he seemed to know his ****, and deals with crashed bikes every day. He said all they would need from me was a picture of the title proving that I own it (as opposed to a bank) and that would be that. So the title wouldn't change. He also said it wouldn't affect the insurability of the bike, and suggested that an "agreed value" policy would be my best bet for insurance going forward. Which of course would cost more.
 
#12 ·
I got the numbers today. I was pretty surprised - pleasantly. Total bike value including the aftermarket/accessory coverage, tax, etc, is $9144. That's the check I'll get if they take the bike. The buyback amount is around $2100: I would get a check for $7016 if I keep it.

Those numbers pretty much make it a no brainer to buy it back and fix it. But I'm still on the fence.....

At this point, my IDEAL move would be to buy it back; take the $7,000 and use it for a down payment on the leftover '19 SG, then fix mine at my leisure. I'm pretty friendly with one of the salesmen at the local dealer - I used to sell bikes there, so we worked together. He got the numbers together for me today, and the payment is higher than I was expecting. I't not unreasonable at all, but it's still a payment I don't currently have.

But I sure would like the built in navigation system, and the M8 platform to build a big bore 124.......

OTOH, I am quite sure I can fix my bike and get the 6 speed trans I've been wanting for years and possibly get a better detachable fairing and still be under the $7k. I would do pretty much everything myself. Possibly farm out the paint, or at least the flames. But I've been learning to paint lately, so I might try to tackle that myself, too. Assuming I keep it...
 
#15 ·
I dont care for the new bikes,,, all the bells and whistles,, electronics etc,, just something else to cause an issue down the road...

I would rebuild the bike,,, maybe do an S&S 124 then spank all those M8 124 builds... there is a difference... all 124's are not created equal.. nor any other engine size for that matter...
 
#18 ·
I dont care for the new bikes,,, all the bells and whistles,, electronics etc,, just something else to cause an issue down the road...

I would rebuild the bike,,, maybe do an S&S 124 then spank all those M8 124 builds... there is a difference... all 124's are not created equal.. nor any other engine size for that matter...
[/QUOT
While I like "better ideas" I feel the same way too... Cable throttle, cable clutch, put your key in it a turn... Simple things are best sometime

With all of the low mileage, price right, used bikes for sale, do you need new?? Why not look for a newer bike than yours??
 
#23 ·
You're definitely right, I would feel bad if I let the Road King go.

So at this point I've decided pretty firmly to keep the RK. The question that's now up in the air is whether or not I take on the payment for the SG. I've worked over the dealer as much as I can. We're pretty much at a "take it or leave it" standoff. And truthfully, it is a good deal. I just don't think I can swallow the payment.
 
#19 ·
I should loan you my bike so it could get a little use for the rest of the season, I'm not going to use it.

Are you happy with the old bike? As in, after you repair it, will you still enjoy it as much as a newer bike?

If the answer is yes, then maybe an older but running bike with the $7k is a wise thing to do, especially if you buy one that you won't lose money on if you decide to sell it. That would get you back on the road fast, the ability to work on the crashed bike and fix it the way you want, and possibly still get you into a newer machine next season after you sell the "temporary" bike. No sense in having payments in January when salt is on the ground.
 
#21 ·
I'm currently looking at keeping the Road King and buying the leftover '19 Street Glide with the $7k as a down payment.

This would mean no 6 speed for the Rk or any other upgrades; and it would me that it gets fixed more slowly. It would also mean the M8 bike would have to remain stock for a while.

It would also mean a payment a little bigger than the one I was already bitching about potentially having. Not by much: $9 more. But it's still a pretty hefty payment.

Terry, I hear you about bells and whistles. But.... I would like to have the navigation system. That beats the hell out of poring over maps in a hotel room, and whipping out a little piece of paper from my pocket at an intersection or rolling down the highway while on a road trip...

OTOH: I have a 1952 Panhead motor and some miscellaneous parts. I've owned the motor for about 7 years, now and haven't had $$ or time to do anything with it. If I play my cards right, I think I could put a Baker 6 speed in the Road King in addition to fixing it, and buy a frame for the Pan. I do want that Pan on the road before I die...
 
#24 ·
You can get spoiled for sure with a new bike with all those gadgets. Then something goes wrong with it and you get to take it to a dealer for windows vista download. 7k and keeping your bike sounds good to me but I'm a guy that rides Evo's. You can buy a lot of repair parts on the cheap if you're patient.
 
#25 ·
I also have a '02 RK that I bought as a wreck. I paid twice what you can buy back yours for. So as far as I'm concerned the buy back is a no brainier.
Not knowing what all is damaged on it makes it kinda tough, but I was able to source used and swap meet parts that got the bike back on the road for under $1000. I don't give a furry rats azz about the salvage title, I'm gonna ride it.
What I don't get is the desire for a 6 speed trans. From riding my son's WG with a 6 speed I just don't get it. Can't really use 6th until over 60 mph anyway. Would I use it if the bike came with it, sure. Would I spend $$ to add it, not so much.

Before and after

Sent from my coal burning bag phone using Tapatalk
 
#26 ·
I guess someone can see your picture Norm. Some of mine I can see after I post it and some a bunch of numbers. I've seen the bike in person so I know what it looks like.

Confed you don't need to keep directions in your pocket. Buy Post Its write your directions and stick on your windshield bag. It won't blow off behind the screen.

Sent from my moto e5 supra using Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
A Lindby front crash bar was the best price for performance I could find. DO NOT buy a cheapo from ebay, it may look OK but if you ever add lowers you'll find a lot of issues!!! Same goes for the cheapo stuff on Amazon.

I have a cheap scratched up front bar you can have if you want it. Sand the chrome and paint or powder coat the thing. It is slightly tweaked, because the cheap ones always require a small amount of tweaking.

I bought cheapo rear crash bars and they worked after a bit of bending. Think I still have the old and slightly ugly ones sitting around if you want them too. But shipping will probably cost nearly as much as buying new cheap ones.
 
#32 ·
Thanks for the compliments! I do love the looks of this bike. I tried to make it reminiscent of a '65 Pan without being an imposter...

I have bought the bike back. Got a $7,000 check from the insurance company on the counter. I gotta say, Progressive is mighty easy to deal with when there's a claim.

So far, I've bought bags and rear crash bars, OEM parts from ebay. They ship from the left coast, so gonna be a little while before they fall off the brown truck in my driveway. Now hunting for handlebars and front crash bar. I do have lowers for it for the winter. I will keep hunting for used, OEM parts.

I'm thinking about possibly a color change from the 2002 Luxury Rich Red to the 2012 Sunglow Red. I was selling bikes in 2012 when HD came out with that color and I loved it. Either that or the current Wicked Red. I will recreate the same flame job, with silver and black like in the picture. Though, this time the black pinstriped flames will get a bright color, thin pinstripe outline to make them stand out a little more. At least if I stay with the 2002 color. It's a pretty dark red and the black pinstripes don't show up very well.
 
#33 ·
I think I've put the new bike idea to bed. My wife and I had ourselves pretty well talked into it yesterday. We're talking about taking a cross country trip in 2020. She said, "If you get the new bike, I could ride it and you could take your Road King!" Which is a great idea. She rides a Super Glide and I've been wanting to get her into a Street Glide for touring. But, I really DO NOT want a payment. And while the dealer is offering me a great deal, I just don't think I want to have to deal with a $270/mo payment for 5 years. So, unless something changes my mind again, the new bike is out. The Road King stays and gets fixed - restored to pre-crash condition plus the 6 speed (as long as I don't get the new bike) - at this point regardless.
 
#35 ·
Buy the black Linby bars. The chrome on mine was thin. In 3 yrs the chrome was pitted from sand plus someone had dirty hands when they placed my bar on the hook to be dipped. I could see faint fingerprints on the right side where everyone could see them.

Sent from my moto e5 supra using Tapatalk
 
#37 ·
I crashed my 2002 Road King a week ago, on Tuesday night. Insurance adjuster was here today to look at it, and while I don't have 100% solid $$ numbers yet, the bike is totaled. That said, it is also VERY fixable. So, I'm weighing options. Do I buy it back and fix it? Or do I take the money and put a down payment on a leftover 2019 Street Glide?

My bike: I bought it in 2003 with 3,000 miles on it, so nearly new, but not quite. It now has around 116,000 miles. I built an all-bore 107" a few years - I guess about 5 - ago. Should have done that 15 years ago. I LOVE the power and the way this bike runs and rides. I've also done fairly extensive suspension work including stabilizing the swingarm to eliminate the dreaded Bagger Wobble; Ohlins rear shocks; Race Tech front springs and Intiminator valves, which were custom tuned for my bike and my weight. This bike handles extremely well for a 750 lb motorcycle. It has a very cool custom flame paint job, which is now all F-ed up and has to be redone. I have detachable tour back, fairing, backrest and the stock window - actually not stock, it's a Long Ride Shileds window. Also Mustang Wide Touring seat. And fairing lowers for winter. Along with a bunch of other "this and that" things. This bike has been with me a long time; my wife and I bought it together soon after we got married (which was in 1999) when I replaced my stroker Ironhead Sportster chopper (she promptly got her license and her own bike, then upgraded to her current ride, a 2005 Super Glide). I rode this bike from NJ to Vegas, and a bunch of other major road trips. It took me nearly 15 years to get it the way I want it, but now that it is, I love it. It does have a recurring check engine light that I can't seem to solve: It sets a code for "secondary ignition misfire, rear cylinder" at WOT and high RPM (above 5k) pretty consistently. Those are the only conditions under which it does it, and it's not noticable to the seat of the pants or the dyno for that matter. I think it might need a new control unit, but that's another story. Bottom line is, I haven't figured it out 100% despite some effort and all new ignition parts.

2019 Street Glide: The one I'm looking at has the 107 M8 motor. But that looks to be pretty easily converted to a 124 with S&S 4.25 cylinders, which apparently bolt on. T-Man offers several kits also. So there's aftermarket support to make a serious hot rod, which is important and I would definitely do. I love the color, which is a bright metallic red. I would want put a similar flame job on it as I currently have, which would look great over the stock paint (my current bike is Luxury Rich Red with silver flames). It has the Infotainment system - and built in navigation, which I REALLY liked having when I rented a '14 Limited while touring Montana a few years back. It has a 6 speed, which is something I've been planning to put in my bike for years. That was going to happen this winter - and will if I buy it back and rebuild it. I love the wheels on the 19 SG. Similar to the '14 wheels, which I was thinking about putting on my Road King for a while. I rode tested an 18 SG a year or so ago for fun, and was WAY more impressed with it than I expected to be. Handled very well, was very responsive and had gobs of power for a stock bike. Again I'd build a 124", or possibly a 128" if I stroked it, but it could still be fun for a stocker until that were to happen.

Without getting into all the details, I'll get somewhere around $8,000 for mine totaled. Buying it back will cost somewhere around $2,000. That gives me $6k to work with. By ebay shopping used bags and other parts, and doing my own work, I can put this back together and get the Baker 6 speed for that money, and possibly have a few hundred left over. OTOH, I could take the ~$8k and put it down on the leftover 19 SG - the dealer is making deals on the leftovers. I'd have a payment, which I don't currently. Plus I'd have to spend ("have to" in quotation marks, I guess) on hot rod parts, a tune, etc. Not to mention detachable tour pack, a proper seat, lowers, flame job, etc.

Thoughts???? What would you do???

Regarding the accident, I got lucky: bumps and bruises only, no major damage. I hit an extremely bumpy road surface on a bridge over a creek pretty close to my house, though I'm not THAT familiar with the road. I hit the bridge, which is in a pretty sharp curve, at 35 or so MPH, which is the recommended speed posted for the bridge, and the potholes and bumps literally bounced me off the road and into the grass by the side of the road. Once in the grass, the bike went sideways, threw me off and then bounced around and fu<ed itself all up. My neighbor came and got me, so no cops, ambulance, or tow vehicles. I'm lucky to have him as a neighbor. He and his son are also bikers, so he was pretty happy to help.

Anyway, let's hear some input. I am surprised at how tough a decision this is turning out to be. I thought I'd always have this bike. Right after the crash I thought I'll definitely buy it back, and definitely fix it, and definitely keep in indefinitely. But I'm thinking hard on the other option.....
I'm in the 'buy it back' camp myself. I guess this is partially because I just purchased a 2019 Street Glide and I'm not really happy with it. I've already locked horns with my dealer over some issues, called HD and been given the run-around, and basically been told I need to re-learn how to ride a motorcycle. I've only been doing this for 55 years, so I guess I just don't know anything about it. But, IMHO, this M8 motor, while running well and having some pretty good power, still has some issues that I don't think the motor company or it's dealers want to fess up to. Mine has both detonation problems as well as internal noises that just plain shouldn't exist. I'll confess to 'not' being a factory trained HD tech, but I'm also not a 'dummy'......and both have a fair amount of experience in after-market HD performance shops, as well as having been an ASE Certified 'Master' Auto Tech. Plus I spent over 33 years with a manufacturer dealing in technical and mechanical issues which had me ending up in Court testifying as a Certified Expert Witness. I think I know 'fxxking spark knock' when I hear it, not to mention piston slap, valve train noise, crank-case venting noises, etc. Anyway, I'm now 'stuck' with my M-8....and NOT happy about it. Fortunately, I saved my old '01 Fatboy...which, like your Road King, was a total wreck that I bought back and completely re-did including about every engine mod one could do to a TC-88 motor at the time without splitting the cases. It still delivers over 100 pounds of torque and over 100 HP at the rear wheel on a Dyno, even after over 50K on my last rebuild using all Zipper's parts (good stuff!!). So, bottom line here is: Go buy the '19 SG if you've got your heart set on it....but don't let go of your old horse....especially not for only $2K. You'll be glad you kept it! And, who knows..... bikes like my '19 Glide may be on the market soon enough! I'm sure I'm not the only unhappy person who's been 'duped' by the Motor Company on these new M-8 bikes!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top