[nitninja]

Excellent thread. The crash doesnt seem so major to warrant chassis repair. Which portion of the chassis was bent ?

Is there really a need to mention repair estimate in FIR? Afaik only the accident detail will be mentioned in it, nothing else.

[ads295]

The LH engine mount chassis member was bent.



You can see it in detail below.

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by ads295

• Fuel tank had a few dents - replacement costed Rs 43k. I got the current tank repainted with OE paint for Rs 7k. You can't tell it was in an accident.

• Radiator tank was dented and was reworked by my mechanic - ASC quoted Rs 50k for that.

• Front disc has had absolutely nothing done to it by my mechanic yet ASC put that up for replacement at Rs 20k.

• The instrument cluster too has had nothing done to it except some buffing to remove some scratches and marks due to the accident - Rs 43k replacement advised.

• Front wheel has a 5-8mm bit that chipped off due to the accident - makes no difference whatsoever, yet front wheel advised to be changed at Rs 43k.

• Headlight replacement cost is Rs 21k - I purchased an aftermarket used one for Rs 3.5k. No safety compromises there.

No doubt there are items he considered that were warranted (chassis - Rs 1.3L, handlebar - Rs 5k) but the above stuff could have been avoided. Heck even I ordered an OE handlebar and got it changed as the mechanic couldn't perfectly put it back into the shape it came with from the factory.

Well, like I had mentioned, Kawasaki's pricing for the spares or 'replacements' are pretty high. And the fact that most of them aren't available over the counter sucks even more! Been there, done that - so I feel you

If from the above list, the ASC offered you a choice to pick and choose - then I'd say fair. But if that was a 'package solution', then I'd agree with your initial feedback towards them!

I think we also need to reflect on the current mentality of "replace" that most ASCs seem to have, as opposed to "reuse" or "repair". It takes guts and willingness to put in effort and ingenuity if you genuinely want to help your customer instead of ripping him/her off.

Guess we'll have to kind of live with that mentality. ASC (worldwide) would always opt for 'replace' than 'repair' because that way you can get/claim warranty on the replaced parts as well. A 'repaired' part voids warranty in any case. So they have go act via their rulebook. We are the ones left with guts, willingness and passion to put something back (either by hook, crook or book!) because we love our machines and the fact that its our hard earned money at stake.

Again, no ASC would have the same feelings of love and oneness as we have with our bike. They just want to get their margins and labour sorted. There have so many members here who have expressed similar displeasure - and its consistent across all brands and class of bikes. As a wise man once said, "It's business, nothing personal!"

But all said and done, the way you've got your bike up and running is really commendable. Safe travels!