just put in for my first bike claim, my own fault dropped my Triumph on the drive at home forgot it did not have as small a turning circle as my old Suzuki Bandit, a moments hesitation was side ways on a very little slope started to go down hill so all i could do was lower it slowly to the ground. bent rear pedal and scraped fairing and chrome trim. Tiny scratch to mirror indicator, front right brake leaver and rear foot peg arm.   Well the fun has started, this was Tuesday morning contacted insurance told 4th Dimension would phone to arrange collection time. Wednesday 4D phoned while at work some message about looking at bike!. Friday contacted insurance and 4D again 4D said would phone later Friday afternoon or Monday or latest Tuesday, why not arrange it now your on the phone to me, the guy said the would check out damage write a report about costs would take a week just for the report as would have to go on a jig to check frame alignment.   So what can i expect weeks, months, i was just going to ride it into my local dealer and get them to fix it, no rear brake pedal and all, but they said if i have fully comp to use it. Done a few costings on-line for new parts comes to over £382 plus labour but as I've got to pay 1st £250.   i don't know if any damage was done to the frame, mainly cosmetic paint work damage plus the £50 brake pedal. How should a claim be handled and if they start taking the mickey with big delays can i take my bike and fix it my self via a local dealer.                                                                                                                                                                               

so ull save 130 quid, but the cost to the insurance company for going over the top as usual will be far more.  So you could fix it cheap yourself or let the insurance do a full OTT job.   Thing is, they will price it at 1500 probably, and ull be paying insurance through the nose for 5 years to come now.  If you have NCB ull loose it, if you have it protected (or dont have any) then ull still suffer on future insurance quotes when they ask "Have u had an accident with the past 5 years", disregarding your NCB because you have to tell them you've cost the insurance company money.  Then they ask you how much the claim was for and who's fault it was....   ....So my answer is to just pay it urself mate.  The extra 130 you pay now will save you 1,000's in insurance payments etc over the next 5 years. (PS: I doubt the frame is buckled, unless u dumped it hard with the rear pegs out.  But the guy quoting for the insurance will obviously think it needs jigging).                                                                                                                                                                             

Well it's too late now have sold my soul to the insurance company they called and are taking my bike away Tuesday afternoon, will have to torture them later to find out how long it will be. Got my costings from bikebandit over in the USA http://www.bikebandit.com/ converted US Dollars to GB Pounds seems you can order any thing for your bike from them a good web site exploded diagrams part numbers, and price next to parts shame nothing like that here in the UK  bit of a closed shop going on over here me thinks.   Wish i had held off and looked before leaping and not taken my bike dealers advice to go via insurance. Do you know what the most anoying thing is i had just ordered a set of crash bungs the weekend before they look so nice and unscratched in their box at the moment.                                                                                                                                                                              

Well at least you'll know everything that needs doing will be done and being a main dealer, they'll order parts for a EURO bike. Not all colours are allways available accross the pond! But might be worth sticking out for that damage on your safety equipment you had not realised was!   Chipped hemet? Scuffed leathers? Boots?                                                                                                                                                                             

well the bike has gone away on Tuesday to London! when i asked why so far away he said nearer to all the manufacturer's city offices and nearer the Triumph factory they can just pop out and get spares. His trip for wednesday was up into Scotland to get 3 bikes, no wonder insurance is so high.

Many years ago I had a car that was flattened when a building collapsed on top of it. And I mean flattened - could have used it for feeler gauges. Yet the insurance people insisted on sending an engineer on a special journey just to make sure it was damaged beyond repair! Like Bob, I can see why premiums are so high!                                                                                                                                                                             

Hang on Bob you in Newcastle taking bike passed the Hinkley (Leicstershire) Factory to London a further 100 miles??????????   I lived around the corner from Triumph Factory on the Dodwells Industrial Estate.  Could have walked from my house in about 5-10 mins lol.                                                                                                                                                                             

Well a further up date. On the 10th the bike dealer those people who set me on my route to using the insurance in the 1st place phoned asking what time i wanted them to pick up bike to fix it.   Now i had the decency at the time when my insurance company said leave it with us to phone them up and tell them i wouldn't be using them after all that was on the 1st, day one.   Still seems mad to me moving a brand new bike all that way, I thought what the insurance company ment was this company 4th Dimension would collect the bike and thats all just taking it locally to get it fix. But 4th Dimension are the fixers to, was wondering if any one else had heard of them.                                                                                                                                                                             

latest update, back on a bike a mountain bike that is, very poor 0-60 time, but has very good fuel economy, 1st mod was a gel seat after my 1st ride out i was walking like John Wayne. Now i remember why i was so keen to get off my push bike and onto my 1st bike back in the 70s it's hard   work. Well my Triumph should be back or was that could be back around the 14th of August.                                                                                                                                                                             

Latest update from the land of the bike less.   What a bunch of , they contacted me on the 14Th to say so sorry bit of a delay blah blah blah will contact you next Tuesday to arrange delivery time. I think the delivery drivers on holiday that's what the delay is and why do they phone when I'm away at work.   If i knew right at the start what a slow job this would be i would have just fixed it myself as i have allways done in the past, it was all down to it being a brand new bike and wanting it staying like that..                                                                                                                                                                                 

Latest News from the Front...... well no contact on Tuesday 18Th so i contacted them via insurance broker who contacted them who said don't know but bike is ready just need dispatch to say when, would phone again Friday or Tuesday after bank holiday blah blah blah.   Well got call on Wednesday to say bike would arrive Tuesday 26Th but not at a time i wanted but at their own convenience.   Got the bike back Tuesday (my birthday) and to be honest i cannot fault the repair work, fairing, brake pedal all brand new. The indicator lens had a tiny chip out of it a new lens, chip in frame paintcannot see mend could be new gulp!, scratched rubbing peg under footrest and tiny scratch on front brake leaver all new.   What i can fault is the mega delay and no clutch, put into gear could not get neutral except with the engine off, top adjuster nut loose on clutch cable and get this gear lever loose on its spline so spent many a happy hour tightening every thing up, and checking all fluid levels.   All i need now is for it to stop raining and get my crash bungs on before hitting the road pun intended.