Heart Breaking

I wasn't sure if I even wanted to post this on here.... But you guys have helped me out so much that I might as well.
Friday night I was in an accident. Single vehicle. Just me. I was on a windy mountain type road. Going 30 in a 30 mph zone. I came leaning around a turn full on hard left was closer to the shoulder then I liked so I leaned harder but not enough. Hit a rock which caused me to grab my front bike (big new rider mistake) Straightened me straight up into about a 1 foot drop full of rocks. I ended up on the road. Bike in the ditch. Super super depressed. The bike WAS mint. Only had 15k on it. Handlebars bent, exhaust bent, front fender smashed, turn signals/mirror gone. gas tank dented bad, radiator smashed, center stand smashed out from under it, clutch handle/cables damaged, and tons of other scratches.
I think that they are going to just total it out .
As for me I have 5 stitches in my knee, bruises/ some road rash ( I was wearing a full face and armored jacket). And a horribly bruised foot... :/
Must say this is a sad experience. Had I not grabbed my front brake and held on for another fraction of a second there would have been no wreck.

Dang this bike was pretty. I don't know if it is salvageable or if insurance will give me anything that will even be close to enough.
Maybe I can throw up some pictures and you guys can tell me what you think?
Frame looks straight as far as i can tell as do the front forks...
It leaked oil so I haven't tried starting it... Yet all the electronics work.
it looks fixable to me... I'll throw up some pictures you guys can tell me what you think. I Found out my room mates dad used to be a mechanic and owned a bike shop back in the day and knows these bikes very well actually so he maybe able to help with any repairs I need.

Or is it best to just move on and look for another bike ( :cry: )














It doesnt look awful but maybe I am wrong?

 

Atleast you're still around to tell us about it. Bikes can be fixed and/or replaced.

Your pics didn't work.

 

Glad you're OK.

 

Hey-sorry to hear of your crash, man. The most important thing is that you are still around. Bikes are repairable & replaceable, you are not. I'm a firm believer that there are two types of motorcyclists: those who have crashed, & those who havent crashed YET. Dont be too hard on yourself for making a mistake, just learn from it & be thankful you are still alive.
Best of healing wishes to ya & good luck.

 

Thanks guys it was definitely upsetting... Pictures fixed.

 

Glad you're ok.
If you don't want the bike totaled just have them write up small stuff, if you include the tank or that exhaust pipe it will likely go way over. You can tell the adjuster as well that you don't want it totaled and see if they'll work with you. I'd fix it up and while it will never look new again it has some personality now.

 

As well, we're glad you're OK.

There are guys from this site that weren't so lucky and are no longer with us (R.I.P.)... It's a shame that she got beat up but I'm sure you'll find another real soon! Don't be to hard on yourself, you've lived and learned!

 

Although it might not seem like it, being able to fret over your motorcycle after an accident is a blessing. I low sided about this time last year, and although my bike wasn't mint, I still put a lot of hard work into it and my heart sunk when I got up and saw it laying in a ditch. Glad to hear you're ok and can think about the bike.

Also, I hope you'll reconsider full gear. Armored pants and boots may have saved you some road rash/stitches/bruised foot.

I'd say it can be fixed, just start with the things you NEED to get it road worthy, and fix the cosmetics later on down the road. Check the forks with a level or plate glass, mine got twisted up in the triple-tree and looked bent.

 

Glad your ok. Don't let them total the bike or you'll have to go through the salvage title hassle.
Now you have the excuse to do some mods. :lol:

 

Sorry about your bike man. Glad you didn't get too messed up though. Hope you can bring it back.

 

I had honestly planned on going to purchase racing gloves, boots, and pants when I get paid on the 15th... Dang.

I appreciate all the kind words guys. I was planning on repainting it... So that will be easier to do now. I would say first priority will be the radiator, finding where the oil came out of, hand bars, and turn signals.

Probably new tires to be safe and I had planned on redoing my brakes.

Is it hard to add aftermarket exhaust? I wanted something more (throaty)

 

well your sort of ok, that's the good part, the bad part is that oil. that's going to be the big one. start looking for another bike........then you'll have two

 

Keep reminding yourself that anything can be fixed but your life. Even though you weren't going very fast, 30mph is plenty fast to kill you. We just had a local police chief (from a small town north of me) get killed in Florida. He was riding his Harley (witnesses estimated about 25mph) and a drunk driver pulled out in front of him-no helmet and he died 5 days later-you'd think being a police chief he would know better than to go helmet-less, but there was a ton of riders at his memorial riding w/o helmets! Count yourself smart for wearing yours.

Years ago I got literally ran over by an Olds Delta 88 and it smashed my Nighthawk into the road and dragged it twenty feet. I luckily escaped with only a bad case of road rash on one arm. It took me about a month, but I replaced everything that was damaged. It gave me a chance to get more familiar with the bike and I've been a much more attentive rider ever since. If your heart is in it then I would set about fixing your bike-it can be done.

If you ever get the chance to ride a dirt bike (in full safety gear of course) take it. You can learn a great deal about how to react and maintain control when the unexpected happens.

As has been said VERY glad to hear you are ok (the pain will go away for you and the bike).

 

I think that I can't bare to get rid of her. Man I love this bike.

It was definitely a reminder of how fast things go wrong and how bad it could have been. I can deal with some minor injuries.

I must say riding a bike has made me a much better car driver as well.


So the general consensus is that it is saveable? Can anyone recommend...

Good handle bars that will be lower without requiring fabrication?

Good paint for the engine as well as the fairings? (I do have access to a sand blaster)

I'll probably just get a turn signal, and clutch parts off ebay.

 

In all honesty I think the stock blinkers (turn signals) are rather large and don't fit with the go fast look of XJ's. The chrome is their only redeeming feature. I have some slim-lines on the 550 that look much better in person. You can't really see them too well in my gallery pic so I will get a close up so you can check them out.

Bars come in a multitude of styles and sizes. You'll want to measure the good side to the center of your current bars for reference, and then just get some that change how you would like them to. You need to measure width (1/2 your current and double it), rise, pullback, and sometimes center (how wide before the bend begins).

When it comes to paint you can go one of two directions. Either inexpensive or professional. Inexpensive can look 'ok' but it isn't durable and won't look as good as 'pro' or as right. It's all about the primer and the paint. Rattle can is def. cheap way to go. If you go back to bare you will need a self-etching primer and you will either need a big compressor and nice gun, or pay someone to do it for you, and some quality paint.

Based on your pics I would think it is salvageable. I would try and get the max from your insurance w/o letting them total it and haul it off for salvage.

 

The guy is coming tomorrow at Am but from our phone call he doesn't sound to be the best....

"We'll I have never had to do this on a motorcycle"

Are you for real???

Getting the most without a salvage is the plan.

I have been wanting to do a integrated led tail light/turn signal like a moder super sport... But am worried about electrical gremlins that I have seen posted on here. Same thing with wanting to do a brighter (led or halogen) head light and better turn signals?? Any way to do it sure fire without worrying?

I think I'm planning on doing white fairings. And repainting the black on the engine.

Also while we are on the subject... My left exhaust got smashed as did the bracket... So it got me to thinking with my white and black look...

How difficult would this be?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-XJ650-70 ... fb&vxp=mtr

And one more thing.. How do I take the yamaha badges off my gas tank? One of them is smashed so I figure why not just remove both when I repaint/putty.

 

Likewise glad you're semi-o.k. - could have been way worse if you'd gone onto the rocks with your bike....It's a real pita when the bike looked so good...

Dave

 

Wow,
I haven't been around for a couple days and I come to find one of our newest member bruised and battered, BUT ALIVE! The others nailed it and it's obvious....bikes can be finxed or replaced, lives can't be.

I've got to ask since you're a fairly new rider. When you found that you wern't turning fast enough, did it feel like you just couldn't turn any harder? I've heard that from many, many new riders where they just felt like they couldn't lean it anymore or turn it any harder.....and, it happened to me in my first couple months of riding too.

Glad that you're basically ok and I feel for you about your bike, I know that's a huge buzzkill but you'll be riding again in no time!

jeff

 

Hey Jeff.

I leaned harder then I was comfortable with (but I know I could have leaned harder) Here is what happened. I was leaned over got closer to the edge than I wanted to be. Glanced at the rocks... Tried looking where I want to go. Kept leaning then thought I wouldn't make it and it would be best to slow the bike as much as possible.... Grabbed the front brake... ( BIG mistake)

Straightened me out into the rocks. I pushed myself onto the road.

What sucks is we went back to look at where I went down and literally had I held the lean for another fraction of a second there would have been no wreck at all I was already through the turn! Beginners mistake... Guess I learned the hard way.

 

Yup, glad you're ok.

DON'T give up the bike. You have an X there, there's enough of us here that have the parts that you need. I know I have a bunch of extra stuff in my stashes, others do, too. So, when you're ready to start pulling parts together, PM me.

Dave Fox

 

I'll be pulling parts together shortly. And will DEFINITELY take you up on that Dave. I appreciate it..

And my goodness you have quite a bit of yamahas there!

 

x10, Glad you're ok.

 

before you get started, hobble your scuffed up butt out there and see where that oil came from! you might have a hole in the cases, that's a game changer.
how you feel today?

 

Just glad you are still with us.

 

If you find out you have a hole in the case, DON'T give up just cuz of that. Case parts are still available, too.......and they're not unobtanium, either.

You can use this opportunity to build the bike even nicer than it was. Heck, I'm in the middle of building my X from scratch.....started with a bare frame that I got two years ago.

Dave F

 

As others have said, probably salvageable. Be sure to have all receipts for improvements/parts you have added/replaced along with a valuation of the bike. Search your area and see if you can find 3 of them for sale and get their prices and compare conditions. Even better than repairing that one (and having to wait while is done) would be the ability to go out and pick up a replacement. Be sure to include in the replacement cost the parts which usually need to be replaced: brake lines, rear brake pad, airbox boots, maybe manifold boots ... etc. Just realize, you have to document all of this stuff, the insurance company/agent won't go looking for it.

Also, if your helmet hit the ground (seems likely) and saved your skull, put that on the claim as well and get a new one. Do not pass the old one on to someone else. If you decide not to just trash it, at least send it to the manufacturer and they will test/inspect it for usable condition.

 

I am planning on doing just that tonight...Just put a little oil in the crankcase and see where it comes out is the plan..

I know that there is a hose of some kind that is disconnected in the center of the bike underneath. I'm assuming it is associated with the drive shaft.

I got the bent bars off, fairings, and the tank last night.

It looks to really not be in that bad of shape. The exhaust has a couple dents but no holes which would have been the first thing to get smashed...

Insurance offered me $1400.00 and they take the bike.

OR... $1,200.00 and I keep it and don't have a salvage title. Still clean...

I took the second option.

Is my thought of just putting oil in the case and seeing where it comes out going to work?

I'm wanting lower cafe style bars.. anyone got any good recommendations? That I can just swap in w/o fabrication.

 

Is there anything in particular that I should watch or look for?

 

So.... you got yourself an X, and were GIVEN 12k to keep it........awesome.

You'll put less than that into the bike, have your bike back in top shape, and have some extra cash to boot. Well...that's untlil the higher insurance rates suck it back out.

We're here to help you get back on it.

Dave F

 

Congrats on the $1200 offer and keep the bike. Couldn't do much better than that. It's almost like the crash was a real blessing rather than the opposite ...

Worst case for the oil leak is a crack in the engine block and you can get a replacement via eBay for about $300. I have no idea on the mufflers. Did the fairing get damaged?

 

I agree.. Kind of a blessing in disguise.


I smashed the front fairing down... about the first 2 inches.. But I wanted it shorter so I'm going to shorten and it won't need to be replaced. The tank is dented.. But repairable. Only 2 real dents.

Is the front fairing what you were referring to? there is some minor scratches on like the valve cover. I'm going to pour in some oil and see where it comes out of tonight..