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[LarrysBB]

 A couple of days ago my bike had an 50 Mph highway encounter with a bear .  The bear did not survive but the bike performed extremely well and protected the rider and did not go down.
 Anyway the right side of the engine guard was bent back several inches and the right lower faring was destroyed, there was other damage as one might suspect.
 I talked to the stealer who said that if there is any damage to the upper support bracket where the guard attaches at the frame, they would probably declare that the bike is TOTAL loss. I looked but I don't see any damage, but a slight bending out that looks like the bracket support was made intentionally that way.
 I have an appointment with the insurance adjuster next week, but would appreciate any advice before he gets his hands on it.

[LarryB]

if that support bracket/tab is bent then yes, they will total the frame. reason being that if it is bent it pulled something else (down tubes) out of wack. some people just bend it back and hit it with some spray paint. if your insurance is going to cover it then let them total the frame. word of caution, new frames take awhile to get.

[LarrysBB]

That makes sense.
Thanks

[kraut]

whatever accident you get involved in - be prepared to the frame beeing bent if measured meticulously.

That's not such a big surprise - if anybody cared to measure the frame on fresh out of factory bikes they would find a significant percentage of them already "bent"...

[erniezap]

There is a motorcycle frame shop in Sacramento, CA that the insurance companies out here use.  They have the jigs and align everything the way way it should be.  Jim (HD-Dude) can give you the name of the shop if you want it.

[grc]

There is another point to ponder when thinking about "totalling" the frame.  It's highly unlikely the insurance company will total the entire bike, so totalling the frame basically means having someone take every single part off your current frame and then installing it all on a new frame.  This is not something to be taken too lightly.  I think I'd want to have the frame measured by a hghly qualified frame expert to see if it really is tweaked, and then determine if any bend can be easily straightened.  Much easier and faster than getting a new frame and then finding someone you can trust to do the teardown and reassembly.  And if the frame can't be saved, I think I'd work on the insurance company to replace the bike.  They probably won't go for it, but it's worth the effort.

As kraut noted, the frame probably wasn't perfect right out of the factory.  If it isn't structurally compromised, and the steering head/engine mounts/swingarm mounts/etc. are all in proper alignment, I wouldn't be too eager to "total" anything.  That would be my last choice, not the first.


Jerry

[SteveFLHTK]

It's a Harley thing. If that tab is tweaked, they replace the frame, end of story.  If you decide to have the work done without replacing the frame, some, if not most, dealerships will refuse to do the work at all.

[kraut]

according to official H-D standards, frames can not be realigned nor welded but have to be replaced. So your only choice will be to just ignore the frame or have the bike reassembled with a new frame.

I had the situation 2003 when a car decided to change lanes in front of me without consulting his mirror. Engine guard was pretty folded and damage to the frame most likely if not evident. But as we were booked on a tour to Russia just 5 days later I decided to ignore after meticulous test ride. Had the bike for 2 more years and some 40.000 m, never realised any change in ride characteristics. But was carefull enough to sell the bike to the dealer who seconded the decision not to measure the frame 

On the other hand a friend last autumn got victimized by his clutch just the day after delivery of his red FLHTCUSE4. Ran against his garage-door. Fairing, engine guard, mirrors damaged - and frame. It took 6 weeks to get the parts together, dealer let him ride the bike on his own responsibility (he avoided higher speeds, didn't realise any change in handling though), bike was rebuilt in another 4 days and I believe he got a better quality now than out of the factory: each screw was torqued to the book, many little issues manually realigned ...

But we do have an outstanding workshop over here. As our dealer trades in Ferrari, Maserati, Aston-Martin and Rolls-Royce too, they have all imagineable tools and a top quality workforce with experts in any field.

If you can't trust your dealer to get the job done properly I would seriously consider to ignore the frame. But you will have a problem selling the bike so trading her in now as she is might even be the best choice for you ...

[LarrysBB]

I really appreciate all the information.
 I have looked closely at the tab area and can see no bending, but I'm not a technition. The bike still handles perfectly. You all have helped me as I may be trading it in (ouch).

But as you say that after the measurements are made... I wonder if the factory did that perfect of a job in the first place. I have done several measurements with a steel string.  Everything is very close or perfect as best as I can see.

I know what to expect now at the dealer. The adjuster will be there too.
 
 I live 200 miles from the nearest dealer and the first appointment is next week (great service).

I'll keep you posted on what happens next week.
 
Larry

[LarryB]

if the tab looks good and the powder coat is still intact, you may be ok

[JCZ]

There is a motorcycle frame shop in Sacramento, CA that the insurance companies out here use.  They have the jigs and align everything the way way it should be.  Jim (HD-Dude) can give you the name of the shop if you want it.

If the tab is bent (probably not noticable to the naked eye) the insurance company will total they will want to pay for a replacement (took them about three weeks on my 04 SEEG).  If you choose not to replace it, I'm pretty sure that your insurance will not cover your bike on any future accident.

If you want to repair it yourself......The Frame Man.......   http://www.motorcycleframeman.com/

[LarrysBB]

the powdercoat is not broken and the tab is not bent that I can see... at this point.

[BADBAGG]

I went down on my 09serg a couple months ago. The crash bar was bent into the gas tank. It actually dented the tank. I was doing approx 80 mph at the time of the crash. My frame was not bent in my accident. As some of the other guys stated if you cant see it , and the powder coat is not cracked or coming off it is probably fine. Sounds like mine took a bigger hit than yours and it rides as good as it did before accident. Good luck. Glad your ok. Frames can be replaced , we cant .....

[skreminegul07]

A friend had same situation. 2003 Ultra.  If they total the bike (it was older and had less overall value) , it will then have a salvage title.  My friend had to sign a waiver to keep the frame and bike.  Bent the engine guard tab back, insurance replaced a bunch of parts.  I can almost guarantee that having a touring bike with all it's wiring stripped to the frame and rebuilt, you will definetely have some future pinched wires, etc.  At the factory they do this all the time and know where to put ty wraps and route cables.

[spydglide]

LarrysBB, did the bear just shoot out of a side ditch into you or what?  Just wondering.  spyder