From This to This in 20 Minutes

[Motorcycle Dave]

From this ....


To this ....


What a difference 20km and 20 min can make.

I've ridden the Great Alpine many a time, 303km of (generally) good quality well maintained, two-way undivided road, some really tight curves (15km/h), sweeping bends (100km/h plus), very long straights - a rider's road.

But on Thursday 9 March 2023, "generally" was not good enough on a small section near Cobrunga. Road works had commenced, a 40km/h road speed limit was in place, so to slow to 40, loose, thick, soft, gravel (check the pics), slow to 30, then 20. But this was much too tiring for the Mighty ST1300, it needed a nap, and it forced me into a prone position as well.



Approaching motorists stopped and came to my aid, called and ambulance (paramedics to some of you guys), police, etc...

It's good to have a ride mate to take pics to show your mates.




Short version, I was taken to Wangaratta with five cracked ribs; one night at Wangaratta Hospital, then transferred for four nights in a Melbourne hospital.


The Mighty ST13 was transported to Bairnsdale, it's still there.


Four weeks off work (paid sick leave) as the cracked ribs were very, very sore, managed to get by with some strong pain medication, off that now, back at work for two the past two weeks. The ribs will be okay, but there is some residual lower back pain. That may take a bit longer.

The ST? Well, despite only cosmetic damage, gravel rash to RH fairing and RH pannier, no structural damage, the bike has been "written off", I get a cash settlement (only took five weeks, 20 emails and phone calls and rising blood pressure), the insurance company gets the bike. I get a chance to buy back the wreck at public auction, if at the right price, I'll buy it, get it repaired and back on the road.

The cash settlement will be adequate for me to get a suitable replacement, tomorrow I go shopping.

I am sorry to see that happen to you, Hey the good part is your not dead.... When I got T-Boned on mine the insurance got the bike but I got first rights of refusal on getting it back, I bought it back for $250 US I put $2500 US in it and put another 30K on it and sold it for what I paid for it originallly So you see there is light at the end...

 

[Williamson]

... I’m actually surprised the insurer totaled the bike just based on cosmetic damage.

The cost of the repairs was assessed at $7000, on a $9000 bike. The way I figure this out is that the insurance company must reckon that it's easier / cheaper to settle an agreed sum on the insurer, take ownership of the bike, sell bike at auction, and $$ wise they must reckon that end up ahead.

This happens all too often here in AUS. I have a theory that insurance, crash assessors and repair businesses are in collusion, as it's all in their best interests for these outcomes. After all, the insurance, crash assessors and repair businesses all make $$ on these transactions, eg:

• Insurers never loose, all of the immediate losses are underwritten by a bigger company, and so on. Our premiums go up, they all make more $$, we are the suckers.
• Crash assessor, they get paid
• Repairers, the bike will get repaired, sold on to someone else. Good thing this is not a case of one less ST1300 on the road.

In AUS, there are two kinds of write-off, the one above, and a statutory write-off, each of the states share this information and data put on a national register. The repairable write-off can be repaired (d'oh!). The statutory write-off cannot, it's VIN is on the register so it cannot be re-registered (I think licensed in the US) for use on road.

The statutory write-off is usually when there is significant structural damage to the bike.

 

[Williamson]

.... bought it back for $250 US I put $2500 US in it and put another 30K on it and sold it for what I paid for it originallly. So you see there is light at the end...

Bit like what I have in mind, although the figures may not be as favourable in my case.

 

[Alberto]

sorry to hear that, wish you to heal up quickly. It seems like loose gravel and trailer are not compatible things...

 

[Erdoc48]

Insurance is like that here in the US as well. It’s a situation where you buy insurance just in case (and it’s compulsory by the way at least to have inability coverage, depending on the state) and you do your best not to use it, otherwise, the rates hit the sky. I have all my bikes insured as liability coverage only- they’re old, so it’s not worth the premium for them to give me maybe $1500 in event of a wreck.

 

[Williamson]

.... It seems like loose gravel and trailer are not compatible things...

That's not my view. The trailer with 12", low pressure (around 22psi) tyres are real drag, compared to the ST's 18" front tyre with 40psi, and when you roll off the throttle (as I did), seem to slow the bike even more. When the ST went down, it stopped, the momentum of the trailer then pushed to rear of the ST around a bit.

 

[Williamson]

The Mighty ST1300, looking not so mighty.

Item Not Found

www.manheim.com.au

Hoping to buy the wreck and get it back on the road. It's missing saddles, side boxes, top box and a HISS key (which I have), so not worth as much to other as it is to me. Fingers crossed.

 

[Sadlsor]

Wishing you luck.

 

[Upt' North]

Good luck Michael, seems cheap at the minute.
Upt.

 

[Obo]

@Upt' North You bid just to drive the price up, didn't you?

 

[Upt' North]

He made me drink tea!

 

[Williamson]

You should drink more tea, it seems to drive the price down.

The auction was the 5th in about two months. The reserve price was not reached at the previous auctions. My highest bid this time was $705, didn't meet the reserve, no sale. I get a call from the auction house - What's your highest bid? Me - $1000, including fees. Auction house - Sold. Silly buggers, my previous highest bid (3rd auction) was $1025 - excluding fees. It'll cost me another $225 to get it transported to a mate's place for the fun to begin.

Fun will assessing what's really needed to get the ST back on the road. As it's listed as a repairable write-off, this will mean that in addition to the actual cost of repairs (about $1000) it will need a frame inspection and certificate (probably about $500), a road worthy certificate ($250), three months registration and insurance ($250). For less than AU$3500, about UK£3010, CAD$3100 or US$2334, I'll have a 2011 ST1300 with 74,000km on the road.

I'll keep it for a few months before I decide which one I'm gunna keep. In the meantime, get yourselves over here, there'll be a loaner ST1300 available for some touring OzSTyle.

Cheers ....

 

[Obo]

Congrats @Williamson on the "new to you again" ST,

 

[Williamson]

Hi everyone, it's been a busy four months here in AUS, not much time for posting, but had a little time to spend on rebuilding the "old" ST1300.

The rebuild is complete, and now the paperwork, inspections (x 3) start. Due to our Victorian State Road Authority (VicRoads) only having three approved Vehicle Identity Validation (VIV) inspectors, the lead time required for booking inspections and then some more personal commitments, the first inspection won't be until mid-Feb '24; the next two inspections will be in the following week or so.

Anyway, the old girl is looking quite respectable.







There's a fair bit of dust and greasy fingerprints to be buffed-out as yet, and then she'll be looking even better.

In the meantime, I'll be riding the old girl home next week from my mate's garage (in pics) and sit it beside my "new" ST1300. Will need an Unregistered Vehicle Permit - another $50:00 to VicRoads - to legally ride it on-road. More pics next week.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

Hi everyone, it's been a busy four months here in AUS, not much time for posting, but had a little time to spend on rebuilding the "old" ST1300.

The rebuild is complete, and now the paperwork, inspections (x 3) start. Due to our Victorian State Road Authority (VicRoads) only having three approved Vehicle Identity Validation (VIV) inspectors, the lead time required for booking inspections and then some more personal commitments, the first inspection won't be until mid-Feb '24; the next two inspections will be in the following week or so.

Anyway, the old girl is looking quite respectable.







There's a fair bit of dust and greasy fingerprints to be buffed-out as yet, and then she'll be looking even better.

In the meantime, I'll be riding the old girl home next week from my mate's garage (in pics) and sit it beside my "new" ST1300. Will need an Unregistered Vehicle Permit - another $50:00 to VicRoads - to legally ride it on-road. More pics next week.

Looks great!
There's little as pleasing as a successful revival.

 

[ibike2havefun]

Looking good Michael! Glad to see you rescue it from the scrap heap.

 

[Peppermint]

Well done, Michael, she looks gorgeous!

Patty

 

[Bikeric]

Nice job Michael, good for a few more Smiles yet!

 

[MidLife]

Anyway, the old girl is looking quite respectable.

Looking great!

The rebuild is complete, and now the paperwork, inspections (x 3) start.

Are all three inspections with the VIV, why can't do all in one go, or is it also RWC and WOVR related?

....... my mate's garage (in pics) ......

We all need a mate with a garage like that!

....... another $50:00 to VicRoads - to legally ride it on-road ......

So a little mula makes a non-inspected bike with no road worthiness certification legal to be on the road hey!

 

[Williamson]

The Eagle has Landed: