Ducati Monster Forum

Hey Ladies/Gents,

I'm an owner of a 2011 Monster 796 ABS that I purchased for $8500 OTD.

After hurricane Sandy, the bike took on some water(1/4 way up the bike) but was ridable afterwards.  When it got cold, the bike eventually stopped starting(unsure of cause).  I reported it to insurance and they saw fit to write it off as totalled due to potential water damage.

Now my options:

1. The insurance company will dispose of the bike and write me a check for ~$9.7k.
2. The insurance company will let me retain the bike, give me a salvage title and write me a check for ~$8.1k.

Which option would you guys go for?  I honestly don't think that the bike took a significant amount of damage.

If not ridable, would I be able to split it up for parts i.e. swingarm, wheels etc..

Thanks in advance for your time everyone!

So:  You can get a slightly water-logged, salvage titled M796 w/a potential non-starting issue for $1600?

Get the bike & $8,100.  I'm *sure* you can get way over $1600 in parts if you do part it out...

Keep the bike and the money. You won't regret it one bit. Even you you decide that its too much work to fix, you should be able to make twice the difference parting out the good stuff.

No water in the engine?  Grab the $8.1K and keep the bike.  Just clean and pack with dielectric grease any electrical connector that was under water.

Another vote to keep it.

Never take the first offer from an insurance company.

Do you have pics of how high the water reached?

I'm no expert but saltwater destroys things in a very methodical way. It won't show up right away but believe me, it's coming.
If I was looking for used parts I would avoid those coming from a moto that has been totaled because of water damage, especially saltwater.

Tough call.

Thanks for the responses guys.  I'm leaning towards keeping her.

FYI the water came from the Hudson river so it was most likely fresh water.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason it won't start is unrelated to the immersion.  I'm no mechanic unfortunately.  Hopefully I can speak to the service tech soon.

Easy choice.  Take the money and with fix it and use it for track bike or stunt bike :-)

If it got up over the brake calipers and wheel bearings I'd definitely disassemble those, clean them, and reassemble with fresh fluids.  I'd probably take suspension apart and clean and fill with fresh fluids as well.  Clean off every nook and cranny with soap and water and change the oil.

Echo the clean any electrical terminal that may have been under water too.

Water rushing up the Hudson from a storm surge very well could have quite a bit of salt water in it.

YEA AND UNICORNS EXIST!!!!  [laugh]


Ive driven my bike into water deeper than 1/4 height of the bike!  Take the money and laugh your way to the bank!

There is nothing fresh about the Hudson south of Yonkers.  Salt is the least of your concern.  Did you check the exhaust for body parts?

[Damn it! Just saw He Man beat me to the Hudson joke.]

you know what casued the bike to stop workign right? The water touched the motor and it grew an extra piston ;\

or take the 9700 and buy a brand new bike and have no worries at all

I'm with this one. Seems like a no brainer to me.

You said the bike isn't starting? Who knows what's wrong, I'm sure it won't cost you the difference the insurance is willing to pay out to fix it, but why take the chance.

When a marine motor is submerged, step 1 is to IMMEDIATELY flush the entire motor internally with fresh oil and possibly to disassemble it to the crank to eliminate salt and silt.

Step 2 is to replace the wiring harness AND every electrical component.

I'd take the money and buy a new bike.

if you would like, i would be more than willing to take the gauge off your hands for a little experiment.

Thanks guys,

I appreciate the help.  I'm going to call up Progressive today and ask to retain the bike.  I figure $1600 bucks for a tinker project isn't such a bad deal.

The shop I have the bike with has a '12 1100 EVO(heated grips, bar ends, tail tidy) which I'm looking to purchase for a reliable ride.

Thanks again!

if you are mechanically inclined and like to take on projects i would take the cash and the bike. if not just take the 9k and call it a day get a new bike worry free :)

Ill take the bike off your hands for $1600.  :P

Estimation from memory give or take an inch:

(http://i48.tinypic.com/2imb9cp.jpg)

Just got a shop manual for the Duc, should be interesting trying to bring her back to life.

-Cheers

if the water only got that high, i'll take it off your hands for $2000.

but it could just be the battery being low.

Or, since you said that it only started when it got cold, it might just be the m796 cold start issue.

kickstand switch

if that's the issue... damn, you just got a steal on a bike. haha

I agree with the majority. Keep the bike, the $8k can be used to sort out any (likely minor) issues. Kickstand switch, bad battery, etc are good places to start. Cheap too...

isnt a bad deal ??

its a make the beast with two backsing great deal

deals like that dont come along too often

this bike now owes you SFA , it doesnt get much better than that

Holy crap, that's it... Yeah that's a puddle, not a flood.

[laugh]

On a serious note. I would LOVE to be in your situation. Extra money AND a fun project OR a new bike!!!

Raux genious with the kickstand switch.

I bid $1601  [evil]

so apparently the answer is, take the money from the insurance company plus the bike and then sell the bike.

i personally would not sell the bike whole....would feel like bad Karma or something.

but i would part it out in a heartbeat!

Take the money and the bike.

The water doesn't seem to have been that high based on your example.

Be ethical and let the buyers know it was partly flooded...

This seems to be panedemic with insurance companies - one has to wonder how they manage to stay in business...oh, wait, they get bailed out by the taxpayers and then give themselves performance bonuses  [clap]  [roll]

slightly off-topic...depending on the tide...either way it's always brackish.  But, I can remember as a kid (grew up two blocks from the Hudson in Yonkers) watching lots of ice float up and down the river, cause the fresh water from all the streams/creeks and farther upriver floats on top of the salt water and freezes below 32.

(do I really want to post this?)