Wrecked Duc while warranty parts on order

[ponfarrpro]

Background: I wrecked my Duc not too long ago with insurance wanting to consider it a total loss. So far I've only sought estimates for repairs from a couple of Duc shops and made an inquiry as to what the insurance will consider; the claim has not been processed through at this point (i.e. I have not paid the deductible, formally decided to claim it, etc).

To throw a wrinkle into this picture, just before wrecking it I had an official Ducati dealer look at my plastic tank as it was starting to bulge/bubble out in one area. I was not aware of the plastic tank problem as posted here but apparently Ducati in Italy approved of replacing my tank at no charge. The tank is on order and is to be shipped to the local dealer, however the tank may not be expected to arrive very quickly as, according to the service guy at the dealer, Italy has to make one from scratch (possibly weeks or months before arriving).

So, the question becomes what to do with the wrecked Duc. Subtracting the cost of the replacement tank from the estimate will not, unfortunately, change the total repair bill in favor of a fixable Duc according to the insurance's numbers; it would still have to be claimed as a loss. Also, there are parts that, for whatever, reason the estimate must include but are largely cosmetic in damage (scratched pipes and scuffed seat, among others). I can live with the cosmetic damage until replacing on my own but for reasons unknown insurance will not budge or allow me to take parts off the total estimate to try to get it repairable.

Then another question comes up: If I take the loss, what happens to the tank that's on its way? Is it considered my part that I can take home when it arrives? Or will the dealer be in the position to say "Well, since you claimed the bike as a loss and it's no longer in our shop, you can't have the tank"? Obviously the tank has a huge value; I'm just not sure of my position with regards to the tank when I'll be forced to decide what to do with the Duc as I can only hold off for so long and wait for the tank.

Thoughts?

[herm]

i think you have to exchange your expanded tank for the new one. thats a guess, but seems to make sense to me.

[ponfarrpro]

Thank you for your input, but I was told by the dealer that they don't need to send in the old one. Obviously this would be a good thing as the wrecked Duc has some scratches and scuffs from the wreck.

[ducpainter]

It would be warranty fraud for the dealer to just give you the tank.

An exchange is required, and the old part is the property of DNA.

[xcaptainxbloodx]

the dealer has to drill the tank through the ducati badge as well as on the bottom where the fuel pump attaches. then take pictures and send those to ducati.

after that its trash and gets tossed out back. if you wanted it for decoration (
make a cooler, mount on a wall etc.)  they might give it to you but only after it was drilled.

[Scotzman]

If you're getting a new tank, I'll trade you 

[matt922]

$5 says a DNA rep will read this thread 

[TAftonomos]

Tank must be exchanged

It isn't worth crap either....I've had a brand new tank on ebay for nearly a year for $500 obo and had ZERO hits....

[floyd turbo]

It sounds like you want to fix your bike.  Have you considered letting the insurance company total it and then buy it back from the insurance company so you can fix it?

[mitt]

If the dealer orders a warranty part, then never does the replacement, they get screwed on the cost.  I have seen it happen to a good dealer with a bad customer on a head.


mitt

[junior varsity]

you should be able to get a different insurance invoice made up that only covers what you want fixed.

[ponfarrpro]

Thanks for all the replies! 

It would be warranty fraud for the dealer to just give you the tank.
An exchange is required, and the old part is the property of DNA.

Thanks for the pointer.

the dealer has to drill the tank through the ducati badge as well as on the bottom where the fuel pump attaches. then take pictures and send those to ducati.
after that its trash and gets tossed out back.

At first when the dealer mentioned they're not required to send in the bad tank, I thought it a bit odd also. But then this is probably what they meant.

If the dealer orders a warranty part, then never does the replacement, they get screwed on the cost.  I have seen it happen to a good dealer with a bad customer on a head.

Good point. Several thoughts ringing in my head now make me wonder if the replacement tank has actually been ordered.

Tank must be exchanged
It isn't worth crap either....I've had a brand new tank on ebay for nearly a year for $500 obo and had ZERO hits....

Thanks for sharing and for the extensive marketing research.

It sounds like you want to fix your bike.  Have you considered letting the insurance company total it and then buy it back from the insurance company so you can fix it?

I'm on the fence about this route. Partially because right now is not the best time for me to be shelling out the dough to fix it, partially because of the effect a salvage title will have on selling it in the future if I decide to, and partially because of the time delay to ride again.     But I can certainly see the possibilities to rebuilding and customizing.

you should be able to get a different insurance invoice made up that only covers what you want fixed.

Insurance is not willing to budge I'm afraid. It's either all or nothing to them. The claim adjuster even specifically said the estimates are already in the system in such a way that I can't go back and resubmit a lesser estimate. It becomes a question of how to change their information when they already know of the previous, higher cost information. Seems kinda sleazy in a way because I haven't actually pursued a formal claim; it's almost like it's stacked against me to force a claim of full loss

Incidentally, this experience (unlike other experiences with other insurance companies on claims (stupid drivers rear-ending me or shouldn't be driving at all) has raised some questions about the methods of insurance. Maybe it's the new thing in this day and age of the readily available background checks on cars, people, and so on, but not too long after I consulted with my insurance company I browsed CarFax and entered the VIN of my Duc. Sure enough it's already been entered in their database. Is this legal before I've actually made a claim?   It seems to stain my Duc before anything's gone through the complete process, especially when the context of the listing details is not available unless I pony up the cost of the report.

[junior varsity]

its very much gambling: you are betting that you do crash each time you pay your premium, they are betting that you don't.

its a shame that your adjuster will not work with you. that has not been my experience before (but I've only had this trouble once where i thought insurance was the way to go).

[junior varsity]

fyi, sometimes a less expensive alternative, though out of pocket instead, is to buy parts yourself and not claim anything. I like to call this "upgrades time!"

[Bladecutter]

Ponfarrpro,

Who is your insurance company?
I want to know so that I can avoid them at all costs in the future.

Also, if you do give in to the insurance company, ask your dealer to disable the bike so that they can't sell any parts on it when it gets to salvage.

If they are willing to screw you preemptively, then you can do the same since its still your property at this time.

BC.