I just had to put my old bike (Kawasaki Ninja valued at $2000 used) up for sale for a measly $500 as a "parts bike". Apparently just one crash (and not even into an object, just a slip on an oil slick at about 40mph) was enough to permanently break the front shocks, headlight holder, front fairing, and gauges.
The total cost of fixing these was estimated at about $1500...and the bike's value is about $2000 if it is fixed. I'm OK because I had full gear (just a few very minor scrapes and no broken bones), but watching the $2000 I paid for the bike just fly out the window still got quite frustrating.
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I'm just wondering...how common is this (to have a single crash cost almost as much as the bike to fix)?
I am getting a new bike for about $3000, but am wondering on the side of my mind: what kind of crashes would cause the same level of damage and why does it seem every other rider can just pick up their bike after a crash, drain it, and get it running again?
And, I'm also wondering on the side, do most "wet slip" crashes really cause this much damage, or it there a certain bad way to make the bike slip that causes much more damage than having it slip in other ways?
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I know now, for example, that in rainy weather you are NOT supposed to keep holding down the rear brake once it locks to avoid a high-side crash (apparently the MSF taught me that technique...which actually made things worse in wet weather). But it still make me wonder if a certain unlucky or badly-planned combination of crash factors gave my bike damage that, at least to me, seems disproportionately high for the circumstances.
The total cost of fixing these was estimated at about $1500...and the bike's value is about $2000 if it is fixed. I'm OK because I had full gear (just a few very minor scrapes and no broken bones), but watching the $2000 I paid for the bike just fly out the window still got quite frustrating.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I'm just wondering...how common is this (to have a single crash cost almost as much as the bike to fix)?
I am getting a new bike for about $3000, but am wondering on the side of my mind: what kind of crashes would cause the same level of damage and why does it seem every other rider can just pick up their bike after a crash, drain it, and get it running again?
And, I'm also wondering on the side, do most "wet slip" crashes really cause this much damage, or it there a certain bad way to make the bike slip that causes much more damage than having it slip in other ways?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know now, for example, that in rainy weather you are NOT supposed to keep holding down the rear brake once it locks to avoid a high-side crash (apparently the MSF taught me that technique...which actually made things worse in wet weather). But it still make me wonder if a certain unlucky or badly-planned combination of crash factors gave my bike damage that, at least to me, seems disproportionately high for the circumstances.