About 2 months ago I bent the front rim of my s4rs Tricolore at a bad rr crossing. I rode it that way for a week then dropped it off at the dealership. Since it was only about 10 weeks old I thought I would let them handle it. I was going on vacation and was hoping they would have it done by the time I got back. That was over three weeks ago. They said it's on it's way back so hopefully it will be finished this week. I have been wrangling with the RR about getting them to pay me at least something for the damages. They have a lot of hoops to jump through but it seems I will get something if I'm lucky. The question I have is this. They want two estimates. Since they are already working on it I'm sure they can give me one it's the second I'm worried about. I figure I have a few options.
1. I will explain to the CSX claims department what is happening and ask if they will accept one.
2. If that is unacceptable I could have the shop give me an estimate for the repair which they are already doing and an estimate for a new wheel (which will be much more expensive).
3. I could find a place that sells them online and get a quote for the price plus a quote from a shop for labor to remove and reinstall the new wheel.
This has been one monumental pain in the a#@. Does anyone have any advice or better options. I know it's a cast aluminum wheel. If anyone knows where to purchase this online it would be a help as I could be armed with that info when I call CSX today. I can't believe I've lost almost a month of good weather dealing with this crap. Here's a pic of the damage. Not to bad I know but if this was your brand new bike you'd want it fixed as well. I'm lucky I didn't eat it when it happened.
(http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m302/rdmonster/Picture045.jpg)
how fast were you going? i always slow down to a crawl going over railroad tracks.
I would call ducati seattle and get a quote for a direct oem replacement wheel.
I would call motowheels and/or monster parts for a quote on a aftermarket replacement wheel.
good luck.
mitt
You gotta hit something really hard to bend a rim. Was the tire at the correct pressure? Glad you stayed upright.
that ding looks minimal!
the shop should have had it repaired already
I've sent out my front rim to get repaired by mcwheel.com they're in NH. They have a 2 week turnaround.
Sent them 2 front rims in fact. NYC potholes are NOT fun! Very easy to dent rims here!
you don't have to hit some "really hard to bend a rim"- not at all. not if the tire pressure was too low it can happen quite easily just hitting a pot hole...
too bad you're not in the Bay Area, I know a guy up in Sonoma who could have fixed that for you in 30 minutes - GP wheel and frame -
If you do get $$ from RR for a new rim.... (you should push for that by saying the rim's damage will cause it to prematurely wear out blah blah blah, and if they dont do their reserach you might just get $ for a full rim?)
How does a carbon fiber one stand to dents like this? They have a lot more give and flex, but im not sure they are repairable after they crack, if you can, im sure it wont be cheap compare to this.
Quote from: He Man on July 14, 2008, 12:54:23 PM
How does a carbon fiber one stand to dents like this? They have a lot more give and flex, but im not sure they are repairable after they crack, if you can, im sure it wont be cheap compare to this.
where's that "can of worms" icon when you need one? [laugh]
That's not too bad at all. I know a guy who regularly does trackdays on a rim that looks like that....
The front wheel on my '87 Ducati Paso was so bad that it wouldn't hold air. A local Honda dealer knew a guy who repaired rims, so he straightened mine for $75. He even trued the rotors to the rim for an additional $10.
The damage to that rim is minor enough that you may be able to repair it with a block of wood and a dead-blow hammer.
I usually speed up at my local RR crossing, if I hit right neither wheel touches the tracks ;D.
I dinged a rim pretty bad on a railroad track too, but mine actually peeled back the metal a bit. Wasn't going very fast at all, but there were a series of potholes that played a part too.
It was also suggested to me by the shop that any impact hard/sharp enough to damage a rim like that, is likely very bad for the tire as well...
-Toby
The question is what to do about the quotes right..... not how to bend or not bend a rim. ;D
Like others said thay want 2 quotes and you just want the rim straightened...so give them 3 quotes and just get the rim fixed out of pocket and hope for the best.
quote 1 OE replacement rimfrom duc seattle or wherever.
quote 2 Aftermarket replacement rim from you pick a retailer/shop.
quote 3 the quote/cost you are gonna pay for straightening it.
They'll see the first 2 at over a grand and then see the little bill for your straightening and give you the $.
Thanks for all the replies. CSX said they would be fine with one quote. I said I'll get 2 if having only one means my claim will be denied. They said it wouldn't be denied for that reason and I've got it on tape. I know the damage is minimal and the bike was rock solid up to some pretty darn high speeds but if it was your brand new mC would you leave it looking like this. It was sent out to MC wheels in NH. It should be done this week. That's one month in the shop. At least I was out of town for half of it.
FWIW The tire pressure was spot on and I was only going about 15 or so. The entire crossing (4 lines) was perfect except for the one spot I hit. You couldn't see it til the last second. My first idea was to grab a bit of throttle for a little wheelie but I was tired and just had time to unweight the bike as much as possible. It was a nasty hole for sure.