My first ever crash, help diagnosing damage?

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redcass
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My first ever crash, help diagnosing damage?

Post by redcass »

Had my first crash yesterday (damnit). I'm okay, except bruises, but the shop tells me I need a new front wheel and fork and headlight housing. First question: I didn't see any damage to the wheel or fork, what should I be looking for to be sure that I need this replacement? And second, he's quoting me $800-1000. Does that price seem reasonable?
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avescoots1134
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Post by avescoots1134 »

Did you hit something?
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redcass
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Post by redcass »

No, just laid it down on the road, and the bike slid for a little while, as I rolled ahead of it.

The headlight housing is broken, that seemed to be the brunt of the impact.
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avescoots1134
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Post by avescoots1134 »

Yeah, it's likely fine then. Get a second opinion.

1K for the job is about right if it was needed. The fork is expensive.
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Dooglas
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Post by Dooglas »

Glad to hear you are (mostly) okay. It would be good if you posted the details in the famous/infamous crash thread.

viewtopic.php?t=635&highlight=whos+crashed
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ericalm
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Post by ericalm »

Not necessarily fine. A friend put her Buddy down in the road — didn't hit anything — but went down in a way the completely twisted her forks. I saw it happen (she was okay!) and was quite surprised at the damage. But the scooter went down and forward in a way that all the force went into the front.

As I said in the FB group, it's good to have them show you and explain the damage. Even take pics! You can do it in a way that doesn't seem like you're questioning them, just documenting and getting info. :)
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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RoaringTodd
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Post by RoaringTodd »

Hello fellow Philadelphian and ginger. Bad thing about living here is there is only one scooter shop to go to - so we don't have the chance to compare prices.

One thing to keep in mind is the labor as well. While the part itself may not be expensive, taking apart the whole set up adds up.

Glad you're alright.

RT
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laurfunkle
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Post by laurfunkle »

Oh man bummer! But welcome to the club. You're officially one of us now. :lol: *one of us, one of us...*

A good indicator (although not always visible) is to look at where the back of the wheel lines up with the body of the bike compared to a new model. It can look completely straight but if it got pushed back a bit that could be the reason your shop is saying it should be replaced. Another tell is if you sit on the bike and straighten the handle bars. If the wheel is slightly off center then the fork is twisted. As far as the pricing is concerned, unfortunately the parts that you're saying need to be replaced are pricey, and the labor to replace those pieces is pretty lengthy. I'd say the $800-$1000 range is pretty fair.
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ScooterDave
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Post by ScooterDave »

Riding with a bent fork can equate to death.

Just looking at the fork, you may not be able to see it bent. When you get the death wobble at 55mph, you will surely know. If that happens, hopefully you can recover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYyg3k3S8p0
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