Saving a '81 KZ750-E

Really good to see you being pragmatic about this terrible event, lesser men would have been "crushed" by this and not bounced back

It is now past the five month mark, and I am still waiting for AAA to get off their collective butts and give me a structure settlement so I can start the rebuild process.  They have had the claim I submitted for three weeks now.  I am being told the claim has gone all the way up the management chain and now sits on the head of homeowners division's desk for a decision.  They sure are quick to take your money, and slow as molasses in winter to dish it out.  With all of the price changes over the last five years, it will take double the money to tear it down and build an identical building.  Keep in mind we are reusing the stem wall foundation and concrete floor (had to have an engineer certify it good for use), so no excavation or concrete is required this time.  The wiring from the house to the sub panel is still good as well.  I have an attorney lined up in case it comes to that, but I sincerely hope it doesn't.

The clean up so far has been a mixed bag of emotions.  One thing (there are several, surprising enough!) that survived the fire is the engine stand I made to mount the KZ's motor to a conventional engine stand. It will be sand blasted and painted this time around.  I also found the special tools I made to hold the clutch basket and flywheel.  Some small rays of sunshine in a huge, ugly mess.  As I wait for the insurance settlement, I am going ahead and scheduling the demolition.  I will pay for this out of pocket and be reimbursed once the settlement comes through.  Having the building remains and all the scrap out of my backyard will be a huge turning point for me.  It will be the heralding point of the rebuild process.  Next Spring will the Green Monster's rebirth as the riding season returns...  she will be the first project in shop 2.0 over the winter!

Be strong and stay with it pal. Insurance companies are the same the world over. I had a bump in my car last June in Italy on holiday. It took until 2 months ago for the Italians to accept liability, they paid my insurance company 3weeks ago and now due to “issues with a new IT system” I am still waiting for them to pay me the excess I had to front last year and to reimburse the policy increase I had to pay in February!!!!!!!!!
 

Good to hear that you're starting with the rebuild. Once the new shop is done and there's a bike in it things should hopefully start to look up.

Good to hear things are (slowly) moving along. Shop 2.0 is something you can look forward to,  and then this disaster can become just a step in your journey. 

We have gotten the demolition accomplished.  The building permit is about 50% through the process with the county.  I should receive the first disbursement of the structure settlement tomorrow, so as soon as the county issues the building permit we are ready to get going on the new construction.  There is a slim chance that shop 2.0 will come to be before the end of the year, but I hold out hope none the less.  Most of this process is out of my control, so I am just along for the ride.  Here's to a happy New Year!

Things are well on their way after the permit went through.  This structure was put up in 5-1/2 days!  Those framers were humping! This last week the windows went in, the eaves were painted, and the moisture barrier got installed on the roof.  Next step is the roof and chimney.  The stucco firm is walking the site tomorrow morning, and Tuesday a garage floor coating company is coming out to give me some recommendations and then an estimate.  Electrical should happen soon as well.  If I have been a really good boy this year, I may have my shop back by Christmas!

Rough electrical is in, the lath and rough coat are on, the roof is done and the eaves are painted.  The drywall arrived on Thursday. They can't tape and mud the drywall due to the temps.  They will need to heat the building. It finally looks like a real building to me. One of the hardest things for me is trying to control my patience!  Hopefully it will be complete by the end of next month.

I better check my chargers , Wow

We are super close to being ready for the final inspection by the county.  The drywall is taped and mudded, and we are ready for texture and paint.  Once painted, the finish electrical will go in, the floor coating will be put down, and the stove/chimney will be the final touch.  It has been a very long ten months since the fire.  I am surprised I have survived the boredom of not having any tools or a place to use them.  Please re-evaluate the convenience or benefit of using lithium batteries!  The news doesn't cover the increase in instances of lithium battery fires.  Too much money is being made on its use, and it is my opinion it is being downplayed in the name of profit.  But then again, I may be a bit jaded.

Glad to see your shop is almost complete.  And I also think the lithium battery fire news is supressed in the name of profits. 

Skidmark wrote:

We are super close to being ready for the final inspection by the county.  The drywall is taped and mudded, and we are ready for texture and paint.  Once painted, the finish electrical will go in, the floor coating will be put down, and the stove/chimney will be the final touch.  It has been a very long ten months since the fire.  I am surprised I have survived the boredom of not having any tools or a place to use them.  Please re-evaluate the convenience or benefit of using lithium batteries!  The news doesn't cover the increase in instances of lithium battery fires.  Too much money is being made on its use, and it is my opinion it is being downplayed in the name of profit.  But then again, I may be a bit jaded.

 

Your concerns around lithium are totally understandable given what happened and I agree people need to be aware that lithium fires are difficult to extinguish. However they are in almost every device we use these days (phones, lap-tops, tablets, watches etc) and this will continue as consumers demand ever more powerful and compact devices. I am committed with my build as the whole back end is built around the dimensions of a "300CCA Ultrabat" I have however fused the R/R output and the cooling vents in the tailpiece would if the worst happened allow me to get water onto the battery to cool it (the only way to put them out) Whilst I agree these issues are under-reported I think we need to keep it in perspective "given the millions of lithium batteries in circulation" and make "informed" decisions on our choices. Good to see the shop almost finished, I can only imagine what you have been through.