Did a rare thing at work today, a delivery. Work in a restaurant on Parnell Rd. Anyhow, return from my delivery, and find that a large black 4x4 has decided to park in my work's loading zone. No matter, I'll park just behind the loading zone in the convenient little gap, as I have many times before. (This is all illustrated at the bottom).
All is well until I go inside. A couple of minutes later I hear a large `clunk' and go out to find my bike knocked over and leaking fuel onto the pavement. Man in black 4x4 is looking like a stunned mullet. Pull open door and abuse the shit out of him. Comes behind to look as I pull up the bike, says `sorry mate, I didn't see it'. Resist urge to pull his spleen out through his eye-socket. He says, `what's damaged? I'll pay for the damage'. His wife offers business card, I give him my name and phone number, I take down the registration number of the car too. At this point he changes tact, saying `you were parked illegally, that means you should pay. I can't see your bike in my mirrors'. This makes me quite angry and he goes back to saying `but I will pay for the damage'.
So anyhow, the bike was still rideable to get me home. However, a cursory inspection shows a shallow dent in the LHS of tank, lots of small dents and paintwork missing on the RHS of tank. RHS exhaust is scratched and dented, and in fact it looks like he might've killed the exhaust studs because now it leaks and makes a hell of a racket (and kills low-end performance to boot). RHS clip-on bent, brake lever bent, front guard twisted, front brake lever missing knobby bit (just after I replaced it with my spare, too). Tail section missing a bit more paint. Headlight rim has additional dings.
All in all, probably write-off material. I'm thinking about getting a list of what it would cost in parts, giving him that, tell him I'll do the favour of all the labour myself and he can pay for the parts (except for the exhaust studs, I fecked the LHS ones previously, so he can pay half or summat for a cylinder head shop to fix it). I'm not keen for it to go to insurance because of potential for write-off, and he offered to pay for damage -- except I don't think he realises how pricey it might be.
Where do I go from here? Should I contact my insurance company?
Cheers guys. I know my bike wasn't the nicest, prettiest bike around, but I've spent many long hours and money getting it to run and go and it's mine. Feeling fairly fucked off right now.
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The cheek of the guy! I hope they stand by their word and actually pony up the readies, it was their frikk'n fault after all! 
Poor Natalie, it seems a saga of epic proportions and I hope you don't lose heart! Keep fighting the good fight!
Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat
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