Curse of the Twunt, Mk.II

[xwhatsit]

Mother's Day! Wanted to bake mum a pie, so took off to the shops at about 4.45, 5pm or so to get some short crust pastry and fruit. Not long out of Mangere Bridge, the road turns into a 70kph zone (before the Lawn Cemetary and Christmas tree farm). Sun behind me, turn a corner, old man in a Toyota hatchback pulls out. Sees me then slams on his brakes -- too late, he's blocking the whole lane.

Stupidly, I grab the brakes. I say stupidly, because there was almost a metre of room to dodge past on the left. Angry with myself for that, normally I'm good at dodging cagers (have to be riding around in Auckland). No room to stop at 70kph, I hit the side of his car still going a reasonable chop. It's a glancing blow, my right hand, shoulder and knee go into his door and make some satisfying gouges and dents. Somehow my front tyre has given up holding onto the road, possibly the brake lever got pushed on hard by the car's body panels and tyre locked? Anyhow, me and the bike go for a wee lie down bouncing down the road on our right-hand side.

Got to love a Honda. Thing is lying on its side, haemorrhaging fuel out of the tank and carb and starving itself of oil, still happily ticking over steadily, waiting for me to pick it back up and thrash its nuts out. Must be the XR250 in it.

Crawl over to the bike, hit the kill switch. Check I've still got my limbs, pick up my bike.

Anyhow, elderly lad with Parkinsons climbs out of his car -- asks if I'm alright -- says he's very sorry, he didn't see me (of course). I have some sympathy for him, at least he's got the excuse of sunstrike; most cagers seem to not see you regardless of how good the conditions are. I wish he hadn't hesitated and stopped in the middle of the road.

Big stroke of luck, in the queue of traffic stopped on the other side of the road was a couple who live on the corner of my road. Asked me last year about BHS test. They check me over, get paper and pen, take both our details for us (stuffed if I could write legibly) and give us their own. They then see the state of the bike, go back and pick up a truck from their house, load it in then drop it at my house. Beer will be on their doorstep.

He's got full insurance (with State), I've got 3rd party (with Kiwibike/Protecta). He admitted full liability. I'd say the bike is a write-off, mainly due to the tank damage (hand and clip-on stove in the right front corner, its leaking fuel now) and paintwork etc. Can't tell if the forks/clamps are straight yet -- put in on the centre stand, whirled the front wheel and it seems to turn straight so that's good. It's insured for $1700, probably get valued at $1000-1200, repairs will go over that easy I'm guessing. Farrrrrk.

What happens here? How long will this take? Will the valuer come to my house? Whose valuer? Kiwibike or State? Buy back the wreck? VIN it again? Shit ... I want my bike back. I love it to bits

So now I'm back to bleeding money on the bus `service', not sure how I'm going to do that. Had to do that for a while and spent half my wages on tickets.

P.S. I'm alright, Quasimoto makes some marvellous gear. Shoulder and back a bit sore, I think from when my body hit the car. Small abrasion on my elbow, I think that's from cordura rubbing when I hit the tarmac (jacket is a shade loose). Armoured gloves definitely saved my fingers and thumb. Feeling a bit stiff and sore but mostly just sad about my bike

Grumpy too about having a crash! I was aiming to go an entire lifetime without crashing

[Highlander]

P.S. I'm alright, Quasimoto makes some marvellous gear. Shoulder and back a bit sore, I think from when my body hit the car. Small abrasion on my elbow, I think that's from cordura rubbing when I hit the tarmac (jacket is a shade loose). Armoured gloves definitely saved my fingers and thumb. Feeling a bit stiff and sore but mostly just sad about my bike

That is the key. You were largely unhurt. At the end of the day the rest is only money ( I mean that in the sense that the things that cannot be fixed no matter how much money you throw at them, are not broken).

My experience (limited as it is) of insurance claims is that you make a claim with your insurance company, he makes a claim with his and they sort it out between them. If he admits liability to them (and normally they change their view of things after the event) then you shouldn't lose your no claims, or have to pay an excess.

[Neon]

Glad to hear you are ok if a little ruffled

[xwhatsit]

Who likes photogs!

Looking at it now, I can see it was mostly my hand/meaty bit of my thumb that made the dent in the fuel tank. Naked bikes crash lovely. What's interesting, is that, OK, the right clipon is bent backwards (just rotated around the forks I think). But what I find really interesting is that the left clipon is pushed forwards And those suckers are on tight.

Worked out why my front wheel lost traction and I lowsided after bouncing off his car; there's some lovely Toyota white paint on the sidewall of the front tyre. So it wasn't just my body and the handlebar that hit the car.

[James Deuce]

What's his address? I feel like a week off, a road trip, and a holiday in a heated cell in Northland for a couple of years.

[xwhatsit]

What's his address? I feel like a week off, a road trip, and a holiday in a heated cell in Northland for a couple of years.

Oh wow! I stirred the curmudgeon into posting.

He wasn't wearing a hat.

[James Deuce]

I'll Ramset one to the top of the senile, frog testicle munching, deer velvet swilling idiot's head.

[imdying]

It's insured for $1700, probably get valued at $1000-1200

Why are you paying a premium for $1700 if it's only worth $1000-1200? Get the next one valued, and only insure it for what it's worth, keep some money in your packet for gas

[xwhatsit]

Why are you paying a premium for $1700 if it's only worth $1000-1200? Get the next one valued, and only insure it for what it's worth, keep some money in your packet for gas

I paid $1650; but they come up on Trademe nowadays for a grand or so every so often. I think some horrible grumpy valuer from State with glasses and a bad tie isn't going to do me any favours, that's why I mentioned that figure.

I buy insurance for theft (in which case they'd give me $1700, wouldn't they?) and third party (in case I scratch a Merc with my mirror). Crashing is not something I do, as a rule.

[brendonjw]

Hey man, sorry to hear but its good your ok.
I live out that way so i know what the level (or lack of) of driving is like.

[xwhatsit]

Hey man, sorry to hear but its good your ok.
I live out that way so i know what the level (or lack of) of driving is like.

Heh -- actually he's from Glen Innes sort of way -- the useless Souf Orklan `drivers' tend to be moving too slow in their Bongo Wagons and Toyota Previas to cause that sort of incident.

[Daffyd]

So I take it your mum didn't get her pie?
Oh, BTW sorry about your bin.

[brendonjw]

Heh -- actually he's from Glen Innes sort of way -- the useless Souf Orklan `drivers' tend to be moving too slow in their Bongo Wagons and Toyota Previas to cause that sort of incident.

Heh, that was probably a good thing, the usual Souf Orklan driver would of probably got out n tried to bash ya for hittn his car

[erik]

Bad luck, but good you weren't hurt much.

Sounds like a headache trying to decide what to to with the bike. I haven't got any suggestions. (although, if possible I might fix it cheaply as I could and keep on riding).

[McJim]

Bugger - that's your valve hand too.
Glad you are walking wounded - shame about the bike. It was such a minter before the crash too! seriously though - bog and respray the tank for about $200 and get new indicators and levers as required from Cycletreads.

Try to see if you can get new clipons (if they are beyond repair) from the bike wreckers up Barrys Point Road. You should be able to get her back on the road for less than $400 all up.