Fell with my motorcycle. No injuries, but damage. I love that bike.
Not happy
- Thread starter Shat Happens
- Start date
Glad that you are ok.
Sorry to hear that. Glad you're okay. 
I must admit, I did find it a bit humorous glancing over from your story to see your rather fitting user name.
I must admit, I did find it a bit humorous glancing over from your story to see your rather fitting user name.
Aww, poor SH 
What type of bike is it? Can you get spare parts in your country? Will the repair be expensive/difficult?
I'm very relieved that you didn't get hurt (physically), though. Motorbike accidents tend to be damned dangerous. I'm always a bit worried when my sister visits with her bike. She's an excellent driver but part of the route is an extremely curvy road through a narrow canyon and truck drivers don't always stick to the right line.
How did your accident happen? Did you slide on rubble or did a car force you off the road or did you have to break for an animal or was the road slippery? (I think I can rule out a technical difficulty on your bike. You don't sound like the kind of person who'd overlook a even a minor malfunction.)
What type of bike is it? Can you get spare parts in your country? Will the repair be expensive/difficult?I'm very relieved that you didn't get hurt (physically), though. Motorbike accidents tend to be damned dangerous. I'm always a bit worried when my sister visits with her bike. She's an excellent driver but part of the route is an extremely curvy road through a narrow canyon and truck drivers don't always stick to the right line.
How did your accident happen? Did you slide on rubble or did a car force you off the road or did you have to break for an animal or was the road slippery? (I think I can rule out a technical difficulty on your bike. You don't sound like the kind of person who'd overlook a even a minor malfunction.)
Why, thanks for the sympathy. Much appreciated.
Since interest was shown, I'll post a picture and some more words:
But first, on motorcycle safety: Leathers, boots and gloves. Or I'd more than just pissed now.
Trekker motorcyclists will recognize it's the same make and model as William Shatner's, that he auctioned some years ago.
Ironically, my accident was due to care and maintenance: I had a new (rear) tire installed. All riders should know new tires come with a thin coat of wax (for conservation during storage) and to go very easy on the throttle during the first few miles. I didn't completely forget that as I left the tire shop, but then I ran over a bit of pavement slightly more slippery, the new tire completely lost grip, then regained it completely in the next second. Boom.
Now to economics. It's an American motorcycle, I don't live in USA, so it's an import. Now this is interesting: imported cars and bikes are horrendously taxed, so they, to not price their product out of the market, rented a local factory and import the bikes only partially assembled. That way they are legally not imports when they come out fully assembled. They're still not cheap, but affordable if you really want one.
Parts, however, don't benefit from that malabarism. So they are dispropotionally expensive. Well, sh*t happens. Availability, at least, is not a big problem.
Not shown in the picture is the warped handlebar. That I was able to buy second-hand, cheap.
Rhubarbodendron, don't worry too much, riding is too much fun and more than reasonably safe. Say hello to your sister for me.
Since interest was shown, I'll post a picture and some more words:
But first, on motorcycle safety: Leathers, boots and gloves. Or I'd more than just pissed now.
Trekker motorcyclists will recognize it's the same make and model as William Shatner's, that he auctioned some years ago.
Ironically, my accident was due to care and maintenance: I had a new (rear) tire installed. All riders should know new tires come with a thin coat of wax (for conservation during storage) and to go very easy on the throttle during the first few miles. I didn't completely forget that as I left the tire shop, but then I ran over a bit of pavement slightly more slippery, the new tire completely lost grip, then regained it completely in the next second. Boom.
Now to economics. It's an American motorcycle, I don't live in USA, so it's an import. Now this is interesting: imported cars and bikes are horrendously taxed, so they, to not price their product out of the market, rented a local factory and import the bikes only partially assembled. That way they are legally not imports when they come out fully assembled. They're still not cheap, but affordable if you really want one.
Parts, however, don't benefit from that malabarism. So they are dispropotionally expensive. Well, sh*t happens. Availability, at least, is not a big problem.
Not shown in the picture is the warped handlebar. That I was able to buy second-hand, cheap.
Rhubarbodendron, don't worry too much, riding is too much fun and more than reasonably safe. Say hello to your sister for me.
You have my sympathies, those are heavy bikes too, when they go down they go down hard. Still though, the factory is obviously importing the parts without tax to build the bikes. Have you tried locating it, and phoning them up direct?
I wrecked my Bandit on Thursday, put it straight into the back of somebody in the wet. I've been surveying the damage today, I've bent both front discs, smashed the clocks, destroyed the engine cage (which luckily protected the engine), dented the tank, gouged the rear fairings, smashed all 4 indicators, and hit the handlebars so hard they snapped.
Fortunately bandits are very common bikes, so I have been able to replace everything from ebay for only a bit more than my excess on the insurance would have been, so I am fixing it back up myself.
I wrecked my Bandit on Thursday, put it straight into the back of somebody in the wet. I've been surveying the damage today, I've bent both front discs, smashed the clocks, destroyed the engine cage (which luckily protected the engine), dented the tank, gouged the rear fairings, smashed all 4 indicators, and hit the handlebars so hard they snapped.
Fortunately bandits are very common bikes, so I have been able to replace everything from ebay for only a bit more than my excess on the insurance would have been, so I am fixing it back up myself.
{{{Pingfah}}} I'm glad you remained unhurt! It sounds as if hardly anything besides the seat and motor remained unharmed. Wouldn't it have been better to buy a new one and keep the remains of the old as spare parts?
Shat Happens, I'll pass the greets on to my sister (she drives a Honda Transalp, btw. Just the thing for our Bavarian mountain roads).
Hmm, a modern Harley (Based on the handlebar's reflection I'd guess a dyna super glide?). Nice design but imho the center of gravity is too far to the rear which makes them extremely prone to sliding away under you the instant you push them into an angle beyond 30°. I much prefer the older models from the 1970s and 80s which were imho better balanced.
You were damned lucky (and quick!!) If you got your left leg out before she could fall on it. You could easily have smashed your knee to splinters.
These scratches on the tank look kinda decorative. I admit it sounds idiotic, but couldn't you get more of them engraved and the whole thing turned into a pattern?
Over here, Harley tanks are not that difficult to get. We have rather a lot of garages that customize parts and can get their hands on rather cheap ones as they buy at the wholesale price. Occasionally, one finds a good one at a junk yard.
My local garage always washes new tyres with a mix of water, spirit and dish liquid. It removes all oily and waxy residues.
Shat Happens, I'll pass the greets on to my sister
(she drives a Honda Transalp, btw. Just the thing for our Bavarian mountain roads). Hmm, a modern Harley (Based on the handlebar's reflection I'd guess a dyna super glide?). Nice design but imho the center of gravity is too far to the rear which makes them extremely prone to sliding away under you the instant you push them into an angle beyond 30°. I much prefer the older models from the 1970s and 80s which were imho better balanced.
You were damned lucky (and quick!!) If you got your left leg out before she could fall on it. You could easily have smashed your knee to splinters.
These scratches on the tank look kinda decorative. I admit it sounds idiotic, but couldn't you get more of them engraved and the whole thing turned into a pattern?
Over here, Harley tanks are not that difficult to get. We have rather a lot of garages that customize parts and can get their hands on rather cheap ones as they buy at the wholesale price. Occasionally, one finds a good one at a junk yard.
My local garage always washes new tyres with a mix of water, spirit and dish liquid. It removes all oily and waxy residues.
There's a few bits I won't bother replacing immediately, like the dented tank, so it's about £400 of damage to a bike that's worth about £2000, so it works out better just to buy the parts off ebay and fix it myself. Even a spares & repair bike will cost a grand or so.
I won't bother with insurance either cause they'd only pay half of that and then probably screw me on premiums for 10 years.
