Hit by a bus

[Silent]

Well, it happened finally. My nice shiny '07 was hit by a bus :cray:

Went to Pacific Grove to meet up with a few fellow forum members and check out the M.M.O.C. We had a most excellent time. :good: My fatal mistake apparently was to park on the street across from the local PD. While watching the festivities, my Scorpio Alarm pages me with a shock alarm. To most this may not be that big of a deal, but mine is set so that you have to either stand the bike up, or knock it over to get the alarm to trigger. Sure enough, as soon as I get back to the bike there's a big *** bus next to my bike and a guy saying "Is that your bike?"

A once over said nothing was out of whack. Bikes where I parked it, and not on its side. Bus is a couple feet away from it. The guy says he just hit my bike and wants to know if I see any damages. From the left side... no, don't see anything... I asked again, "You hit my bike?" Then he said he knocked it over. :shok: I had to let that one sink in a moment Sure enough. Throttle side bag, mirror, Throttlmeister, and slider are all rashed. Apparently he picked the bike back up after he knocked it over. Bunch of support from the fellow forum members probably kept me sane a bit longer.

kjc625 gave some good advise about what to do from the legal standpoint, and kaitsdad did the once over of the bike and deemed it safe enough. Lots of pics were taken and even some video of the bus. I rode my poor bike gingerly for a bit and all seems well outside of the rash and the front tire being out of line with the bars. I'll be taking the bike in Monday for a check of the forks and a full dealer repair estimate to start going through all the BS required to get things back the way they should be.

I've had better days

But I've had a lot worse B) Outside of the mishap, it was a great day!

 

[Toecutter]

That has to be the very best way to get hit by a bus, if it has to happen.

I'm envious that you all made it to the rodeo w/o me. Get some pics up!

 

[mdisher]

Awe man, that blows...

The good news is that you weren't on it when it happened... Plastic can be fixed.

-MD

 

[Silent]

Agreed, I'm glad I wasn't on the bike too! kaitsdad has the pictures, and when he gets home I suspect he'll add them in.

 

[kaitsdad]

Well, I'll post what I have - my batteries went dead in the camera about two or three pics in. There is, however, a bit of video of the damage, I think you've got some, but I'm not sure about kjc625.

But I'm here to tell ya - it ain't gonna buff out. Something about bouncing the sidecase on the curb just does a number on the paint and the reflector.

Silent, all things considered, you were a picture of composure. 4 month old 07 with 4k miles, and you didn't go Skyway on the bus driver. Kudos.

Could have been worse. Like you said, you could have taken a cab home.

Oh yeah - you got your money's worth out of the slider.

Good to meet ya - sorry your bike got whacked.

Let us know how it works out.

 

[feejer222]

Annoying at the time, but the bus company insurance will sort out the damage. People are more important and you are still around to 'park it' again.

 

[bramfrank]

First of all, glad to hear it wasn't too bad. It's always traumatic when this type of thing happens.

Secondly, if your bars are tweaked your bike didn't just get lightly nudged off the stand and float to the street.

BTDT with my last machine (Kawa Concours) where someone backed into the rear of mine in a parking garage, pushing it off the center stand and it (to quote he who did it) "gently" fell on the right side. Then, being a good samaritan, he picked it up and managed to drop it on the left side because he hadn't first extended the side stand. $2600 later it still wasn't right.

Your dealer is likely not as thorough as he ought to be when it comes to frame issues and accidents and won't look much beyond the basics when assessing your damage, so be certain he measures things like the proper positioning of the fairing stays and the frame alignment because they could be out of line, given the force of the fall.

Sounds like you'll need a right bar, bar end, grip and probably brake actuator along with your right bag, slider and mirror - and check the muffler, rear caliper, plastic body parts and fork lowers carefully - if the bike levered on a sidewalk they may have contacted as well. I am not certain that the replacement bag will come with the bumper and reflector installed, by the way - keep that in mind. Hopefully that'll be all of it.

If you have an aluminum Skyway slider installed, carefully check the mounting bolt and remove the puck to check the frame behind.

Once you make your claim that'll be the end of it so make sure you get it right the first time.

 

[twodogs]

Two suggestions:

1. If you can, have some of these FJR nutballs inspect your bike. They're much more knowledgeable than most dealer personnell. Seriously, they will see things in a thorough going over that the hurry up and fix it dealer won't.

2. Forget the bus's insurance carrier or, if it is self-insured, the transit district's claims process. They are even less your friends than your own insurance company. Once you have a confrident handle on the extent of damage, settle with your insuance carrier (assuming you have collision coverage) and let it go after the bus's carrier. Not having to go through the adversarial PITA with the bus's claims people is worth being out the deductible amount for awhile - which your own insurance carrier will get back for you as part of the process.

Bill

 

[rogdeb]

Two suggestions:
1. If you can, have some of these FJR nutballs inspect your bike. They're much more knowledgeable than most dealer personnell. Seriously, they will see things in a thorough going over that the hurry up and fix it dealer won't.

2. Forget the bus's insurance carrier or, if it is self-insured, the transit district's claims process. They are even less your friends than your own insurance company. Once you have a confrident handle on the extent of damage, settle with your insuance carrier (assuming you have collision coverage) and let it go after the bus's carrier. Not having to go through the adversarial PITA with the bus's claims people is worth being out the deductible amount for awhile - which your own insurance carrier will get back for you as part of the process.

Bill

+ 1 ........... and glad you were not sitting on it at the time.

 

[James Burleigh]

Oh no, Silent! That's terrible. I'm sorry to hear that happened.

Parking in San Francisco, I'm always amazed to see the space between cars parked parallel to a curb that some bikes are willing to wedge into, leaving no room for the car. They must get dinged a lot. My buddy parks his CBR 1000RR out on the street every night in the City, and he had it knocked over once. He's stopped buying new plastic. There's one place I park occasionally where a college bus squeezes by within inches of the front of the line of the bikes parked wheels to the curb.

Anyway, insurance will have you right as rain quickly.

Jb

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Things like this are why I don't carry guns. :gun:

It just sucks that your bike was used as this guys driving test. Did he say, "That parked bike came out of nowhere!"

:lol:

 

[kjc625]

Things to share with fellow members here.

No one is hurt - No police report.

No License - Police report.

1. Get witness first - name , add, tel, statement

2. Get *******'s acutal license, insurance paper and registration in your hand then get his tel numbers.

3. Copy all the information down (PRINT - no hand writting) Don't let other guy write them down. (F**K Up handwritting does not work)

4. Don't ever tell other guy, "It was previous damage or it's okay."

5. Lots of pictures from all sides including the surrounding area.

6. Measure the your location relation to the curb, limit line for your reference.

7. When you get hit, it always hurts. Notify PD or SD or CHP. You are not a doctor (unless you are) and don't guess your possible injury.

The bus was belong to a private co. <_<

The driver was an *****. :dribble:

Muffler got damaged lightly. :glare:

I will go for maximum replacement. :angry:

Jim your friendly Collision Investigator.

 

[painman]

Things to share with fellow members here.
No one is hurt - No police report.

No License - Police report.

1. Get witness first - name , add, tel, statement

2. Get *******'s acutal license, insurance paper and registration in your hand then get his tel numbers.

3. Copy all the information down (PRINT - no hand writting) Don't let other guy write them down. (F**K Up handwritting does not work)

4. Don't ever tell other guy, "It was previous damage or it's okay."

5. Lots of pictures from all sides including the surrounding area.

6. Measure the your location relation to the curb, limit line for your reference.

7. When you get hit, it always hurts. Notify PD or SD or CHP. You are not a doctor (unless you are) and don't guess your possible injury.

The bus was belong to a private co. <_<

The driver was an *****. :dribble:

Muffler got damaged lightly. :glare:

I will go for maximum replacement. :angry:

Jim your friendly Collision Investigator.

+1 on what Jim said. This sucks big time. I hate it when you got something new and it gets stepped on. Hope everything gets worked out soon. PM. <>< :angry:

 

[kaitsdad]

Here's the only pics I was able to take before the batts went dead -

Right case:

Right muffler:

Right mirror:

 

[mdisher]

Yeaup,

That looks like a pretty standard parking lot tip-over... (Some how I'm very familiar with this damage, I think I had my new 06 about two weeks before I inflicted the same type of damage).

That sucks.

 

[TexBahn]

Yeaup,
That looks like a pretty standard parking lot tip-over... (Some how I'm very familiar with this damage, I think I had my new 06 about two weeks before I inflicted the same type of damage).

That sucks.

Did the upper fairing hit the ground? Twice on my '03 the upper fairing hit has caused a tab on the headlight to snap. My insurance adjuster didn't believe it when I told him about it, so I removed the panels right there in front of him. I got a "good call" and a few hundred bucks more for my adjustment. (The headlight is a complete assembly, not available in parts).

The same hit has a tendency to warp the subframes on the front of the bike, too.

The last incident (which was at speed and a harder hit) pushed the upper fairing into the gas tank and chipped paint off the tank. Yours looks okay, though. The bike ate up a frame slider at that time, too.

Glad you weren't injured and you kept your cool!

 

[MikeYork5]

Too bad - hopefully it will all work out OK in the end!

If it's any consolation -- I get 'run over by the bus' almost daily! :dribble:

 

[Silent]

Thanks for posting the pics Hal! And for all the good words

And thanks to everyone for the comments and sugestions

Got home from PG, covered the bike, and ignored it till today. I just couldn't deal with it Saterday night. Took the cover off the bike this morning and had a good look at it with a clear head. Damage isn't that bad really. As the pics show, saddle bag, muffler, throttlemeister, mirror, slider, and turn signal all on the right side. There's a tweek to the bars since the bus hit the tire and pulled it over while the steering was locked. The frame sliders saved the fairing from dammage.

I've contacted my insurance agent (My roomie's cousin) and passed all the required info, and he's on it like white on rice. After work, I'm taking the bike in for a dealer estimate and possibly get the steering tweeked back. I've had that happen before, the forks just twist in the tripple trees, Hoping theres no fork dammage, but I'll have the dealer check that specifically.

I'll keep ya all informed on the progress B)

(Spelling Nazi's go home, no iSpell at work )

 

[keithaba]

At least the driver wasn't a **** and just left. If so you would have had to file under comprehensive, and it would likely effected your rates. Since his insurance will be paying for the damage, your less likely to get an insurance hike.