Ducati Monster Forum

I was at court this morning contesting a speeding ticket in San Rafael.  I got up to the C floor and went through the metal detector.  The security guard wouldnt let me take my leatherman in because it had a knife on it.  I asked him if he could hold it for me, but he said no and that it is now property of the chief of police...  [thumbsup]   Funny thing because I thought, "what if something happens to my bike?"

I get my application to contest the ticket after paying $275 (amount for violation).  Its funny how they can take my money and hold it even if I get the ticket dropped.  Its a pretty great raquet for making money even if they have to give it back to you.

I walk out of the place and see my bike in the same spot it was in.  As I am walking up I'm thinking that my bike looks like it is leaning a lot!  The closer I get I see the gas tank smashed on the side and my clip-on/controls lodged so very quiantly in the side of the tank as well.   The bright light flasher is poped off and my S&P rearsets are bent really bad.  I also noticed that the clutch lever DW13 gave me was bent and cracked.  

I was soooo pissed!!!  I flagged down a cop because I figured I would report this one to the insurance company.  There was way too much damage this time to let it go.  As I was talking to the  [leo] a guy came up to us and said that he saw the whole thing.  A caucasian man, 6' in a silver honda.  He couldnt pick up the bike so he asked some lady to help him, she said no.  Then he asked some other guy, who helped him lift it, then got in his car and drove off.  The witness didnt get the license plate number  :-[     After that, the cop said there was nothing he could do.  

I slowly limped the bike to Hattar, which is convenietnly close to the San Rafael courthouse and asked for a new brembo lever..... $112 for the stock lever!!!  I ended up getting a CRG because it was cheaper than the stock piece.  

The cherry on top is that when I looked at my insurance card, it expired last week!!!   :o  I have no insurance, and this incident happend after it expired.  

What kind of person knocks over a bike at a courthouse, next to 25 cop cars and doesnt leave a note!!  I would be so paranoid that a  [leo] saw me do...  I hope this mother Frrr gets his back X10, maybe loss of limb or something fun like that  >:(

Sorry to hear that, really sucks. :( >:(

A neighbor of mine ran over my bike as it sat in the entry to my driveway a few years ago.  I was getting my gear on upstairs and was going to hop on it after locking up the house.  I know where she lives and she must have walked right past it, got in her car and then proceeded to hit it so hard that it rolled up onto its tank.  Yeah.  Really.  When I heard "the sound" I ran to the window thinking that it couldn't be true.  She was standing there staring at it and tried explaining it away... "Well, the way it was parked it was really hard to see, maybe you should think about putting it somewhere else." 

Like, not in MY DRIVEWAY? 

Enzo said that I looked like I was about to tackle her and was ready to step in.  Fortunately for her, she backed off.  Naturally, she slacked on telling the insurance company about the accident for a few days, holding up my claim.  I finally had to call her office--she's a psychiatrist--and tell her secretary that her boss needed to do the mindful, and I explained in no uncertain terms what that was.  Turns out we both had the same insurance co. so they got right on my claim.  Given how she was acting, I half expected her not to have any insurance on her white Mercedes. 

I still see her once in a while on the street and she acts like she owes me money or something.   [roll]  Maybe a flock of pigeons with diarrhea will descend on her car one day.  A girl can dream...




I feel for ya, man. 

Isn't it just BULLSHIT!  "Hard to see" or "I didnt see it/you"  if you pulled your head out of your ass an looked maybe it wouldnt be so hard...  [roll]

this is where I was parked.  The car there now is in the same spot as the dude that left.  Why the hell would you need to back up that far?  People like this should not be aloud to drive
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2577446928_b1f565cf68.jpg?v=0)

That would be nice... maybe even pay a bum to take a crap on his hood

 :'(  :'(  :'(
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2577446948_5e914eef33.jpg?v=0)

Call your insurance people! Most (all?) insurance policies have a grace period after the expiration date when you can pay your premium and not have a lapse in coverage.

I am a chronic late bill-payer, that's how I know this....  [roll]

I hate to hear about bikes being knocked over!  >:(

I defecate on discount.. there's no job too big or too small... Call me we'll talk numbers and type of defecation required as that will strongly influence my diet leading up to said event.

That blows>:(  , I find more and more people that are very irresponsible.
No one wants to take responsibilty anymore for their actions.
I hate irresponsible people>:(. I hope all turns out well with your bike.

I'm almost tempted to carry flags on PVC poles to put on the bike when I park. Then again, I try to only park on the sidewalk  ;D

I'm with State Farm and they're pretty vigilant about you paying on time or the policy is canceled.  So hopefully I'm the only one that enjoys that little perk.  I do generally get a notice in the mail well before said policy is dropped however.  I would think that this is the norm--that or the grace period.  Seems strange for an insurance co. just to let a policy expire. 

When I was in college my insurance company failed to send me a renewal notice. I kept calling them, not remembering when the policy expired. Turns out that the coverage lapsed 2 days before I got into a wreck on Bayshore in SF. The wreck wasn't my fault (I won a suit against the stupid lady who turned left in front of me) but I still lost my license for a year for not having insurance. Bastards  :'(

Sorry to hear this , you  have cloudy sky over your head lately man, how long is your insurance expire ? , can you report the incident  date close to expire card ? f..k it life is not perfect  , you have to turn around do best for yours .
Next time you should park a little stick out more until driver mirror can  see your front bike , that ' s how I park between cars and use my cell phone snap front and rear car license number .
Good luck & hope it gets back soon.

These days most court houses have security cameras covering almost all areas of the building and property. Might be worth a call to the court house to see if they have video of the guy's car, and the hit.

Not a guarantee, by any means, but worth a shot.

Good luck. Let me know if you need to bring it by the Duck-cave.

I feel with you. Just before I was leaving for my 3 months trip in March, a woman hit a car that was parked behind my bike so hard that she pushed it forward enough to kick my bike over.

When I waited for the cops (60 minutes), I had two witnesses coming up. Luckily they had the number plate. I just wrote the person a letter to pay for the damage ($1,400) but I guess we will see each other in Small Claims Court, since she didn't answer yet and I had been to cheap to get coverage for hit & run ...

Oh, this happened way back in 1995. Long since dealt with  [evil]

I am with duckwrench13 on this, there may be a small chance they have that a-hole backing up onto your bike on tape.
This sucks... And good luck with your insurance too.. :-\

Sorry to hear about the bike Vinny.   :(

First, I'd make sure you carry comprehensive coverage on your policy.  If you don't, you're probably not going to be covered even if your policy was in force at the time. Remember if you have a deductible you're going to pay that before your Ins. Co. pays out.

Second, definitely call or stop by your Ins. agent.  Ask about your billing and coverage dates and payment (even partial payment) options. There is a good chance your policy will cover a claim a week past due, especially if you make some kind of payment.

The California department of insurance regulates cancellation of insurance for non-payment, and there are rules every insurance company that does business in CA has to follow regarding cancellation of a policy.

Ca cancellation and non-renew info (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=ins&group=00001-01000&file=660-669.5)

At the very least you want to make sure you've got your legal bases covered in case you get pulled over on the bike again.


-Dave

Bump.


Bump

Sorry man, That blows. I try to think of fool/a-hole proofing my parking situation as much as posible. There are corner moto spots at that court house. Unfortunately I know that place well... [roll]
I'm also installing a  Stebel Horn (http://www.stebel.it/stebel/index2007_1.htm=1) just today for blind people who drive. It's loud as f*ck. At least you can vent / wake soccer mom's up this way. Stebel-Nautilus-Compact-Motorcycle (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Stebel-Nautilus-Compact-Motorcycle/dp/B000NPRTII=1)

thread jack: Good luck fitting that thing on the 848. Not a lot of room under there. thread jack complete. carry on. [cheeky]

That sucks vin :(

Wonder why he picked the bike up if he was just going to run anyways.

The last time I went to the court house the guard broke my glasses and then took my mini screw glass driver away to add insult to injury.

Apparently a pen is not a weapon but something about a inch long to screw in a minature bolt is considered a shiv   ???

They wanted me to ride home blind.

Let us know how this works out. If insurance blows and all that, I can cherry out your tank for you. I can't paint it though.

Thread jack response:
Done. Works great. Stupid simple to put on except for making a new bracket to mount it with. Right side under front radiator air vent out of the way of the air. The one tiny empty spot is now full.  :P

UPDATE:

no dice with the insurance!  They sent me a letter a couple months ago, but I forgot to renew it.  I looked at my registration the other day and it said July, so for some reason I though my insurance was July as well.  Stupid and costly mistake.  I called up Progressive and they said I was SOL.  I got new insurance now with Markel, but I am going to be shopping for some more because Im not really happy with what I got.  They were one of the few companies that gave me a quote under $1000 and the ability to buy insurance online ASAP. 

S&P rearsets are F%$Ked pretty bad.  I thought it was a bolt that connected the eccentric footpeg that is bent, but it isnt.  The billet is bent, and it has a hairline crack in it.  I also noticed that the CRG clutch lever is missing some kill switch tab or something...  Does anyone know how to fix that?

I am going to call the SR courthouse and see if they have video tapes.  [fingers crossed]

Is this what your looking for vinny ?

http://www.monsterparts.com/p/CRGMOD/Mod+for+CRG+levers.html

Dude that blows hard core.

Good luck with the repairs, maybe someone here has a TIG machine and you could patch up the hairline crack.

Wow, so sorry to hear about this ordeal, which reading about definitely got me steaming.  Isn't it said that shitty things happen in THREES?  You exceeded the quota here, and hopefully that means some cosmic payback is on its way.

You know I bought a lotto ticket on Saturday figuring I was due for some luck... nothing.

I go into work today finish up this staircase/handrail job for them get told "We dont have any more work.  It was nice having you around..."   So I got let go today also.  Maybe buy another lotto ticket?   :)

...or an AK-47.

Crap man, that really sucks. But you're an employable guy. Someone should pick you up soon.

And definitely call the courthouse for surveillance video. You *really* need to catch the guy who knocked your bike over.

My company is still hiring :D buwahahaha

 [laugh]  [laugh]  :-[  :'(


 [clap]

Vindingo - that totally blows!  [bang]  I am really sorry to hear all this bad news.  Let me know if there is anything I can do to help!

/me wonders how many times he has to push over Vindingo's bike for him to finally just break down and buy the 748?? hmmm...

like the saying goes "when it rains it pours" .
Hang in there bro, the sunrise is right around the corner  :)
It will shine on you bright and bold. ;)

Vinney, sucks about the bike man  :P

Im good, it is to the point where it is funny to me now.    [thumbsup]
dude, you have no idea, I was this close ----><----  two or three more paychecks....  [moto]

Thanks brother, I know it will have to get better sometime

If I'm in a really tight spot I take cell phone pics of cars on the left and right.

Er...and do what with them?

perhaps he has the license plate to followup if its a hit and run ???

There would be no way to prove that the car(s) you took pics of, didn't leave and other car(s) didn't come in/park/leave and cause the damage. Not like there will be any matching damage at parking speeds....

I don't see anything to stand on with this procedure.

In my case, had I been savvy enough (or paranoid) to take a picture of the sliver honda infront of me, I could have paired that with the witness' account and might have had a case.  Because the eye witness didnt get the plate, I am SOL. 

I've had my car hit in a parking lot with HUNDREDS of witnesses, licenses plate, location of vehicle with matching damage on car that hit me, and the police said, "Well if we don't witness them doing it or if they don't turn themselves in there is nothing we can do"

It's a pretty bullshit excuse for not wanting to waste police resources so that we have enough evidence to sue someone. With all the laws that govern us you'd think there'd be something in there to protect/help the victims instead of everything protecting the criminals.

Man this really sucks..!!!

if you had a pic of the plate just say the guy hit & run. If they question him later they usually get to the bottom of weather or not he's lying.

Unless it wasn't him. There are penalities for filing a false police report.



Really....there isn't much anyone can do about this except buy a cheap assed bike no one wants like a 620....

ZZZZZZZZzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg (http://forum.dekonia.com/images/smilies/w00t.gif)

(http://i.pbase.com/o6/96/492696/1/80604318.EQ2HeERR.ohsnap.gif)

(http://www.forumammo.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10063/normal_demotivational-posters-envy.jpg)

Sorry....I couldn't quite hear you over the dry clutch on my S4R.... ;D

His clutch is dry too, just cause he doesn't put oil in his engine...

You can actually hear that bike? I thought it was a sewing machine ;D

Nah, Maria's sewing machines are WAY louder! [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

Hey wait!  I have a 620!  It does hurt a little less I guess.  Mine was knocked over recently (or maybe just backed into).  On the bright side, since I bought the bike as a first bike and it came pre-dented so I wasn't too upset at that part.  What I was upset about was that the front rotor was warped and costs me a bit to replace.  Oh, and the blinker lens broke too.  Damn people for not leaving notes when they hit your stuff.

(Sorry CharliesAngel.  Your old bike now has a few newer parts.  On the bright side, I don't think there are any new scratches or dents!)

My dad taught me if I ever hit someone's parker car/bike property, and there are witnesses, to get out and write a note.



One that says "Everyone watching me writing this thinks I'm putting down my info, but I'm not". Then leave the note and drive away.

I once knocked a mirror off of an old beater car (it was parked badly, and there was a bad storm, so visibility sucked).  I left a note along with the mirror.

3 months later, I went by and the note and mirror were still there. 

I decided to take the note back.

You should have taken the mirror also  ;D

I bet the kickstand held up just fine, with the new gold bolts and all.   [laugh]

Sorry this happened Vinny.  People disgust me any more with their disregard for other people's property.  I'm a door ding nazi and have no problem kicking in somones door if I find their paint on mine.  Well, not so much anymore as my car has it's fair share of dings.  But I still believe in common courtesy.  Unlike most people.

Ugh, door dings  >:(

I bought my first new car last year.  I have a bunch of door dings.  I try and park in big spaces and next to nice vehicles (the school of thought here is that they don't want dings either so they will be more careful).  I *think* a good portion of them are from my neighbor. 

I was also hit on the front bumper/driver's fender while my car was parked.  Hit and run, no note.  I have a $1000 deductible, I got an estimate for the damage...<drum roll>: $1012 to fix it  [roll]

That's why after 3 new cars, I've only bought used.  It's just too much to worry about and if you are a perfectionist like me, it really does occupy your mind. 

Sounds like someone deserves a $12.00 kickin'. Oi oi!   [laugh]

Love the Signature :D eight eight eight eight eight...  [clap] its on my workout mix...

I was behind a car Last weekend in S.F.     It had all these gouges in the rear bumper from what must have been repeated attempts to shoehorn the car into parking spaces. She just treats it like a cheap utility knife. amazing...

Sorry to hear about that crazypete!  >:(  Was it knocked over in The Marina? How are you liking riding now that you are a couple months into it?

I wasn't implying that you file a False police report, but if you were in there for like 10 min, when you came out there were still witnesses milling about, and assuming you had a photo of the guys plate, then yea report it.

Yeah, I think it was right in front of my apartment.  There's a Vespa that's parked right next to where I usually park my bike and it's sideview mirror was cracked too.  Damn those Marina folks! 

I think I'm getting used to this riding thing.  Been riding across the bridge to work once or twice a week now.  I'll have to join in on one of these North Bay rides sometime soon!