Ducati Monster Forum

So I came home from work yesterday to notice something looked odd on my bike. It seemed like it was over the curb with the cover and part of the cover was hooked up above the left footpeg. So I parked, checked it out and noticed that someone had hit my bike at some point, knocked it over, then stood it up and left it. No note. No nothin. Awesome way to end my riding season...

You can see the skid-mark where someone slammed on the brakes...
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image.jpeg)

There WAS a bar-end mirror that snapped off.
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_1.jpeg)

Upside down, but the tank mount looks like it took a pretty good thrashing.
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_2.jpeg)

Somehow this is the only marking on the exhaust.
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_3.jpeg)

Brake lever and handle bars bent over pretty good:
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_4.jpeg)

The steering lock tore THROUGH the triple-tree.
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_5.jpeg)
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_6.jpeg)

And ripped a hole through the front tire or blew it out or something.
(http://www.kuzemko.com/Damage/image_7.jpeg)

All in all, a pretty shit day to come back to. Now I gotta save up the money for the deductible and take it ot the shop to get a good check on it to see if any other damage was done that I didn't notice at first glance. It was hit hard enough to rip through the top tiple and blow the front tire and push the rear tire up onto the curb, so there is possible fork damage. hopefully nothing else. Ugh. I hate people.

Oh man, so sorry to hear that.  Someone hit my FZ1 like that -- knocked it over, broke a bunch of stuff, then proceeded to pick it up and make it look like it hadn't been knocked over.  Also no note.  Totally sucked.  All I can say is I hope karma bites them in the ass in a BIG way.

Cheers,
Eric
(TuWheeler)

2013 Duc Monster 1100 Evo
2003 Yamaha FZ1
1994 Ninja 500 (sold)

Oh man that sucks about as bad as sucks can.  I can't believe they took the time to stand it back up.  I would be knocking on every single neighbors door asking if they saw anything.  Hopefully your insurance will cut you a pretty hefty check.

Note to self: Always have a garage.

Had to add:
Please tell me that is a racing slick that got popped....... 

That blows.

I'm with Skybarney. I can't imagine ever leaving my bike parked on the street. And a curved street on top of that.

I live in an apartment so no garage to put her in. The sign right behind my bike is actually the no-parking sign for the turn around at the end. I purposely park at the end so i don't screw up parking on the street. also, not a racing slick. the tread is fine, but it's spaced kinda far off on the edges. the picture is just so close you can't see it there, but i promise the tread is fine. Also, the plastics are off the tank because I was in the process of making my own carbon fiber pieces. Still havent taken it to the shop to find out exactly how bad the damage is, but if it's bad enough to be totalled, I'll be looking at a new 796. hah.

have you called the police to get a police report yet?

Already got a police report and I'm waiting on the insurance claims people to call me back right now so I can figure out what to do next. I'm supposed to be the one to put the scars on her, not some random! But yeah, like the policeman said, unless I happen to see a car with my bike imprint on the front, the chances of them finding who did it are slim to none. As expected.

insurance will probably arrange to have it towed to a facility for estimation ( like a dealership for example) and this will more than likely find all of the damage and then probably total it and write you a check for the value minus your deductable...

What Zoom said and your insurance company MAY pay for it through vandalism. Might not be a deductible.  Sorry that happened. Let us know

I'm going to drop it off at the dealership on Saturday. I just noticed that my deductible is $1,000 (don't know why so high, I swore it was $250), and it will definitely take me a while to come up with an extra grand to give them, so sadly, I almost hope it's totalled. I'll just use the extra money as downpayment on an 1100 :-)

Ugh... I hate people. Maybe if I kick it over a few more times I can gaurantee that it's totalled. Hahah.

Just a thought, pull off your aftermarket stuff if it goes to the insurance company.  Unless it was on your policy you will just lose more money.

They might just deduct the deductible from the check they write to you. That's what mine did years ago.

The broken mirror was a cheapo, and also broken, so i'm not worried about that. the only other aftermarket piece damaged was the scratch on the muffler. It looks like it teetered pretty good between the handle bars and the muffler... i'm just surprised it is that little of a scratch for how hard it looks to be hit.

I realize they aren't the most informative/comprehensive photos, but people seem to have the general consensus that it will be totalled. Is that just assumption or does the damage to the top triple seem indicative of a total? Do bikes typically get totalled easily? Only other time in my life I've ever had to deal with insurance companies and claims was when my car got broken into a few years ago. Never dealt with insurance claims or anything like this on a bike before.

Typically insurance companies will total bikes with frame damage.

You might get lucky and have it totalled and be able to buy it back cheap and fix it up yourself.

Jeez, I cannot believe some of you guys, the poor guys bike got trashed by an a-hole and you come up with "Gee, is your tire bald" and "I wouldn't park on the street". No shit!!! NO ONE I know of who has reasonable access to a garage chooses to park on the freaking street!!

I am just saying out loud what the OP is probably thinking!! Does ANY of that matter NOW?

 [bang] [bang]



Mark

Thanks Mark, not a big deal. Part of what I like about this forum is the extra sets of eyes on things I didn't notice before. The tire thing isn't a big deal. the garage thing is a no-brainer, and like you said, it WOULD be parked in a garage if I had one, but alas, I don't. The cover is the best it gets until snow picks up, and then I store it under a friends house. i'm not nearly that upset about it, but like you said, none of that matters anymore. now it's paying money for someone else's screwup that i wasn't planning on having to pay... oh well, that's life. sometimes it makes the beast with two backs you.

Parts alone, I'm looking at about $4,00 for what I noticed. That's all OEM parts, so of course they're pretty pricey. That counts a new rim, but rim ONLY and not the tire or anything else that may be wrong with it (bearings, brake discs, etc...). I don't know at what % of what it's worth they draw the line and consider it totalled. But KBB says the retail price should be about $6,500 and the trade-in is like, $4,400 or something. I don't know which of those figures they use either, but I'm assuming the lesser of the two, because insurance companies are scam artists.  :'( :'(

they will use retail....the amount ( depending on the state) has to be 70-80% of the value of the machine of parts and labor for it to be considered as a total loss.

I don't get it... did someone hit it on purpose?
It looks like you could drive a semi-  past it with room to spare. (maybe the pic's perspective?)

You could drive a semi past it with room to spare. Normally the cars around it are wider than my bike. No reason to hit it other than cutting it too sharp (would have hit the curb if my bike wasn't there to cushion the blow) or it was deliberate. Or the driver was drunk. I don't really know, and I suppose it doesn't really matter. Whatever happens with getting it fixed or getting a new one, I'll swap my parking pass with my truck, park the truck on the street and the bike will go in the parking lot somewhere. With cones around it and a damned video camera. Hah.

well, you did have the camo asphalt colored cover on it.  they probably didn't see it.  :D

Fact. I'll look for the High-Vis orange for my next one. Cars will swerve away from it due to it's blinding brightness. Every time I laugh a little about it, I remember that Saturday morning I have to truck her up, and take her to the dealership to find out her fate is... Ugh.

Can you leave a couple of garbage cans in front of it next time?  Perhaps full of concrete.....  Hopefully it goes well with the insurance company, I had them take the deductible out of my final check so with any luck this won't be too hard on your wallet.  Good luck!   [beer]

Thats the worst man...people really suck.

on the other hand, if your bike does end up being totaled, skip the 796 and spring for the 1100 [thumbsup]

Don't think I haven't already done the math  [thumbsup] It just makes me sad that they cover the beautiful SSS with the giant stacked cans. Obviously an easy change, I just don't get it. But seriously... that 1100 Evo is just begging for me.

Sorry to hear of the damage!
If they don't total it, most insurance companies usually cut a check (less deductible) and mail it out... So you can wait to save up the difference in case they take the deductible, or use the money and fix some small stuff yourself, and use the shop for the rest. From what I've heard and dealt with over car ins, this should fall under vandalism/ no fault, and your deductible won't apply. Not sure if that varies by state.

Definitely a good idea to swap tags with the car, or find a garage close by, or talk to a neighbor to use theirs... I've used a parking garage abt a half mile away when I didn't have a one. It was a PITA every time I wanted to ride, and I rode less that summer, but end of the day I could sleep well knowing it was safe... Hell, I even had to write a threatening letter to one of the neighbors, that I would treat his actions as a threat to my life and property and act accordingly! The douche bag thought it was OK to just "move" the bike, so his wife could drive on the side walk into their parking space coz she couldn't parallel park  ???

As shitty as it was coming out to find my bike stolen, your situation seems worse. Sorry it happened. My insurance paid me the retail average of my bike as well as worked in about $1000 worth of parts that I'd put on over the winter.

That said, I empathize with not having anywhere to park but the street, I live in downtown Atlanta without a garage or off street parking. I used to keep my scooter (before the Duc, don't ask) locked to the sign in front of my house with it on the sidewalk. That way at least they had to take down the sign too. For my new bike, I submitted a list of all the new stuff I'd added to the bike and now if something happens, I have about $3500 worth of accessories insured with the bike.

Lastly, if they total the bike, they'll take your deductible out of the final amount. If it's getting fixed at the shop, you can arrange to pay them the deductible by perhaps putting it on a card.

Best of luck with it and let us know what happens.

I totaled my 2000 dark 900. Bent frame. My local dealer bought it back rebuilt it for me and the insurance company gave me enough to buy it back from him.
It's even better now!!!!!

Same thing happened to me this past September.  No note and lots of damage... I empathize with you.

One piece of unsolicited advice is to take an active role in reviewing the estimate.  My bike should have been totaled but was not... and I was without a ride for 3 months until the shop that it was originally repaired at offered to replace it with one of the same model year but almost no miles.

While I don't want to start an argument, cause offence and certainly not increase the pain for the OP ... I think the comments you mentioned have some validity.

As it turns out the owner did have other options for parking off the street, but that is largely irrelevant now. The concerns I would raise is where and how the bike was parked and what it was 'dressed' in. For example if it was angled towards the kerb a foot it may not have been hit ... if it wasn't wearing camo it may not have been hit either. Considering the photos I would think it would become difficult to not hit the bike there at night.

OK so there may usually be protection offered by other vehicles but that is not evident in the photos so the poor bike must be exposed some of the time. From what we can see the poor sticks out on the curve ... and not unlike an erect nipple on the curvaceous breast of your lover - it is practically begging to be touched.

As for the tyre ... if your insurance companies are anything like ours down here ... it could have been an issue if bald. The tyre would actually deem the vehicle unroadworthy meaning it had no right being parked on a public road to start with ... this also goes for the cover. It would not surprise me if the first response from an insurance company down here would be "your tyre was bald and we have no evidence to suggest you didn't have a single vehicle accident where the tyre contributed to you losing control so you are not entitled to a claim" ... but that would just be the start of the argument - and may very well be irreleveant to you but a valid concern down here.

I agree that none of this helps now but it may help in the future ... or it may even help somebody else reading about this unfortunate incident.

Hope everything gets sorted out for you Kuzemko (just don't let my post get you down) and I am, in no way, making excuses for the arsehole that did this.

Without going off into a whole spinoff about what insurance claims agents "could" say, (it *could* have been a Sharknado, and they swam down the drainage ditch next to my bike afterwards. Sharknado's are not covered by my insurance) and without turning my posts into a CSI mini-clip showing dimensions, mockups, reflection ratings of my cover at night under the street light it is parked under, the angle of the skid marks, the amount of tread left on the tire, the amount of gas in the tank, whether the moon was waxing or waning, whether parking it in the non-lit parking lot at the end of the street or under a street light right out front of my building was a better choice, what my damping and rebound were set to, chain tension and sprocket wear-patterns, humidity compared to the national average, cloud cover and any other irrelevant information at this point... I'll leave it at this;

After growing up in Los Angeles, living in 3 different cities in California, 3 places in Washington (state), and 2 places in Connecticut; the condition of the bike, the manor in which it was parked and the covering used were all adequate and sufficient for it to be seen, protected and not hit any more than any other vehicle parked on the street. Arguably less likely to be hit. There was ample room to maneuver around the bike, as demonstrated by the past year it has been parked there. After living in multiple places, owning several different motorcycles, and parking them all in an array of ways, living at the end of a cul-de-sac and having it parked where it was and how it was hardly made it a concern of mine.

Point is: people suck, life goes on, and hopefully there is a new 1100 evo with my name on it at the end of this tunnel. Which I will need to take hourly tread readings on, park in a steel, neon-orange cage that is suspended in the air via a crane with a security camera, spot light and motion sensor on it at all times as to appease all people/insurance agents.  ;)

Sorry to hear.  Insurance differs from state to state, but around these parts, 78% of book value is a total loss and on bikes all damaged parts are replaced with new.  If you want to keep the bike you can ask the adjuster to write a low estimate and avoid salvage title.  I did that with my bike about 11 years ago.

Don' park on the street?  Really guys, some of us use bikes for transportation.

 WTF!  Well that's your opinion, I guess, but it's wrong!
Kuzemko, I hope I would have your good attitude if that happened to me but I would be seeing red and turn into my alter-ego, Black John  >:( , who is not at all reasonable!
Good luck.

Asked and answered. He had the option to park it in his parking lot.

To the OP. Have you tried parking your truck in a good space in the parking lot and leaving yourself enough room to park the bike in the same spot?

I think it fair to say that everyone here feels the pain of his loss.  Nobody on this forum wanted his bike to get hit and I am certain we all hope he gets a shiny new bike of his choice to replace it.  His comments about people sucking are indeed true, it was crappy to hit his bike and not man up about it.

All of that being said:  One of the advantages of a forum like this is the wide range of riders and experience levels.  Some of us more "experienced"  (old and salty) riders have seen or been through what he has.  Hence the comments about the choice of parking spots.  Personally I see anyone on a worn out tire and I will say something.  My comment about the tire was in the spirit of his safety, nothing more. 

May shock you but at one time many years ago I was also young and did things that reflected my lack of worldly experience.  Asking me about tossing my bike into the middle of Wilshire Blvd, right after the hottest redhead in years had asked me to go for a ride that weekend  (Hint: she never called).

Being a pilot every time I get done with a flight I and my other pilot sit down with our crews and debrief the day.  This is done so that we can constantly learn, make better decisions and most importantly talk about our mistakes, Oh and drink a few beers.  [beer]

Hopefully he gets the bike of his dreams for the hassle  [thumbsup]



 

just a small tip.
Not sure if it works this way in every state or every insurance provider.  I had a lowside several years ago on my bike 6 months after I bought it.  The adjuster wanted to total the bike based on a value which was about 1/2 of what I paid in a private party sale.

I pushed back, he pushed back, and when I questioned more, he found the value 'in the dealer's book.'  Uh yeah, that's the WHOLESALE blue book you nimrod.  I suggested he do some more research.  I believe my exact words were "Show me where I can buy the bike for that much and I'll accept the total." Two days later they authorized the repairs.

Similar experience with a friend whose parked car was totaled by a drunk driver.  He ended up getting about double what they originally offered after he fought for it.


TL;DR, do your research, if you feel like you're getting a lowball settlement, don't accept it.  Insurance companies, generally, ARE NOT your friend.

+1 on this.  One friend of mine had a shop write up an estimate for repairs that did not total his bike, but they missed his bent wheel rim.  A revised estimate had to be submitted to the insurance company and that delayed things.

I realize most people here are actually just trying to help. I would also be worried about a bald tire, but I promise it wasn't. Like I said before, I do appreciate the extra eyes and opinions on different situations.


I asked about doing that when I moved in (I did that living in Seattle) and they told me people have still had their bikes towed for doing so. The towing company they contract out to is vicious.


I think all insurance is a scam, but I still pay it (just as aI do my taxes). I will definitely be playing a very active roll in the estimates and repair/totalling of my bike.


Not seeing how the bike was actually hit, (how hard, etc...) and only guessing about the circumstances, I'm going to be very cautious of what happens to it. There are a lot of things that may look fine at first glance but will take a lot of disassembly/inspection to really be sure.

I'm not mad at any critiques of the situation, and I understand people's opinions, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Oh well, life sucks, then you die. It's only a motorcycle, and luckily I wasn't on it when it happened. Still haven't gone down on one riding yet. Yet... Small victories.

don't ask then....put down an anchor into the ground and chain the bike to it....if the bike then gets towed, the towing company is liable for the damage because they damaged/broke your property to remove it. Most towing operators don't like to have to tow bikes, and those that do, seem to care very little for the manner in which they do it. but that is my four and a half cents for after this is all settled.


always look on the bright side of life!

Uhhh, aren't the the ones that hire the tow company? I go talk to them again given the hit and run and tell them you want them to notify the tow company in writing that people can park multiple vehicles in one spot. Or...I would request they make a designated motorcycle parking area. Walk around and look for some weird arrea that isn't good enough to park cars but would work fine for motos.

Maybe not an option but have you considered moving?

Everyone steps on their dick now and then.

The real problem here is the a-hole that ran over his bike. 

Stay hopeful about the insurance...get through it one way or another (you WILL be riding again soon-keep that in mind)...and use the experience to learn from. Pretty much all you can do. Best of luck.

kuzemko, I feel your pain. I just went through the same exact thing. AND it happened within 10 minutes.

Happened on 7/23 about 10:30am, I was downtown, found street parking, and had to run into a FedEx to drop off a package. Literally in and out in 10 minutes. When I got to the moto I saw the right mirror was jacked up. My initial thought was someone just tried to steal my mirror. I put the key in and it would not turn, I thought ok ignition lock is gunked up or something. I put my hand on the bars to straighten it up and my right hand had to reach pretty low to get to the brake lever... that's when it clicked. "Did someone just knock my bike over?".

YUP...someone backed up into my bike, knocked it over on the right side, took the time to pick it back up, and drove away. 10:30am, in broad daylight, busy intersection, no note, no witnesses, no one wanted to get involved...awesome. I don't want to get into all the details with the building camera...blah, blah, blah... but I reported it and a police officer came to the scene, he gave me a case file to fill out in case my insurance company wanted it, (but didn't think it would help).

Damage to the bike; brake lever/master cylinder scratched up/bent, Rizoma mirror scratched, Rizoma turn signal broken, foot peg/clutch cover scratched, exhaust had minor scratches also. The main damage was the ignition (jammed), and the steering head was gouged just like yours. My steering was basically locked and I couldn't disengage the steering lock pin.

Had it towed to a local Ducati dealership, estimate for repairs $4200+. I'm surprised they didn't total it. It's an '06 S2R and I just hit 43k miles on it. The bike is my only mode of transportation and I wanted to get it repaired ASAP because my insurance couldn't cover the rental car costs since I only have moto insurance with them. Got it back over the weekend 8/3, runs like new, the shop did excellent work, my bike has its share of battle scars now but that's expected riding everyday. Another reason why I gave the greenlight for repairs so quickly was they originally estimated a 2-3 week turn around and I know it can sometimes be a nightmare getting parts from Italy during August and September.

Sorry for the long winded reply, I needed to vent and share your feelings of how people suck sometimes. I admit I was pissed when it happened but a day or two passed by and I kept telling myself, "there are bigger tragedies in the world". Hopefully karma catches up to 'em and teaches them a lesson.

Hope everything works out for ya.

@Skurvy;
That sucks. Sorry to hear man. There are many reasons I don't own a gun, but I think people like this are the main reason. Haha. Better that I know my own limits, eh?

To inquiring minds, the parts they found damaged:
-bottom of right fork
-right tank cover
-handlebars
-brake lever
-tail cover
-front tire
-gouge in the swingarm on the lower front side (wish I had that SSS. Hah)
-top triple-tree
-ignition
-Frame where the ignition mounts to (bent).

The insurance estimate was for over $8k, and if nothing else, due to the need for a "frame replacement" because of the tab the ignition mounts to being bent, they consider it a total loss. On the plus side, the actual cash value of my bike was $8,300 which is a lot higher than I expected. You could buy a 2010 696 with under 4k miles for under $7,500. I'm not gonna complain. The downside is between the deductible being taken out and then paying off the remainder of the loan (3700) I'm only getting $3500 in cash back. Could be worse, i suppose, but i could also still be riding my monster around town.

The monster being my 3rd bike (2 sport bikes and an enduro), i thought i would mix it up, and try a cruiser. I really like the yamaha bolt, and picked one of those up. what i do with the 3500 will probably be a mix of vacation and mods for the bolt, but i will definitely be back for a monster in the future, or some iteration of the monster down the line. we'll see what happens...

Anyways, that's my story. it sucks, but it's bittersweet. lost a beautiful bike, but ended up with a 2014 brand new bike that will soon be my custom metric bobber. /sigh. i need more beer when i think about it all. Hahh.

KZ glad it worked out semi decent for you. But you've already just bought the Bolt and not another Duc?? GTFOutta here then ya bastard!! ;)

Haha, I know I'm not the only one without a Monster right now. I'll have another eventually also, you guys know way more about customizing than the bolt crowd. People there get excited about removing a warning sticker. Boy will they be in for a surprise when I finish modding mine. These Monster roots run deep.  [evil] [Dolph]

HAHHAHAHAHAAA