So. No sooner did I say it had been a crazy week at dinner, than was I coming back from a friend's house around 11:10 pm, and got jacked. I was headed westbound on Baseline in Boulder, at 30th. I was stopped at a light, and when it turned green, I went, and no sooner than I went, than did a guy headed eastbound in a silver pickup, turn directly in front of me. Soo, I tried to swerve to my left, but couldnt avoid him. I tagged the rear right of his pickup, and hit the ground pretty hard. I was fully geared up fortunately. There's a nice big chip in the back of my helmet that coulda easily been my head. So I jumped up, and saw him already a quarter mile away, driving off. There were about 10 pedestrians that saw the whole thing, as well as the driver behind the guy that hit me. Cops, ambulances, firetrucks, and tow trucks later, I got my bike into my garage at my apt.
I got hit hard enough to break one of the front forks, and get the front wheel spun around completely backwards. Headlight out...well. Look at the pic. I guess I dont need to worry about that nail I just got in my rear tire for a little bit.
I got a call about 20 minutes ago from one Officer French, and he said they caught the guy. It took 2 hours, but thank you BPD for the first time ever. Some kid, now in jail, charged with DUI, hit and run, and failure to yield. I think I'm ok, but we'll see how bad I'm hurting in the morning. I think I might have broken something in my wrist...we'll see.
Anyways, just thought I'd recount that to some people who understand since I'm the only one in my group of friends with a bike. Any suggestions on what to do are always appreciated too.
Shaun
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40404503&l=046f7&id=10231990 (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=40404503&l=046f7&id=10231990)
You don't need an acct or anything to look at it.
So I just spoke with another officer, who was really cool, and he told me a couple interesting things.
First, the truck was black. I swore, on my life, that it was silver. I would have bet anything on it. Just goes to show how quick things can happen, and how frazzled you can be even though you think you are fine.
Second, the driver, jackass he was, decided to drive on his 21st birthday. Yes. It was like that. Dumbass. And where the hell were his friends not letting him? Just some food for thought.
Shaun
Dude. That's phucked.
Glad to hear you're mostly okay, hope they nail his ass to the wall.
Go get that wrist, and everything else for that matter, looked at by professionals.
That sucks.
I hate hearing stories like this, but glad to hear you walked away from it.
wow that sucks... I feel for you man.
Sorry to hear of your incident - that sux for sure!! It could happen to anyone of us.
The upside - you were in good enough shape to post up - and did so lucid - so seems the brain bucket did it's job!! Glad to hear you are OK!!
Have you thought about calling Frank Azar?? JK
Recover well!
Looks like someone is gonna buy you a nice new R1 on his birfday!
SO sorry to hear about that Shaun! But what a relief to you that they did find the brat.
If you need a ride or anything, let me know! (I work here in Boulder, live in Denver.)
As everyone else is recommending, get yourself checked out now that the primary
adrenalin has subsided!
Heal up!
Quote from: "One-K-Duc" on October 15, 2008, 07:59:29 AM
Have you thought about calling Frank Azar?? JK
Recover well!
Not a bad idea.
Quote from: Munch on October 15, 2008, 08:03:50 AM
Looks like someone is gonna buy you a nice new R1 on his birfday!
Haven't you been following his posts... The kid is getting a 1098. [moto]
Quote from: Bick on October 15, 2008, 08:47:58 AM
Haven't you been following his posts... The kid is getting a 1098R. [moto]
Fixed.
I am soooo glad they caught the guy and I am really happy you lived to tell the tale! Man what justice to have that guy locked up!!!! Now are you gonna get a lawyer and extract all the money you can from him?
I recommend Law Tigers if you are gonna get a lawyer 1-888-Lawtigers! No they do not pay us to advertise for them either, we just really believe in them at our shop :) They offer FREE legal advice!!
Good luck man and I hope you recover well!
-Candice
Sorry to hear about this, but I'm glad that it is going to turn out ok (no major injuries reported so far, and they got the guy).
Are you gonna try to fix your bike, or are you really thinking about getting a new one?
wow just turned 21 and get a DUI he is going to get phucked in the court system bet mommy and daddy will be happy. i am glad to hear you are ok that sucks about the bike but glad to hear that your ok
So what do you guys think? My fear at this point is that the insurance company isn't going to total my bike and try to fix it. The front forks are make the beast with two backsed, there are scratches on pretty much every faring, tank, exhaust, both tires are make the beast with two backsed, and given the impact, I'd probably want to ask for new brakes up front. The engine and everything seem to be ok. I dont want to fix it though, because we all know a vehicle will never be quite the same after an impact like that. Anyways, what do you all think about that?
I also went to the hospital today because I woke up and couldn't walk really. I got some x-rays of my ankle and wrist, and luckily they came back negative, but the doc said I had a pretty severe sprained ankle. They gave me some good medicine and a splint, and that along with a cup of Jameson seemed to do the trick. I'm ok, just hope I can get a new bike. This was my baby...I got it July 2 with 400 miles on it, and had around 7600 when this happend...and it was still in pristine condition with the exception of one rock chip in the front about the size of a pinhead. Seriously. So I want to make sure I get back to that point of perfection with the bike I end up with. I just gotta make sure I do this right.
Even though my injuries are minor, do I have grounds for a suit against this guy? I don't want to rob him blind, I just want to replace my bike with a new one and replace the gear I was wearing. Let me know if you have any serious insight....
With the amount of damage you've described, I have no doubt at all that the bike's totaled. A new tank alone is close to $2k. If you dented a steering stop, you need a new frame. That's another $2k.
Add in the fact that the guy was drunk and I'd be very surprised if the insurance company didn't buy you a new bike and new gear and possibly throw in some "sorry our client is such a shitbag" money.
Hell, make em shine your shoes while you're at it.
So I just went out and took a look at the bike and by my list, this is all what would need to be replaced:
Front forks
All farrings (all have scratches)
headlights
lower triple tree
front and rear tire
tank has a solid flat dent/scratch about the size of a silver dollar
mirrors
signals
exhaust
This is just what I could see. I started her up and she did run... I couldn't find any real frame or engine damage. Soo..based on that, a 2003 R1 with 7600 miles, will it be totalled. That is now what Im trying to figure out, because on top of all of that, I dont know if I would really trust the front wheel/rotors/calipers. There are probably a couple other things in there that I don't see, but thats what I got so far. I've just never dealt with shit like this, so any input is appreciated. Will I have some leverage too because I was in no way at fault and he was drunk and hit/run? Any experiences with this are also appreciated.
how's the wheel?
don't forget to include labor $$$
i got a feeling that it's totaled
So any of you know a good lawyer for this sort of thing? It'd be good to know...
Just another thing, scary/funny at this point. The cop took a close look at my jacket before I left the scene, and when he stopped by my apt later that night, he told me that the fork fragments in the rim, and finally, the best, the imprint of my jacket on the side of his truck, is what helped them ID the truck.
what jacket was you wearing? Glad to hear you are ok.
damn shame this happened, good thing is you're basically undamaged !! also nice you have police that followed through and caught the drunkass and obtained good evidence, I would consult a lawyer just in case the insurance company's try some funny shit, also stress that the bike is totaled and unsafe to your ins. agent. sometimes a push in the right direction is needed. good luck, heal up, and hopfully you'll be riding soon.. [moto]
I suggest seeing a doctor, and keep seeing him until you are 100% better. Keep receipts on everything you spend $$ on. Advil, housekeeper to clean your house because your ankle hurts when you vacuum, etc...
I say this as this will play into your settlement.
I've successfully negotiated 33% for pain and suffering based on the medical bills cost, and it seems insurance companies are willing to pay that when their driver is clearly at fault. They know you can get a lawyer who will take more of your settlement, but also raise their cost to fight. So its a win win.
For example, ex gf got hot by a car on her bike. Had 30k in medical. They paid her medical, replaced all her stuff, and kicked in $10k for pain and suffering.
I'm no lawyer, but when you've played the game a few times, you know the rules.
Good luck.
Quote from: Keshtak on October 15, 2008, 11:47:58 PM
So any of you know a good lawyer for this sort of thing? It'd be good to know...
Just another thing, scary/funny at this point. The cop took a close look at my jacket before I left the scene, and when he stopped by my apt later that night, he told me that the fork fragments in the rim, and finally, the best, the imprint of my jacket on the side of his truck, is what helped them ID the truck.
:o No wonder you're a bit sore.....
I was wearing my Shoei RF-1000, a Cortech GX Sport jacket, Icon Pursuit gloves, some jeans and just street shoes. I'm still supprised I don't have more damage to my lower body... I'm one lucky sumnabich. The helmet is top of the line, but the jacket still did a really good job...I know I came down on my shoulder pretty hard, and it's just sore... I will be writing them both a letter to say thanks.
Shaun
Coming away from a stoplight, I'm guessing you were going *maybe* 20 mph when you clipped his wheel?
Yeah, I can definitely see the Cortech leaving an imprint in his rear quarter panel. My TourMaster jacket (made by Cortech) pretected me from a get off at 50+. I was lucky and there was no one else involved (see: "it was MY fault"). Given the situation, I wouldn't be surprised to see a distinct outline of your shoulder pad in his truck's side panel.
Hell, I've left palm prints on the upper rim of a tailgate trying to push a pickup out of a sandy road. (see: "it was MY fault.")
Ya Im not sure how fast I was going. Its a decent sized intersection, so I had some time to get up some speed...and also, its an R1...they come away pretty fast. The speed limit right there is 35, and I like to get going pretty quick...so its right in that neighborhood speedwise.
I also can't decide on what to bike to go with should this all work out like I'm hoping. I want a white 848, but after being on the R1 for a while, I came to like the power and be used to it. Especially up here at altitude, the 848 would be significantly less powerful. I'm not all about straight line speed and dyno graphs, but if I'm going to own a sportbike, I want to own a sportbike damnit. The one problem is that I want white, so if I went 1098, I'd have to get the yellow one, and swap out the fairings for the white ones. Maybe the dealership will do this so they can have a unique yellow 848 for sale...I dunno. Anyone have opinions on this?
Sorry, I'll stop my ranting soon, but with no transportation cause my car's in the shop, I ain't got much else to do.
I doubt the 848 would be under powered.
There are a couple guys down in the SoCoDogs crew that have them.
+1 The 848 would have less power than the R1, but that doesn't mean that you wouldn't be entirely satisfied with it. Remember that Ducs have lots of torque coming out of corners, as well as superb handling characteristics. It is a full-fledged sportbike and is fast enough to do anything in Colorado given a capable rider. If you're worried about it, see if Northern could set you up with a test ride. [evil]
And thanks for reminding me to write thank you notes to Alpinestars and Sidi. [thumbsup]
Hate to be the Devil's advocate on this... but.... even though the torque is nice down low on the Ducatis, the 848 felt very underwhelming to me when compared to my Monster S4r. I went with the 1098 after test riding them both. I highly recommend a test ride if you can.
If price is a factor (when is it not?!), then maybe a lightly used 1098 would be great
Soo I got a final offer from the insurance company to settle this whole thing. $6600 for the bike, $3000 for injury, and about $600 for gear. So that puts it at $10200. I'm not sure if I want to take the $3k for the injury...I'm not really injured, but I also havent been to a doc yet..just the ER. I got an appt on Dec 8, so I guess I'll wait 'til then to sign everything away on the injury side, but its looking like I'll be able to at least get on that RSV or there's also an 848 that just popped up in town here... That's exciting at least... I will finally have one of those damn Italian things.
I would say take the $3k if your aren't injured... but ifyou are injured you want to make sure it covers ALL your medical expenses.
Tell them you will not go with your lawyers recommendation and settle for 12k even.
I'm getting there...just got another check puts me at over $11k if the current injury offer sticks. Starting to come together......
Also I went by Boulder Motorsports today for the first time...that place is insane. Completely crazy. Really nice guys in there too...I told them to be on the lookout for a bike for me, and if they find one, they have a new customer. Hopefully they catch wind of something...
They've got a couple really nice 749 track bikes for sale...
[evil]