Well, after 2 1/2 years of parking on the street, it finally happened…came home tonight and someone had knocked over the bike. No note, no witnesses…bastards.
Damage isn’t too bad, wing mirror and indicator need replacing which is standard. There was a worrying amount of thick smoke when I fired her up though, hopefully just a result of being on its side for a while? :unsure: I’ll get it properly checked out anyway.
I’ll inform the police, if only for their statistics, but I obviously want to minimise the chances of this happening again. Unfortunately parking on the street is a necessity, so any ideas?
I’m thinking along the lines of employing a small child with a slingshot to stand guard 24/7, or proximity-activated flame throwers. That or parking between two concrete lumps fashioned to look like bikes…
This used to be one of my biggest fears. That was also realised. I had a Dragstar 400 at the time (terrible bike, but pretty)
I was awoken one morning by a spin chilling knock on the door and my dads words - ‘the bikes on the floor’ Luckily, and randomly, the night before (Friday) i’d parked parallel to the curb. so it had fallen and the handlebar had just reached to the curb as it fell. Custom tank spared 1/2 inch from the tarmac., indicators mirrors everything saved.
For me it was definitely some pissed up twat faces thinking they’d have a nice sit on the pretty bike.
So same here mate no note, witnesses or anything. Just the neighbours saying they thought they’d heard a big bang in the night. Great.
Youd be surprised how small a space is needed for off-road parking. Our tiny little path to the door, under a meter wide. walls either side, is now the parking space for the bandit. The postman refuses to deliver but its a sacrifice my family has to unwillingly make.
It’s only happened once, with my first 125 (and it may have been someone messing with it too I suppose). Whoever did it actually put it up and on the side stand. I suppose that’s ‘nice’, although it was only because I noticed it wasn’t on the centre stand that I realised it had been dropped and had a check to make sure it was ok to ride.
Since then, after debates with local police about putting it on the pavement, I usually park mine at a slight angle facing into the kerb, with the wheel practically touching it, on the steering lock. I thought it might stop it coming off the side stand if it got a light nudge from the back. I suppose a brake lever lock of some description might also help reduce movement.
If I can’t do that due to council requirements to park at right angles to the kerb, I cross my fingers.
A harrowing story Guy, thanks for sharing. I’m trying to take solace in the fact this was an act of shite driver muppetry, rather than deliberate idiots, but its the principle I suppose. If I had banged a bike/car I would be mortified, and do everything I could to make it right - I like to believe most people are the same!
Yeah, at least they did stand it back up Shaman. The lack of this in my case is probably the reason its spewing smoke now - they reckon oil in the air box
Anyway, whining over, I’ll get over it Now to find a flat with a driveway in central London…
I had my old scooter knocked over twice - once it was in a bike bay with about a dozen other bikes and all of them went over like dominoes. Fortunately a colleague spotted it so I went down, got the guys insurance details and put them under the windscreens of all the other bikes involved. It was almost £800 worth of damage to my scoter alone so good job he stopped/was caught.
Since i bought the bike I’ve been lucky enough to have off street parking at home and at work for a couple of years so it’s not spent a lot of time in harms way.
If you don’t have an alarm then a cheapo alarm or alarmed disc lock could help you catch any future perpetrators in the act. Engine bars and a cover may help reduce damage if it does happen again.
As for stopping it happening - maybe putting it on the side stand on the end of a parking bay would stop it getting pushed over as easily? Other than that, you are allowed to park on the pavement in some areas.
