Hi, I bumped my bike this morning. Someone turned left at low speed off a main road, as I was accelerating to undertake a stream of cars. I should have known better, and I am not admitting liability for obvious reasons but I know who was to blame…
Anyways, my crash protector protected the right side of the engine, the fairing absorbed impact and is cracked to b*ggery, and my right elbow pads in my jacket stopped me from injuring myself too when I came off the bike.
No witnesses, no police, just a couple of photos I took plus we exchanged insurance companies, reg plates, names and telephone numbers and the location and time.
Oh dear!!! just hold ya hands up, IMO thats all you can do, then learn by the mistake, never, never undertake especialy when there are left hand turnings.
Glad you are ok this time, next time you may not be so lucky mate. keep it safe.
Book yourself on a ridesafe course, they do them from the Ace.
Speak to 5-ish of the independant accident people in the back of MCN, they are accident specialists and can tell you who is at fault. If this is not you, then they will help you claim/sue the other partys insurance for bike damage + kit damage + personal injuries. If it turns out to be your fault, your insurance will pay out this stuff for you, all you do is fill out an accident report form and remember to bend over big time when your next insurance renewal comes through . . .
if it is the other party at fault, it is far better to do it through an independant, Insurance companies “impeccable honesty” does not always stretch to grabbing the win/max payout for you against other Insurance companies - funnily enough !
I’ve done the safe days, was riding with my mind on other things this morning, red mist I think they call it, was late, was in a bad mood and p1ssed off with the slow moving traffic. I am not making excuses though, I should have known better as have been commuting for years. Should have cleared my head before leaving the house.
I’ve seen muppets do that before so should have learned not to be one of them. I don’t want to bust up my insurance for the next 5 years.
The right thing to do is probably as you suggest, hold my hands up to the insurance company, but what other options do I have. Can persuade my insurer I wasn’t to blame?
What about bicycles? You gotta watch for biycles in this situation, when turning left off a main road. Does the same apply to motorcycles?
The driver said ‘I didn’t see you’ - is that admitting liability on his part? With no witnesses probably not…
I’m probably sounding like a total b%stard here, but in insurance claims you have to be in my opinion. I don’t feel guilty about the side of his car. I’ve had enough people try hit me in the past. Bad attitude maybe, but is there any other way out?
You might be lucky and get the other party to conceed partial liability, but, this is a best case senario, if you do he’ll lose any unprotectde no claims as will you, this could get very expensive rapidly.
PM mke and I can give ya a number to discuss alternatively my company is on the LB directory.
“The right thing to do is probably as you suggest, hold my hands up to the insurance company” – correct
“Can persuade my insurer I wasn’t to blame?” - And that he was solely to blame?
“I’m probably sounding like a total b%stard here” – er…yes just a smidgen LOL.
The decent solution is you to accept your losses on the bike, and him to accept the losses to his car. And sort it without going to the theiving insurance companies.
Theres a reason premiums are so high. Someone smashed into my car in the middle of the night doing £1900 pounds of uninsured damage. Funnily enough I managed to repair it myself, to a very high standard (90%) for £120 - just took a wee bit of time and effort.
I’m sure you’d be able to repair you bike for small amount - with a little help from your friendly neighbourhood Ebay…
blimey dude! good on you for being honest and brave enough to admit this here ! Not many would I’d wager.
I’m no expert, but it sounds like yer NCB would go for a burton as soon as insurance co is notified as it is a bit unlikely that the other party will take complete liability.
So I guess it’ll depend upon how much the combined repairs will be v. how much loose cash you have floating around.
It’s looking bleak mate.
and Charlie et al - you’re all going to have to try extremely hard to convince me that you’ve never done something a bit daft/risky on your bike. Give him a break eh?
Cheers Andrew. Feel silly enough for making such a c0ck up.
Rode the bike home the other night, and was kacking it big style. Its like fallin off a horse I bet - get back on the thing and forget about it.
Is this common after you dump your bike or bash into a car? Are there a few days following an accident where you take stock and gradually get your nerve back? Not sure how much worse I would feel had the accident happened at higher speed or if I’d sustained more serious injuries
when changing lanes from the right side of the road to the left one does not have to indicate by law. this is normal lane discipline and if able to drive / ride in the left lane then one should do. By law you only need to indicate to change into a faster lane on the road (as in going right) or when approaching a junction that you are turning into.
yes cars should be watching for bikes / bicycles in the left lane (a lot of bus lanes now allow P2W vehicles) so partial liability may be possible but taht is the most you are going to get. you have to remember that you were behind them and as far as the insurance are concerned you are the one in the wrong unless you are able to prove otherwise…
not likely in this situation… i recommend not choosing the insurance route and trying to sort it out independantly as suggested.
good luck and it really sucks when that happens you your bike is scared!
The driver should have been indicating in this case but its also probably the most difficult thing to prove in this situation.
Hi, I bumped my bike this morning. Someone turned left at low speed off a main road, as I was accelerating to undertake a stream of cars. I should have known better, and I am not admitting liability for obvious reasons but I know who was to blame…
Anyways, my crash protector protected the right side of the engine, the fairing absorbed impact and is cracked to b*ggery, and my right elbow pads in my jacket stopped me from injuring myself too when I came off the bike.
No witnesses, no police, just a couple of photos I took plus we exchanged insurance companies, reg plates, names and telephone numbers and the location and time.
Sorry that your bike damaged - if you have phoned your insurance then they will have asked you about liability - your choice but honesty is better in the long run as witnesses can turn up after if the other party investigates
Gettin some miles in is the best way to get your confidence back but take it easy
I think you’ve taken me out of context - obviously I have learned from this. I mean forget about the shakiness to get rid of it. I will get some miles under my belt this weekend to sort this out properly.
I don’t want to forget how bad it feels to hear a loud bang, shoulder charge a car and then the lights going out for a fraction of a second, standing up and getting onto the pavement and sigh relief to see I have all limbs in tact.
On a positive, this will make me a better rider as it is another experience. Same as pulling on the anchors in the wet to get a feel for when the bike is about to lose traction. Same as off roading to learn how to handle the bike or at least control it better when traction does leave your tyres. Same as doing a trackday to get cornering confidence.
