My fjR got hit today.

[Coyote Chris]

The worst part is, I got snookered.
I came out of a super market and there is a guy looking over my bike. All the way around. Then he gets into his Big newish pickup. Nice looking guy in that he was clean, well dressed, well groomed...big and strong.
I come up to my bike and he says he hit my license plate bracket with his tire as he was backing out. (I always back into a spot so this could be true.) I looked at the bracket and it was bent in two places but I could bend it back. New ones are $50 so I thanked him for being honest and staying and asked him for $20 which he gave me and left.


I then got on my bike and noticed the left mirror was as if someone had walked by it and bumped it as it had snapped out of lock, so I snapped it back in, just like a folding car mirror.
I then got off the bike and saw that it was scratched.


I then knew what had really happened was he had knocked my bike over with his huge truck so I looked down at the slider cover and it was broken.


I then looked at the rear roll bar and it was scratched up.


Looking over the bike, (I am going out to wash it) I dont see any other damage and the electric wind screen works, handlebars untouched, bag ok, etc.


Clearly what had happened was that this guy pulled next to me, tried to back out and his tire caught the licensee plate helmet lock frame, knocked the bike over onto the roll bar/slider-canyon cage and mirror.
He picked it up, looked it over, and then when he came out told me nothing but he hit the license plate frame.

I will talk this over with my insurance agent who I have had for ever and see if it is worth filing a hit and run report (vandalism). I have a high deductible and sometimes its not worth filing any claim. We shall see what she says. In any case, all I would do is replace the slider end, which I have in stock.

 

[Moto-Kafe]

Looks are deceiving.......the guy looked great.......but was a douchbag in reality.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Looks are deceiving.......the guy looked great.......but was a douchbag in reality.

Yeah, that is the thing about this. I usually pick the most remote spot in the lot, next to a curb, etc. But this time I parked up front next to a small car. This pickup which I believe to be legal in its height with the big wheels had to come into my spot at least 2 ft. He obviously has money to be driving one of these land monsters and have on nice clothes and be so well groomed. I cleaned up the bike as I needed to for my next trip next week and everything else looks good. The slider cap did its job as did the canyon cages and roll bar. The DB obviously didnt want to be bothered by telling the truth. But now he is gonna have to be looking over his shoulder for me....His looks and his light/medium brown land monster are very distinctive.....

I think we all expect to come out to a parking lot and see that someone has knocked over our bike and left. We dont expect someone who is huge and who can actually lift the bike back up by themselves, stay to look it over, and go sit in the Pax seat of their truck and wait for us, then lie. When I first saw him, he was circling the bike....then he headed for the pax seat and came right out of his truck when I walked up.

 

[ARKNT]

That is a bit odd. At least the damage is not huge. Still unfortunate.
I just cannot imagine knocking a bike over, picking it up, and then telling a story to the owner and not including the part about knocking the bike over and picking it back up.

Brad

 

[Sheriff41]

I hate to hear reports like this. I wish integrity and honesty were more the norm than the exception. Glad it is only cosmetic.

 

[Woodaddict]

do you think the store has security camera's? could check with them, see if a camera caught the tip over, and any other driving around with possible tag #? might have to file police report to get any camera footage

 

[Coyote Chris]

That is a bit odd. At least the damage is not huge. Still unfortunate.
I just cannot imagine knocking a bike over, picking it up, and then telling a story to the owner and not including the part about knocking the bike over and picking it back up.

Brad

Unless the person was in the business of insurance or something associated with it. He KNEW he was on surveilance footate from the small shopping center (6 stores). There are cases where
someone hits another person and leaves a note on the windscreen of the victum ...all on surveilance camera. Of course, the note has no valuable info.....
So in this case, the person knows he is on camera knocking over a bike, but he wants to deflect any semblemce of hit and run or leaving the scene. So he waits for me to come out and points to the Helmet lock...we talk, he hands me a 20 dollar bill. IF I have notice the mirror was not aligned before he left, things would have been different. My guess is that as he has money, he doesnt need an accident on his record......
So I am left with some scratches on the mirror and I bent the helmet lock back into operation

 

[Coyote Chris]

do you think the store has security camera's? could check with them, see if a camera caught the tip over, and any other driving around with possible tag #? might have to file police report to get any camera footage

In a perfect world, I would ask to see the security camera footage at 1:45 pm today. But somehow, I dont think they would let me see it. At this point, and in this state, a no fault state, no one cares. If my bike were knocked down and I came upon it with no one around, I would have called the police right away. Some guy might even come out and fill out a report. But probably he would say to just come in and fill out a report. Turn it in to the insurance company. Most collisions in California for instance are hit and run. Not enough people to investigate minor collisions on public roads as it is.
Now if someone were hurt, that changes everything.
For a scuffed up mirror and a broken piece of plastic on a slider?
Nada.
The guy knew what he was doing. He KNEW he was on camera. There is an American Family Insurance office in the complex. If he works there, his truck will re-appear. I will pop in and see if he is there. Grab his card before he recongnizes me perhaps. Then pop into the police and ask them what they think. What they would consider to be less than a fender bender in a parking lot would probably just produce a shrug.

 

[Warren]

I would think that if he were that much of a jerk he would not have hung around. I think it's possible he did not notice the other damage. Since you didn't see it right away perhaps he didn't either.

 

[TonyKZ1]

That sucks. Hope you can get it taken care of without too much money out of your pocket. Mine got hit in the motorcycle parking here at work awhile back. The student caught it with their bumper when they pulled/backed out of their parking spot and then kept going, dragging it out into the parking lot road and then left. The university police were slightly less than helpful even though we took and shared pictures with them of a student's car in the same parking lot with matching dents/scratches. No cameras on this lot, unfortunately.

 

[Brillot2000]

I had a similar experience with my own granddad hitting my bike in my own driveway with his truck. He was backing into my backyard to help me with a project. He came up to me with a smirk on his face and said he knocked over my bike. I first thought he was joking. I went outside and saw my ST1300 laying on its side. It wasn’t until a couple of days later that noticed the hidden damages. Broken plastics and a bent engine guard. I reported it as a hit and run to the insurance as I had Comp and Collision coverage.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I would think that if he were that much of a jerk he would not have hung around. I think it's possible he did not notice the other damage. Since you didn't see it right away perhaps he didn't either.

He may not have seen the other damage, like the mirror being askew, . But he should have admitted to knocking over the bike and letting me inspect it. I certainly knew what would have happened to an FJR if there were no roll bars or canyon cages or sliders. What if the windscreen were cracked or the electric system that operated it was jammed? Fairing and side bag damaged?
He knew exactly what would have happened if he would have damaged my bike into the hundreds or thousands. I went into the insurance agency and did not see his card amoung the four agents there. I assume he was a customer of one of the 6 businesses in the shopping strip mall.

If someone were to see him drive off, they might have taken a pic of his license...he was smarter than that. And he knew how to get the bike up and back on the stand, too.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I

I had a similar experience with my own granddad hitting my bike in my own driveway with his truck. He was backing into my backyard to help me with a project. He came up to me with a smirk on his face and said he knocked over my bike. I first thought he was joking. I went outside and saw my ST1300 laying on its side. It wasn’t until a couple of days later that noticed the hidden damages. Broken plastics and a bent engine guard. I reported it as a hit and run to the insurance as I had Comp and Collision coverage.

I would have done the same. Filed a police report if a cop wouldnt come out. I am pretty savey about what happens to an FJR when it lays over due to the FJR forum. That is why i put on the canyon cages, sliders, and roll bars straight way. I gave it a good washing and checked as much as I could. There isnt a mark on the handle bar grip, wind screen, etc.
Here is what happens

 

[Coyote Chris]

Douchebags now have good-paying jobs and expensive trucks.

I see this all the time...not getting hit (I try to park where cars wouldn't want or can't get to) but idiots in trucks, who cannot maneuver such huge vehicles, don't seem to have the intelligence to try to learn...and who spend their money on various "improvements" like an aftermarket fuel-valving switch on the dash, to "roll coal" on people they hold in contempt.

It is what it is; and IMHO, what it is, is Idiocracy.

I call it "Afluenza" People who are affluent can be the nicest people or arrogant "I am better than you" bullies. With my better cars or bikes, I almost always find a parking spot that is guarded on one side by a curb or something and far from the door....this time I went in and bought 3 items and came out to this....the timing was perfect for "Mr. Big". I will say that after 54 years of riding, this is the first time my bike was knocked over, but the land yatch huge Pickup crew cab 8 ft bed land monsters have really only been around solid for 20 years....parking lots are not made to handle them so they are hard to crank around and pull out of.

 

[junglejim]

I see this all the time...not getting hit (I try to park where cars wouldn't want or can't get to) but idiots in trucks, who cannot maneuver such huge vehicles, don't seem to have the intelligence to try to learn...and who spend their money on various "improvements" like an aftermarket fuel-valving switch on the dash, to "roll coal" on people they hold in contempt.

I like it when they try to drive into parking ramps and drive throughs with 7' clearance. You can't raise a parking ramp with a pick-up truck roof.

 

[Camelot]

The number of huge pick up trucks here in the greater Los Angeles area is laughable. They are all spotless with nothing in the back, sitting in traffic earning 8-10 miles per gallon.

The guys who really could use a full size pick up are running 10 year old Toyota mini trucks piled high with all kinds of stuff, gardners, tradespeople etc.

 

[Brillot2000]

Since we are in the subject of Pickup Trucks. I have a 2008 Ram 2500 quad cab that had a 6.3 foot bed. I use this truck mainly for towing our Travel Trailer for recreation use. The Cummins diesel sure helps with that.



On occasions for project related uses such as bulky items purchased from Costco. It is difficult to fit a motorcycle inside the bed without putting it diagonally to be able to close the tailgate. It can be a challenge at times parking it in retail parking lot slots due to its size. This is a baby guppy compared to modern full-size pick ups with 8 foot beds.

 

[Coyote Chris]

Since we are in the subject of Pickup Trucks. I have a 2008 Ram 2500 quad cab that had a 6.3 foot bed. I use this truck mainly for towing our Travel Trailer for recreation use. The Cummins diesel sure helps with that.

View attachment 18396

On occasions for project related uses such as bulky items purchased from Costco. It is difficult to fit a motorcycle inside the bed without putting it diagonally to be able to close the tailgate. It can be a challenge at times parking it in retail parking lot slots due to its size. This is a baby guppy compared to modern full-size pick ups with 8 foot beds.

I dont have an issue with people having trucks, especially for special duty, like fifth wheels and towing.
If people who can afford one of these as below want to take it to the store, then there needs to be special places for them to park in the back of the lot. In the Walmart, you can park your truck and trailer in the back of the lot sideways, for instance and even spend the night. Or they can also afford a small runabout car. There is no way a vehicle like below can be docked and un docked in a normal convienience store lot without violating others spaces.

 

[Coyote Chris]

I gotta say this.

I'm no fan of the Bro-Dozer culture; but what the engineers have done to these things regarding fuel usage...just shocks me. My F150 (standard V6, non-turbo) gets about 25 mpg on the highway. In-town it's about 19.

That's literally astounding to me. My first car, a VW Beetle (original) got 25 mpg. My Pinto Wagon with the German 2-liter four, got 23 mpg. This huge hulking truck does as good or better.

Even the Ford Transit Connect van I had, which was a 2016, got only 23 miles a gallon. That this unstreamlined open box does better...shocking. I wonder how much mpg I'd gain if I put a tonneau cover on, to stop buffeting over the box.

So...I can't get worked up with the city mice driving those things, not for wasting gas. Wasting money, yes, but not gasoline.

There was a huge sea change in the early 1980s.
My small cars didnt get very good milage. Like my Opel Rally Cadet...better than the land monster Impalas but not that good. Gas was cheep.
Then, 1985, my wife bought a Honda Civic Station wagon. She bought at the end of the model year and STILL had to pay a premium over retail to get it.
It got 40 mph on the road. Lasted for 275K.
My 2006 fuel injected stick Toyota Matrix gets an honest 38 mpg but its geared perfectly for fuel economy. And its also heavier than the 1981 Civic.
Now, my 2018 Subaru Forester, AWD CVT gets an honest measured 34 at 65-70. Bigger and heavier than both the other cars, but I love it.

The evolution of fuel injection, VTEC variants, low mass turbochargers, have worked wonders. But without beaucoup buck additions, we have about reached the efficency limit of the recip engine.

BTW, a Ford engineer told me about 5 years ago they HATE stick shift cars. If you want to get the best fuel economy, you cant let a person determine which gear you should be in....

 

[Brillot2000]

I dont have an issue with people having trucks, especially for special duty, like fifth wheels and towing.
If people who can afford one of these as below want to take it to the store, then there needs to be special places for them to park in the back of the lot. In the Walmart, you can park your truck and trailer in the back of the lot sideways, for instance and even spend the night. Or they can also afford a small runabout car. There is no way a vehicle like below can be docked and un docked in a normal convienience store lot without violating others spaces.
View attachment 18397

I agree.

My wife has a Handicap Placard which allows us to use Handicap parking when available. The extra space around these spots helps a lot when we are out on a trip. If she doesn’t go with me to the market. I park further out where no one else is next to me. Having a backup camera in these behemoths is a must. I installed one on mine years ago. It also helps with lining up the ball to the hatch too.