Motorcycle Crash - Aftermath

[AlexRider]

So I've finally got around to taking a few quick shots of my bike after the crash and thought I'd make a separate thread for this one; for anybody that doesn't know about it - go read this thread: http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=221244

I'm currently in the process of making another video, addressing the events of the crash and what I plan to do with my bike. But for now, here are some shots of it. I'm still unsure of what I plan to do; whether I fix it up, make it a street fighter or a track bike, salvage it for parts, or just sell it whole for cheap. I really don't know yet.

http://i64.tinypic.com/2wh1eoh.jpg
http://i67.tinypic.com/2hzps8i.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/alta1s.jpg
-temporarily removed pic due to number plate-

The damage that I've noted so far:

Front fairing smashed
Both side fairings cracked and scratched - need replacing
rear tail/fairing has completely broken off - the bike flipped with me and broke off when it landed on top of me
the wind screen has broken off
Brake reservoir has come off the mount, but still functional
Brake foot peg broke off
Forks are bent
Exhaust has a small dent
Rear indicators are broken
Exhaust hanger has snapped off
Front fender has broken in half
Possible frame damage to the front, not clarified yet

[maviczap]

It'll buff out , no problem







At least you're alive to tell us and just bruised.


I would buy that dead pointy in Scotland and swap your engine into it's frame and change the V5 details. Quickest solution I think.

Also then no worries about the frame either

[AlexRider]

It'll buff out , no problem







At least you're alive to tell us and just bruised.


I would buy that dead pointy in Scotland and swap your engine into it's frame and change the V5 details. Quickest solution I think.

Also then no worries about the frame either

I agree. Bikes can be replaced, people can't.

I was actually thinking of doing that, but it seemed to have a lot of interest so I don't know if I'd get it in time. I'd also have to have it couriered, which will cost about £300 judging by a few quotes I've received.

Just don't have enough money this month so I'm not sure. Although it's definitely something I'll consider..

[maviczap]

Pity, its not a bad price

I'd catch the train and hire a van on a one way hire, or rent a bike trailer and bring it home that way.

Did that for a SV I bought

Got any mates/family with a car and tow bar?

[Red Herring]

The decider will be the frame. If it survived intact then it might be worth trying to find second hand bits and eventually fixing it up, but it might take a while to get all those bits and with summer beckoning you're going to be awfully tempted to find a quicker way.

Without a doubt finding a tidy bike with a blown engine would be a result, especially as you would be able to offset some of the purchase price by selling off the bits of your bike that aren't smashed (not a lot I know), but your wheels and discs if they are OK are worth a fair bit for starters, and if you've got no conscience there are people who will give you good money for the frame and V5......

Alternatively you could fix you bike up with non standard parts, for example a different set of forks (I mentioned the GSXR conversion earlier) perhaps different headlights/streetfighter approach etc etc..... Generally if you do this the bike is worth less should you want to sell, but we're not exactly talking about a high value bike here so not so much of an issue.

Good luck whichever route you choose.

[AlexRider]

Pity, its not a bad price

I'd catch the train and hire a van on a one way hire, or rent a bike trailer and bring it home that way.

Did that for a SV I bought

Got any mates/family with a car and tow bar?

Yeah it is a shame, I thought it was quite a steal for only 500..

Can't hire a van because most companies require you to be 25; and unfortunately don't know anybody willing to drive that far. Might be able to rent a bike trailer; the only issue is my car is an unreliable PITA lol..

Not too worried at this point anyway, I'll think of something soon enough :-)

The decider will be the frame. If it survived intact then it might be worth trying to find second hand bits and eventually fixing it up, but it might take a while to get all those bits and with summer beckoning you're going to be awfully tempted to find a quicker way.

Without a doubt finding a tidy bike with a blown engine would be a result, especially as you would be able to offset some of the purchase price by selling off the bits of your bike that aren't smashed (not a lot I know), but your wheels and discs if they are OK are worth a fair bit for starters, and if you've got no conscience there are people who will give you good money for the frame and V5......

Alternatively you could fix you bike up with non standard parts, for example a different set of forks (I mentioned the GSXR conversion earlier) perhaps different headlights/streetfighter approach etc etc..... Generally if you do this the bike is worth less should you want to sell, but we're not exactly talking about a high value bike here so not so much of an issue.

Good luck whichever route you choose.

I think the frame is intact, but I will have to dig deeper into the mess I've made to figure that one out for sure. It's half tempting to just salvage it or sell it as a whole for cheap - cut my losses and just put the money towards another bike.. Mainly because you are right, summer is just around the corner and I'm going to be bummed out if I have nothing to ride whilst the nice weather is here.

The SV for sale on here is more than ideal, it's just I don't have the money right this minute to fork out. Either that, or I was thinking like you said; street fighter it with a variety of parts from other bikes. It would make a cool project for sure - Honestly, I don't expect to get much for it after this, no matter what I do with it so it doesn't really matter to me now lol.

Thanks though, if I do start making progress on it I will keep you all updated.

[maviczap]

Yes, might be quicker to sell it on, but as RH says, if the frame is straight, then a front end upgrade wouldn't be too hard to do, easier on a pointy

There's always plenty of GSXR forks on ebay, and plenty of cheap ones from the USA.

[L3nny]

I had a similar conundrum when I crashed my Fireblade, frame and engine were fine but everything else was knackered.

In the end I just put it on Ebay, some Latvian bloke picked it up, paid cash and off it went to Eastern Europe.

Rather than spending what could be months trying to get it back on the road just cut your losses, flog the bike and get something new. Or, if you have the cash, get a new bike and either keep the SV as a project or break it yourself.

[AlexRider]

Rather than spending what could be months trying to get it back on the road just cut your losses, flog the bike and get something new. Or, if you have the cash, get a new bike and either keep the SV as a project or break it yourself.

Alright guys, I've got some decisions to make over the next few days.


A quick question though - What is a fair price for my bike in the state that it is currently in? The engine is fine, no leaks and the bike still starts and runs. Most of the main damage is listed in my first post and the vast majority of it is damage to the plastics and cosmetic.

Not sure if it matters at this point, but engine has 29k on it.


I'm not rich, just an average guy with an average job - so money doesn't come by me too easily. It might just be easier to accept my loss and flog it as L3nny put it. If this is the case, can you throw a few quotes at me because I'm no expert in estimating these things and I'm not out to rip people off

[maviczap]

Saw a couple with front end damage like yours being offered for £1000 on Ebay

[dizzyblonde]

Bit of a run of biking luck!!!!
SV parts are fairly common and can be sourced. Which is a positive, if you're looking at rebuilding.

I wasn't so lucky with my bike. It took nearly 18 months of scouring the country bare for parts that are so rare you'd find it easier to find a needle in a haystack! If I'd have thought harder about the massive headache, I'd have let the assessors categorise it, and gotten myself a new one! Oh well, she's back better than ever now :-D

[Red Herring]

Sometimes it's worth breaking it and selling the parts yourself rather than letting it go complete. A good SV engine is worth over £300 and a pair of wheel with discs on them can go for £150-£200 so that's a potential £500 just there.

The problem with selling the bike complete, as you yourself found out with the bike in Glasgow, is the cost of delivering/collecting it.

[L3nny]

It's probably completely irrelevant but mint, my Fireblade was worth about 2k (probably about the same as your SV before the crash). I ended up selling it for just under £1200.
This was 4 years ago though so things may have changed.

It all depends on how much of the work you can do yourself and how much patience you have. I don't know one end of a spanner from the other so would have had to pay someone else to fix most of it which meant it wasn't cost effective

[AlexRider]

Saw a couple with front end damage like yours being offered for £1000 on Ebay

Bit of a run of biking luck!!!!
SV parts are fairly common and can be sourced. Which is a positive, if you're looking at rebuilding.

I wasn't so lucky with my bike. It took nearly 18 months of scouring the country bare for parts that are so rare you'd find it easier to find a needle in a haystack! If I'd have thought harder about the massive headache, I'd have let the assessors categorise it, and gotten myself a new one! Oh well, she's back better than ever now :-D

Sometimes it's worth breaking it and selling the parts yourself rather than letting it go complete. A good SV engine is worth over £300 and a pair of wheel with discs on them can go for £150-£200 so that's a potential £500 just there.

The problem with selling the bike complete, as you yourself found out with the bike in Glasgow, is the cost of delivering/collecting it.

It's probably completely irrelevant but mint, my Fireblade was worth about 2k (probably about the same as your SV before the crash). I ended up selling it for just under £1200.
This was 4 years ago though so things may have changed.

It all depends on how much of the work you can do yourself and how much patience you have. I don't know one end of a spanner from the other so would have had to pay someone else to fix most of it which meant it wasn't cost effective

Thought I'd address this to all of you as you all made very valid comments. I put it up for sale on gumtree and received an offer for £500 if I sell it Friday. I initially put it up for £800 as I think it's fairly reasonable. Bare in mind, I'm not desperate for money either..

What do you guys think of the offer? Should I wait it out and see or just take it?


Honestly, I probably could rebuild it but it would take money that I don't currently have, a lot of time and patience. I'm not a mechanic and far from one as standards go so it would be a huge amount of effort on my part.. Which is why it would probably be better to just sell it :-/

[Red Herring]

Alex, effort is something that only you can provide. Economically you're going to have to spend money to get back on the road, either adding to whatever you sell for to make the value of a replacement or by fixing what you have. Mechanical knowledge is something that most of us have developed by taking on projects such as this, don't let it put you off, it's really not that complicated and there is help out there.

Having the time and facilities to do it however are another matter. It's not something you will be able to do on the pavement outside your house in a weekend. The photos show it in a garage with another bike but I don't know if that's a permanent arrangement or if it's suitable for the rebuild. You'll also need to invest some money in tools and equipment, but think of that as just that, an investment. If you're planning on riding bikes for a few years the money you will save with your tools and the expertise acquired on this project will come back to you several times over.

So really it all comes back to time. Either you've got it or you haven't.

[atassiedevil]

In your situ i would buy that bike with the blown engine, and go that route. You have a good engine, and while your initial outlay would be steep to get it all done, you'll get most if not all your money back in time, and not have to do too much as well to get back on the road.
Also anything you do not sell off your bike, you have as spares, plus the engine out of the other one, if you need gearbox/cams/injection etc.
There are couriers out there who will do that move for you for £100 if you do not mind waiting for them to schedule it in. Facebook bike groups are full of these, because they make their money on volume rather than price.
All worthy of thought. Is there anyone you can borrow a trailer off? Then you're just dealing with fuel/time as issues.
C.

[JonSV]

I have a trailer that you can borrow from Bristol if it helps.

[ManMango]

http://www.anyvan.com/man-and-van

I used this for my first bike. was about a 4 hour journey cost me £100.

You submit what you need transporting and people who are available on those routes bid for your custom. Pick the lowest price with best reviews.

Even if its not that particular bike with the blown engine its still probably worth getting a second from whereever that may turn out to be and turning them into one.

Initial cash might be an issue but if you can get the funds this will be your best bet.

[Tomor]

Glad you are ok. Looks like you ahve made it on youtube! Found this just now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_BjhCYz8Q (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_BjhCYz8Q)

dW_BjhCYz8Q

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

I got a few old SV bits in my garage you can have, I've not using them. There is a screen, some levers and a few other bits, I'll dig them out and take photos in the week if you want

[AlexRider]

Hi All, sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Been up to my eyes fending off people on YouTube and resting. Finally fully healed (ish) so I can start getting down to business!

@Red Herring - I already have a pretty large tool kit including more specialist tools like torque wrenches. The tools I currently have are probably capable enough to do the job - if not, additional tools to complete the job won't be a huge expense. Although, I'm not sure how I would keep the bike off the floor whilst doing a fork swap? - Also, yes, that is my garage, it's very bare and fairly small - it also contains my mothers new MV Agusta 675 so I have to be careful around that thing lol.

@atassiedevil - I have finally been paid, so I will seriously consider buying that bike from Glasgow and carrying out an engine swap. Going to send that guy a private message and see what he says.

@JonSV - I am extremely grateful for your offer. I'll decide what I plan on doing and if it means collecting that bike, then I would very much appreciate it if I could borrow your trailer. If it comes to that, I will get in touch with you. Thanks bud.

@ManMango - Thanks for the site mate, I've just put some details in and I'm awaiting to receive a few quotes. Hopefully they won't be too high! I've been paid now so may have enough to buy that bike in the for sale section on this forum.

@Tomor - Yep, I gave him permission to use my video - and he's added a Grand Theft Auto 'Wasted' animation on there; which I found hilarious lol. It certainly brought a lot of hate my way though.

@Cymraeg_Atodeg - Again, I'm extremely grateful for your offer. I'll decide what I'm definitely going to do with the bike and I'll get in touch with you. I really appreciate it mate!


You guys have all been so supportive, I couldn't thank you all enough! It's nice to see some fellow riders coming to my aid. I'll try and keep you all updated as much as I can :)

[Kenzie]

Wow, just been reading through the comments on the dash cam vid. Some people need to think before they type. Quite a few SV riders on there.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

No worries buddy.

Also, you made it to reddit; https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/47tajs/motorbike_crash_biker_rear_ends_car/

[AlexRider]

Wow, just been reading through the comments on the dash cam vid. Some people need to think before they type. Quite a few SV riders on there.

People will never understand. I don't think I'm wrong when I say I don't think I should be banned from riding for this accident. People can call me a ******* moron all they like, I still think I'm worlds apart from being this stupid:
https://www.facebook.com/101670060006938/videos/vb.101670060006938/524059051101368/?type=2&theater

No worries buddy.

Also, you made it to reddit; https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/47tajs/motorbike_crash_biker_rear_ends_car/

Aha cheers bud, just another website for me to collect more haters and internet trolls on lol. I've already been contacted by two separate news teams, including a department from the BBC who want to use my footage. I'm just worried about my anonymity on the video, because it would probably start chipping away at me if people started being abusive in person if they found out my identity. :(

[TheOnlyNemesis]

People will never understand. I don't think I'm wrong when I say I don't think I should be banned from riding for this accident. People can call me a ******* moron all they like, I still think I'm worlds apart from being this stupid:
https://www.facebook.com/101670060006938/videos/vb.101670060006938/524059051101368/?type=2&theater



Aha cheers bud, just another website for me to collect more haters and internet trolls on lol. I've already been contacted by two separate news teams, including a department from the BBC who want to use my footage. I'm just worried about my anonymity on the video, because it would probably start chipping away at me if people started being abusive in person if they found out my identity. :(

Screw em, we all make mistakes, that's what makes us human. You still want to ride which is more important than what a bunch of internet *******s think. You near me and Cymraeg_Atodeg so once she's rebuilt and you want a ride, drop us a PM.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

^ what he said

Chin up and **** 'em!

[Red Herring]

I'm just worried about my anonymity on the video, because it would probably start chipping away at me if people started being abusive in person if they found out my identity. :(

As someone who spent an entire career attracting abuse of some sort or another (although some of it was from people I had given good cause not to like me) I can assure you it just isn't worth worrying about. The vast majority will come from people who don't actually know you, know even less about what they are talking about, and won't ever feature in your life again.

If the critique does actually come from someone whose opinion you value then it's worth thinking over what they say and considering why they feel that way, and such people are generally up for a discussion about it.

As for internet trolls.... well don't give them a moments thought. They very rarely have the bottle to repeat what they say to your face and if they do they generally fall into the first category.....

[maviczap]

Screw em, we all make mistakes, that's what makes us human. You still want to ride which is more important than what a bunch of internet *******s think. You near me and Cymraeg_Atodeg so once she's rebuilt and you want a ride, drop us a PM.

^ what he said

Chin up and **** 'em!

As above. You video teaches everyone a valuable lesson about low sunlight, your pain is our gain. Makes everyone think.

Everyone's human, no one's perfect & we all make mistakes (except for internet ******s) :smt075

[DJ123]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3469723/Why-slow-sun-eyes-Horrifying-moment-dazzled-biker-loses-visibility-road-ahead-ploughs-car.html


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheOnlyNemesis]

Hope you sold the footage to them otherwise they have completely ripped it from youtube, removed all references to your channel and any monetisation and plastered their logo on it and wrote an article with pretty much **** all detail and I'd take them for all they are worth.

[AlexRider]

Hope you sold the footage to them otherwise they have completely ripped it from youtube, removed all references to your channel and any monetisation and plastered their logo on it and wrote an article with pretty much **** all detail and I'd take them for all they are worth.

I sold the footage to ViralHog who gave me £170 up front and 70% of any revenue they make, including selling the license to other media sources.

So far it seems to have racked up an additional $220 as they have sold the license to others too.

This is why it's going viral. Not sure if it's a good decision because it feels like the whole word is against me right now. But at least it spreads the message. Some people are ripping sh**** compressed videos from my YouTube channel so you can't see my speedometer, causing everybody to claim that I was hauling ass up that road. These have also been published with crap descriptions that make me sound like I'm doing everything I can to avoid taking the blame, which couldn't be further from the truth. Just read the comment on my YouTube video and it portrays a different picture.

Oh well, at least I'm achieving my goal of spreading awareness, and getting some money out of it. I can use it to repair my bike now :-)

[maviczap]

Switch off from seeing what they're saying, don't bother looking, they dont know the facts. What they're saying isnt going to change anything. Just watch the money come in, its free money

[TheOnlyNemesis]

As stated above, they don't know **** and most of them hate us anyway. So just enjoy the money, build her back up with it maybe

[AlexRider]

Switch off from seeing what they're saying, don't bother looking, they dont know the facts. What they're saying isnt going to change anything. Just watch the money come in, its free money

As stated above, they don't know **** and most of them hate us anyway. So just enjoy the money, build her back up with it maybe


Both very valid comments. Sometimes it's a bit hard not to read them when it's plastered everywhere on the internet lol. But all things considering, a lot of people do already hate bikers; and most of the comments are probably from people who don't ride themselves. Oh well, lesson learned! Time to crack on with life :D

[TheOnlyNemesis]

Pretty much, some of the videos the biker is doing nothing wrong and you'll still get people blaming the biker. Some people just have issues.

[AlexRider]

Well well well, I really hit a sh*t storm with this accident.

Sorry about bumping this thread guys but it's better than making a new one. Just a quick update for you all: the driver I went into the back of is committing insurance fraud. Currently working with the police on this; I have every ounce of evidence that proves him guilty, along with further evidence that the police have provided.

- He's still denying it all and claiming he's legit which is the funny thing; making me out to look like the bad guy because I'm refusing to pay for the damage to his car. You can get stuffed if you think I'm paying for an uninsured driver. I'll keep you all updated on this.

[Cymraeg_Atodeg]

*gets popcorn and seat*

[TheOnlyNemesis]

Go to the daily mail comments and flaunt your justice boner

[AlexRider]

Go to the daily mail comments and flaunt your justice boner

Haha, I'd love to. If only they still accepted comments on that article ](*,)

[Kenzie]

Is he trying to claim off your insurance? If he is uninsured then surely he will be prosececuted?

[Craig380]

Is he trying to claim off your insurance? If he is uninsured then surely he will be prosecuted?

It's a funny one; this is lifted from GoCompare's website about accidents involving uninsured drivers:

"Even if the other party’s uninsured, if the accident was entirely your fault - for instance you hit another driver from behind - then you will be responsible for repair costs to your vehicle and theirs. Your third party insurance should cover the cost of repairs to the other person’s vehicle.

"Of course, the uninsured driver can still be prosecuted and police have the power to seize and crush their vehicle - and if this happens there’ll be no car to repair." :plod:

[AlexRider]

Is he trying to claim off your insurance? If he is uninsured then surely he will be prosececuted?

He keeps threatening to go down the insurance route, but he can't. Police have confirmed he's uninsured and was driving on cloned plates. Thank god I was riding with my camera on because I wouldn't have noticed the swapped number plates.

[shiftin_gear98]

So basically he was driving really slowly along a stretch of road he knew people couldn't see him just to cause an accident. So he could play all innocent and look like he's doing you a favour by not going down the insurance route.
Never mind he could have killed you. ****ing ****.


Hope he gets shafted for it.

[Craig380]

Police have confirmed he's uninsured and was driving on cloned plates. Thank god I was riding with my camera on because I wouldn't have noticed the swapped number plates.

F*ck*ng HELL. That car will definitely be getting crushed, then.

Think I'm going to have to get a camera ...

[ophic]

Unofficial rules of motorcycling:

Don't crash

but

if you must crash, aim for a c***

Top marks there!

[Grim-Lock]

Well i'll be, That's a series of events that i was not expecting....

[AlexRider]

So basically he was driving really slowly along a stretch of road he knew people couldn't see him just to cause an accident. So he could play all innocent and look like he's doing you a favour by not going down the insurance route.
Never mind he could have killed you. ****ing ****.


Hope he gets shafted for it.

He's been very suspicious from the start; leaving the scene of the accident, not giving me his details, waiting 5 weeks to get back to me, constantly changing his story when confronted etc..

Makes me wonder if he was intentionally driving slow or what. He deserves everything coming to him..


F*ck*ng HELL. That car will definitely be getting crushed, then.

Think I'm going to have to get a camera ...

Well the problem is, the police keep telling me that they can't do anything unless they see him driving. I'm pi**ed off because they have all of this evidence, they know the car is uninsured/taxed/MOT'd - yet they have to see him driving? WHY? Not being declared sorn or being uninsured is illegal in the first place so they should be able to seize the car.

The officer who's dealing with the case told me to tip them off when he's leaving the garage so they can catch the driver red handed. I think it's a bit pathetic that they're saying they can't do anything unless he's caught driving though; because they clearly could do something about it if they wanted to.

Also, I highly recommend you get one. It will save your ass one day, guaranteed.

Unofficial rules of motorcycling:

Quote:
Don't crash
but
if you must crash, aim for a c***


Top marks there!

Haha totally. I remember a comment on the daily mail saying 'I hope the driver sues you'. If anything, I've done everybody a favour by taking an uninsured driver off the road :-)

Well i'll be, That's a series of events that i was not expecting....

I've done a lot of digging to get all of this information and have pretty much done the job for the police; considering that they didn't even take his number plate down correctly on the accident log. I don't think anybody was expecting this lol :rolleyes:



To Everybody:
Unfortunately, after a bit more research, what craig said is right; the justice/insurance system is a f***ing joke and unfortunately, I'm still liable to pay for his car as I was the one primarily at fault. Even if he's not insured, he can still apparently claim directly through my insurance company. Makes me wonder why anybody has insurance in the first place, the way this system works..

Fortunately, he just wants £120 to fix his window (damage not caused by me) rather than £600 for the bumper, because his "window is more important". I've got audio logs of the phone calls confirming this deal and I'm going to write up a formal document, gather everybody's signatures and pay the bill so he can't claim against my insurance after the bill has been paid - I'll then provide a copy to the police to have on record. I'm doing this to cover my ar*e because like Craig said, I'm still liable for the damage and I'd rather pay £120 and put it to the back of my mind, than have to pay £650 excess and lose my no claims bonus.


I really don't want to pay it and quite frankly, I think I shouldn't have to considering he shouldn't be on the road in the first place. However, for the sake of £120 and the hassle of involving the insurance companies, I'll pay the bill and put this whole thing to rest. The police can then proceed to prosecute him; so despite me losing out on £120, he still won't be getting away with it.

[ophic]

I think I'd be more inclined to phone a solicitor to see what they say about it.

Your video itself is evidence that he was on the road when he shouldn't be. He can't have it both ways. Either he wasn't there and can't claim - or he was and admits to breaking the law and gets prosecuted accordingly.

[AlexRider]

I think I'd be more inclined to phone a solicitor to see what they say about it.

Your video itself is evidence that he was on the road when he shouldn't be. He can't have it both ways. Either he wasn't there and can't claim - or he was and admits to breaking the law and gets prosecuted accordingly.

As much as I'd love to, it's more money on top to go through that hassle of hiring a solicitor. He's already admitted he was there and that the car in the garage with the different number plate, is definitely the car that I hit. I have this on an audio recording, so he's accidentally admitted to swapping plates and I have evidence of this admission now.

I spoke to traffic officers and they were impressed at the fact I've given in all of this evidence along with a video. They have everything they need to prosecute him/crush his car etc. But for some reason, they are insisting that they need to catch him driving.

It's funny because he's still insisting that he's fully insured, road legal etc; despite everybody, including the police, knowing that he's lying.

[ophic]

As much as I'd love to, it's more money on top to go through that hassle of hiring a solicitor.
They should hear you out for free, and inform you what can be done, and estimate of cost.

Also, if you engage your insurance company, they would get their own legal team to look at it. This obviously has pros and cons of declaring the accident and making a claim etc.

And failing all that, I'd approach the papers with your story. You're already in the Daily Mail so they would most likely be interested in the follow up story, especially as it highlights that the police aren't really interested in sorting out blatantly illegal drivers.

[AlexRider]

They should hear you out for free, and inform you what can be done, and estimate of cost.

Also, if you engage your insurance company, they would get their own legal team to look at it. This obviously has pros and cons of declaring the accident and making a claim etc.

And failing all that, I'd approach the papers with your story. You're already in the Daily Mail so they would most likely be interested in the follow up story, especially as it highlights that the police aren't really interested in sorting out blatantly illegal drivers.


I'll see what I can do because this payment might be dealt with either today or tomorrow.

The problem I have with telling the insurance is if it comes to a claim, I lose my bonus and have to state on my next policy that a claim was made against me and that the claim was a result of an accident that was my fault.

I've done further insurance quotes with this in mind and my insurance is so sky high that I can kiss riding a bike legally goodbye for quite some time.


Which brings me back to my other point; is it really worth risking all of the backlash of involving my insurance for the sake of a £120 bill?

At the end of the day, even if I pay the bill; I've still informed the police and I will still push them to prosecute him. There are pros & cons to both, but I feel like paying the bill and prosecuting afterwards would be more beneficial to me in the long run, rather than involving my insurance and facing the backlash of doing so.


As for approaching the papers - I'm sure they'd be interested, but fear the consequences of letting everybody know about this news. He lives locally to me and really don't need any sh*t from him. Then again, if the police don't do anything about it then I will definitely consider going to them with the story.


Regardless of which way I go with this, I will try my best to see through that this guy faces the consequences of driving with cloned plates and no insurance.

[L3nny]

especially as it highlights that the police aren't really interested in sorting out blatantly illegal drivers.

Too busy with more lucrative pursuits :smt011

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-news/police-target-riders-in-national-motorcycle-week-of-action/31116.html

[ophic]

Too busy with more lucrative pursuits :smt011

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-news/police-target-riders-in-national-motorcycle-week-of-action/31116.html
Just use fake plates and get away with anything.

[L3nny]

Just use fake plates and get away with anything.

As long as they are large enough to be seen from space!

[DarrenSV650S]

Wow what a nightmare!

Won't you be in trouble if your insurance company find out about all this and you haven't told them? Or have I missed something

[AlexRider]

Wow what a nightmare!

Won't you be in trouble if your insurance company find out about all this and you haven't told them? Or have I missed something

They may not pay out, which means it will be directed to me; and in that instance I'll probably have to pay for the bumper and the boot.

so you can probably see now why it would be best for me to just pay for his window for £120, get him to sign a contract about this arrangement and let the police deal with his legalities.

The money will be paid directly to the garage and not to him, which is what he wants. To be honest, I think he just wants to get this out of the way and hope to cover his ar*se because he was caught out.


Let's put it this way, if he goes to my insurance company, he will shoot himself in the foot because they will have a whole arsenal of evidence and they will definitely push for prosecution. He won't go there because he knows he's in the wrong and he'll be putting his license at risk, not to mention a fine and it will go down on record.

[ophic]

Let's put it this way, if he goes to my insurance company, he will shoot himself in the foot because they will have a whole arsenal of evidence and they will definitely push for prosecution. He won't go there because he knows he's in the wrong and he'll be putting his license at risk, not to mention a fine and it will go down on record.
So don't pay him a penny and agree not to take it further.

[AlexRider]

So don't pay him a penny and agree not to take it further.

Well I said that to him last night, he got really ****ty and I don't want to leave this on a bad note. Regardless of that, apparently I'm still legally liable to pay for the damages whether he's insured or not (just proves how sh*t our justice system is). So in the event that he did go to my insurance (he's not very bright so he might just do that), it would just create a lot of problems for both of us.

I'd rather pay the £120, which is considerably cheaper than the quotes for his bumper/boot (about £500) and leave it at that. Like I said, he won't get away with it either way because the traffic officers have put him on alert and are likely to be tipped off by the garage when he tries to leave.

If I was 100% sure he wouldn't go to the insurance, I wouldn't pay anything.


P.s I know it sounds funny about leaving it on a bad note, but if I personally screw him over and not the police then he could get really nasty with me and I just don't need that right now. Considering I live close to him too, you just can't trust people these days.

[Red ones]

Made me smile in a perverse way, although I do empathise.

A few years ago my wife drove in to the back of someone who got all sweary and sh——ty with her. She said to calm down and exchange details, so she gave him her address and stuff. He then shut up got in his car and drove off without given any details.

Wife came home and told me about sweary man. As we stood in the kitchen a car pulled up outside. Guess what? It was, obviously, him. Wifey said "oh gosh, it him. Blimey" or words to that effect.


We had moved in about a month before. He lived 4 doors down the street. I think he realised what an a——e he had been and that he'd have to walk past us everyday!

[PyroUK]

Forgot to sub to this one, been keeping up to date. It is a ****e situation for sure however....

Not wanting to p**s on your cornflakes but.....

1 even with the signed letter he can still contact your insurance company to make a claim

2 this has been recorded with the police as an accident which may (read should) show up on the databases, which can then pop up as an undisclosed incident

Either which way you will come out much worse off.

You can notify your insurance of the incident but that you have no intention to claim, it will be recorded as info only and shouldn't impact your premium or NCD and that way you have done the right thing from your side. Additionally, as this is "clearly an at fault claim" because you went in to the back of him, your insurance company would look to settle as quickly as possible with no dispute. What that means is that you could be none the wiser till you get to renewal and suddenly you have lost your NCD and a hike in premium. If you notify them that you had the incident but are only notifying them and ask them to put a note on saying you want to dispute any claim from him due to xyz, they should do this.

What you could do, if you want to check how your particular insurer would deal with it, call them from someone else's phone, don't give them your personal details, and ask them what would happen in this situation. Don't be too specific, just if I was involved in an accident with an uninsured driver (at fault) what would be the impact to me etc. You never know, your policy may include an uninsured driver cover!

[AlexRider]

Forgot to sub to this one, been keeping up to date. It is a ****e situation for sure however....

Not wanting to p**s on your cornflakes but.....

1 even with the signed letter he can still contact your insurance company to make a claim

2 this has been recorded with the police as an accident which may (read should) show up on the databases, which can then pop up as an undisclosed incident

Either which way you will come out much worse off.

You can notify your insurance of the incident but that you have no intention to claim, it will be recorded as info only and shouldn't impact your premium or NCD and that way you have done the right thing from your side. Additionally, as this is "clearly an at fault claim" because you went in to the back of him, your insurance company would look to settle as quickly as possible with no dispute. What that means is that you could be none the wiser till you get to renewal and suddenly you have lost your NCD and a hike in premium. If you notify them that you had the incident but are only notifying them and ask them to put a note on saying you want to dispute any claim from him due to xyz, they should do this.

What you could do, if you want to check how your particular insurer would deal with it, call them from someone else's phone, don't give them your personal details, and ask them what would happen in this situation. Don't be too specific, just if I was involved in an accident with an uninsured driver (at fault) what would be the impact to me etc. You never know, your policy may include an uninsured driver cover!


No by all means, share all the information you have that might be useful; even if the truth is a pile of cr*p.

In regards to point number 1 - if he contacts my insurance company after the contract is signed then he is breaching the contract. The contract will outline that my insurance company will have no involvement in the settlement of this accident and no further payments will be made to anybody in regards to this accident. It will be considered settled as soon as the bill has been paid to the garage. The repercussions for him breaching the contract will be that he has to pay the excess on my insurance and refund the original bill payment to me for the repairs that the garage completed. In that case, he will be paying nearly £800 out of his pocket if the insurance company agrees to settle the claim; in addition to putting himself in the spotlight for prosecution. The contract will be signed by myself, the other driver, the garage and a witness to acknowledge the terms and conditions.

I've purposely made it really sh**ty for him if he breaches the contract. If he doesn't comply with the terms after he's signed it, then I will take him to court and he can argue his poor excuse for a case in front of a judge. I've got recorded audio confirmation that he wants to settle it privately and not through insurance too, so that will also be used against him. I highly doubt he will go to the insurance because I think he's worried about being found out and just wants to sweep everything under the rug.

However, just like you said. I'll probably inform my insurance company so that they have it on file and are aware of what's going on.

Point number 2 - Again, that is true, especially if I have to make a claim in the future. Which is why it's probably best that I just inform my insurance company of the accident, but NOT proceed with a claim of any sorts.



I appreciate your input and advice on the matter though; I will keep you all updated!

[PyroUK]

No worries mate, like I said he can still do it, foolish as it may be, people like this are rarely not greedy nor bright, so better mitigate the effects to yourself!

Genuinely hope you can get it sorted for as little time/money/effort as possible, concentrating on getting healed up and the bike fixed up!

[AlexRider]

No worries mate, like I said he can still do it, foolish as it may be, people like this are rarely not greedy nor bright, so better mitigate the effects to yourself!

Genuinely hope you can get it sorted for as little time/money/effort as possible, concentrating on getting healed up and the bike fixed up!

You are totally correct, he would be really setting himself up for failure if he did though :confused:

Thanks though - and FYI, I thought I'd mentioned this previously but I guess some people don't know - I've actually sold the bike on. I simply didn't have the time nor money to fix her up quickly, unfortunately. I'm all healed and ready to get back out there though. Currently doing a bit of off roading with a friend of mine until I sort myself out with something that's road legal :eek:

[AlexRider]

Just a quick update to this thread:

I paid the £118 bill but I also wrote up a contract with a list of terms and conditions, which includes but isn't limited to the following:

He's unable to involve any third parties or insurance companies in the settlement of the accident - if he does, he's liable to pay for my excess and refund the cost of the bill - This would amount to at least £800 as my policy had a high excess; so really not worth it (He would also then be shooting himself in the foot as the insurance legal team will jump straight on it)
The contract states that the payment is a final confirmation that this accident will be considered settled, and nobody is liable to make any further payments regarding the incident.


The contract was signed by myself, a witness, the other driver and the garage that carried out the repairs. I can't see him making any comebacks from this; in fact, he was quite happy to just 'sweep it under the rug'.

I'm still in contact with the police and hoping they will do something about this; they just seem so disinterested it's unbelievable. Just goes to show how easy it is to get away with things these days - EVEN if you approach the police with all of the evidence. Anyway, if I hear anything back from them I'll keep you all posted.

Cheers

[PyroUK]

Nice one sounds good!

Hopefully that's the end of it for you and you can move on to finding a new toy!

Out of curiosity, were you not tempted to keep the old one and maybe track prep it over time? Or did you need the cash injection to get back on the road? Don't feel you have to answer that if it's too probing!

Also hopefully the police have loaded both plates in to the PNC so it can ping ANPR cameras all over the place and nail him! Likewise, if you notified your insurers and gave all his details he'll get stuffed for undisclosed claims if he ever decides to go legit!

[AlexRider]

Nice one sounds good!

Hopefully that's the end of it for you and you can move on to finding a new toy!

Out of curiosity, were you not tempted to keep the old one and maybe track prep it over time? Or did you need the cash injection to get back on the road? Don't feel you have to answer that if it's too probing!

Also hopefully the police have loaded both plates in to the PNC so it can ping ANPR cameras all over the place and nail him! Likewise, if you notified your insurers and gave all his details he'll get stuffed for undisclosed claims if he ever decides to go legit!

Yeah, I'm sure it is the end of it. Or at least I hope so anyway lol - Too much drama in my life :rolleyes:

I was tempted to keep it and would have probably made it into a street fighter; but I just wanted to get riding again as soon as possible and put this incident in the past. The issue was, I had no spare time apart from the weekends and it would have taken me forever to fix her up; alongside having to spend more money to do it (unfortunately, I'm not the most patient of people either :rolleyes:). The 'cash injection' definitely helped a lot in my circumstances!

If I had more money and time, I would have definitely kept the SV and fixed her up :)


The police did tell me over the phone that the traffic officers have put it on their systems, so it should be picked up by the ANPR cameras. I'll keep prodding them though to chase it up :p

[Fordward]

Money from ViralHog came in handy then.

[AlexRider]

Money from ViralHog came in handy then.

Yes, it helped pay the bill at least.. Might as well make money off the video, considering it was being ripped by other people without permission and with the intention of making a profit themselves.

[AlexRider]

Another update for you all. Just came from Asda and was on my way home. Saw the other driver driving his car around, ON THE SAME CLONED PLATE that he had before. He's on a whole new level of stupid. Going to inform the police that he's driving around on the 06 plate again. Pi**es me off that I'm basically doing their job for them and they still can't be bothered.

[DarrenSV650S]

You should inform the real owners of that plate that someone else is using it. You can get their address from the plate I think

[AlexRider]

You should inform the real owners of that plate that someone else is using it. You can get their address from the plate I think

I would, but I think I'd need to ask the DVLA for the registered owners address/contact information; and I know they're pretty funny about giving information out. I also know that the registered owner is an elderly gentleman so I don't think he'd do much about it to be honest..

I'm not sure if the police would have informed the real registered owner; although at this rate I'm starting to doubt it..