SV650.org - SV650 & Gladius 650 Forum - View Single Post - Damage done to my bike by a pothole tonight

30-07-05, 10:28 PM

Literally less than half a mile from home tonight, and in the dark I hit a big pothole at 30. The bike jolted so much, it felt like I hit a curb as I was literally bounced upwards and forwards off the seat; and I also heard a loud "clang". I didn't drop the bike but stopped to see what I'd hit, and the hole was a really weird one - perfectly circular about 6 inches across at road surface, and like a tapering cone shape down to the centre which was about 4 - 5 inches deep. The road is a mish-mash of repairs and tarmac types, and the hole appeared to be in one of the newer repairs, as the tarmac was darker. Nearest I can tell there must have been an air pocket underneath, and the recent heatwave melted the tarmac to the point where it sunk down to fill the pocket, as the hole was exactly the same shape as water draining out of a sink. Because of the shape of the hole and the darkness of the tarmac, it never lit up in my headlights, so I didn't see it.

Anyway, my first concern was for my wheel, so I rode the bike home and checked it over, but couldn't see any immediate damage. I figured I'd leave it an hour and see if the tyre started to deflate. Went out about tennish and the tyre was fine, so decided to take the bike for a little low speed, local run to see how it was - I didn't wear gloves, and wore my MX helmet so I could feel and hear better. There is definitely a problem - at every small bump in the road I can hear a metallic noise and feel a small jerky movement through the bars - I've gone over the entire front end, and every parts seems solidly in place, but obviously it's dark so I'll get a better look tomorrow.

Obviously it's too dark to get pictures of the hole tonight, but I'm going up there first thing in the morning with a ruler to record it's width and depth, so I can try to claim off the council.

My first question is this - does anyone know what type of damage could have been caused to my bike?

The second is - Apart from the photos of the hole, what other evidence will I need to claim the cost of repairs from the council?

Cheers for helping, Matt.

30-07-05, 10:28 PM	#1
the oaf Guest Posts: n/a	Damage done to my bike by a pothole tonight - advice needed. Literally less than half a mile from home tonight, and in the dark I hit a big pothole at 30. The bike jolted so much, it felt like I hit a curb as I was literally bounced upwards and forwards off the seat; and I also heard a loud "clang". I didn't drop the bike but stopped to see what I'd hit, and the hole was a really weird one - perfectly circular about 6 inches across at road surface, and like a tapering cone shape down to the centre which was about 4 - 5 inches deep. The road is a mish-mash of repairs and tarmac types, and the hole appeared to be in one of the newer repairs, as the tarmac was darker. Nearest I can tell there must have been an air pocket underneath, and the recent heatwave melted the tarmac to the point where it sunk down to fill the pocket, as the hole was exactly the same shape as water draining out of a sink. Because of the shape of the hole and the darkness of the tarmac, it never lit up in my headlights, so I didn't see it. Anyway, my first concern was for my wheel, so I rode the bike home and checked it over, but couldn't see any immediate damage. I figured I'd leave it an hour and see if the tyre started to deflate. Went out about tennish and the tyre was fine, so decided to take the bike for a little low speed, local run to see how it was - I didn't wear gloves, and wore my MX helmet so I could feel and hear better. There is definitely a problem - at every small bump in the road I can hear a metallic noise and feel a small jerky movement through the bars - I've gone over the entire front end, and every parts seems solidly in place, but obviously it's dark so I'll get a better look tomorrow. Obviously it's too dark to get pictures of the hole tonight, but I'm going up there first thing in the morning with a ruler to record it's width and depth, so I can try to claim off the council. My first question is this - does anyone know what type of damage could have been caused to my bike? The second is - Apart from the photos of the hole, what other evidence will I need to claim the cost of repairs from the council? Cheers for helping, Matt.