This morning feeling a bit sick.
It's hard to account for people.
Yesterday, went to Galashiels to buy essential supplies - the only legal reason to ride during lock-down. While I was in the farm foods shop, heard the very last words you ever want to hear. 'I'm sorry, but I reversed into your motorbike and knocked it over.'
Put basket down and rushed outside. Bike lying in a heap wedged between the wall and a parked VW car - a second victim of the incident - in a rapidly growing pool of petrol.
One bystander asked if I wanted a petrol can to catch the leaking fuel. Well, I suppose he was trying to be helpful.
Pulled the bike upright and spent the next five minutes trying to deal with the woman who did the reversing, the woman who owned the VW and assess the damage to the XS.
After the initial panic, I tried to be very calm and reasonable. I don't think anything I could have said in that five minutes would have conveyed to either woman how I felt about the incident. The rusty old VW had suffered a front wing bent and partly ripped off by the weight of the bike. The woman was concerned about her car but also worried that the other woman might have damaged her Nissan car by hitting the bike . . .
To make it worse, she had recently spent £300 on the VW - body work and a new radiator. I told her I have spent more that £6,500 on the Yamaha in the past year but I don't think that registered with either of them.
I took the Nissan owner's name address and phone number and just to be sure made a note of the car's registration.
The immediately obvious damage to the XS was handlebar swivelled round, l/h mirror and clutch lever swivelled round, headlamp pushed back, number plate crumpled and folded. But I told the woman that I would need to assess if the frame is bent. I think she got the message that if so the repair might be expensive. Also, tried to explain it's not just a case of taking the bike to a main dealer and getting it fixed by the fitting of new parts. However, I think she might have felt a bit relieved that Miss November is just a forty-two year-old pile of junk . . .
But at least she said she was very sorry.
Since getting the bike home, have also found that the l/h silencer is quite badly dented where the centre stand has taken the weight of the bike and been pushed up. The rear light cluster has been pushed forward, distorting the (beautifully painted) mudguard. The paint on the headlamp shell has been cracked and rubbed. Thankfully, the fuel tank seems to have escaped damage. Not too sure about the alignment of the exhaust system, which looks a bit closer to the engine, and the back-firing has come back again. And I still don't know if the frame is bent. Peering along the line of the wheels, it looks as if the front wheel sits very slightly more to the left. But I need to do a more careful assessment.
Best way to check if frame is twisted?
5 Twins: The Heiden/Lalonde designed mufflers are made and sitting in a US warehouse - 500 pc.@ $54.95 each. + Freight
I'd sure like a pair of those - can you ship to UK?
Need to have a think about the best way to proceed. Because the incident does not fit the business model followed by most insurances, I might end up having to do all the work and pay for everything meself.
Might talk to my insurance company on Monday - fortunately, last year I moved to a company which specialises in collectible and classic bikes. Also on Monday, taking Kawasaki W800 for annual MoT inspection so I'll ask them about checking alignment.
As I said, this morning feeling a bit sick.