I have been thinking of building a chopper. I am going to take a ride to Big Bear and look at the packages Big Bear Choppers has. They are owned by an Australian guy and his wife and they won the biker build off on the one show I have seen about them. I have looked at some of their stuff. You can buy completes kits from them, or a complete bike. They also sell rolling chassis and other sub-parts for the production of such bikes. I really like their style. I guess my problem is two fold, do I want to spend that sort of money on a machine that I would not want to ride to work everyday because of the distance, thus I would have to keep my current Shadow and car, and also, do I have what it take to actually build one. I think the time alone would be a problem to find. I also think my patience would run out as they say it may take up to 1500 hours and I would rather spend that time riding.
If you are interested in building a chopper, I would certainly check them out.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Let’s start off with my recent accident. On December 22nd 06 I was riding down a very nice country road when a small SUV decided to enter my space when I had not quite exited it. The end result was a hit and run. It did about $3k worth of damage to my poor bike and left my right leg in substantial pain. It also ended any plans of golfing over the holidays.
I must have passed out for a minute maybe less, but I do not remember the actual hit, I do remember taking action to avoid going down but alas, the next thing I remember was someone asking me if I was Ok and trying to get the bike off me. We got the bike upright and he asked me again if I was OK. I was in shock and said I am fine. I started looking over the bike and I guess he asked if I wanted him to stick around and I said no (my first in a chain of mistakes that have come back to haunt me). He took off and I instinctively went to grab my Blackberry (yup, I have one and feel naked with out it) but it was not with me on this ride. It was the first day of my holidays and the last thing I wanted was to be bugged by work. So, I knew my leg was sore and with no one left around, I mounted the bike and headed for home. I finally realized after a stop or two that my leg was in very bad shape. Out of my sense of civic duty (or so I thought) I called the police and reported the hit and run (second of my chain of mistakes). They told me they would send someone out to talk with me.
While waiting, I was in pain, so, along with my brother who was visiting and my neighbor whom he had golfed with that morning, I had a beer, then another and maybe one more (third mistake in the chain.) The officers arrived, funny enough on a motorcycle, and took my report. I then went to seek medical help and got the news of the condition of my leg. Got home and called the incident into my insurance company.
I took the bike to the stealership I bought it from (forth mistake, see a pattern here?) and work began on assessing the damage. Fast forward two weeks (would have been sooner if not for the holidays) and I am finally told the bike is NOT a right off, which suited me just fine. I love that bike and have some serious memories with it so did not want to part with it yet, and certainly not in that manner. I asked the insurance guy if I could change a few thing that would be of equal value to replacing the exact parts, but thing I would change in retrospect, their response was positive. Go ahead they said: we don’t care what you do as long as the bike remains safe. I have good insurance. So I speced the bike out for the stealership and went along my merry hobbling way.
Flash forward to this week. I stop by the dealership to get the damage report only to find that they have left some important parts off the rebuild order, things like a gas tank and the bracket that actually holds on the windshield they had ordered for me. It took me several phone calls and two visits to the stealership for them to actual have a coherent parts list for the rebuild.
So Far, so good. Now here are where the mistake comes. First, I have an incompetent stealership building my bike and it is too late to go elsewhere. I expect I will make daily calls to them for a while. Next, I get a call from my insurance adjusted stating that the police report is inconclusive so I cant use my uninsured drivers policy. He tells me it state that the reason I may be judged at fault is three fold, fist, I could not tell him the cross road at which the accident happened. Second, I had no witnesses (should have taken the info from the guy in the truck who helped me out) and lastly, I left the scene of the accident ( I guess with my broken leg I should have stuck around for some reason, not sure).
So, I have appealed the police report and so far have heard nothing. I am hoping my call to the dealership today will be routine as they should have ordered everything by now and my adjuster should have the final tally.
Who know, but either way, you can take away a few things from this event: carry the damn cell with you when you ride. Get names, no matter who they are and if they saw anything or not, and sit by the side of the road, pain or not, until the police arrive.
What say you, can you count the mistakes. I think I have four at least if not more.
I must have passed out for a minute maybe less, but I do not remember the actual hit, I do remember taking action to avoid going down but alas, the next thing I remember was someone asking me if I was Ok and trying to get the bike off me. We got the bike upright and he asked me again if I was OK. I was in shock and said I am fine. I started looking over the bike and I guess he asked if I wanted him to stick around and I said no (my first in a chain of mistakes that have come back to haunt me). He took off and I instinctively went to grab my Blackberry (yup, I have one and feel naked with out it) but it was not with me on this ride. It was the first day of my holidays and the last thing I wanted was to be bugged by work. So, I knew my leg was sore and with no one left around, I mounted the bike and headed for home. I finally realized after a stop or two that my leg was in very bad shape. Out of my sense of civic duty (or so I thought) I called the police and reported the hit and run (second of my chain of mistakes). They told me they would send someone out to talk with me.
While waiting, I was in pain, so, along with my brother who was visiting and my neighbor whom he had golfed with that morning, I had a beer, then another and maybe one more (third mistake in the chain.) The officers arrived, funny enough on a motorcycle, and took my report. I then went to seek medical help and got the news of the condition of my leg. Got home and called the incident into my insurance company.
I took the bike to the stealership I bought it from (forth mistake, see a pattern here?) and work began on assessing the damage. Fast forward two weeks (would have been sooner if not for the holidays) and I am finally told the bike is NOT a right off, which suited me just fine. I love that bike and have some serious memories with it so did not want to part with it yet, and certainly not in that manner. I asked the insurance guy if I could change a few thing that would be of equal value to replacing the exact parts, but thing I would change in retrospect, their response was positive. Go ahead they said: we don’t care what you do as long as the bike remains safe. I have good insurance. So I speced the bike out for the stealership and went along my merry hobbling way.
Flash forward to this week. I stop by the dealership to get the damage report only to find that they have left some important parts off the rebuild order, things like a gas tank and the bracket that actually holds on the windshield they had ordered for me. It took me several phone calls and two visits to the stealership for them to actual have a coherent parts list for the rebuild.
So Far, so good. Now here are where the mistake comes. First, I have an incompetent stealership building my bike and it is too late to go elsewhere. I expect I will make daily calls to them for a while. Next, I get a call from my insurance adjusted stating that the police report is inconclusive so I cant use my uninsured drivers policy. He tells me it state that the reason I may be judged at fault is three fold, fist, I could not tell him the cross road at which the accident happened. Second, I had no witnesses (should have taken the info from the guy in the truck who helped me out) and lastly, I left the scene of the accident ( I guess with my broken leg I should have stuck around for some reason, not sure).
So, I have appealed the police report and so far have heard nothing. I am hoping my call to the dealership today will be routine as they should have ordered everything by now and my adjuster should have the final tally.
Who know, but either way, you can take away a few things from this event: carry the damn cell with you when you ride. Get names, no matter who they are and if they saw anything or not, and sit by the side of the road, pain or not, until the police arrive.
What say you, can you count the mistakes. I think I have four at least if not more.
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