Crashed in Spain

[SunEye]

On Wed July 29th I had a bit of an accident on my Monster in Spain.

I was riding from Zaragoza to Alhaurin el Grande (550 miles) with a friend of mine (Adie on a Triumph Rocket III) on our way to a two week holiday with his wife and kids.

On that day I was having a problem with my clutch. It wouldn't fully disengage, so i was doing clutch-less gear changes. This tended to mean that when riding through villages I would drop back from Adie (who was leading because he had the sat nav) when doing clutch-less down shifts because I had to let the revs drop right down. Then I would catch him up when we exit the village. Normally I ride quite close to him.

About 300 miles into our journey I was a bit of a way behind Adie when exiting a village called Reolid on the A322 about 50 miles after Albecete. There was a corner at the exit of the village and Adie was away around the corner. The weather was great. There was no traffic (another vehicle in either direction every few kilometers). I was happily looking around taking in the scenery. After the corner I suddenly noticed that Adie had stopped in the middle of the right hand side of the road. This was my thought process:

Why has he stopped? Oh, there's a red traffic light. I'm not going to stop in time. The junction is a road joining from the left. Because I'm going to overshoot the junction I need to be on the far right of the road in case there is something coming out from the road on the left. I need to aim my bike for the gap between Adie and the Armco. Oh shhhhiiiiiiiii..........

Unfortunately I didn't quite get my bike far enough over to the right hand side of the road. Another foot to the right and we'd have been ok. My front axle/ABS sensor/mudguard hit the exhausts on the right hand side of Adie's bike. My left upper arm hit his tailpack. The next thing I remember is fighting to stop my bike hitting the Armco, which I did, and coming to a controlled stop on the other side of the junction. I though I had broken my left arm - it hurt, but as it still moved I reckoned it was ok. I looked back and saw Adie and his bike on the ground. I ran back to see if he was ok. He was dazed and all he cared about was his bike. I told him to sit down whilst I took off my helmet and took out my ear plugs so I could talk to him easily. Whilst I did that he managed to get his bike back onto its wheels and onto its side stand. After determining the Adie was not seriously hurt we started picking up bits of broken bike and luggage.

The first car out of the village stopped and helped us. I suspect he called the police because the next car to turn up about 5 minutes later was a police car and two police men. Unfortunately they didn't speak any English and struggled to understand what had happened. They called the local mechanic who arrived about 15 minutes later. By that time we had got our bikes off the main road and onto the side road. We'd established that both bikes still ran and with a bit of bodging reckoned that we'd get to our destination that night. We thanked the policemen for their help and followed the mechanic back into the village to his garage. There we effected the necessary repairs to be able to ride the bikes another 250 miles that day.

The main things that we did, with the help of two mechanics, were:

Straightened Adie's handlebars. Undented Adie's front mudguard. Uncrushed my clutch hose and bled the clutch. Cable tied my front mudguard.

Then we carried on and reached our villa later that night without further incident. I have never felt more guilty in my life. Hurting my best friend and his bike (which in his affections is his third child) is not a good feeling. I still haven't stopped apologising to him.

[SunEye]

I took these photos the next day of the damage to my bike.
http://i57.tinypic.com/k4k003.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/vhz60g.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/xaqk53.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/qq9x1s.jpg
http://i57.tinypic.com/2vcsvmu.jpg

We patched the bikes up as best we could to make sure we could get back to the UK. This was my front mudguard fix. We also bent the ABS sensor bracket back into place.
http://i61.tinypic.com/28m022g.jpg

The damage to Adie's bike was almost all cosmetic, just bolt on bits that be replaced. However there are a lot of bits that are damaged, so it could cost quite a lot. It may be a Cat D write off, but as the bike is worth about £8000 I'd be surprised, although I do know that his Triumph dealer does like to charge lots and would probably like to sell him a new bike instead.

I contacted my insurance and got the wheels in motion so that when we got back everything could get sorted.

Just over a week later I was back on the bike and it seemed to work ok. During the rest of the holiday I did two 6 hour 300-400km very twisty road rides through the Andalusian mountains. This got my confidence back after the accident and confirmed to me that the bike was rideable and would probably be ok to make the 1500 mile ride back to the UK.

The damage to me in the accident was:

Very sore right thumb. So sore that for two weeks I couldn't use it. It has now been x-rayed and proved that it was not broken.
Very sore left wrist. Not as bad as the right thumb, but not comfortable. After three weeks I haven't regained full movement of the wrist and it still hurts, but I have been assured by a doctor that it'll be fine.
Massive bruise on my left bicep. Not overly painful, but very pretty. I couldn't fully straighten my arm for about two weeks, but other than that it's ok. I'm left with a bit of a lump, which is scar tissue from the damaged muscle.

Adie hurt his right leg, which is now just about ok. He thinks he broke a finger, but as he refuses to get it looked at, we're not certain.

We made it back to the UK on Saturday 15th August with no further issues to the bikes caused by the accident.

On Tuesday 18th of August I took my bike to Pro Twins.

On Thursday 20th I got a call from Pro Twins. The bike will be written off. Other than the obvious damage in the photos I posted this is what else is wrong: bent front axle, bent bottom yoke, cracked headstock.

[Dookbob]

That,s one holiday you won't forget in a hurry, shame about the write off but glad you both avoided serious injuries. You put your friendship to the test good and proper, but I am betting that in a couple of years you will both look back and laugh. You have probably already decided what bike you are having next.

[SunEye]

I think Adie's forgiven me. He won't be happy if his bike is written off, but he was thinking of getting something else anyway.

Several years ago we were riding in the French alps with another friend and Adie rode into the back of him at a junction. Admitedly not as hard and fast as I did to him, but he's very aware of how easily these sort of accidents happen.

I have plans for what I want. Either a new 821 Stripe (I'll test ride one today) or a second hand 1100S. In many ways I prefered my old M1100 to my evo. Partly because I think my particular evo was a bit of a lemon made on a Friday afternoon by someone who was thinking about something other than doing a good job. I might find a good M1100S for about what the insurance will give me for my bike. If the insurance pay out means I have some spare cash then the bike can have some bling.

[Albie]

Bad luck. Looks nasty damage like my bent coffee table frame. Hope you get sorted soon.

[SunEye]

Had a phone call from my insurer today confirming that my bike will be written off. We will discuss the value of the bike on Monday. Brett at Pro Twins has been very kind and has told my insurer that the bike was in exceptional condition. Hopefully that will help towards me getting close to what it is worth.

Today I had test rides on a Monster 821, Monster 1200 S Stripe, Streetfighter 848.

My verdict is that the 821 handles really well, the suspension is a bit poor, but the bike is really nimble and goes exactly where you want it to very easily. It took me a while to work out the best riding position, but I eventually found myself most comfortable sitting right up against the tank.

The 1200 S was just too much for me. It can be very quick very easily. I also found that it wasn't as nimble as the 821. I just think that I wouldn't use anything like all of what it could deliver, which would seem like a bit of a waste. The Ohlins suspension gave a very plush ride. Way better than the other two bikes.

The 848 had a great engine. That felt just right to me. The seat felt like sitting on a plank of wood and the seat height is quite high compared to the Monsters. The riding position was very different from the Monsters. My arms felt like they were quite low. The bike felt more nimble than the 1200 S, but not like you could chuck it around like the 821.

I'd ideally have the 848 engine in a bike that handles like the 821 with the Ohlins suspension from the 1200 S. Really I'd love an 821 S, but unfortunately Ducati don't make one. I assume because it would cost more than the 1200 and Ducati think that nobody would buy it.

I've been offered a new 821 Stripe for a £2500 deposit and £87.16 monthly for 36 months with a payment at the end of £4900 if I wanted to keep the bike.

[steeevvvooo]

Decisions decisions... But a silver lining to the cloud of the crash. 821 seems to be a good bike and if I was buying a new monster it would be the one I would choose.

Agree with you on the 821 S being the ideal new range monster and also agree they probably won't make one :(

[Wildfire]

Glad to hear you're both ok. Silver linings and all. I've always been a fan of the smaller bikes/cars, they seem more usable on the road. Maybe an 821 and a bit of suspension work, say K-Tech internals?

[jonzi]

If you buy the evo back for cheap lemme know. I might be interested in the engine.

Good luck with whatever you get next. Shame about the off.

[jerry]

when I test rode a M821 i thought it was a good looker and performer but too smooth ,, maybe im being an old git and love the older more primitive monsters ...

[SunEye]

If you buy the evo back for cheap lemme know. I might be interested in the engine.

Good luck with whatever you get next. Shame about the off.
I will find out when I speak to the insurers on Monday. It might be Cat B due to the frame damage, in which case I wouldn't be able to buy it.

If I did buy it back I wouldn't bother breaking it, but I'd be happy to sell it on for whatever I paid for it. With a new front end and frame it would be perfect ;)

[SunEye]

when I test rode a M821 i thought it was a good looker and performer but too smooth ,, maybe im being an old git and love the older more primitive monsters ...
It is smooth. Not what I expected having never ridden a modern water-cooled Ducati. I got used to it during my hour long test ride. Personally I didn't mind it, but I agree it's not traditionally Monster like.

[SunEye]

The repair work to my friend's Triumph Rocket III has been quoted at £5300. Considering the bike is worth over £8000 you'd think that wouldn't pose a problem for the insurance company. However they want to write the bike off because the repair will cost more than £4300.

Can anyone explain why an insurer would rather pay out £7000-£8000 for a write off instead of £5300 to repair it? Is it because they will make back several thousand when they sell the Cat D bike?

[J.P]

It's usual, for car and bike, that if the repair is over a certain percentage of the total bike value that they'll just write it off. I think it's about 55% as the limit or close.

Sorry to hear you've been bashed up and sorry to see your bike go.

I really like my 821 Stripe. I had the suspension set up and have worked with it well.
It's not the smoothest of bike engines but one of the best in the range. I'll be getting it remapped over the autumn to help it anyway.

[utopia]

That's a high repair bill.
From your earlier description, I was expecting much less.
And surely there can be no major damage to chassis components ?
Worse still, you now have to deal with being the person who not only crashed into, but wrote off your mate's bike.

On the brighter side though, I bet much of the bill is labour, and another decent chunk might be for cosmetic damage which could be repaired more cheaply than has been quoted by the professionals.
Might be an excellent opportunity to buy it back and rebuild ?
Maybe even a good chance to replace std stuff with aftermarket upgrades ?
My Dommie was a cat D. I fixed it up to rideable standards for £1.50 and I'm still riding it 7 or 8yrs later.

Really sorry to hear about all this.

Also, I have to say ...2000 miles on a cracked frame, bent yoke and bent wheel spindle .......:eek:

[SunEye]

That's a high repair bill.
From your earlier description, I was expecting much less.
And surely there can be no major damage to chassis components ?
Worse still, you now have to deal with being the person who not only crashed into, but wrote off your mate's bike.

On the brighter side though, I bet much of the bill is labour, and another decent chunk might be for cosmetic damage which could be repaired more cheaply than has been quoted by the professionals.
Might be an excellent opportunity to buy it back and rebuild ?
Maybe even a good chance to replace std stuff with aftermarket upgrades ?
We think that my friend was stopped with the bike in gear. When I hit him he let out the clutch, but also managed to give it some revs, so the bike lurched forwards violently as well as falling over. The result being that it actually went down on both sides as well as hitting the Armco barrier.

There is no damage to major chassis components as far as I am aware. All the parts that need replacing are bolt on parts. However, some are quite expensive - tank £650, front mudguard £300, handlebars £300.

It would appear that the garage have assumed that every single mark on the bike is due to the accident, despite my friend telling them otherwise, and in their quote every mark on the the bike requires the part to be replaced. Whilst my friend's bike looks like it was in concours condition there were actually some marks on it that weren't caused by the accident, partly because he had dropped it about six months ago. I believe that the rear mudguard (£411.08 plus fitting) and side stand (£80 plus fitting) are two of the parts that he disputes should be included in the garage's quote. He desperately doesn't want the bike written off. I don't think he's best pleased with the garage and he has been discussing the repair cost with the insurance company.

Yes he could buy it as Cat D and repair it himself and would take the opportunity to add more bling to the bike. I know he has his eye on a Jardine 3-1-2 exhaust system rather than the Triumph 3-1-3 open pipes that he has. He has better mechanical skills and a better stocked workshop than many bike garages. The only thing he doesn't have is lots of spare time to do the work. Obviously if he did choose to do it I would help him do the work, just as I have helped him do work on his cars/bikes before.

Also, I have to say ...2000 miles on a cracked frame, bent yoke and bent wheel spindle .......:eek:
Yeah, I wouldn't have ridden it that far had I known. In my defence that damage wasn't obvious and the bike did handle ok, as far as my riding skills were able to determine.

[SunEye]

My insurers have eventually agreed to repair my friend's bike rather than write it off, so he is happy about that.

My bike has been classified as a category B write off. The definition of category B is:

Body shell/frame should be crushed. Signifies extensive damage, although some parts are salvageable. Should never re-appear on road, although reclaimed parts can be used in other road-going vehicles.

[jonzi]

That doesn't mean you can't buy it back.

Should be cheap.

What the salvage company is supposed to do is chop the headstock off, this doesn't always happen.

There are plenty of track/race bikes that are cat B and ride well.

You could speak to Motoliner in kent somewhere about gettingn it on a jig and fixed up. Make your self a monster track bike.

Or buy it back and sell me the engine!

[J.P]

I think Jonzi wants a cheap engine to buy. :)

[jonzi]

I think Jonzi wants a cheap engine to buy. :)

That is a good idea.

[SunEye]

I have spoken to the salvage agents who are collecting the bike this week. They will not sell me (or anyone else) the engine from my bike.

[jonzi]

I am not saying this as I want your engine but... have a read of this

http://www.motorclaimguru.co.uk/advice-on-retention-of-salvage.html

Should you want to retain the salvage, you cannot be denied that right.

Irrespective of the Category, if you want to retain a Category B you can, if you want to take the parts off the vehicle you may have fitted(for example of you have spent a fortune modifying).

They may be trying to fob you off as they will be able to earn more money from it by parting it out than you buying and doing the same.

[smiffyraf1]

yeah jonzi is right
its still your property. did you ask for the engine or the whole bike? i think you can only ask for the bike in its entirety and then its down to you to split/repair and usually you have to pay the insurance something back for the remains. although i have known insurance companies to just say dont worry about it.

[garry]

Few years ago my mucker was in a similar situation.
Bennetts refused to sell the salvage insisting it went to auction. .

Then went for silly money..

[Darren69]

Yeah, its still yours legally until they pay you for it. I would fight them on this as all they are legally entitled to is the frame from what I understand.

[Darren69]

I had a similar experience when my XS got written off, they refused to let me salvage anything from the bike and insisted it went to them and when the salvage guys came they just loaded it onto a dump truck with the front loading forks and tipped it onto the pile so it was just junk when they tipped it on the back of the truck.

[jonzi]

What is salvagable from it?

Besides the engine!

If you have space to store the bits, you might be able to break it and make some money on it.

[Darren69]

Wheels + engine + clocks/ecu = £1500 at least plus the other stuff thats ok.

[SunEye]

I do not have anywhere to store the bike or the parts from it and I do not have the spare time to break it and sell the parts.

I would be happy to buy the bike if someone will guarantee to me that they will pay me at least what I pay for the bike and can collect it from Pro Twins this week.

What was damaged in the accident were the front wheel spindle, frame, bottom yoke, ABS sensor and ABS sensor bracket, front mudguard, nearside tank panel, clutch hose, nearside bar lock stop, the front wheel has a small scratch on it and apparently one of the front brake discs is bent. The engine is ok, but it is leaking oil from around the oil filter when the bike is started. The clutch needs regular bleeding, so I suspect that either the master or slave cylinder is faulty. The front brake is a bit rubbish. It feels like it needs bleeding, but bleeding doesn't make it any better. The rear brake probably needs bleeding. The bike has done 21,000 miles.

[SunEye]

This may cause a problem:

"Irrespective of the Category, if you want to retain a Category B you can, if you want to take the parts off the vehicle you may have fitted(for example of you have spent a fortune modifying).

This vehicle cannot go back on the road, and you may well find the insurance company want a certificate of destruction for the shell once you have removed the parts, and won't issue payment till this is done."

If I buy the bike the frame will need to be destroyed and a certificate of destruction provided to the insurance company before I get my claim payout. As I need that money to pay for a replacement bike that I have already agreed to buy then if someone wants to have my old bike they will need to be able to collect the bike from Pro Twins and arrange for a certificate of destruction for the frame to be provided to me by the end of this week.

[jonzi]

Find out how much you can buy it back for, let me know and I will see about it.

[gary tompkins]

The frame damage is what has written it off, as well as cost of replacing the other damaged parts

That's why it's been classified as a cat B and not a damaged/repairable cat C