Cop knocked my bike over - updated with pics (5/21/06)

[bargovic]

Its 3 am and Im in bed sleeping, to sick to stay awake all day, and my fiance looks out the window and tells me its the cops.  So she goes down stairs and they ask if im home, and to have me come out dressed to be outside.

I get dress and am like WTF, i didnt do anything to get arrested lol. Heres what the cop has to say:

Cop: "I was patroling the aprt parking lot, making sure theres no one vadalizing cars and what not, when i went to turn around and leave i backed into your motorcycle and it fell over"

Me: "Your kidding."

we walk over pick it up, unlock it and take the now ripped cover off to find:
He backed into the left side, rocking it on the centerstand, where it then fell on the left when he pulled forward.
1. broken mirror,
2. broken clutch lever
3. dented, and scratched front fairing with bent bolt that connects it to the frame.
4. scratched cranck case cover
5. chip in gas tank
6. broken custom fitted GSXR aluminum foot peg
7. scratched rear faring
8. scratched bar end

The bike was practacly mint, and has 1900 miles on it.

Me: "I hope you understand... Im pissed."

Cop: "Im verry sorry, officer blah blah is going to take pictures and give you the info so we can take care of it all."

Me: "You know i park it in front of this only lamp post in the parking lot, just so people see it and dont try to pull into this spot."

Cop: "oh"

Me: pointing at my car on the other side of the bike - "I wish you hit my car instead, but i guess if anyone is going to hit my bike it should be a police officer"

The cop was very nice and apologetic, and reasured me it will all get taken car of by the police insurance, and i told him thanks for getting me up and doing what needs to be done. But the rest is me standing in the light rain sick, to tired to be pissed until i looked at it again this morning. i yi yi.  I mean thanks for taking the time to keep my vehicles safe by patrolling the parking lot.  How is he suppose to stop crooks from vandlizing vehicles, when he cant even see the f!^#*@g vehicles.

For all of those of you who have recked, or droped your bike, it has to feel much better when its your own fault, instead of totally out of your control, and being someone else fault.

[RVertigo]

That sucks! But...

At least it was an honest guy that was willing to take responsibility for what happened... 
At least you didn't wake up and find your bike smashed up on the ground with nobody around and no witnesses...


Sometimes bad things happen, but at least you're not being punished for someone else's mistake...  Just inconvenienced.

[pdg108]

Wonderfull, hope the Billtown cops have good insurance.  Funny, they are fixing your bike with insurance that your tax dollar paid for in the first place.

Hope it all gets fixed up right, claim every single little nik and scratch.

[scottpA_GS]

Wow man.. first off that sucks.. but  you should have gotten a picture to post on here as a warning to stay away from cop cars !!! 

[bargovic]

Wow man.. first off that sucks.. but  you should have gotten a picture to post on here as a warning to stay away from cop cars !!! 

yeah i thought of that this am. if i wasnt so out of it last night i would have done it.  two cops parked in front of my covered, locked, bike under a street lamp with two empty spaces next to it. with a caption that says "looking for the suspect"

oh boy, now im getting mad thinking about it again.

[chrisalberts]

Wonderfull, hope the Billtown cops have good insurance

Many city/state etc. agencies self-insure.  Just pay it out when it happens rather than paying for insurance whether they use it or not.  Large companies do this too and it's cheaper if your claims rate is less than the average.

Some states allow individuals who can prove their net worth to do this as well.

C. <-- has insurance

[vsboxerboy]

I had a cop poke his head into my window (window was open and screen was off) with his flashlight.  "This is officer blah blah of the Santa Barbara Sheriffs Department."  I think oh shaZam!, what did I do and its 3:30 in the morning...but then he asks for one of my housemates...apparently someone drilled a hole in his gastank and either intentionally or due to a spark from the drill, the fuel spilling out caught fire and torched his bike.  Ill ask him for a picture.  Caused a pretty good amount of damage but believe it or not she fired up again.  The air cleaner had melted, the reflectors melted, seat was burned, wires were burned pretty bad, weird ooze coming from head gasket area, and of course a freakin hole in the gas tank.  Sucked especially cause I'm pretty sure he doesnt have full coverage.

...the bike was parked outside his girfriends house when it happened so none of us saw it and no arrests or leads of any sort

BTW it was a yamaha vstar something round 900cc's

sorry to hear about your bike though, id be pissed.  also sorry for the hijack

[bbanjo]

Drilled a hole in his gas tank..........

I'm guessing for <$12 worth of gas, or to get him/her back for something?

I mean ferchrissakes cut the fuel hose and turn to pri instead of punching a hole in the gas tank.

Hope it takes months for his eyebrows to grow back.

[Blueknyt]

make sure you take it to a harley dealer for the estiment

[bargovic]

Im thinking of using the insurance money to convert it to a naked bike. all the cool kids are doin it.

[Alphamazing]

Im thinking of using the insurance money to convert it to a naked bike. all the cool kids are doin it.

You dang right. And sexy to boot!

[bargovic]

Heres some pics of the damage:

http://www.nickbargovic.com/broke.htm

The shop is suppose to call me with an estimate monday.

[FearedGS500]

yea i'd be hot . the only  thing i would not be so mad about would be the bar ends ... just more reason for you to get some betterones / better looking ones

[annguyen1981]

That sucks!!!

SUE THE CITY!

But on a serious note...  DON"T GO NAKED!!!

Guys who convert their bikes to naked are compensating for something!!!   
j/k Alpha and others

[PatrickInNC]

I hate when stuff like that happens.

Look at the bright side though. First, you are damn lucky a cop hit the thing instead of any other of the millions upon millions of idiot drivers who have no integrity and would have just left your bike sitting there as a present to you in the morning. At least this way you will have the bike back to perfect, just the way it is. And you can do most of the work yourself saving some of the leftover money for fun upgrades, and you would have had to take those fairings off for that anyway, so just pretend the new ones are the same ones you took off during disassembly.

Give the guy a break, its the middle of the night, people are more likely to make mistakes in the middle of patroling a boring night.

I hope you get feeling better man. I'm sorry your baby got injured, but I think down the road she will literally be "better than new."

Maybe get the cop back, and tell him you will forgive him if you can take a funny re enactment picture.

[john]

If you have collision insurance have YOUR insurance company handle it.  They will act in your interest in this case and halp make sure you get replacement parts. 

[shik]

Damn man, I must say that sucks. I have no clue how I would feel if anything like that happened to me, but I would prolly be pissed.

Anyways, good luck on getting it fixed.

Greetz, shik @ Denmark! :=)

[bargovic]

We'll im more irritated now that i was when it happend, because its been 1 day shy of a week and I still haven't heard from the police's insurance company. They are suppose to call today, along with the shop with my estimate.  The shop i got it from is really cool, and when i told em my story they said they'd be sure to give me a nice estimate, regardless if im doing the work myself.

I should know more later today, but my plans I think are to get new parts, as well as new mirrors and dual lights to convert to naked with all the extra loot.  Then I can have the best of both worlds.

[ajgs500]

I wrecked my bike on April 11th and today it is the 22nd of May and I still dont have my bike back so...... Good Luck!!!!

[daneilah]

That blows.... but it sure could have been worse.  I haven't met too many apologetic cops.  Seems most would just give you attitude.

Hopefully it all works out ok!