September 23rd, 2016, 11:05 AM | #1 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Celeste
Location: Washington
Join Date: Sep 2016 Motorcycle(s): 2003 Ninja 250R Blue Posts: 2
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Cars... Why Did It Have to be Cars?
Greetings all, I'm new here. I've had my 2003 250R for 6 years, she has been my pride and joy since the day I got her. I've learned a lot over the years, some lessons like maintenance cost a bit, while others like handling and gearing preferences came with time.
I had just returned from a summer abroad, pulled my blue baby out of storage, given her a full check up and cleaning, and gotten fresh tabs. I had her on the road for a day before a car pulled out in front of me and ruined my month. The car was on the right side of the road, in a driveway coming out of a shopping centre, doing that strange start-stop pull up to the kerb they sometimes do. It was wet that night so I had already started to slow down (it was a 40 m/p/h stretch of road), not trusting what the car was going to do. Suddenly the car surges forward and makes it through 1&1/2 of the 2 lanes of traffic before slowing down to enter the middle turn lane. By this point I'm no more than 10 feet from the car, so I hit my breaks and felt my rear wheel lose traction. I decided it'd be a whole lot safer to lay the bike down and have it hit her car rather than have me fly over it, so I let my baby go down on her right side and skid the rest of the way into the car. The gal in the car has insurance (State Farm, who have been complete bastards about this whole thing so far, at least that's how it feels from my end), so I've been slugging it out with them for the past month, trying to get them to drop this ridiculous 90-10% liability split for the crash. The cops gave the car a citation and somehow I'm still partially to blame for the crash when I did everything to prevent it? So my poor 250 is sitting in a shop, in the limbo of waiting to hear if State Farm is going to total her or not, and I'm trying to figure out what options I have to fix my girl. Her front, upper cowling is completely severed on the left side, stress fracture from hitting her right side. The right turn signal is gone. The headlight is wrecked. The entire instrument console is shifted down and to the left. And I have more scratches to add to prexisting ones on her muffler, as well as a depressing new dent. I already had a spare turn signal on hand from a repair I was planning to do on the left side after a drop on black ice this winter, so that won't be a problem. I can spraypaint the muffler like I've done in the past and abide the dent, it's just cosmetic so I don't mind it too much for now. The big problem is that front cowling. I've been looking around on Ebay and Partzilla, so I know there are some options, but nothing that will be particularly cheap. And as my Gen 3 bike gets older I know the plastics are only going to continue to get harder and harder to find. So my question is, does anyone know if I can mod an 08-12 front fairing and headlight assembly to fit my 03? I've been digging around the forums and seen plenty of people switching out suspension and swing arms, wheels and whatnot, but I'm not finding anything concrete about the cowling. If it's not possible I'll bite the bullet and slap a plate on the inside of my cowling to give it stability for now, then wait to see if I can find a deal on a Gen 3 cowling eventually. In the meantime I'm limping around, cursing State Farm, and fixing up my brother's motorcycles for him. Annoying not to be able to ride my own girl right now though. Always hard not to feel like a terrible person for having to drop her in the first place. Anyhow, hello all. -Celeste |
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September 23rd, 2016, 11:23 AM | #2 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Kerry
Location: Ventura, CA
Join Date: Jan 2016 Motorcycle(s): Ninja650 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Apr '18, Apr '17, Apr '16
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Ugh, that sounds frustrating. Typical, though, to avoid paying, and if they do pay, to put that off for as long as they can. I hope you can come to an equitable end with them so you can get your bike back on the road.
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September 23rd, 2016, 11:27 AM | #3 |
The Corner Whisperer
Name: Chris (aka Reactor)
Location: Northern KY
Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much.
MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13
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good luck to you sir!
And welcome! Hope you're good and you limp isn't too bad.
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Goal: Shake A Million Hands | Look through the corners | Track Day Prep | Closest track? | The Mid-Ohio School |
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September 23rd, 2016, 11:45 AM | #4 | |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Celeste
Location: Washington
Join Date: Sep 2016 Motorcycle(s): 2003 Ninja 250R Blue Posts: 2
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Quote:
And thanks. I'll definitely be posting photos of the process once I get my girl back and start working on her. Thank you. The limp is getting better and the bruising is slowly fading. I've still got a knee brace for my left knee and stairs take a while, but I'm getting there. |
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September 24th, 2016, 11:41 AM | #5 | |
Daily Ninjette rider
Name: Hernan
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2016, MOTM - Dec '12, Jan '14, Jan '15, May '16
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Quote:
Sorry to read about your crash. Most riders resort to a naked version when fairing gets severely damaged. These old threads may inform you about insurers and total loss: https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51124 https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83073 Wish you a quick and painless recovery.
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Motofool .................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí |
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