Scumbag scrotes

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 09:16

I'm fuming...

My headlight failed last night and I had to leave the bike in Rotherham town centre. In order to change the bulb it requires taking off the clock cowl, removing the clocks etc and not something I could do at night.
I got a taxi home, picked up my huge chain and drove back to secure it. Disc lock on the front, Almax chain on the rear. Unfortunately I had to leave it in a parking bay as there was nowhere I could get it to that was more secure.
I arranged for someone to take me in early this morning so I could get it home before I got a ticket and pulled up to find the entire left hand side smashed to bits and the number plate sat on top. Tucked into the seat was a police notice stating it had been found on its side at 4am and the police attended to pick it up. Kudos to the police, they didn't need to do that but did so.

It would appear that scrotes have kicked it over as there was no way on earth it could have fallen.

Every panel on the left side is damaged beyond repair, as is the front fairing unit which spans the left and right side. As the indicators are all flush mounted they have been smashed into tiny pieces too.

I'd just booked it in for the fuelling to be sorted as a dyno run picked up there was no mixture between 30mph and 40mph which was making it very twitchy in town. I'd put aside £200 for that, but now I'm going to have to spend that on panels instead.

I'm not a happy bunny.

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 09:40

ZZR1100

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 10:22

No cameras and to be honest even if there were the police are unlikely to pull out all the stops catching a vandal.
I'm TPFT so am going to have to pay to fix it myself. Looking on ebay if I bide my time I can replace the bits for less than £100.

It's the principle that really irks me.

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 13:19

Spoken to the police and although there was CCTV on the road it didn't cover the bike. I was at least able to thank the officers that attended to pick the bike up off the floor.
I've found a replacement rear panel for £15 and indicators for about £25 for the pair. The front fairing is scratched but is structurally intact so I'll see if it can be repaired and sprayed.
The anger is subsiding but will take a while to disappear.

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 15:30

Yes I'm in the AA, but stupidly didn't think about that until this morning. Because bulbs are something I do myself I seemingly don't equate a bulb with breakdown. Stupid really.
As for replacing the bulb, as I've said it is a relatively big job and it's a HID bulb, not a halogen. It's H4 so no separate dipped/main bulbs. No sidelight on this bike either or I'd have ridden it home.

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 15:42

'They' dont. 'I' did. Proper bike kit with slimline ballast etc.

Luke · 30 Mar 2012 at 16:20

Tell me about it. The HID kit is coming out and I don't think I'll forget the AA next time.

Luke · 8 Apr 2012 at 01:24

Just as an update on this, obviously no further news from the police, not that there is anything they can do really.
However, a relative who I've been helping out a lot over the past few months following her having a heart attack at Christmas learnt about the bike through the family - I'd been keeping it from her as to not worry her.
She has given me £500 towards the repairs which despite me telling here would not cost £500, she would not allow me to refuse. I've bought replacement panels and indicators to the tune of about £200 and have been able to sort out some of the other niggles such as the worn levers and scuffed decals. I've also been able to buy a proper phone/GPS mount which I'd not done before as it doesn't have traditional bar type handlebars and have basically been able to restore the bike to far in excess of the original condition before it was damaged. Whilst it is hardly fair that she has paid for the repairs, it is nice not riding around on a shabby bike.

This is an example of some of the damage (basically multiply this all round the bike):

This is the bike when clean and intact: