Riderless Nomad does a 180-degree flip

[rlfaubion]

Yes, here’s the story –

I parked my bike in this huge parking lot with lots of space between everything. I go into what is my physical therapist (pain & torture) session. I’m at the good part where Ms. Bionca gives me a little massage. I’m in this state of bliss, when I suddenly realize a man is asking her who owns the motorcycle outside, because he “just hit it”?

I arise from my slumber; jump off the bed, dashing to the window I see my bike pushed up over the curb, laying on its side, half on the sidewalk and half in the parking lot.

Session over, I headed out to the parking lot with three of the medical staff as volunteers to upright the bike. We get it on the stand, the staff goes back to work, and I find I’m dealing with a reputable, upstanding young man that had an accident running into my bike while on company business. He had already called his office reporting the incident before coming inside the building to find the owner.

At least I’m comforted at this point believing any damage will certainly be repaired, and I start my inspection, but full of fear for the heartbreak I’m about to experience finding all this damage.

I learned he was backing an oversized van – didn’t see the bike and wham! However, I couldn’t find anywhere the bike was initially hit. I looked at his van. The left-most rear corner was pushed in about a ½ inch by 6 inches. Logically he had hit my luggage rack, but didn’t damage it. Didn’t even scratch it.

Here’s the complete examination, hereinafter referred to as the damage report:

Worst damage – ½” long scratches along a corner of the front fender guard.

Least damage – bent the lower saddlebag guard (trim).

There were no other damages in between. That’s it! A scratch and a bent…..

I think I’ll ask for the front trim/guard to be replaced ($200 approx.). I will attempt to straighten the lower bag trim/guard with the understanding if it breaks it gets replaced. All-in-all, this is only a $200 to a $400 damage report for after-market parts.

So here’s a Nomad that got punted about five feet, knocked up and over a curb and as was admitted to by the van driver - that while looking through his side mirror said “I saw that bike rolled up on it’s top, thinking it was going all the way over but it stopped, and laid down on its side”.

I commended him for his forthrightness and honesty, and rode home.