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MichaelG
05-20-2013, 03:28 AM
It is 2:01 am, in Laramie, Wyoming. I "should" be in bed, asleep, and resting up for my ride later today. Instead, here I am, sitting at the hotel computer, explaining about my Nightmare in Laramie.

It all started with a phone call to my hotel room, just after midnight, with the desk clerk telling me that my motorcycle had fallen over. I quickly thrown a few clothes on, and exit my room wearing only my LDComfort underclothes, and my riding boots. I go to the front desk to find a woman standing there, and very sheepisly trying to explain...in the smallest voice possible, that she backed her 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee into my bike, while it "was" on the centerstand, and that it knocked my bike over.

Okay, you all get the picture...midnight...in the rain...in Laramie, WY. The bike has 2 of the Geza covers on it, but even that is not keeping the rain out. I now need to deal with trying to un-cover the bike, so that I can get it back up onto its' two wheels. Yes, I did first place the sidestand out, and extended, so that when I do lift this wet bike up, it will land onto the sidestand.

Fast forward many minutes, and I am "trying to explain to this woman from Boulder, Co. that it does no good to try to inspect a Black motorcycle, or any vehicle, in the rain...in the dark...to look for damage, as it would be nearly impossible to see the damage. This needs to be inspected in daylight, under a strong light, when the vehicle is dry, and wiped down. It took forever for her to accept this. She was wanting to remove her own guilt by hoping to NOT find any damage to my 2013 bike, that had been knocked off the centerstand, and onto its' right side.

Although I saw no need for it, I finally agreed that we could call the police, at now...1:00 am, and have them explain to her that as long as we exchanged all our info, and no laws were broken, and no personal injury occured, that the police were not needed. They came, we filed reports, and now another hour later, I tried to get back to sleep...that is a joke. There is no way I can get back to sleep now, at least not for a few hours, as I need to calm myself.

The woman that hit my bike, she gets to drive off inside her warm 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with the heater on, the defroster keeping the windows clear, and sipping on her latte'. But I was hoping for as much sleep as I could get...prior to this incidence...so that I could attempt to get all bundled up in my electric heated clothing this morning, and ride off into the 37 degree weather, in the rain, on my motorcycle. She has 200 miles to go to reach home...I have 1200 miles to go to reach home. Somehow, I do not think I will be compensated for the loss of sleep, anxiety, or extra time on the road.

Of course, in the dark, in the rain, I cannot see any appreciable damage to the bike. That was my point. If you ever want to trade in a used car, do it when it is raining, as it hides 93.14159 % of the small nicks and dings on your car. I will have to ride the bike back home 1200 miles, wait until Wednesday afternoon, wash the bike very thoroughly, and then do a careful inspection. We all know that a Goldwing based bike does not go all the way over onto its' side...body wise...because of the front and rear crash-bars, and any highway pegs one might have on the bike. But...remember, she also hit my bike with her Jeep Grand Cherokee, to knock it off the centerstand, so there may be damage to the right saddlebag cover or body. This will all need to be determined. Frankly, I hope there is NO damage. But if there is, at least she has USAA insurance, and I have all her info.

But all the insurance and info does not make up for the loss of sleep, and delay...in riding out of here in the morning.

I "was" cold, wet, and tired. Now...I am seriously bummed out.

BubbaJePH
05-20-2013, 05:28 AM
So sorry for you as I read your post. I hope that everything will be alright. That the bike is safe to drive home. You will need a mechanical go over too. My 1300R was bumped backwards two feet in the parking lot by a hit & run driver on Langley AFB. People got the plate and description of the car. I found out that evening. Called Security Forces. I picked up the written report the next day. I was told since there was no visible damage they were not going to work it up. A few months later, I had to change out the front wheel bearings as they were toast from getting the sharp angled strike from the car's bumper.

TennX
05-20-2013, 07:02 AM
Sorry for the accident, in hindsight could you have parked in a safer place, not criticizing just asking..on a similar note fellow on the VTXOA board was on his way to tag and title his day old VTX and got hit....good luck

av8rdave
05-20-2013, 08:00 AM
At least there was nobody on the bike at the time and nobody hurt, and you're fortunate that she didn't just drive away.

I realize that does nothing to relieve the anxiety and loss of sleep.

Hope your ride home is a safe one!

Texas TC
05-20-2013, 08:43 AM
Your detailed account of the incident was excellent, allowed the reader to visualize the events as they unfolded. What a nightmare. Sorry for your loss of sleep and hope the damages are minimal or nonexistant.

Am I the only rider that never parks my motorcycle on the centerstand? I guess it is from those 10 Harleys I had that only had sidestands but I only use a centerstand on any of the three Wing products that I have owned to service the engine or for other repairs. I always felt that a bike falling off the sidestand would cause much less damage than falling from the centerstand. Just a thought.

Phantom
05-20-2013, 08:53 AM
:shock:

Miles, i'm sorry to hear about this, hopefully it is just tupperware and 2 crash bars.

Regretfully, you just have to grab the ball and punt, no matter how many scenarios you play through your head, you just have to move forward. Don't beat yourself on the "what ifs" , Sh!t happens.

Dark Knight
05-20-2013, 09:14 AM
So sorry, but at least your not hurt and she did stay to contact you. You could have found out in the morning, strolling out to a motorcycle laying sideways in the parking lot.

gamersince1976
05-20-2013, 09:20 AM
Miles,

So sorry to hear about your nightmare! I hope everything works out okay. Please keep us posted!

Gumby
05-20-2013, 12:08 PM
I have had nothing but good experiences with USAA. Hopefully, they will be as good to you as they were to me.

Now you don't have to worry about soft paint any more. Insist that they repaint the entire bike because you're not going to deal with mismatched paint on a 2013 motorcycle.

Get it painted correctly this time and you'll be one of the lucky few with no problems.

also, feel fortunate that you can ride out of Laramie. I can't think of a lot of places I would less like to be stranded.

F6BEE
05-20-2013, 04:58 PM
Miles, Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I hope the rest of the your ride home is uneventful. Get us an update when you can.

Wingman
05-20-2013, 05:03 PM
USAA insurance is excellent insurance, and you should have no problem collecting on this. Unfortunately for me they do not insure motorcycles, but they are partnered up with Progressive who has given excellent service as well. Good luck with your nightmare. :icon_doh:

Wildracing22
05-20-2013, 06:33 PM
Very sorry to hear of the nightmare you had to endure. I can relate to the call about a vehicle being damaged while sitting in a hotel parking lot. I had a chevy 3500 dually that some drunk parking lot racer smacked and knocked over the parking curb about 15' into the lawn. How fast do you think he was going...l:021:

Cool Hand Luke
05-20-2013, 09:17 PM
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I wish you the best of luck and easy trip home. At least no one was hurt.

Yeahoo Whoyah
05-20-2013, 11:39 PM
You could have found out in the morning, strolling out to a motorcycle laying sideways in the parking lot.
Well, that would have been after a full nights sleep.....


Now you don't have to worry about soft paint any more.
Now that's a good way to look at it!

smokinjoe187
05-21-2013, 05:10 AM
It is 2:01 am, in Laramie, Wyoming. I "should" be in bed, asleep, and resting up for my ride later today. Instead, here I am, sitting at the hotel computer, explaining about my Nightmare in Laramie.

It all started with a phone call to my hotel room, just after midnight, with the desk clerk telling me that my motorcycle had fallen over. I quickly thrown a few clothes on, and exit my room wearing only my LDComfort underclothes, and my riding boots. I go to the front desk to find a woman standing there, and very sheepisly trying to explain...in the smallest voice possible, that she backed her 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee into my bike, while it "was" on the centerstand, and that it knocked my bike over.

Okay, you all get the picture...midnight...in the rain...in Laramie, WY. The bike has 2 of the Geza covers on it, but even that is not keeping the rain out. I now need to deal with trying to un-cover the bike, so that I can get it back up onto its' two wheels. Yes, I did first place the sidestand out, and extended, so that when I do lift this wet bike up, it will land onto the sidestand.

Fast forward many minutes, and I am "trying to explain to this woman from Boulder, Co. that it does no good to try to inspect a Black motorcycle, or any vehicle, in the rain...in the dark...to look for damage, as it would be nearly impossible to see the damage. This needs to be inspected in daylight, under a strong light, when the vehicle is dry, and wiped down. It took forever for her to accept this. She was wanting to remove her own guilt by hoping to NOT find any damage to my 2013 bike, that had been knocked off the centerstand, and onto its' right side.

Although I saw no need for it, I finally agreed that we could call the police, at now...1:00 am, and have them explain to her that as long as we exchanged all our info, and no laws were broken, and no personal injury occured, that the police were not needed. They came, we filed reports, and now another hour later, I tried to get back to sleep...that is a joke. There is no way I can get back to sleep now, at least not for a few hours, as I need to calm myself.

The woman that hit my bike, she gets to drive off inside her warm 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with the heater on, the defroster keeping the windows clear, and sipping on her latte'. But I was hoping for as much sleep as I could get...prior to this incidence...so that I could attempt to get all bundled up in my electric heated clothing this morning, and ride off into the 37 degree weather, in the rain, on my motorcycle. She has 200 miles to go to reach home...I have 1200 miles to go to reach home. Somehow, I do not think I will be compensated for the loss of sleep, anxiety, or extra time on the road.

Of course, in the dark, in the rain, I cannot see any appreciable damage to the bike. That was my point. If you ever want to trade in a used car, do it when it is raining, as it hides 93.14159 % of the small nicks and dings on your car. I will have to ride the bike back home 1200 miles, wait until Wednesday afternoon, wash the bike very thoroughly, and then do a careful inspection. We all know that a Goldwing based bike does not go all the way over onto its' side...body wise...because of the front and rear crash-bars, and any highway pegs one might have on the bike. But...remember, she also hit my bike with her Jeep Grand Cherokee, to knock it off the centerstand, so there may be damage to the right saddlebag cover or body. This will all need to be determined. Frankly, I hope there is NO damage. But if there is, at least she has USAA insurance, and I have all her info.

But all the insurance and info does not make up for the loss of sleep, and delay...in riding out of here in the morning.

I "was" cold, wet, and tired. Now...I am seriously bummed out.

Glad you are safe Brother!!
almost time to enjoy your new toy...im jealous....
look on the bright side
if the paints jacked you are 1 guy off the list of UNHAPPY PAINT guys
and at least she knocked it down AFTER you got off
Ride safe brother

pblair
05-21-2013, 09:49 AM
Miles,

So sorry to hear about your incident but happy that you are okay.

Phil

ghostrider
05-21-2013, 12:27 PM
Sorry to hear about your nightmare Miles. It will be another story to add to your already thousands of stories you must have from your travels. And I guess the one good thing you can take from this (as said before) maybe you get some new paint. It's funny how you can stay safe for all those traveling miles and then get into an accident while it's parked. Ugh!

MichaelG
05-21-2013, 05:59 PM
Okay...Family...I am back home in Washington State. I got home about 12:30 pm today, and been sitting here are the computer taking care or snail mail, e-mails, and forums.

The bike has very little damage to it, as someone stated...a small scratch on the right rear crashbar...a small scratch on the right front Kuryakyn highway pegs, a tattoo of a mark on the right valve cover (but thankfully no punch that would cause a leak there). I intend to wash the bike tomorrow, and then very carefullu inspect all the tupperware.

Thanks for all the kind thoughts.

I was parked legally, in the first vehicle parking space just outside the office area. The problem was...it was late at night, right at midnight, and raining, when this woman pulled into a unloading space...and then backed her Jeep Cherokee up more than 20 feet...across a 10 foot wide paver-walkway...and finally struck my bike. I think...and the police think...and the motel manager all think that I was parked correctly.

I probably should not have parked it on the centerstand. But only for the reason that it was easy to knock off the centerstand. I like my bikes to be straight up when parked, so that when started in the morning, the engine oil is delivered equally to all places...an OLD BMW trick. Ever notice older air-cooled BMW's smoking out of the left cylinder whwn first started? Because it was parked on the sidestand.

Yes, I was very happy when I saw her USAA insurance card. Of course...the female police office that was just stading by treated me, like the criminal, because thuis poor woman was in hysterics when she was explaining what happened...and that she, "didn't really knock it all the way over...see...it din't fall all the way onto its' side". That pissed me off, and luckily the male officer that was in charge of the situation...and he rides...explained to her that the crashbars stopped the bike from falling further, but that it was knocked over as far as it would go.

So, I am home, the bike is 99.314159 % okay, and all will be well.

There are alwasy firsts on rides like this...firswt time anyone has ever backed into my bike, knocking it over...first time I have ever been hit by side winds so hard...that they literally ripped both of my hands off the hand grips, and almost tore me off the bike. The bike was unaffected by the sidewinds, but it almost tore me off the bike. First time I ever had a deer jump out in front of me...runing...because it was being chased by a coyote...which also ran out in front of me. Had lots of deer issues over the years, but never one being chased by a coyote.

Such is life.

smokinjoe187
05-21-2013, 07:11 PM
Okay...Family...I am back home in Washington State. I got home about 12:30 pm today, and been sitting here are the computer taking care or snail mail, e-mails, and forums.

The bike has very little damage to it, as someone stated...a small scratch on the right rear crashbar...a small scratch on the right front Kuryakyn highway pegs, a tattoo of a mark on the right valve cover (but thankfully no punch that would cause a leak there). I intend to wash the bike tomorrow, and then very carefullu inspect all the tupperware.

Thanks for all the kind thoughts.

I was parked legally, in the first vehicle parking space just outside the office area. The problem was...it was late at night, right at midnight, and raining, when this woman pulled into a unloading space...and then backed her Jeep Cherokee up more than 20 feet...across a 10 foot wide paver-walkway...and finally struck my bike. I think...and the police think...and the motel manager all think that I was parked correctly.

I probably should not have parked it on the centerstand. But only for the reason that it was easy to knock off the centerstand. I like my bikes to be straight up when parked, so that when started in the morning, the engine oil is delivered equally to all places...an OLD BMW trick. Ever notice older air-cooled BMW's smoking out of the left cylinder whwn first started? Because it was parked on the sidestand.

Yes, I was very happy when I saw her USAA insurance card. Of course...the female police office that was just stading by treated me, like the criminal, because thuis poor woman was in hysterics when she was explaining what happened...and that she, "didn't really knock it all the way over...see...it din't fall all the way onto its' side". That pissed me off, and luckily the male officer that was in charge of the situation...and he rides...explained to her that the crashbars stopped the bike from falling further, but that it was knocked over as far as it would go.

So, I am home, the bike is 99.314159 % okay, and all will be well.

There are alwasy firsts on rides like this...firswt time anyone has ever backed into my bike, knocking it over...first time I have ever been hit by side winds so hard...that they literally ripped both of my hands off the hand grips, and almost tore me off the bike. The bike was unaffected by the sidewinds, but it almost tore me off the bike. First time I ever had a deer jump out in front of me...runing...because it was being chased by a coyote...which also ran out in front of me. Had lots of deer issues over the years, but never one being chased by a coyote.

Such is life.
Glad all is well brother. ..life is a fun journey. ..at least its is when you ride!!!

Steve 0080
05-21-2013, 07:24 PM
Bottom line...all is good and the young lady was kind enough to let you know and not drive off...it can always be worse!!!

MNF6B
05-21-2013, 08:19 PM
Glad you are safe and the bike is not severally damaged. Having the women try to say the bike was not knocked all the way over is like a 2 year old who crapped in her pants and says "it was only a little bit". Crap is crap and bike down is bike down.


Best,

Rich

Alberta Beagle
05-21-2013, 10:03 PM
Glad you had little damage and more importantly that you were not injured. Stressful no doubt, but you will get things all sorted out and the world will be right again brother.

Beagle

Memphian
05-22-2013, 05:01 PM
Glad all turned out well for you. With all the miles you have on a bike I bet you could write a book on strange things that have happened on the road and at rest stops.

Memphian

MichaelG
05-22-2013, 07:23 PM
Actually, I have a book in the works right now. I have a deal with Whitehorse Press, and while I originallt started writing 23 books at the same time, all dealing with my experiences on motorcycles, I eventually realized that I bit off more than I could write, and decided to combine the 3 books into one. It will make for a more complete and thicker book to read. it is titled...The Million Mile Rider, and subtitled...Loneliness of the Long Distance Rider. I may have it finished this year, and after editing...blah blah blah, it may be out before Christmas.

Darkknight
05-23-2013, 09:27 AM
Glad you completed your trip safe and now you will have an adventure to tell for hopefully many years to come.
Thanks for sharing it with us.