I'm about to stroke. YJ fell over today in a bad storm. We have to park in a gravel lot and I had her up on the center stand and she sunk into the muck and fell over. Two nurses I work with picked her back up...in the pouring rain and tried to keep her up but she fell again. They picked her up once more and stood on both sides of her in the F'n monsoon and held her up until I got out to the lot...about 30 mins. But, the damage was done. ( can't fault them for trying to do a good deed but it would have been better if they just left her lying on her side) Both turn signals on the right side are fubarred. My macs are dented in. My rear brake lever is bent, my tank is gouged and my YAMAHA emblem which was NOS is now FUBAR. My throttle elbow is cracked and worst of all....my shark fairing is cracked and scratched up!!! SHe's also leaking gas but I think its coming from the overflows. Had to nurse her home all 7 miles.
The thing that pisses me off the most is that I was supposed to leave early today before the rain. One of the other RT's whined that she didin't want to work in the ICU so I had to stay until 7. The monsoon started around 6. I had made the comment to her that if I had to drive home in the rain I would be pissed. I'm madder than a raging nest of killer bees now!
And..to top it all off, I have two exams to take tonight - which is why I was supposed to get off early - and I am in no fram of mind to take them right now.
>:( >:( >:( >:( :o :o :o :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
David
:) Shit Dave that's not good!!! However, ALL is repairable/replaceable mate... ;)
I always use the side stand and carry a 3'' dia' plastic disc for the side stand to rest on...
8).......TIGER....... 8)
David -
Hate to hear stories like that. Not to be cute, but I do feel your pain. I know you don't have time or $$ right now, but at least the damaged parts can be fixed / replaced fairly easily.
Get a final list together of what you need as replacements, post it & we can see what everyone has that they can chip in. I actually might have a couple extra turn signals, but can't promise them yet as I need some for Tractor.
Hopefully, once you get into test mode, you can forget about this for a few hours.
H2O
What makes me so angry is that the bikers at work have asked and asked for a paved area in the gravel lot for our bikes and administration said they "would look into it". The latest answer is that they can't show preferential treatment and we "all" have to park on the gravel. The problem is that its a poorly laid out lot with poor drainage and when it gets wet, nothong will hold a bike up. I have a carbon fiber puck that sinks enough into the gravel to let my bike fall over even when its dry. (The lot is more like dust than gravel) Thats why I use my centerstand. Even on dry days, both tires are touching the ground by the time I get off work. I guess I'll have to carry a 2x4 or 1x4 to set it on now.
My wife is very supportive and feels my pain. She told me to leave it alone overnight and clean it off tomorrow and reassess the situation - Lucky told me the same thing as well, so two great minds must have some logic to them.
From what I can tell, the shark bore the brunt of the damage. Its sitting cockeyed and is scratched up very bad and may be cracked as well but is covered with mud. I'll clean it off. Since my front signal is mounted to the shark brace, I think thats why its cockeyed but again, its covered with myd - it was sunk down in about 5" of it. The rear signal is bent around by my license plate - don't know how but it is and the lens looks cracked - again, more muck. I have another break pedal that I painted black. Its straight and I can use it. The glass to the shark popped out but did not break - thank God! My newly painted tank is scuffed up pretty bad and the yamaha emblem was peeled over itself by the fairing but looks like it can be gently and slowly bent back into place. I think the paint is what hurts the most. I was so darn proud of it.
Got an 88 on the psych test and thanks to Coil, I got the question about Cognitive Dissonance correct. ;D The rest of the 74 questions really taxed my mind.
David
Get an insurance appraisal & bill your employer. If they aren't going to provide adequate parking, then they should be held responsible for any damages their inaction caused. ;)
This is in no way meant to be used as legal advice. It is merely a bit of humor - although somewhat serious. You could ask them to help with the cost of getting the paint fixed. Never hurts to ask.
H2O
sheesh... I've had mine fall over on pavement and sustained less damage... sorry about your mishap. hope it gets nursed back into shape soon...
Jesus dude thats tough, on the new paint no less!
I'd probably do what h2o suggested, and bill your employer. Cars dont fall over when you park them on gravel, equality has no place when you're talking about motorcycles versus cars as far as parking is concerned.
I bet you they wont cover the damage, but if you make a big enough stink maybe they'll pave it for the other motorcyclists in the future! Think of YJ as a two wheeled martyr of sorts :-\
Good job on your test tho dude ;) :)
Thanks inane and everyone else. Me and the other riders at work are a pretty close group. I'm gonna quietly rally the troops and we will approach the administration as a group and in a mature manner and request a better parking soution for our bikes.
David
Dave the pride you have in your bike has always showed in your posts, what a bummer for you. I will go out and kiss the concrete I get to park mine although I was sure sweating it when a front came though about three weeks ago and the V was caught out in the work parking lot-thank you Lord for not blowing it over!
if a 4x8 sheet of plywood magically appeared you think they would move it?
or better yet get the group to come..put a couple sheets of plywood down, then cover it with the gravel!
Well, I took her out and hosed her down and fortunately, after all the grime was removed, the damage isn't as bad as I first thought. Still enough to get my panties in a wad - um, boxers, and of course require some blood sweat and tears...and money, to repair.
1. Fairing - Deep gouges and cracked. Can be repaired though.
2. Chrash Bars - Bent into my coolant down tubes. Will have to figure out a way to straighten them out. Coolant tubes seem ok.
3. Tank - Doesnt look straight and won't straighten out. Will have to remove and check. YAMAHA emblem is no longer "cherry" but can be salvaged. Gouge in tank is more cosmetic and can be wet sanded down as well as the deep scuff from the fairing hiting it. Small dent from the Throttle guide.
4. Throttle guide is cracked - I have another one.
5. WIndscreen is cracked in two places. Will have to be replaced. Hello, bikescreen.com...wanna sell me another one at a discount?
6. New right side mirror is all scuffed up. Will try to sand.
7. MAC's look like crap. Scratched up really bad but can be sanded and repainted.
8. Turn signals. Front lens is cracked and housing is broken. Have a lens but need a housing. Anyone have one?
Rear turn signal is badly bent - tab on frame, but not damaged. Signal housing is just scratched up. Can be sanded out.
9. My new front brake lever looks like crap. Will have to straighten it out and repaint it.
10. Oil filter cover is gouged up. Have a new NOS one I've been wiating to put on anyway. Need to change oil too.
One interesting note is that the "Appliance paint" that I painted my forks and calipers with stood up to everything great. The front wheel and fork was burried in the gravel but showed no signs of damage. The only part that was painted with appliance paint that was scratched was my right peg mount. Looks like a big stone got it but it should be easy to touch up..
Kevins "Shorty" turn signal stalks are tough buggers. Pretty much held my bike up and did not break.
David
Should you and the other bike parkers decide to approach mngt. about better parking surfaces, use the argument that your group is trying to do the right thing by riding mc's to work and save the environment. The least they could is support your efforts and encourage others to ride as well.
That's a total be-oche Dave. Glad you were not on it when it went down.
I am a side stand kinda guy also and I have had one of these for years...
(http://www.woodstock-ny.com/allynair/item930.jpg)
This guy ED, Actually invented these things years ago and the have been copied by many.
http://www.woodstock-ny.com/allynair/ (http://www.woodstock-ny.com/allynair/)
May YJ get well soon,
jv
Thanks JV for the info. I have a 2 x 3 carbon fiber plate for my sidestand but the gravel is so loose that it doesn't hold the bike up. It still sinks right in. I got in the habit of using my center stand for that reason. On many occasions, the bike sunk into the gravel until the tires were firmly seated on the ground! :o Makes getting it off the center stand a fun process. Start bike, put in gear and drive forward.
In any event, the wind was blowing so hard that the bike blew over onto its right side. Ouch.
As far as management goes, we have approached them as individuals and have al made many of the same points. I'm going to try to organize a group to approach management with a formal request and plan to make a point about the fuel savings. Many of the riders have chosen to ride their bikes because they have to drive long distances and it is a fianacial decision otherwise they would have to find a job closer to home.
The hospital also sponsors a fundraiser ride twice a year. It would be terrible if no one showed up to the next ride. :o ::) :-X
David
Glad the damage isn't quite as serious as first thought. Still sucks, though.
I wonder if those 12x12 concrete pavers would work in place of your carbon fiber pad? That may give you enough surface area to keep from sinking in to the ground & still use your side stand. It may take 2 of them stacked if they tend to sink, but it could be an inexpensive option.
When you approach management with group options / proposals, keep it positive & see if you can come up with mutual solutions. If they see you are willing to take on some of the effort, they will be more likely to help fix the problem. Save the "or else" stuff as final bargaining power & even then, use it with care! ;D (I'm sure that would be your plan, but thought it should be stated anyway.)
H2O
Thanks for the advice H2O. Well taken.
On the lighter side of things, I think my starting gremlin may have been killed in the event. YJ starts easier than ever now.
Funeral tonight at 7pm EST.
David
See Dave, all you needed to fix that starter problem was a little Tennesse mud. Maybe you should bottle the stuff and sell it on Flea-bay. ;D :P ;D
So, makes me wonder, if sinking in mud was not a problem, how high a wind can there be without blowing a bike over or when the weather man says winds of such and such are approaching at what point should you get out to parking lot and find some place to shelter the V?
Several large trees were knocked over in and around Knoxville yesterday. The parking lot is off a long road off the interstate. Its a straight shot westward down the interstate, which is the direction that many storms come from. They usually hit Lucky before they hit me. Anyway, when the storms approach from the west, particularly the bad afternoon T-storms, the wind in the parking lot can be quite strong. There is also two large hills n either side of the road which seems to funnel the wind even more.
I think there is a physics problem somewhere in the statement don made but Im studying thermodynamics now and that was two chapters ago. I'm braindead. Something about mass and velocity. I thing Bernoulli's principal factors in there too.
Anyone want to do the math and find out how hard the wind has to blow to knock a Vision over? Brian? Kwells?
David
When it's in soft gravel? Probably not very... Other than that, a wind of around 120 or so will probably *lift* the bike and hover it... I think I read someplace that the terminal velocity of most motorcycles is around 120...
Brian
Quote from: h2olawyer on July 22, 2008, 02:18:43 PM
I wonder if those 12x12 concrete pavers would work in place of your carbon fiber pad? That may give you enough surface area to keep from sinking in to the ground & still use your side stand. It may take 2 of them stacked if they tend to sink, but it could be an inexpensive option.
H2O
there is a problem with this idea:
if the side stand is on a paver, & the tires sink into the mud, the right side will end up on the ground.
likely the only proper solution would be to pave, actually concrete, an area with marked stalls. included in this plan would have to be proper drainage, & if this road is well off the beaten path, that's going to be a costly option... plus, you'd be out in the rain again unless your proposal includes awnings.
on a positive note, I have 2 spare t/s for dave that came off Cafe. i was saving them for spares if (when) i dropped one of them again, but if i do, & i need one, i know you guys will be there.
i also have 2 good looking tank emblems, as well as a set of gloves for him i bought that were too small (never worn)
--Lucky
Quote from: Brian Moffet on July 22, 2008, 05:07:45 PM
When it's in soft gravel? Probably not very... Other than that, a wind of around 120 or so will probably *lift* the bike and hover it... I think I read someplace that the terminal velocity of most motorcycles is around 120...
Brian
From the way the center stand marks were where the bike first stood (before the nurses tried to pick it up) it had sunk down to the level of the tires - 2 to 3" maybe. Even the dogleg on the left part of the stand had sunk down. The vector of the wind was west to east and the right side peg on the centerstand dug out a hole so it looks like a combination of the high wind and muck that my bike was on.
Lucky - for reference, it is much finer gravel than the lot at ace. Looks like a mix of beach sand, granit dust and some rocks. When its wet, it has the consistency of soft concrete. I should probably add in the cost of my $80.00 Merrils in my complaint to the hospital but I'm not gonna push it. :o
David
Just as a side note, when I was living in Santa Cruz, the heavy storms we got would get winds blowing upward of 40 mph. Here in San Francisco, 20 mph is regularly seen, and I wouldn't be surprised to see 40+ mph winds during a storm. I remember one gusting to 70 a couple of winters ago, and in Jan this year we saw gusts of 80 mph at Pillar Point.
What I actually suspect happened to you is the bike sunk, and then got pushed over initially by the wind.
Brian
park your shark westerly ;)
I just had my driveway repaved and use a 2' by 6" piece of ply wood under my bikes at all times due to the soft tar. I feel your pain and it's one of the reasons i paved my driveway. I came out one night after a rain and saw the bike laying on it's side but I lucked out. No damage.
I'm sporting 4 of these on my vision. It updates the look just enough with out looking to modern.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ducati-996-Rear-Turn-Signals_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35621QQihZ016QQitemZ260265286895QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ducati-996-Rear-Turn-Signals_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35621QQihZ016QQitemZ260265286895QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW)
I had been thinking about this thread and i felt i'd add some more. A few years back, I'd bought a brand spanking new set of keihen fcr41 carbs for my monster. They were probably in the neighborhood of 700 bucks or so. I'd just installed them with a new set of pod filters and decided to go for a test run. I went about 10 miles when I came up to a construction sign. Not really seeing any danger there, I turned and gave it some gas. What else would you do with a new set of carbs but give them some gas?
So now I'm doing probably 40mph in a very short distance when I notice some road work that doesn't look quiet as finished as it should be. Seems they buried a pipe but didn't feel it necessary to cover it completely with pavement. I hit pretty hard and felt the rear wheel bottom against something. I tooled down the road another mile thinking about how bad that sucked. I hit the rear brake pedal and it just fell clean off. I stopped at the stop sign and had a look and noticed some oil on my boot. The rest is history.
http://www.scrunchkin.com/iu/Motorcycles/Monster/Broken1.jpg (http://www.scrunchkin.com/iu/Motorcycles/Monster/Broken1.jpg)
This is just blatant carb porn.
(http://www.scrunchkin.com/iu/Motorcycles/Monster/Broken2.jpg)
The moral of the story is. It's broken, you will fix it, and it will be better and look better than before even if it costs you a poop load of money. ;D It's just the nature of how these things work sometimes.
PS..
It best look pretty by the time i make it down there in May.
I feel your pain! I haven't mentioned this yet, but about a month ago , I arrived at my gate after dark , the stupid motion sensor didn't see me and left me fumbling in the dark to get the gate open. I only opened the right gate, as that is usually room enough to ride in. My left arm clipped the gate latch and not only ripped my forarm open through my jacket , but pulled my hand off the grip, liberating the clutch. When the bike lurched forward it jerked me backward and my right hand advanced the throttle . Kathleen headed straight for the Blazer!! I have a policy when my bike does some stupid like trying to center punch my own car , I bail out . Rather than hit the car I threw the bike on the ground. New paint and all!
It cost me a left turn signal, a clutch lever and gouged up the fairing and the lower on that side .
I said many foul words!
This almost compares to my dropping my bike , in front of several Visionaries , while fumbling with my new helmet, at the CAROV '05 fall ride. I said several foul words then too!
I have the same ,(soft ground ) problem here , when calichie gets soaked it turns to slop and bike stands sink into it . I have several 8" x 14" pavers set in the ground as well as some cedar fence remnants to put under stands . I suggest you pick one up and bury the thing where you park at work. Put you side stand on it and you bike will stay up ,until the water goes over the handle bars , then all bets are off.!!
I dropped the 83 taking it out of storage this spring. I leaned it a bit too much and it just kinda went went went and fell over into the side of the cut of snow i was bringing it out of :)
Glad it's not as bad as ya thought, I'm sure YJ'll be up & goin' before ya know it. :)
I had mine do another 'set-down', at the dealership of all places. :p Part of it this time is I'm used to the Meanie leaning more and having twice the footprint on the stand. The other part of it is I still suck sometimes at really slow, tight turns in parking lots (especially to my right). Just like the one other time I caught it so it didn't clatter over but coudn't keep from setting it down. Makes me glad it's got a while before it gets painted. That and no one was out back just then.
F*&@! :'(.....hate hearing that......I know how it feels.... like when mine fell over while trailering it....I'm gonna be afraid to put the newly painted body parts on while riding (if I ever get them back).
Hey Dave, really sorry to hear about the bike. Good that it isn't as bad as you initially thought, bad that it happened at all. I've been wanting to get my Z painted, but am hesitant cause I'm already nervous enough doing slow maneuvers with it now and it has been laid down once... don't want to think of how nervous I'll be with nice fresh paint.
Hopefully you guys can come together and find a solution to the parking lot. When I read what happened I was thinking, yeah, a 4X8 sheet of 3/4" plywood would suddenly appear in my parking space. Yes, it would look a bit trashy, but if they want a nice clean looking parking lot they need to pave and stripe it. :D
Tiff.
Hi Tiff good to hear form ya again!
Got a little good news today. I spoke with my employers risk management department and she got in contact withthe administrator. They are going to discuss paying for any damage that is less than my deductible. ($500.00) So, that covers the windscreen and repairing and painting th e fairing, which is good. Vicki and I got in a big fight last night over me spending any money on my bike. The sad part, is that I don't want to spend anything because that essentially wipes out all the money I saved on gas.
I also spoke with several of the other bikers at work today and of course, bikers being the wonderful group of people that we are, are behind me 100%.
The irony about the lot is that they do tru to paint lines on it. Once a month they close the lot on the weekend and dump a few trucloads of gravel then run a steamroller over it to pack it down and fill in the holes. Once that is done, they paint new lines on it....yup, you heard it....lines on gravel. They usually last about a week or until the first rain.
The lot is also very large. Holds over 1000 cars and is about the size of three football fields. The awning I park under, which is for keeping people who are waiting on one fo the three shuttle busses in the rain dry. The busses run 24/5 about every 10 minutes. So if you miss one, you are late. Its sad, because the hospital is literally dumping tons of money in teh lot to keep the gravel suitable beause the landowner won't let them pave it. Doesn't make sense.
Also spoke with my insurance agent who said the hospital *could* be held liable for the damages. He said he would have to look into it. Also sending an adjuster out to look at the bike.
David
Well, just spoke with the insurance adjuster. NADA for a 1982 Vision in "excellent" condition is $1400.00. Mine is considered "Very Good" and comes in between $900.00 and $1000.00. My deductable is $500.00. Damage estimate is of course high at $400.00, but 100.00 below my deductable.
Breakdown of cost:
Windscreen: 117.95
Finish and repaint fairing: 200.00
Incidental - (Buff and repair paint on tank $75.00)
I'm going to wait and see what my employer will cover which hopefully will be to replace the windscreen and redo the fairing. I just don't have the time or money to do it myself right now.
The funny part was that he kept the estimate low so the bike wouldn't be "totaled"!! :o :o :o
David
OK, things are looking a little better. I took the fairing off yesterday and no cracks. It was a long gouge from a stone that looked like a crack. The windscreen will still need to be replaced and I'm waiting to hear back from Leif Gustafsson from bikescreen.com as to if he will cut me a deal.
Lucky is coming over today with a new turn signal for me and I have to bend the rear bracket back into place.
I also have to figure out how to pry the crash bar back out about a 1/2 inch.
I gently coaxed the emblem back in place with a little heat and a smidge of glue and buffed it out. Also buffed the smudges out of the tank.
Gonna have to take the MAC's off at some point. They needed repainting anyway.
I finally got to talk to the two girls who picked her up out of the mud. They are both about 5'2" and I asked them how they managed to lift it. The smiled and said "we lift fat ass patients all day....it was nothing"
Lastly, I'm waiting to hear from the hospitals insurance company about payment. Main thing is to get the windscreen replaced and the fairing repainted. YJ! just looks like a naked standard without it. Looks kind of pitiful actually. Now more of a YellowBike! than a YellowJacket!.
David
Lucky came over today and we got YJ back in shape and more. We adjusted my carbs a bit and found an exhaust leak. Replaced the broken turn signal and straightened out the signal tabs. I also buffed the rest of the scuffs out of the tank.
YJ looks like a standard now without the fairing but at least shes rideable again. Gonna finish the MAC's up and repaint them. I have to get the second baffel out which is pretty stuck in there.
David
Cool beans, good job gettin' 'er up & goin' again already. :)
I think I would go with the "bring some concrete stepping stones and make a solid ;)motorcycle parking area myself" method.
I have an extra pair of turn signals and I think brake and clutch levers I will recieve by next Monday, I will be more than happy to give them to you if you send me your mail info. I will ship them out of Mexico, no problem at all.
Disappointing news today. The hospitals insurance will not pay for the damage to the bike. They say the parking lot is not their responsibility....even though it is mandatry that I park there and will be towed if I park anywhere else. I made an appeal to administration to pay out of the hospitals funds. I think its a small price to pay for someone who has worked for them for 21 years!
Backup plan is rallying the 50 or so other bikers that work for the system. The hospital does two BIG fundraisers a year that kick off with bike rides. I'd hate for no one to show up for the next one. :o :(
Backup plan #2 is to have the other bikers join together and approach administration about a viable solution for the problem, seeing as I have it documentied in an email from risk management...they know a problem exists.
Then of course, my own insurance company can subjugate or I can contact an attorney.
As for parts, I'm set and thanks for all the generous offers. The main thing I want fixed is my fairing and windscreen and thats what I'm asking the hospital for.
David
Quote from: YellowJacket! on July 31, 2008, 02:44:14 PM
Then of course, my own insurance company can subjugate
Let your insurance company deal with this. The whole thing of insurance, as I have come to believe it, is that you are paying for a bunch of attorneys to be on your side to get the money you deserve. Yeah, if it's your fault they'll pay you. But if it's not your fault, they make sure you get paid, even if only acting as a proxy.
I don't even consider hiring my own attorney for a case like this, I let the insurance company deal with it. By reporting to the insurance, you have gotten your part done. My insurance company even went so far as to get my deductible back when my last accident was not my fault.
Brian
Even insurance varies from state to state. Some require you to hire your own attorney - but the insurance company will be "joined" as a party to the case. Once you & your attorney collect, the funds then come from one or more of the insurance companies that are party to the suit. Brian's explanation is generally valid in most states with "no - fault" insurance systems. In most of those states, the insurance company will hire the lawyer (or use one of their in house attorneys) and take on the opposition. In states without "no - fault" systems, the hiring of the attorney is up to the insured.
Colorado recently dropped the "no - fault" system because of the much higher cost spread to all insured. After the system changed, my truck insurance dropped from $250 every 6 months to $210. Since I've not had any claims beyond windshields for over 20 years, the savings over time for me would have been (and will be) substantial. The only problem is that it's more of a hassle to collect in the event of an accident. You will eventually collect - if you're the one wronged, but it is up to the insured party to find the lawyer. $80 a year for a 'convenience' many never use is a waste of money - in my opinion.
Most property insurance (like what the hospital would most likely be using in this case) works like the auto insurance without the 'no - fault' provisions.
H2O
:) Dave, just as a heads up...When you contact your insurance company to request advice about an accident/incident, it is logged into the system...even if you do not persue it!!!
It is one of the reasons that I stay with my
insurance agent...I can get advice without it going into the system... ;)
8).......TIGER....... 8)
Tennessee is a "No Fault" State.
David
I'll put this all in perspective for you. I parked my sprint st, under the paved parking deck at the place i work. The patch of pavement I put the kickstand on had a touch of sand on it. Under that sand was a patch for a pot hole. However it was just tar like material that dries like plastic and breaks apart like glass. The kickstand went thru and the bike fell over. 2100 in damage of which I had to pay 500. My insurance company said they would try to get the 500 back thru my works insurance company. That failed. And not to ruffle any feathers to the point that they no longer allowed bikes to park there, I left it be since I have heard of a past employer doing that.
I know it sucks, but I'd not push the issue too hard because it could back fire. This is just my 2 cents coming from a similar situation.
Yeah, Vicki and I talked it over and its not worth risking my job over. But, I will probably disobey parking regs and park in the paved lot. probably the doctors lot and just find one to get "permission" from. Theres a lot of docs that have spaces in the plaza garage next door and lot spaces in the outside lot as well that they dont use. May shoot for one of those.
David
That sounds like a plan. I personally have 6 by 18 inch piece of ply wood i keep on the driveway. Something like that might work for you.
Quote from: Brian Moffet on July 22, 2008, 05:07:45 PM
When it's in soft gravel? Probably not very... Other than that, a wind of around 120 or so will probably *lift* the bike and hover it... I think I read someplace that the terminal velocity of most motorcycles is around 120...
Brian
My kid's 650 was blown over off the centerstand while parked on pavement, but it had a cover on it that caught the wind. I don't think the gusts that day were over 35-40.
Frank
Quote from: zore on July 31, 2008, 07:38:53 PM
That sounds like a plan. I personally have 6 by 18 inch piece of ply wood i keep on the driveway. Something like that might work for you.
I thought of that and figured someone would get there before me every day and use my piece of wood. In any event, when I park on the tar lot I have a 2 x 4" carbon fiber pad to put under my sidestand. It still wasn't enough to hold it up on the gravel though. Sunk right in when it was dry.
A bunch of us have been talking about 12 x 12 concrete pavers though and may get together one weekend and set out a few of them.
David
remember what i said, if you park with the side stand on a paver, & the tires sink in, you'll be going over the whole thing all over again on the other side, & the hospital & insurance co won't help you since it's your idea...
Set pavers for the tires, too. That should take care of the tire sink problem at the same time. Those pavers aren't too expensive when you're only buying a few of them.
H2O
I would think a 12x12 would be large enough for the centerstand. wouldn't it?
dave,,, i just park where i want,, but then,,,, if it isnt paved here,, someone is planting on it ,,, so gravel isnt an issue
the pavers are a good idea, get with parking supervisor,, advise him/her that you want to set pavers for motorcycles, - but be ready for issue of how many, how far apart, etc. etc. that route can get high dollar quck
the idea of getting permission to park in dr lot is good one,,, always extra spaces there anyway,, maybe can trade value of your loss for extended permission to park ?
Spoke with the director of security today. At the moment, pavers aren't an option because the 1500 people who drive cars and have to park on gravel are gonna get PO'd because the bikers are "special". So, he told me that I can park in the reserved lot and if I get a ticket to give it to him and he will take care of it. ;D He's a biker. ;D
David
Quote from: YellowJacket! on August 01, 2008, 08:09:14 PM
the 1500 people who drive cars and have to park on gravel are gonna get PO'd because the bikers are "special".
Uh, they are special... I don't get the problem...
in other words, his excuse is a cop-out... but if he's willing to pay for the ticket, that does mitigate the problem somewhat. My thinking is that the parking lot is not adequate for motorcycles, and since they require you to park there, they need to make the parking lot adequate, or provide one that is.
Brian
The tickets dont carry a chash fine but they do carry a stern reprimand. The first ticket gets you a warning. he second ticket gets you a written warning on your record and the third gets a reprimand for your supervisor that goes on THEIR record. Thats usually enough to get you in trouble.
He's more or less making a friendly concession to me.
My argument with administration is the point about the lot not being adequate of bikes. I'm gonna take a picture tomorrow of where my bike fell....I was actually looking at it today to try to find my fork tube drain plug cover that fell out. There is an imprint whare my bike layed. :o You can still see the full outline of the kick lever from my sidestand where it sunk and you can still see my treadmarks in the dried goo where it sunk down to both my tires. Of course, now its all like solid concrete.
David
sounds like the elimination of trees, brush, grass, & the addition of gravel is adequate for CAGES, thus they made a special consession to keep the owners of CAGES happy (at a minimum)...
Dave knows the back lot at my work is also gravel, & of the 15 or so people who are employed at my work, I'm the only one who rides. the covered lumber storage is a large concrete pad & is where i park, no one else is allowed to. my boss, who's never even sat on a bike, has never said a word to me about parking there, it is obvious to him that parking on gravel is not 'adequate' for a bike...
Regular folk dont get motorcycles, dont expect them to accommodate you would be the only advice i could give :-\
Well, I had been getting a little impatient due to the lack of response from administration about my bike lately but today I ran into one of the administrators whow is dealing with the issue. She told me that she was very sorry about what happened and that the hospital is going to compensate me for any damages up to the ampunt of my deductible that the insrance did not pay for.
I told her that since I needed to ride the bike and did not have the money to fix the fairing that I did most of the work myself to get it roadworthy and ride again (rode to work today to). She told me the CFO would be getting in touch with me about the windscreen and other issues soon and that they were going to create a designated lot for motorcycles too! Yay...big victory. ;D
David
Hey Dave, you seem so happy now I bet you even thought of kissing her didn't ya. ;D :o ;D
Quote from: vadasz1 on August 18, 2008, 12:38:33 PM
Hey Dave, you seem so happy now I bet you even thought of kissing her didn't ya. ;D :o ;D
um, that would be a negative.... :o
David
Quote from: YellowJacket! on August 19, 2008, 09:04:12 AM
Quote from: vadasz1 on August 18, 2008, 12:38:33 PM
Hey Dave, you seem so happy now I bet you even thought of kissing her didn't ya. ;D :o ;D
um, that would be a negative.... :o
David
Wow, a company that acts responsibly! Rare today. They should name the new MC parking area the "Yellow Jacket Lot".
Frank
You gotta remember this is a health care company. They don't seem to care that heavily about many of the expenses. (Until an employee wants something.) I was at the emergency room of our local hospital yesterday & the air conditioning was keeping the waiting room at a nice, comfortable 65 degrees. Plus, the heat registers were pouring out the heat. Nice energy conservation, huh? I mentioned it to the staff & they just shrugged it off and said it was normal - had been like that for years.
Then, when Dad was in the hospital a few years ago, I noticed the bottled water they served to patients was from Phoenix! Makes tons of sense to send in bottled water from the desert (which began its journey in Colorado) to a hospital in a city with what has been termed some of the best quality water in the country.
H2O
Like most big buildings , the hospital has a dual deck system. Air flow (temperature) is controlled by motorised dampers. both hot and cold are available at all times. More than likely the problem is a burned out damper motor , or a stuck damper. Any competent commercial HVAC tech could take care of it. The hospital maintenance personnel should be able to as well.
Thats how our system is. You can have either hot warm or cold year round. It all depends on the dampers. Our mainteneace dpt takes care of problems like that but its up to someone to actuallly take the initiative to report it. Funny thing is, the more people gripe about it, the less likely it is to be reported. A lot of workers assume "its someone elses responsibility".
We have a problem like that woth our mobile computers. We have lots of alcoves in our halls with laptops on wheels. If one doesn't work, whoever is using it usuallu goes on to the next one without calling the helpdesk. After a few times of that, you have a hall with 8 computers that don't work and people griping about how useless the help desk is. Turns out, nobody ever called them in.
David
Big news today. Some kids stole a truck and went on a demolition derby in the parking lot. Apparently 8 cars and trucks, not including the one they stole, were severely damaged but many more were hit during the melee.
My bike was parked in the newly "designated" lot for bikes.
David
Hmm, I think some peoples insurance companies are going to do some investigating...
Quote from: Brian Moffet on August 20, 2008, 05:38:45 PM
Hmm, I think some peoples insurance companies are going to do some investigating...
The lots have several security cameras sand apparently caught the whole thing on video. By the time the security dept (all off duty Sherrif's deputy's) and the Sherrifs dpt arrived the punks had left the car and ran into the woods.
David
Well, after a couple months of riding YJ naked, the fairing is done. It was a heck of a project but all turned out well. Painting was the most difficult part. I had sprayed it out in the garage and brought it inside my basement thinking that the cooler temps would help it dry more evenly but it ended up looking like alligator skin. Apparently paintin outside where its warm and bringing it inside where its cool and dry has a bad effect on paint.
So, I sanded it down again, primed it and repainted and left it outside to dry and it worked. It has about 8 coats of Rustoleum "Premium" Enamel on it and looks pretty good. Gonna let it cure for a bit then give it a coat of wax.
The windscreen is a bit of a disappointment. I ordered the "dark smoke" and it looks like they sent the medium smoke. It looks several shades lighter than the original on I had bought. I was also going to use the original as a template for drilling the holes in the new one but the shape, size and curvature was pretty different between the two. The original fit much better. In any event, I used some clamps to clamp it to the fairing and marked the holes with a soldering gun with a needle point - something Gustaffsen recomends. I unclamped the screen then drilled the holes with a bit that was just a notch smaller than the screws. Then used a grinding bit to enlarge the holes and remove the burrs. Everything fit perfectly.....whew!
Had to work a little with the headlight cover and use some adhesive to get it back on. The rubber retaining gasket has some tabs the have V shaped locking points on them which fit through some holes in the fairing around the headlight. Those of you who have Sharks/Sport fairings know what I'm talking about. Anyway, some of them broke off so I had to use some adhesive to get the cover to stay on. New gaskets are unobtainium.
Took YJ out for a ride and of course, it feels much better riding with a fairing on. Also gives YellowJacket that distinctive "Bee" look. ;D
Next project on the table is the saddle bags. I have one of the brakets painted and it looks brand new. The other needs to be sanded and painted. However, looks like I may have to do a little work on two of the mounting tabs to have them moved to line up with the grab handles. They sit about 2" behind the handles. Will also need to figure out a way to get the bags onto the brackets - either that or find a left side 83 Virago bag.
David
Glad to hear you're no longer riding naked! ;D Sounds like things are coming back together & the improvements are progressing. Cogitate a bit on the bag mounts & I'll bet you come up with a viable solution. I'm looking forward to getting Tractor back on the road - with the (still to be restored) Shark fairing I recently won on eBay. I kind of miss that setup from the first 20 years on Silver V.
H2O