An unusual end to the day.

[ffutures]

About an hour and a half ago someone rang my doorbell long and hard. So I went downstairs, and it turned out to be a passer-by who'd noticed that my motorbike was on fire. Some panic ensued, but fortunately we got it extinguished before it reached the fuel line etc.

At a guess, someone chucked a cigarette end over the hedge into my front garden and set fire to the cover, which spread the flames to the plastic parts of the bike - looks like I've lost both mirrors, the windscreen, the rear number plate, and damage to the seat and luggage, but nothing really fundamental to the actual functioning of the bike has been damaged.

So I've spent most of the intervening time contacting the police, insurers, etc. What ought to happen next is that I talk to the insurers again tomorrow and arrange to have the bike collected for repairs, and probably spend a week or two travelling by public transport while it's sorted.

To say that I'm not a happy bunny is putting it mildly, but nobody has been injured and it looks like it's repairable. Things could be a lot worse.

Comments

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's awful.

::B::

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

In daylight it looks like the damage is mainly the windscreen, mirrors, and license plate melted plus cosmetic damage to the luggage and seats. A couple of hundred quid for parts, say 400+ if they replace the luggage (don't think they'll agree to that), waiting to hear back from the insurers. But of course the plastic hoses etc. need to be tested to make sure they haven't been weakened, so it needs to be done properly.

[pauldrye.livejournal.com]

About an hour and a half ago someone rang my doorbell long and hard. So I went downstairs, and it turned out to be a passer-by who'd noticed that my motorbike was on fire.

Have to say I did not see that plot twist coming.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

Oh, how awful! Hope it's right as rain soon.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Proabably a week or so of public transport for me, but it should be fixable.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Bugger!

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Should be fixable - in daylight I can't see any fundamental damage beyond the mirrors etc.

[johnreiher.livejournal.com]

Just in case, do you want us to set up a "Help Marcus Fix His Motorbike" fund website? We could see about getting celebrity to endorse it. Jeremy Clarkson perhaps?

All joking aside, I hope that your insurance company will replace the bits that were damaged or destroyed. My motorbike got hit by a car when it was parked, and I still have the busted rear fender to deal with.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Looks like they will - the police need to see it first, which should happen tomorrow, then the insurers will arrange to have it picked up for repairs.

If the worst comes to the worst I can afford to fix it - the minimal fix (one mirror, license plate, windscreen and a replacement cover) shouldn't be more than £150 or so.