Modern Vespa

Good god, a guano 'loper as well as a guano Pantheon...

richie and i will need to do a ride together, we'll have the crowds scattering for miles around

hehe I wonder if I can find some towel rails for the pantheon.,..

haha! Lets. whats this recent obsession with matt and satin black? lol I've definitely got Darth Fever

YES!!!!

Chrome plate, Nickle plate and Ceramic coating would work well. Although, the latter would be pricey, probably be able to buy 10 or more stock mufflers for the cost of ceramic coating.

@ Wonder

The LV has black BBQ paint on it and will look the dog's danglies on YGB!

@ Genie

I'm glad you're ditching the Ocean Blue. I never really liked the colour. In fact I don't like blue. Wait a minute.... Haven't I just decided to paint the ET blue? (dithering) I approve of bronze-green.

Richie, can't wait to see the poo-poo Pantheon.
Genie, Berlingo-Goose-shit?? I will reserve judgement until I see the results. Surely Dougs idea of chav-orange would have looked cool?

Today has been a crappy day, Alfie has been poorly again and off school I have been glued to a computer all day , organising things for the 2010 season. Tedious and boring but most of it is done now.

The only bright side has been MV, I have been checking in on MV most of the day. Watching Jess negotiate with the loons is always entertaining.

great colour choice, genie - any variation on olive wins my vote every time.

So... I got a phone call from my insurers this morning, reversing their position on the write-off ("I don't know why Vanessa told you that").

They now claim that although they suspected it was a write-off (which is why it went to a breaker's), having inspected it, it has damage to the tune of £2000, and is therefore economic to repair.

I've pointed out that:

1) the frame is obviously bent
2) I have photos showing the rear wheel as misaligned
3) a bent frame is dangerous, especially on a bike capable of well in excess of the speed limit

Their engineer is going to have another look at it. Does anyone have any advice? I'm certain the frame is bent. Can I appoint someone myself to inspect it if they bring it back (or travel to Sandy, Beds) ? Can the frame be bent back? Is that advisable?

Thanks,

David

If you possibly can, push for that write-off. The frame can never be jigged back to original shape and still retain the original strength.

Oh, remind them of the cost of the loan bike while yours is awaiting parts/repair (and interim storage costs![1]). I know all the dealers I've chatted to reckon that if the cost to them (inc labour) of the repair is about half the cost of the bike, then it'll be a write-off when all costs are taken into account.

[1] Typically £20 a day, so your bike may have already clocked up £360 for storage alone...

One - ask to see the original report with the engineers conclusions. There is one because they told you so yesterday.

Two - ask to speak to the engineer who did the report (infact, its normal for them to call you if there's a fine line between write off and saving it)

Three - it is still yours and if you like you can get it assessed elsewhere for repair if there is a dispute. You'd have to pay for it though.

Four - if they say it can be repaired economically now then why does there need to be another inspection? Show the report that justifies that economic repair.

Five - Vanessa already told you it should be replaced as a write off, so what did she base her conclusions on?

Six - I smell utter BS. Put it all in writing and send it to them after you've been on the phone. Someone in the office is trying to save money on a comprehensive insurance claim. If they say that £2000 will return to the bike to the brand new condition in which you bought it, fine. If it is a mechanical repair only then that is not comprehensive at all.

Seven - You will have the right to arrange the work to be done to your satisfaction (check terms). Make enough fuss and they will wish that they had just replaced the thing in the first place.

Thanks for the advice (both of you).

I'm fairly certain they're trying the brush off, and rather ineffectively at that. I don't understand how it's gone from a write-off to £2000 of damage (which is a suspiciously round number) overnight, and I'd like them to explain that, with the evidence. I get the distinct impression that someone's just glanced at it and said "a couple of grand of cosmetics and some new forks".

They said it would need to be moved to be inspected, as the facility where it is at the minute doesn't do inspections - this implies to me that they've thought it was a write-off all along until they realised it was an expensive scooter to replace.

I shall examine my insurance documents tonight and call them tomorrow.

This probably isn't helpful David, but when I wrecked my MP3, Scootech told me that any twists in the frame mean write-off material. An MP3 is more expensive than an SH. Damage estimate was £2000 ish also. The insurer wrote it off. I had Piaggio Assist recover it to Scootech, and there was no way that Scootech were going to touch it. I think it helped that the scooter was in a Piaggio dealer, and that the assessor was guided by the Piaggio mechanics.

As far as I am concerned, twisted frame = write-off. End of.

A rare bit of biker hate today.

I rode home along the A4 and filtered along from Knightsbridge. Those familiar will know that the A4 changes lanes from 2 to 3 to 2 to 3 and so there is lots weaving.

Anyway, good progress made and I notice a BMW tourer rider behind me in my mirrors. He filters behind me and follows my line through the twisty bits.

Finally come to a stop at Earls Court and all I hear is rev rev rev rev rev rev as loudly as possible and he's maybe six inches behind me. Clearly saying, get out of the way.

WTF? He was faster than me and could have passed at nearly any other point except when we stopped. Instead he chose to be an arse when I can't move any further forward to let him out because that puts in me a junction.

Then the cock rode behind me until the Hammersmith Flyover. Manners???

i'm starting to think that this is some sort of mantra as far as insurance companies are concerned. i've got at least three mates now whose insurance companies were poised to leave them high and dry following various disasters, but complied in the end under pressure of endless complaints, solicitor's letters, etc. ... so muster your strength and just keep pecking away at them.

the middle finger comes in handy on occasions such as these. i've been using mine rather freely of late.

There's always one isn't there? Actually, I see a lot of dickhead behaviour from bikers. My big bugbear is the way they filter (too fast) along slow moving dual carriageways. All it takes is some muppet on a mobile phone to decide to lane change for no good reason and they're toast.

They're probably from the crowd that do DAS and then buy a GiXeR.

Most bikers are cool and polite though. Even politer when they realise that they have to work it a bit to beat a SHitty away from the lights.

i saw a kawasaki something or other smashed to pieces on my way home from work a few weeks ago, at a part of my commute where i tend to filter very carefully, to the annoyance of the crotch rocketeers keen to prove their manhood by riding dangerously. the rider was sitting in the ambulance being tended to - obviously not seriously injured, but shaken up, and his bike was toast... so i allowed myself to gloat a bit.

just got myself a little run-about to take the kids to school and transport my rotovator to the allotment. one owner from new, full service history and only 31000 on the clock. and all for less than the price of a decent used gts!

Still waiting for the Pantheon pix, but since I didn't know the bike I looked it up:

"Styled for the future, the Pantheon introduces you to a brave new world of technological excellence and design prestige that adds an attractive twist to a popular mode of transportation. The Pantheon's distinctive European styling and ergonomics herald a new age in Executive Scooter design, and rocket it to the top of the 125cc scooter class. "

...I've always wonder at a copywriters who use the term "brave new world." I can't telling if they're trying for hip irony or are clueless.

Uh-oh! You bought a Vauxhall?

I think they're cool

Lovely Saab, Kam.

You got it bad if you need to transport a rotovator...

Will do. It's just a bit disappointing as I thought I'd "won" yesterday.

I'm going to phone them tomorrow, and every working day thereafter until they replace the scooter just to get rid of me.

I can be rather stubborn ("thran" in the dialect of my youth) - time to put in to good use.

Nice Saab Kam
Richie .... still awaiting images of a poo-covered-pantheon
David, it all sounds a real pain, there is nothing for it but to just annoy them into submission.

I had funny email today, from a customer of mine who is a costume director for TV and Film. She wanted to know if I was interested in 'Product Placement' in a new movie. (ie I supply suits for some characters) I would have loved to have agreed but the press pack for this film was so ridiculous I just couldn't.
This film is based in the East End of London, the main character is played by Craig Fairbrass who is an East End gangster type, who just wants to settle down and open a gentlemens club in the East End. Only for his efforts to be thwarted by Romanian gangsters who steal his club (the main baddie is called Dante) and name the club Inferno. Freddie Farkham (Craig Fairbrass) decide to take the club back by force only to discover the Romanians are Vampires.
Ok this all sounds bad enough, but on the press pack in large letters on the front it says 'EVIL DOESN'T NEED A PASSPORT'
Poor Plot, Poor Characters and a little bit racist.

persistence really does work in situations like this. good luck.

kate, i have got it bad and now have petrol powered tools so that i can spend more 'planning' and recovery' time in the pub.

doug, i know it's a cavalier underneath but it is rather lovely for an old shed.

But, but, but FARKHAM!

Otherwise it sounds bad.

When did you guys come up with the 'Donkei Skök SC' ?
I seem to recall it was about this time last year, I might be wrong.

we'll have to look in the skok archives... i think you're about right tho. is it time for an anniversary party?

I was thinking I can ask my talented missus to make a cake. So we can fill our mouths with Donkei Skök

Sues cake blog: http://sue-suescakes.blogspot.com/ (yes I do show off sues blog every chance I get)

That's just rude.........

Kam, loving the motor. You've picked up my [achievable] ideal car. I say achievable because I'd probably prefer an Aston or something, but don't quite have the finances. To clarify, I don't currently own a car myself and don't really need one (since the bird's car has room enough for both of us), but that is exactly the model I'd be looking for if the situation arose.
How's the insurance for it relative to the more humble GMs?

Will the DSSC Team wear uniforms in the Greek Rally?

the idea of filling my mouth with your wife's skok is freaking me out a little bit

we will be covering our strategic bits with DSSC stickers, for aerodynamic reasons of course.

Kam .... that is a very attractive and functional-looking saab just the car for the urban gardener

i stopped by LSBS today and got a glimpse of the freshly sprayed interloper. the caca d'oie looks absolutely stunning. David liked the colour so much he gave it an extra coat of laquer, so it's got a lovely deep glow. it's curing at the moment, it'll be rubbed down and polished over the weekend and i'll have it back by next tuesday at the latest [*joy*]

cheers TheJ. it's my second saab turbo - the previous one was a white original style 900 aero lpt. this one's a high pressure turbo so is a bit more lairy and has insurance premiums to match. however, now that i'm 42 with a clean driving record (god knows how) it's not too bad.

genie, the roof rack/cycle racks go on on monday and the boot will be lined with a tarp, ready for duty

i bet the 'loper looks fab. pics?

no pics yet as it's all still in bits .... i was sorely tempted but i want to save the great unveiling until the scooter is in a rideable condition again.

Yeah at 25 and never having insured a car for myself I'll probably have to avoid the turbos! Never mind, I'll be a grown-up someday. Probably.

better to be 25 than to drive a saab!