Hitchcocks Forum

Following a van in a country lane about 6 weeks ago. It decided suddenly to stop. Ok I pulled up easily well behind him. Before I could decide to go round him he started to reverse. And reverse. And reverse. Fortunately the frame and yokes are reported fine and I'm getting a fair payout from his insurers to cover the parts I need. I was scared it'd be declared a write off and I'd have to try to find a replacement. A lesson I take away from the incident - do try to keep big vans' mirrors in sight at all times!

Reckon its a case of dust cap envy.. He's just a jealous guy..

A decent air horn like this would have been useful instead of the usual poop poop on the enfield..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWDqNHbBIjs

Serious though that could have been your leg, so glad your ok..

Air horn and reverse gear. Injuries still sub judice. More later on that, but looking forward to spending with MrH and getting back on the Enfield. The dust caps were thankfully undamaged.

Glad you're ok. I don't like the way that fork leg broke, though. I have to wonder if a Redditch one would have done the same? Cheers, Paul.

That thought occurred to me too Paul. But the forks got quite a twist in two directions. First as the mudguard got pushed backwards (those mudguard stays are tough!) and then as the wheel went under the van. The RH fork looks OK, but I'll be changing both of course. Spokes have pulled out of the hub, rim is buckled and tyre has a nasty bulge. But thankfully no frame damage or it would have been a complete write off. I'll be adding softer fork springs, uprated brake shoes and cable too. I bought it new, one of the last 4 speed kick start Classics, in Jan 2009 mainly for my (then approaching) retirement and it was virtually mothballed until this spring and had done about 2000km. I was very very angry, but it'll be sorted fairly soon now.

I hope your bike is taxed, looking at the disc! 😉

Tax disc is a relic of the mothballing. A bike just looks incomplete without a tax disc though. All legal!

Hi Geoff glad to hear you're ok, it hasn't been long since you had a previous episode whilst stationary? Were you on a scooter then, main thing is that you're ok.

Pleased to hear you are ok John. I had the same thing with a Securicor van once when on the Guzzi, fortunately the twin Fiamm horns were audible to the moron driver! Incidentally, that break is exactly where some other Indian Bullets have fractured in the past, I think that rib at the back of the leg is actually a stress raiser where it abruptly terminates. Fortunately the later design is longer and tapered more so I reckon you may have had a bit of a warning there!

REgards, Mark

Geoff not John! Sorry! REgards, Mark