Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Unfortunate outcome for my three week old Roadster

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Hey guys,

I picked up roadster #506 about three weeks ago. Last week, it was involved in an unfortunate accident with a motorcycle. Best news is the motorcyclist had absolutely no injuries. A car can be replaced, but a person can not.

Basically, I was making a left turn out of a parking lot. There were three cars with their turn signals on to make a right turn into the parking lot. I could see no other traffic either way, visibility was good, unfortunately there was a motorcycle hugging very closely to the turning cars, and we collided once I turned out in front of the other cars.

My car is now in the shop, and i've been quoted $11,000 for the repair. Luckily, I have insurance which is covering everything but $1000 (my deductible). I've also requested to upgrade to the 2011 front bumper and was quoted an additional $1000 for the extra labor for the duct work. For that price I am definitely interested. The unfortunate part is that they state the parts are coming from England and could take up to a month.

IMG_0263.jpg
IMG_0266.jpg
IMG_0267.jpg
IMG_0265.jpg
 
Last edited:
How is the motorcycle rider?

You caused a collision by pulling into oncoming traffic, every bike riders nightmare.

Is the rider ok?

I am disappointed that you showed more detail and concern about the roadster damage than the bike rider, especially since you were at fault.
 
Hope everyone is ok.

Is this the bumper upgrade you are talking about? Just announced today...

Roadster Upgrades Page on Tesla Website - Page 7

1.5 Tesla Motors

Wow, I hadn't even seen that. I just figured since they were ordering the part they could order the 2011 parts instead.

How is the motorcycle rider?

You caused a collision by pulling into oncoming traffic, every bike riders nightmare.

Is the rider ok?

I am disappointed that you showed more detail and concern about the roadster damage than the bike rider, especially since you were at fault.

Kaivball, I use to ride motorcycles until I had an accident and broke four vertebrae, shattered my right foot and had blood in my brain. The first thing I did when I hit him was jump out of the car and ensure his safety from other cars. I also have been there for him ever since the accident.

Hey guys,

I picked up roadster #506 about three weeks ago. Last week, it was involved in an unfortunate accident with a motorcycle. Best news is
Also, this sentence was suppose to be continued with information about the rider, but it must not have gotten saved. I meant to write "Best news is the motorcyclist had absolutely no injuries. A car can be replaced, but a person can not." I will go update my original post.
 
I wouldn't judge who's at fault unless you were there to make the call.

I live around this area and also a motorcycle rider. I can vouch that the majority of the riders around here are not doing the speed limit nor riding cautiously like their life depended on it. An all black motorcycle is not a visible color whatsoever. That front end of the bike is pretty pushed in which makes me feel the motorcycle was going at a very high rate of speed past slower traffic.

The area looks like around the high tech business centers, this is where it gets very congested during the day and rush-hour time. Again not a good time to be flying on a motorcycle but rather a better time to slow down and use caution.

The reason why he posted more pics of the Tesla than the cycle rider is that this is a Forum for that.

I had a car pull out in front of me once on my cycle. Truth is if I was traveling slower and not splitting lanes (legal in california) I wouldn't have collided. Even that it was the fault in that case of the other driver, although I was going faster than I should have, I had the full ability to prevent it. To slow down and ride with caution.

Truth is a motorcycle has a very narrow window to be seen. The faster you ride the narrower this window is. The darker you and your bike are, this window closes in even more.
 
How is the motorcycle rider?

You caused a collision by pulling into oncoming traffic, every bike riders nightmare.

Is the rider ok?

I am disappointed that you showed more detail and concern about the roadster damage than the bike rider, especially since you were at fault.

Wow, thats kinda harsh. Legal liability does not imply a moral failing. The Roadster is a very low slung car, with sightlines lower than virtually any other vehicle, and the Ducati is a small bike whose rider rides bent over. I can easily see an accident like this happening, and while jbadger is at "fault", he has no reason to feel particularly guilty here, or to be made to feel that way. It was an accident.

And as someone who has ridden bikes since I got my first Honda 80 when I was 10, I can assure you that this situation was never my worst nightmare. My worst nightmare was a tire blowout while doing 70 around a curving freeway transition/overpass and getting ejected over the guard rail hundreds of feet over the ground. I've gone over the handlebars more times than I care to count, and while I see it as dangerous it just doesn't rise to nightmare status in the same way that a plunge off of an overpass would.
 
And as someone who has ridden bikes since I got my first Honda 80 when I was 10, I can assure you that this situation was never my worst nightmare. My worst nightmare was a tire blowout while doing 70 around a curving freeway transition/overpass and getting ejected over the guard rail hundreds of feet over the ground. I've gone over the handlebars more times than I care to count, and while I see it as dangerous it just doesn't rise to nightmare status in the same way that a plunge off of an overpass would.

Your scenario here sent chills down my spine, thats a situation that scares me to no end and I actually did have similar nightmares. My motorcycle accident happened when I was in the mountains and I was flung over the handlebars into the side of a cliff and into a ditch. I could only imagine had I flown to the opposite direction, falling down into the canyon.
 
Your scenario here sent chills down my spine, thats a situation that scares me to no end and I actually did have similar nightmares. My motorcycle accident happened when I was in the mountains and I was flung over the handlebars into the side of a cliff and into a ditch. I could only imagine had I flown to the opposite direction, falling down into the canyon.

Ouch. I was driving with my dad on some back canyon roads, and while we were going around a curve the custom exhaust tailfins on his Harley caught the pavement and instantly torqued him upright and into a wobble and I watched in my rearview mirror as he got thrown off the bike, tumbling like a rag doll into a ditch next to a cliff. The fall on the right wasn't that bad, but it would have made things worse if he had been thrown that way. As it was, his geeky chrome Harley helmet cracked open like an eggshell, but saved his life.

He was in ICU for like 2 weeks and broke his back, numerous shoulder bones, arm, ribs, etc. He still isn't right, and has had health problems in the last couple of years since then including a minor stroke. After watching that, I've just come to the conclusion that you pretty much are taking your life in your hands on a motorcycle and the only real protection you have is how lucky you are that day.
 
Being on or in anything on the road is taking your life in your own hands. In some ways a motorcycle can save your life, smaller, more nimble where a car just can't do that and you could end up very hurt in the right circumstances. I also feel that my motorcycle experience has made me a way better driver on the road possibly saving my life in many circumstances of being able to predict and look ahead before waiting to react.

If I was going to go out of this world I'd rather be doing it doing something I love and enjoy while I was young rather than getting hit at an old age unfullfilled and crossing the street in my walker.

And as for accidents, I almost got thrown over a 200ft cliff in Moab on a mountain bike. A bush caught my handlebar going downhill and flung my bike and I down the mountain side... Anything that moves your body from one point to another can be dangerous. But also if you're sitting on your couch blue ice from a plane or an asteroid could crash down on your lap... Part of living life to its fullest is taking the risks.
 
Being on or in anything on the road is taking your life in your own hands. In some ways a motorcycle can save your life, smaller, more nimble where a car just can't do that and you could end up very hurt in the right circumstances. I also feel that my motorcycle experience has made me a way better driver on the road possibly saving my life in many circumstances of being able to predict and look ahead before waiting to react.

True, but that is also something of a rationalization. Of the people I know who drive or drove motorcycles regularly, half of them have or had one of the following conditions: (a) skin grafts, (b) steel pegs in limbs, (c) dead.

I also know a few people who have been in quite serious car crashes, but (a) the number is smaller than the number of fatalities above, and (b) they're all still with us.
 
True, but that is also something of a rationalization. Of the people I know who drive or drove motorcycles regularly, half of them have or had one of the following conditions: (a) skin grafts, (b) steel pegs in limbs, (c) dead.
Sweeping generalization alert! Riding a motorcycle without proper gear (full-face helmet, armored leather or cordura suit, proper boots and gloves) is no different than driving a car without a seatbelt, using power tools w/o eye protection, etc. In CO's Dad's case it sounds like he wasn't wearing proper gear and so it is what it is. I'm all for people's rights to behave as recklessly as they want (as long as they don't endanger anyone else) but you simply can't apply some people's poor judgement to the entire group.

Sorry to hear about this jbadger. As you said, glad no one was hurt and I hope they get your car back on the road quickly.
 
Sweeping generalization alert! Riding a motorcycle without proper gear (full-face helmet, armored leather or cordura suit, proper boots and gloves) is no different than driving a car without a seatbelt, using power tools w/o eye protection, etc. In CO's Dad's case it sounds like he wasn't wearing proper gear and so it is what it is. I'm all for people's rights to behave as recklessly as they want (as long as they don't endanger anyone else) but you simply can't apply some people's poor judgement to the entire group.

That's the thing - these people weren't foolish. One friend of mine, who was an experienced and very careful biker, died at the age of 40 in a freak accident. Right in front of his wife. It never would have happened in a car.

You'll forgive me if I'm not keen on the things.