I’ve always been a fan of the orange machines and have had 17 over the years. Whilst I’ve had a few problems here and there, broadly speaking they have been well screwed together and never let me down (and I have toured all over Europe).

About four months ago I took in my old 1190 for a service at my local dealer (not an official KTM dealer). I’d never used these guys before, but they came recommended from a couple of mates. Anyways, I got the bike serviced and then rode home. Absolutely no problem… at that point. As I was tied up working abroad, the 1190 sat there for a couple of months until one fateful afternoon when I was home, and the sun was shining.

I wheeled the bike out of the shed and thought I smelled petrol, but as the lawnmower and strimmer were also in there, I didn’t think too much about it. I got kitted up and headed out into the Chilterns where I live. I planned to ride a few roads and lanes out to a café, have the obligatory tea and cake, and then ride home.

Unfortunately, about half-an-hour into my ride there was a sudden flash, then a whooshing noise. It took a few seconds for my brain to realise that my bike and jacket were on fire. After that. I am not too sure what happened, but I can only presume I jumped off and rolled down the road (putting out the flames on my jacket), breaking my wrist. And from that position I watched my trusty old 1190 burn to a crisp. Not fun. As for what happened, I can only presume that the dealer who serviced it did not connect a petrol pipe correctly, it leaked and then caught fire. The problem I now have is I have no bike; I am injured and unable to work; and I am now being chased by the council for burning/melting the road (they want nearly £6000 for the repairs! I can’t believe they think I should pay.) Help! Can I sue the dealer?

Answer

Firstly, I am glad you are here to tell the tale and also not burnt. We dealt with a very similar claim years ago and the poor rider suffered some horrendous burns. With regards to the burnt/melted the road, I can see why the council are chasing you as it was your burning bike that caused the damage. In relation to this, you need to get your insurer to deal with the claim as you do not want the council issuing court proceedings against you for the repair costs.

Next, to be able to sue the dealer who did the servicing, you are going to need to ‘prove on the balance of probabilities’ that they did something wrong and that led to the fire. Whatever you do, do not let your damaged bike be destroyed because you will need to get it inspected by a specialist engineer. If s/he can say what caused the fire, and you can prove that was caused by the dealer, then you should be able to bring a claim for your personal injury and losses against them.

However, to manage your expectations, these types of reports can cost several thousand pounds and if your bike was ‘burnt to a crisp’ there may not be much for the expert to consider and reach a definitive conclusion.

Andrew ‘Chef’ Prendergast

More Bikes – February 2025