Tested My Engine Guards This Week...

KMACR · Post by **KMACR** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:00 pm

I dropped the bike this week for the first time. Unexciting get-off. Low speed and in the driveway but a get-off just the same. Came cruising in from work Wednesday evening and made my usual circle turn in my driveway to pull up to the garage door, lost concentration for a nano-second to glance out toward the neighboring golf course and before I knew it the front tire dropped off the edge of the driveway sideways, turned the fork and leaned WAY over past the point of no return. I just went with it and did one controlled body roll (those gym classes in elementary school finally paid off)... and sprang up nice and tidy.

Using skills I actually learned from a video on the web somewhere showing a class on picking up a dropped bike, I didn't let the 525+ pounds faze me. Used leverage and walked it right up. I surprised myself it was so easy. I checked for damage. The bulk of the bike rested on the lawn with the handlebars and left cylinder head on the concrete driveway. The plastic engine guard did a pretty good job though it got scuffed and actually cracked but didn't come apart.

Just goes to show you----ALL YOUR ATTENTION ALL THE TIME. Geez. Was pretty dumb. But at least it was in my driveway at about 2mph. Got that out of the way. Now I can add it to my ever-growing list of riding experiences. Anyone else out there had "dumb drops"---or just me?

Post by **NoRRmad** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:56 pm

Yup. I was just starting our on my first long trip, with gear piled up and bungeed onto the passenger seat. I pulled over at the toll plaza for the Holland Tunnel on the New Jersey side, decided to get off. I put the side stand down, stepped down from the peg on the left side and attempted to throw my leg over my duffel roll. I couldn't lift my leg high enough, so I slid into the bike to remount, and it just leaned away from me, all the way to the pavement, leaving me straddling the bike, with the right cylinder on the ground. A truck driver had just pulled over, and he helped me right the bike without having to remove the luggage.

After he drove off, I attempted to throw my leg over the seat, hit the duffel roll, and knocked it over again.

(sigh.)

deptom · Post by **deptom** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:31 am

Sometime middle of 2005 I bought a rear bike stand for my previous bike (not the R yet thank God!). Was kinda curious if I could remove it myself from the bike. Guess what?

Tried to use my right leg as support but gravity has it's mysterious ways. Suffered bruises and contusions on my thighs and right arm.

Now I know better.

Post by **wncbmw** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:36 pm

Anyone else out there had "dumb drops"---or just me?

Nope, just you!

(yeah, right!

)

I could post all my dumb drop stories but it would be a long post! The dumbest was parking next to the ferry we were going to board for the crossing to Nova Scotia and looking way up at the ferry towering overhead while swinging my leg off the bike. An attack of vertigo from looking up and wham! over it goes!

In front of many tourists!

DK · Post by DK » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:18 pm

I had a new Harley Sportster, one week old, and was parking it with friends watching one evening. I flipped the stand down and just as I started to lean the bike over, it rolled forward and the stand folded up. And before I could react, the bike had gone past the point of no return and there I stood, stradling a bright shiny new Harley.

My friends helped me pick it up and there was a scratch on the front fender. I was so sick that I went to the dealer and asked about buying a new fender. He talked me out of it and gave me some touch up paint which I used, but a year later I still hated that spot so I paid a painter friend of mine to fix it right.

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:25 pm

Stopped at a light one evening, was watching a friend roll up alongside on my left so we could chat and without looking put my right foot down...in a pot hole.

Post by **socalrob** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:27 pm

Pulled up to my driveway, where the front wheel hit a brick in a strip between the concrete, the brick had been pushed up about 3/4 of an inch by a root, the brick actually sheared, the front end of the bike was out from under me before I knew what happened. At 2 mph the bike hit hard enough to flew the bars so that the indicator switch dinged the tank. I've left the ding in as a reminder to be careful.

KMACR · Post by **KMACR** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:47 pm

Wow..reassuring to know I have such good company in my riding hiccup. I know many, if not most of you have alot more miles than I do in the saddle. It's great that you stepped up to the plate so easily to share some goofs. Maybe there's hope yet for me after all....

leno · Post by **leno** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:04 am

I was dum just the other day, tried to do 3 things at the same time. Rolling the bike out of the grarage, bending over to look at the sight glass and my gloves fell off the seat but I tried to catch them. But I was pleased the the engine gard was fine and I could pick the bike up without help. Being short helps, you don't have to bend down so far :-)

Post by **gagator79** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:13 am

I pulled into a gas station to put air in my tires...there was another biker doing the same and two filling up with gas. I decided to make a U-turn at slow speed to position my bike at the air pump and ended up in a slow 'death spiral'. I did not go down, but the bike did. The guy at the air pump helped me pick it up and told me his latest 'dropped bike' story to make me feel better!

I spent time that week practicing slow speed turns...

Post by **dano** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:49 am

Done it, too. Just got the bike last march ('05). taking it around the block for a quick spin. starting a slow turn from a stop sign, wheel turned to left--thought i saw a car coming up from my side (around a parked truck); hit the--front brake, wheel turned.....---down i went. the gas stain (injector hose came off) is still there. it's my 'stain of shame' that i see when i return from rides to remind me....'remember thou art mortal///'

Capt. Blackadder · Post by **Capt. Blackadder** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:04 am

Oh yeah... me too. One fine day I found out that the left cylinder + guard will double as a kickstand.

Yellowjacket Charlie · Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:14 pm

I lost count...

One time, I rode 1000 miles in day and then a day and half later another 750 miles, no problem. I get home, ride into garage, and as I'm getting off the bike I snag my leg on the tail bag on the seat. I was fairly lucky in that I let the 500 pound bike use my leg as a landing ramp to the garage floor.

Anything for my Yellowjacket!

Another time, on a nice 2000 mile trip, I pulled over to the shoulder to take some photos. Put the kick stand down which promptly went right through the soft asphault, so I counter balanced and dumped the whole bike into the mud on the right side along the pavement.

Getting the red clay out of the fins in the cylinder head was fun.

NZPOM · Post by **NZPOM** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:05 pm

Me and a mate were heading off from UK on our first tour of France. We had arranged to meet at my house, where I had my bike (not the R) sitting on the driveway, with all the luggage firmly mounted - panniers, tank-bag, roll bag etc. Excitement levels were high.

Anyway, my mate turns up (his bike similarly loaded). So I decide to push my bike off the centrestand to make it easier to climb aboard. Unfortunately as I pushed it forward, it then fell away from me! So, zero miles completed, one smashed screen and a mate in hysterics.

Got my own back at the first gas station when my mate dropped his at the pump. So, after maybe 50 miles, two dropped bikes, and still not even made it to the ferry yet!

That was a bloody good trip.

NZPOM · Post by **NZPOM** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:06 pm

Me and a mate were heading off from UK on our first tour of France. We had arranged to meet at my house, where I had my bike (not the R) sitting on the driveway, with all the luggage firmly mounted - panniers, tank-bag, roll bag etc. Excitement levels were high.

Anyway, my mate turns up (his bike similarly loaded). So I decide to push my bike off the centrestand to make it easier to climb aboard. Unfortunately as I pushed it forward, it then fell away from me! So, zero miles completed, one smashed screen and a mate in hysterics.

Got my own back at the first gas station when my mate dropped his at the pump. So, after maybe 50 miles, two dropped bikes, and still not even made it to the ferry yet!

That was a bloody good trip.

bgardner74 · Post by **bgardner74** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:30 pm

Okay. I feel a lot better now. Mine is not the only 1150R to lie down on the job. But after I dropped mine, I could not get it back up. A guy even older than me drove up, stopped and asked if I needed a leg. Yeah, he said leg. He meant hand. And it seemed to take both of us to get the bike vertical again.

What is the trick of walking the bike back up?

My previous bike was a '76 R90 with crash bars. I dropped it once and had no problem picking it up. So, what's the deal here?

Any advice will be deeply appreciated since I mostly ride alone.

Post by **NoRRmad** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:19 pm

This should help:
http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html

ErikU · Post by **ErikU** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:36 pm

After my dad backed his car into my old bike.... I used the method taught in the rider safety class.

Face away from the bike, grab by the handle bar and seat area, and walk it up backwards. I couldn't believe how easy it was!

deptom · Post by **deptom** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:06 am

NoRRmad wrote:This should help:
http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html

Thanks for this NoRRmad! I'll pass this on to my riding buddies.

Gonzo · Post by **Gonzo** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:10 am

There are still things that we can learn from women

http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html here are even better pictures....