Author Topic: 25 years of riding, and today for the first time I finally... (Read 8679 times)

StaysCrunchy · « **on:** July 10, 2015, 06:23:20 PM »

Tipped my bike over. My last three bikes were all Harleys, which have a center of gravity about 3" off the ground as opposed to 3' off the ground (obvious hyperbole) like my Stelvio. I was pulling into my parking spot at work, made a sharp low-speed right turn, lost my balance, and down we went. Put a scuff on the corner of the side case, broke one of the rivets off of and bent the side case bracket, and scuffed the aptly-named crash bar. I walked away with a bruised knee, elbow, and pride.

I've had tall bikes like this before, and I'm an experienced rider, but I just got caught off guard. No biggie I suppose, just added another personalized touch to the bike.

oldbike54 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2015, 06:25:48 PM »

Character mark

It has happened to us all .

Dusty

balvenie · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2015, 06:43:19 PM »

Boy do9 I remember something like this.
These things put a dent in your confidence, that's all. Don't be put off. There are plenty more good rides left in us before we slough off our mortal coils

menzies · « **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2015, 06:52:57 PM »

Did the same thing this time last year, scuffed paint off the engine guards and scuffed the top box. I had to have help picking it back up.

Wildguzzi.com · « **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2015, 06:52:57 PM »

motrhead · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2015, 07:00:45 PM »

I dropped my Stelvio for the first and second time ever last week too. Funny you say that about the Harley...the Soft tail has a low center of gravity, yes, but any of the Glides, or even my XLCR Sportster are more top heavy than the Stelvio.

Lannis · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2015, 07:43:21 PM »

Quote from: StaysCrunchy on July 10, 2015, 06:23:20 PM

Tipped my bike over. My last three bikes were all Harleys, which have a center of gravity about 3" off the ground as opposed to 3' off the ground (obvious hyperbole) like my Stelvio. I was pulling into my parking spot at work, made a sharp low-speed right turn, lost my balance, and down we went. Put a scuff on the corner of the side case, broke one of the rivets off of and bent the side case bracket, and scuffed the aptly-named crash bar. I walked away with a bruised knee, elbow, and pride.

I've had tall bikes like this before, and I'm an experienced rider, but I just got caught off guard. No biggie I suppose, just added another personalized touch to the bike.

Done it twice, once heavily loaded and two-up at 3 MPH when the front wheel washed out on gravel and too much front brake, and once solo and empty at 1 MPH coming to a stop with too much front brake.

There's a theme here, I'll figure it out one of these days .....

Lannis

JeffOlson · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2015, 07:54:15 PM »

Sorry to hear that. I did it, too, recently, with my Norge. If you have insurance, you could have everything repaired. Or, you could do like I did and pocket the pay out (thereby reducing the cost of your bike!).

guzzisteve · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2015, 08:28:51 PM »

Happens to me too. Only 2 kind of riders, ones that have fallen and ones that are going to fall.

tazio · « **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2015, 08:38:37 PM »

I think it's called "Grinding the new off"

You're in good company.
P.S. If it happened at work, with witnesses, you'll be hearing about it 20 years from now...

drw916 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2015, 08:39:01 PM »

Did it on my R1100GS when taking the motorcycle test when iI moved back to Washington 20 years ago. Still hear about it from wife and friends

Kev m · « **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2015, 08:45:43 PM »

25 years... FIRST TIME...

Crap, I'm thinking I dropped my first bike twice in the first week... Though in my defense I was teaching myself to ride.

But shyte even since then, man I've got some doozies...

Maybe my best was the time I backed one out of the garage and stepped off to close the carriage doors and didn't realize until it hit the ground that I'd forgotten the side stand.

Kent in Upstate NY · « **Reply #11 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:00:47 PM »

The last time I dropped a bike on dry asphalt was when I was riding on Hwy 178 out of Bakersfield heading towards Mammoth. I come around a corner and some guy is in the middle of the road waving his arms. I come to a stop as soon as possible and in the excitement, get off balance and the bike falls. The guy helps me up and then asks if I know where he can find Lake Isabella. I just pointed to the big blue thing off to the left.

normzone · « **Reply #12 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:07:38 PM »

" today for the first time I finally... "

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU.

You may be a late bloomer, but you're OUR late bloomer.

kevdog3019 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:09:47 PM »

Most fall-offs are low speed. Don't hit your head without a helmet. And you thought helmets didn't matter at __mph.

charlie b · « **Reply #14 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:27:03 PM »

Quote from: normzone on July 10, 2015, 09:07:38 PM

" today for the first time I finally... "

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU.

You may be a late bloomer, but you're OUR late bloomer.

ROFLMAO

My last drop was at a gas station. Stopped, put down stand. Leaned it over. Bike fell over. WTF?!?!? I realized I had put the stand down, just did not push it forward to the stop. So, stand folded. Luckily I did not try and stop it and got out of the way.

canuguzzi · « **Reply #15 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:27:56 PM »

At least it took you 25 years. A year into owning a Honda 350 Four, at lunch time in front of the high school, with everyone watching, I hit the front brake a little to hard on the painted stop limit and did a nose plant. I had just rained a bit, I knew better.

Helmet got quite scratched up and did the face shield. Helmet immediately got uglier. Took my face a few more decades to catch up.

lucydad · « **Reply #16 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:29:55 PM »

Crunch,

Someone wise told me "gravity wins". 2 years ago dropped V7R in garage. Side stand stuck, and slippery from new road goo. Boot gooed, hot as hell. Pinned me. Wife gone, fished out cell phone, called police, they lifted bike and EMT checked me. Added side stand knurl to get grip. Replaced mirror.

Glad you are ok. Get on and ride again.

AMGeneral · « **Reply #17 on:** July 10, 2015, 09:39:53 PM »

First trip with my Jackal to Luaps, there were these golf ball size things all over the place and we were getting set to go ride and I was all ready to go, put my foot down on one of these golf balls and it was the best Bill Dance slow motion lean over and tip over ever!

You know the one where you know you are going down and do everything to try and stop it only to make it worse!

MotoGoosy · « **Reply #18 on:** July 10, 2015, 10:25:22 PM »

Did it 3 times on my Hyosung 650. Realized that with a full tank, it's topheavy. Sold it. Good riddance.

Sasquatch Jim · « **Reply #19 on:** July 10, 2015, 10:31:38 PM »

Quote from: AMGeneral on July 10, 2015, 09:39:53 PM

First trip with my Jackal to Luaps, there were these golf ball size things all over the place and we were getting set to go ride and I was all ready to go, put my foot down on one of these golf balls and it was the best Bill Dance slow motion lean over and tip over ever!

You know the one where you know you are going down and do everything to try and stop it only to make it worse!

Don't ride on ball bearings, it's bad luck.

toaster404 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 10, 2015, 11:04:20 PM »

I've dropped bikes twice in my driveway. Put my foot on wet leaves and BOOM, there she goes. I know better, too. Once parking at night in a commercial lot where I didn't see the asphalt roll down a bit, bike leaned farther than I expected and I couldn't catch it. Should have known better etc. On the other hand, I've ridden through a ditch and into a yard without an issue to avoid moron-on-my-side-of-road.

Figure I'll drop the dang things a few more times.

Tom · « **Reply #21 on:** July 10, 2015, 11:45:30 PM »

Part of the motorcycling experience. You just hope no one sees you.

ScepticalScotty · « **Reply #22 on:** July 11, 2015, 05:32:50 AM »

My Breva doesn't even need me on it to go over. A few years ago I came out, started it up, and turned away to put my helmet and gloves on. It promptly had a misfire and threw itself on the ground.

Of course I should not have left it so close to upright on the sidestand.

blackcat · « **Reply #23 on:** July 11, 2015, 06:48:28 AM »

Quote from: Tom on July 10, 2015, 11:45:30 PM

Part of the motorcycling experience. You just hope no one sees you.

I was riding the Norge down Broadway and while making a left hand turn I lost my balance and the bike went down. I was going really slow so I wasn't hurt, just embarrassed and about three NY'ers came over and helped me get the bike up off the pavement and made sure I was all right.

guzzisteve · « **Reply #24 on:** July 11, 2015, 07:28:00 AM »

Was at work on new to me EV, parked right next to door. Thought I had flipped the sidestand out, then trew the bike over on it and went inside. They all asked why I tossed my bike on the asphalt.

AND all the times that alcohol was involved!!

Stormtruck2 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 11, 2015, 07:28:54 AM »

Gravity, not just a suggestion, but the law.

Glad you're okay. Pride heals sooner and easier than flesh and bone.

slowmover · « **Reply #26 on:** July 11, 2015, 08:28:39 AM »

Guy I work with told me he left a bar at 2 in the morning and couldn't make it home to pee so he jumped off his Harley on the side of the road and ran down in the ditch to relieve himself and heard all this noise and turned to see the the bike rolling sideways down into the ditch.He didn't put the kickstand down.

sib · « **Reply #27 on:** July 11, 2015, 09:49:45 AM »

Dropping a bike is a skill they should teach early in riding school. You never know when you're going to need that lesson.

pebra · « **Reply #28 on:** July 11, 2015, 10:46:39 AM »

Turning AND using front brake makes for a challenging combination (an EV I had, at crawling speed)
Leaving bike without sidestand out makes you look really stupid (Virago)
Just a little material damage, considerable damage to pride......

StaysCrunchy · « **Reply #29 on:** July 11, 2015, 10:47:33 AM »

I guess I'm pretty lucky to have taken this long for my first drop, Lord knows I've come close to doing it countless times! I guess now I know, for the record, that I can pick my bike up after a drop at least. You never realize how heavy it is until you're lifting it off the ground!

Oh, and of course pretty much EVERYBODY at work saw me do it. Couple of them ran out to make sure I was OK, which was nice of them, but honestly my ego got the biggest bruise. I told them thanks, and to never speak of this again lol!

News:

Author Topic: 25 years of riding, and today for the first time I finally... (Read 8679 times)

StaysCrunchy

oldbike54

Wildguzzi.com

canuguzzi

lucydad

MotoGoosy

StaysCrunchy