2nd day of ownership & dropped my FJR

[TouringRider]

After losing mine away from me in the driveway pushing it of the center stand while not on it I always move it around while straddling it. Even that can be challenging sometimes, but less risky. Fortuneately I didn't have the bags on at the time.

It happens to me too with a much lighter VFR, I can't imagine doing this with the FJR.

 

[Gerry.GEG]

Yep, too bad but not much harm done.

Sidestand never down while moving, hip - always up against seat, hand on brake, and always move slowly. 4 years without even a close call but one could drop it at anytime.

Sorry to hear.

 

[bucky]

All it takes is one little mental mistake. Yesterday I was backing into a spot to park. Easy enough as the spot was level to slightly down backing in and level side to side. But it had alot of lose gravel stones on the pavement which I was not paying attention to. Thinking of that cold beer I was about to enjoy. Anyway, pushing back while on the bike, the left foot pushed off the loose stones. Fortunately I caught myself and no harm. But all it would have taken would have been another split second to get beyond the point of no return. Sand, stones and gravel are not your friends..ever. I have gotten into the habit of doing several things to avoid no-speed tipovers. Never move the bike with the sidestand down unless I am on the bike and always tapping the sidestand forward again with the foot while looking at the sidestand to confirm it is down and fully forward and always leaving the bike in gear when parked, except in my garage. With the AE, parking in gear is also a good anti-theft measure. That oinker ain't going nowhere without the ignition key.

 

[user 28803]

After losing mine away from me in the driveway pushing it of the center stand while not on it I always move it around while straddling it.

Sigh...if only the legs were long enough to do this.

Ditto!

 

[juniorfjr]

I feel your pain. Week before last, I was gassing up. Got all geared up and realized I'd forgotten the receit. Went to put it back on the stand and quickly realized that I'd put the stand up. Dropped her right there in the gas station. My bike' been dropped 3 times now and I haven't even looked if there were scratches on this last one. Can't fix stupid, I guess.

 

[jmdaniel]

Try doing it at a PGR event, in front of 80-100 cruiser riders, the majority of them Hardly owners. Oh, the pain....

 

[Steel_Gin]

Wow that had to hurt more ways than one. My stomach would be in knots for months after that, I even got a little sick feeling in reading it. Glad you weren't hurt and big get well wishes to your bike and pride.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Try doing it at a PGR event, in front of 80-100 cruiser riders, the majority of them Hardly owners. Oh, the pain....

Funny story... A few years ago the wife and I were on vacation in Florida and were spending a couple of nights in Daytona. Bike Week was a week or so out and there were plenty of pre-Bike Week Harleys around. A couple of 'em walked out of the restaurant where we were outside waiting for a table. I watched as the two guys got on their bikes - the one guy backed out of his parking spot and headed out.

I was watching the other guy - not a very tall guy who was riding a Road King - as he was backing out of his parking spot. Then I noticed both of his feet were off the ground. I handed my beer to Sooze and said, "Here - hold this for me." She asked, "Why?" I replied, "I'm gonna go help this guy pick up his bike."

Aaaaaand down his bike went. Me and another fella helped him pick up his bike and he thanked us and moseyed on.

All it takes is one moment of brain-fart or inattention.

 

[jmdaniel]

All it takes is one moment of brain-fart or inattention.

Or a < 90 degree turn on a loose gravel cemetery drive, with a hump in the road at the beginning of the turn, the Feejer on the inside of the curve, and two rows of bikes, running almost side by side. I was pissed, but then gathered myself and remembered why I was there. My "issue" all of a sudden seemed to be rather tiny, in the grand scheme of things.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Ok, so we are telling stories now. I'll share.

Never ever get in the habit if just riding off if you use any kind of disk lock. I had made a habit of always pulling in so that I'd have to back out after one particularly embarrassing incident where I rode off with the disk lock on the rear disk. Ripped the rear caliper right off.

So, I had this habit for a good number of years and then one day, the only spot had cars all around. By the time I was done they were all gone. Geared up and hopped on the bike and zoom bam bam (first bam, the front wheel coming to an immediate halt, second bam me and the bike hitting the ground.) Now this was on a sport bike but it was a Suzuki TLR, which is quite a piggy of a bike. The weight of the bike was particularly bad because it came down on my leg. But it was made even worse by the fact that the foot peg came down square on my big toe. And this was made even worse by the fact that I had aftermarket rearsets with fixed non collapsing pegs! Yea, I had the entire weight of that bike on my big toe.

Trip to the emergency room confirmed that the only thing I broke was my big toe. I had to check as my leg was under it and within a short amount of time my entire foot was throbbing and was so swollen I couldn't put my shoe back on.

I was on crutches for a few weeks, gained some scratches on the bike (not many, I sacrificed my body instead) and gave a goldwing rider a good laugh who watched the whole thing and then helped me out from under my bike. Ugh.

 

[LgFJR]

Everybody has got the T-shirt for dropping a bike....did my KLR about 6 months ago the very same way.....kickstand was bent back a little and I didn't notice. No damage, just to the ego. But this is why you see FJR's with the sliders, and I just extended mine out another 3mm with a cap on it......you don't want to be repainting stuff on the FEEJ......

 

[Fred W]

At 664 lbs, I discovered that the FJR is not that easy to hold up, or pick up.

While moving it around in my garage, during a series of back & forth movements, I managed to kick the side stand back into its retracted position... and not notice. When I positioned the bike where I wanted it, I began to lower the bike to the side & rest it onto the non existent stand... over it went in slow motion.

No damage other than a little scrap on the mirror + a couple little marks on the side bag.

After righting this bike, I am thankful I didn't get the Honda STE @ 730lbs, nor the Kawasaki Connie @ 688lbs.

I am not going to repeat this any time soon.

Yeah, that's exactly how I did it... the first time. But she's been napping two other times after that. Once trying to get the bike up on a sidewalk to park under an overhang, another time I was on a really steep hill trying to make a 180. It's not really that big of a deal, just so long as you don't hurt yourself trying to "save" it.. It's just paint scratches.

Yup. I must've tipped over my 'Strom 1000 4 or 5 times in two years of ownership. What a top-heavy pig that thing was. The FJR is easy by comparison, even though it's heavier.

That's a first! a 1K V Strom owner calling the bike a top heavy pig! All the 1K owners over on Stromtroopers will argue how there is really no difference between the 1K and the 650 in the dirt handling dept..

I can say the WeeStrom is much easier to pick back up than the FJR. I did get the FJR up rather quickly and didn't think anything about it when compared to the embarrassment of dropping at work in the parking lot.

That's just crazy. The V-strom is much lighter to pick up than an FJR (does that sound like first hand experience? 'Cause it is.) The Vee is only 50 lbs heavier than the Wee, and both of them are over a hundred lighter than the Feej.

Just this weekend I had the opportunity to pick the Vee up in the middle of a mud bog. And I had 4 guys watching me.

Those Anakee 2 tires are real nice on paved roads, gravel and dirt. Not so cool in real deep mud.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I can't decide if I like dropping mine more with folks around to see it, and help pick it up, or doing it all alone to hide my embarrassment. Tough call.

 

[bucky]

I can't decide if I like dropping mine with folks around to see it, and help pick it up, or doing it all alone to hide my embarrassment. Tough call.

Can't be much worse than taking a leak on the side of the road thinking the coast is clear only to have a carload of girls come around the curve way faster than you thought possible. At least they they could have stopped and asked if I needed help. Not bragging here, but they might have if my wife had not been along.

 

[jmdaniel]

Can't be much worse than taking a leak on the side of the road thinking the coast is clear only to have a carload of girls come around the curve way faster than you thought possible. At least they they could have stopped and asked if I needed help. Not bragging here, but they might have if my wife had not been along.

 

[Monty]

Reminds me of a buddy of mine who did a Chuck Norris high kick and kicked his bike over in Daytona in front of a bunch of Harley riders. :blink:

 

[MEM]

I can't decide if I like dropping mine more with folks around to see it, and help pick it up, or doing it all alone to hide my embarrassment. Tough call.

It's waaay better with folks around

I dropped mine one time - making a grand entrance at CFR '10 so lots of peeps around :blink: - breaking the lefthand footpeg off it. (ok - I've actually dropped it a few times)

Within 7 minutes, Miss Piggy was upright AND the footpeg repaired (by the FJR cavalry that rushed to the scene)

 

[juniorfjr]

I can't decide if I like dropping mine more with folks around to see it, and help pick it up, or doing it all alone to hide my embarrassment. Tough call.

When I dropped mine last week the kid came out of the mini mart to help. (I'd alread picked it back up) Asked him if he saw it, now I have to find a place to hide the body.

 

[Karmak]

Many of us have experienced this event. There's no feeling quite like the feeling when you realize it's past the point of no return. I have the habit now of resting my foot against it to brace it so it can't move without me knowing it, but it's the time you think you can get away with it that it happens. The darned thing is so danged top-heavy.

 

[Karmak]

I can't decide if I like dropping mine more with folks around to see it, and help pick it up, or doing it all alone to hide my embarrassment. Tough call.

Embarrassment is like adrenalin. After a long trip I was too lazy and tired at a Stop sign so figured I'd do the hesitate and go, but reflexes were gone, so-over it went. I hustled to get it up thankful (I thought) that no one was around, when I heard a voice say "Hey are you OK?" "How'd you get that thing up so fast?" "That's pretty heavy, isn't it?" Caught red-handed. He then said "I'm a rider too," which made the embarrassment even worse.