Boneheaded Bike Drops

[mcatrophy]

..."What a bunch of clumsy, ham-fisted GUYS!"

So, you've never, ever, dropped a bike?
Without wishing to get into religion, you must be some sort of motorcycling god

 

[blassoff]

Crash, fall down, get back up! That's just riding to me. I think I've been down twice with this bike. Once I caught a rock outcropping with the corner of a saddlebag (things feel like outriggers sometimes). Second time was just a dumb mistake. Riding tired! Eyes off the road, when I looked back and focused traffic had stopped. Before I plowed into a rider in front of me I turned hard and lost the front end. Oh....forgot about the parking lot incident. Went to put her on the center stand only to find uneven footing, boink. That was at Americade first year on my ownership. Lots if assistance getting her back up, but talk about embarrassment. So yea, three times. And she has the scars to prove it. Clearly not a garage queen.

 

[Bungie]

Twice on my Gen 1.

First time I was putting air in my tire. The hose wouldn't reach the back tire, so I was pushing it forward with the sidestand down - Hey, I'm an experienced rider! Except I didn't see the blue jelly bean stuck in the pavement directly ahead of my sidestand.

Up the sidestand goes. Farkin' arsehole behind me just sat there while my 04 slowly tried to break a leg, and my back while I begged him for some help.

2nd time I did a U-turn (who? me?!) on a narrow paved back road. Front wheel dropped off the pavement on to the sandy shoulder. Turned out the sand was about a mile deep. I swear my bike was on it's side before I even realized their was going to be an issue. Almost had to wait for somebody to come by to help me pick it up. No adrenalin. But pissed off helps lots too.

Most embarrassing one was in Robbinsville NC. I had that evil car tire on. Parked off camber in a paring lot beside Gary. Got off the bike, and the hand of god came out and gave it a gentle nudge pass the tipping point and the bike went over on to Gary's bike WHILE HE WAS STILL ON IT. Marked up his saddle bag with my bar end. The bike had fallen away from me and their was no way I could lift it back toward me without help. Luckily, their was some guys there that gave me a hand. But since it didn't hit the ground, it wasn't a drop.

 

[RadioHowie]

..."What a bunch of clumsy, ham-fisted GUYS!"

So, you've never, ever, dropped a bike?
Without wishing to get into religion, you must be some sort of motorcycling god

"Dropped" in context with this thread, translates to ME as "I did something to lose a battle with gravity." In that context, no, I've never "dropped" a bike.

I have, however, had two "asphalt events.".

One involved a VERY large dog whilst heeled over in a curve...the other involved a 5 quart patch of fresh engine oil in the middle of an intersection resulting from a poorly done oil change on a car previously in possession of said intersection.

So, no deification on my part...simply two cases of "wrong place -- wrong time."

 

[PhilJet09]

Yep, did the same as you, forgot to put the stand back down after realizing I still needed to plug in my heated vest. Bummer.

Second time I had my better half on the back, stopped at an intersection that sloped up, started to make the turn when I stalled it (idle set too low). I got to see out of the corner of my eye my wife's helmeted head bounce off the curb - not too many moments in my life where I've felt lower than that. Anyway, embarrassment and adrenaline allowed my 5'3" 135 lb self to pick it right back up.

I like to keep my bikes nice, but they aren't show bikes, so it's all good. Scratches are badges of honor...at least that's how I lie to myself.

 

[Hello Kitty]

My very first time taking the FJR out after riding her home from the dealer. BIke is an 08, but I bought it new in Jan, 2010. Although this was my fault, I am placing *some* blame on the bike. The bike is quite high for me, and has since been lowered, but it was not at the time. My driveway is a hill and I was nervous about parking it, pointing down hill, to get off and close the garage door (I also since have a garage door opener on the bike). So I rode to the flat area at the bottom of the driveway and was going to walk back up.

Since this was my first ride, the location of the side stand wasn't intuitive. I was flicking my foot around back there and not finding it. Neutral light was on, and I *thought* I was in neutral, though I still had the clutch pulled in. So I dumped the clutch to turn back and look for the side stand, bike lurched forward and I was twisting and totally unprepared for that, down she went. The frame sliders were in the garage, still in their packaging.

Some kind passerbys in a car jumped out and picked the bike up before I could think. They suggested I get a black sharpie to hide the dings. I guess they didn't realize I don't give a **** about that stuff.

But a better story is when I was a new rider. On a 1980 Honda CM400T. My husband was on a very sweet 74 KZ400. We pulled up to a gas pump, he was standing on the far side as I was getting off the bike to stand between the bikes. Forgot to put the side stand down... We were piled up - husband on the bottom, then KZ, then me, then CM. I wrangled myself out, picked up the CM. As I was lifting the KZ for Walt to crawl out, only then did the crowd of onlookers ask if we needed help!

 

[mcatrophy]

...

"What a bunch of clumsy, ham-fisted GUYS!"

So, you've never, ever, dropped a bike?Without wishing to get into religion, you must be some sort of motorcycling god

"Dropped" in context with this thread, translates to ME as "I did something to lose a battle with gravity." In that context, no, I've never "dropped" a bike.

...

So, no deification on my part...

... respect ...
But you probably will.

 

[RadioHowie]

^^^^^^^^^
Oh, I'm sure I will...

 

[majicmaker]

^^^^^^^^^Oh, I'm sure I will...

Hopefully not but, Yeah. I'm sure you will.

 

[RadioHowie]

Haven't washed it since Oct 2009, so what harm would a few scratches make?

 

[J. Parrie]

Pulled up under the covered area in front of a Motel office in Fortuna. Concrete slab was level, but the asphalt forward of the expansion joint between concrete and said asphalt was sloped considerably. Between the shadow from the overhang and the contrast between the concrete and asphalt, I did not notice the slope. Front tire was on the sloped asphalt, back tire on the concrete. I put the side stand down, swung my leg off the bike, and as I was walking away caught the bike moving forward in my peripheral vision. Tried to save it, but too late. Lots of people around to witness it, it was a real crowd pleaser!

 

[maddad]

1st time bike was new, steep chip seal rode and thought I should turn around before getting to the top. Should have gone to the top flat part and turned around. Left Frame slide all scratched up.

2nd time, on a pier in Jacksonville after travelling a full tank of gas on day 6 of a trip. Hit a spec of sand, legs were just too tired to hold it. Went down so slow it felt like I was showing how it good be balanced on the frame slider. Right Frame Slider now scratched.

3rd time just a few weeks ago on our trip Coast to Coast and back. Route 191 in Arizona, a very twisty, occasionally sandy and fenceless road above the copper mine. The one place during the trip that a stupid mistake could mean falling off a cliff. Parked for some scenery, got back on, riding back onto the road, front tire sunk about 6 inches in the gravel, wobbled, I give it the gas, front tire lurches onto the pavement, all is good. Stop and get off both to breath a sigh of relief and wave off the other guys to be careful. Got back on, started to pull ahead, stalled, added a few more scratches to that Left frame slider.

A word of advice about fall #3. When something happens like 'almost falling', take a good long breather and wait till your adrenalin stops and you are back to normal. I thought I was just fine, but pulling away I was still thinking about that loose gravel. The road I had thought was so awesone before the drop, all of sudden I just wanted to get off of. Was back to normal about 100 miles later.

 

[timk]

Hell, I dropped mine after a ride in my garage. I had a habit of leaning the bike just a smidge to the right when using the sidestand. I had my foot on the floor, but it was tucked too close to the bike. A 3-4 wrestling match ensued, bike laid down easy on some maintenance throw rugs. I suffered a pretty nasty burn on my calf. My headbone wasn't connected to any other bone that day

 

[maddad]

What sticks in my mind is the almost drops. A few times where the kick stand wasn't fully extended but bike was in gear, rolled forward enough for the gear to hold i back and still balance on the kick stand even though it was pointing in the wrong direction. Causes a moment of panic.

 

[eatpasta]

Ive dropped my 1150GS in the dirt a hundred million times (most of them bonehead) but most of my street bike drops have genuinely been bonehead drops:

When I was 18 I dropped my FZR trying to check the oil.... hell even last week I dropped my CB400F in the garage just trying to scoot it against the wall. But this is why I usually tend to own imperfect bikes as opposed to garage queens