Dropped My FJR

[blackarrow]

Well...Crud! My wife and I were out on a short ride when I stopped at a tourist attraction of sorts. I was forced to stop on a left decline, and the extra weight was too much for my skinny legs to handle. It could have been worse, scratches on the bag, and engine, Wife's skinned elbow, my bruised ego. Oh well, hopefully she'll ride with me again.

You have my total sympathy. There are people out there that swear they've never dropped a bike and never will. Good for them. I'm of the mind it's an inevitable event; not if but when. My average is once every eight years or so.

I give the highest accolades to Garauld. He does wonderful work at prices low enough I'm convinced he's not in it for the money as much as to minister to injured FJR's and their owners. If you can't find a body shop in your area that will do it for a reasonable rate by all means pm Garauld.

 

[farkelschnark]

Thanks for the sympathy...No, we weren't geared up like we should've been, but at least she wasn't wearing shorts and flip-flops. I haven't decided about repairs...It really isn't very noticable. I'd hate to spend cash getting it fixed, then do it again! :angry:

 

[madmike2]

Simple: Spend the money for the repaint, then DON'T do it again. :yahoo:

 

[tool guy]

Thanks for the sympathy...No, we weren't geared up like we should've been, but at least she wasn't wearing shorts and flip-flops. I haven't decided about repairs...It really isn't very noticable. I'd hate to spend cash getting it fixed, then do it again! :angry:

By unfourtnate chance, I noticed that www.colorrite.com sells matching paint for the 03-05 engine's listed under the O5 FJR. Engile paint is called Curcuit Silver, and I used a $10 Air Brush from Harbour Freight. Regards, Tool Guy

 

[dbvolfan]

Hey Farkle! Good to see another FJR in little old Richmond! Sorry to hear about your fall but glad you and the wife are OK. Plastic can be painted! Skin can't (unless you are Tammi Fae)

 

[stellarsteve]

The pictures you took could have been of my 06. I have the same scars from when I dropped it after I first got it. Sorry to hear about the drop. Welcome to the club.

 

[NightShine]

Sorry to hear it......................Do you have sliders installed??

Sliders - the 5mph bumpers of motorcycles. Might have saved the engine cover, but not the bag.I have a set on mine, though, never tested.

I've dropped my bike (embarrassingly enough) three times in two years, all at near zero speed. What I've learned:

1. The saddle bags are an integral part of a proper slider system. Consider them as sacrificial parts that help with protecting the rest of your bike.
2. Preferential landing surfaces (in order): grass, asphalt/concrete, gravel.
3. Wear your "battle scars" proudly. They highlight the experiences that make up our lives, and can make for some good conversation.

 

[FuzzyRider]

Nightshine makes a valid point - the side bags ARE a sacrificial part. I have multiple scratches on my bags and I haven't dropped the bike yet - my scratches are caused hitting the bags with my boots as I get on/off the bike.

 

[wfooshee]

It looks to me like the logo stripe on the bag is supposed to be where it touches down if the bike lays down. That would, of course, be in perfect conditions on a perfect surface, which is kinda what I experienced in my little accident. (I bumped my brother when I thought he'd left from a stop sign, lost the bike to the left, but was able to "guide" it down. Held on as best I could to let it down easy. Had no paint damage.)

All bets are off in gravel, though!

 

[farkelschnark]

[quote

Good to see another FJR in little old Richmond!

Cool! We'll have to burn some road sometime!

 

[dbvolfan]

[quote Good to see another FJR in little old Richmond!

Cool! We'll have to burn some road sometime!

Would love to as there are plenty of good roads around here. May be a while for me though. The bike is in the shop for what might be a good 2-3 months. I "think" my 2nd gear dog wore, bending my shift fork as 1--->2 shifts have been increasingly met with several 'clicks' and a resistance to upshift. Finally got to a point where I couldnt ignore it anymore. Dealer said it would be a good 2 weeks before he could look at it and if it is the problem, another 8-10 to fix.

Damn, I hope Y.E.S. comes in handy. No abuse and I have 40k on my other bike and have never encountered any gear issues so I dont think its ham fisted shifting issues.

 

[keithaba]

Nightshine makes a valid point - the side bags ARE a sacrificial part. I have multiple scratches on my bags and I haven't dropped the bike yet - my scratches are caused hitting the bags with my boots as I get on/off the bike.

Try standing on the left peg and holding the front brake while you get off. Makes it a lot easier for us vertically challenged folks.

Oh and let me know when you guys are going to ride. I love riding out by red river gorge, great roads, not a lot of cops or traffic!

Now back to our regularly scheduled program!!!

 

[farkelschnark]

I love riding out by red river gorge, great roads, not a lot of cops or traffic!

The gorge is a great ride...getting there is half th fun!

 

[farkelschnark]

[quote Good to see another FJR in little old Richmond!

Cool! We'll have to burn some road sometime!

Would love to as there are plenty of good roads around here. May be a while for me though. The bike is in the shop for what might be a good 2-3 months. I "think" my 2nd gear dog wore, bending my shift fork as 1--->2 shifts have been increasingly met with several 'clicks' and a resistance to upshift. Finally got to a point where I couldnt ignore it anymore. Dealer said it would be a good 2 weeks before he could look at it and if it is the problem, another 8-10 to fix.

Damn, I hope Y.E.S. comes in handy. No abuse and I have 40k on my other bike and have never encountered any gear issues so I dont think its ham fisted shifting issues.

That sucks about your bike. Maybe in the spring...I ride Redhouse Rd. a lot, when I've got half an hour or so to kill. I'll ride into town from my house, (Clay's Ferry) then take RH to Boonesboro, then back home...It's my official decompression chamber.

MP <><

 

[cyoungmo]

I dropped mine the week after I bought it (1 week to the day). I was in the parking lot at work and were I parked is very slightly sloped. I left it in neutral to get open the storage box. When I went to get off, I guess I pushed forward a little as I raised my leg over the bike. It started to roll and pushed the kickstand up. I tried to catch it on my leg ( it hurt like hell) but I managed to barely let it hit, left a mark the size of a pencil eraser on the bottom corner of the bag and got a small spot of yellow paint on the muffler at the weld. I was so pissed I wanted to cry and rip the windscreen off at the same time. I told another guy opening up with me, he dropped his honda the 1st week he bought it. Then I was talking to a salesman, he dropped his fatboy the day he bought it. After talking to some more people, seems the majority has done it! Still sucks!

 

[wfooshee]

About 2 weeks after I bought mine I almost dropped it at the Yamaha dealer when the sidestand wasn't all the way down. 3 more degrees and it would have been gone.

As an aside, I have a vague memory of my Basic Riding Course instructor teaching us to mount and dismount with the front brake squeezed. Yields a smaller potential movement during the climb on or off.

 

[Fred W]

I dropped mine the week after I bought it (1 week to the day). I was in the parking lot at work and were I parked is very slightly sloped. I left it in neutral to get open the storage box. When I went to get off, I guess I pushed forward a little as I raised my leg over the bike. It started to roll and pushed the kickstand up. I tried to catch it on my leg ( it hurt like hell) but I managed to barely let it hit, left a mark the size of a pencil eraser on the bottom corner of the bag and got a small spot of yellow paint on the muffler at the weld. I was so pissed I wanted to cry and rip the windscreen off at the same time. I told another guy opening up with me, he dropped his honda the 1st week he bought it. Then I was talking to a salesman, he dropped his fatboy the day he bought it. After talking to some more people, seems the majority has done it! Still sucks!

Prior to my FJR days, I owned a 2001 Concours. I bought the bike used (I've never bought a new bike, ever) but it was in pristine condition, really low miles and had obviously never been dropped before. The first time I took the bike out I pulled over to get into one of the rear bags, put the kickstand down and when I went to dismount the bike just tipped over to the right. It seems the PO was a bit vertically challenged and had the suspension set all the way down. That along with the slight road crown was just a bit too much.

Talk about pissed! It broke the right side footpeg clean off (Connies are known for that) and scratched up the right side bag and the little foot vent. Righting that beast was a real chore. Any of you think the FJR is heavy? Hah! It's a welterweight compared to the old Conks. I'm a big guy (6'2" 215lbs) and it was everything I could do to stand it back up, even using the correct (rear facing) technique. I then got to ride it home with my right foot on the passenger peg.