Dropped my new bike

[Big Sky]

Bought a DL 1000 V-Strom about a month ago. Wife and I decided to determine it's sport/tour capabilities with a little tour in the Idaho Panhandle last weekend. But before we leave, I need to stop at my office for camera and to tie up a few loose ends. This town is built on a mountain side and a lot of it is sloped, as is the street at my office. I pull the Strom off the sidestand and go a little past center... She starts to go so I stab my right foot down and the surface is a long way down from this tall seat and for my 32-inch inseam. Besides, the blankety-blank public works department still hasn't cleaned up last winter's street sand so my foot can't get traction. I pulled my hamstring trying to prevent disaster, but over and down she went anyway. This is the first bike I've dropped in 18 years, I think. Bruised my ego more than my body. Those crash bars really, really work! Rashed the guard itself (easily restored) and the flimsy plastic handguard. I can't believe there wasn't more. A guy comes around the corner and sees my predicament and helps me get it upright. Laying on the downhill slope and with sand, I couldn't have done it. Turns out he just bought a DL 1000 the week before, so he got a valuable lesson in how not to park one of these.

The next day, coming to a stop on a slight decline, I came very, very close to dropping it again, but saved it that time. Yes, lessons... I now know that a V-Strom operator must very wisely choose a landing pad, and that this beast is way top-heavy, especially with a full load of fuel.

Incidentally, it is fairly comfortable, good ergos, but it has some heavy vibes, though not too annoying. Got 39-41 mpg, which is significantly less than I get on the Feej when two up and loaded in the same locales. I left no chicken strips on the brand new tires and did touch the pavement feeler on the left in one particularly well engineered section of twisties.

I think the Strom is a keeper.

 

[DELETE-PLEASE]

Bought a DL 1000 V-Strom about a month ago. Wife and I decided to determine it's sport/tour capabilities with a little tour in the Idaho Panhandle last weekend. But before we leave, I need to stop at my office for camera and to tie up a few loose ends. This town is built on a mountain side and a lot of it is sloped, as is the street at my office. I pull the Strom off the sidestand and go a little past center... She starts to go so I stab my right foot down and the surface is a long way down from this tall seat and for my 32-inch inseam. Besides, the blankety-blank public works department still hasn't cleaned up last winter's street sand so my foot can't get traction. I pulled my hamstring trying to prevent disaster, but over and down she went anyway. This is the first bike I've dropped in 18 years, I think. Bruised my ego more than my body. Those crash bars really, really work! Rashed the guard itself (easily restored) and the flimsy plastic handguard. I can't believe there wasn't more. A guy comes around the corner and sees my predicament and helps me get it upright. Laying on the downhill slope and with sand, I couldn't have done it. Turns out he just bought a DL 1000 the week before, so he got a valuable lesson in how not to park one of these.
The next day, coming to a stop on a slight decline, I came very, very close to dropping it again, but saved it that time. Yes, lessons... I now know that a V-Strom operator must very wisely choose a landing pad, and that this beast is way top-heavy, especially with a full load of fuel.

Incidentally, it is fairly comfortable, good ergos, but it has some heavy vibes, though not too annoying. Got 39-41 mpg, which is significantly less than I get on the Feej when two up and loaded in the same locales. I left no chicken strips on the brand new tires and did touch the pavement feeler on the left in one particularly well engineered section of twisties.

I think the Strom is a keeper.

Welcome to the dropped bike club. How you managed to avoid being a member for 18 years is beyond my imagination. Hell, I joined about three days after getting my first bike. But it doesn't hurt my ego or pride anymore when I drop it. Cause mainly the drops are due to gravel roads, dirt/gravel parking lots, or (crossed fingers) when no one I know is around to see....
Alexi

 

[Crash Cash]

I wished I'd gotten the 1000 instead of the super-gutless 650, but hey I managed to trade in the 650 for the FJR, so it wasn't all bad. When I test-drove a DL-1000 at Bike Week, the bike had the turnsignals broken off both sides. That is one tall bike.

 

[Big Sky]

While out on the described tour (920 miles) we encountered a very nice couple, both astride FJRs. He on an '07, she on an '08, both AEs. We happened to stay at the same motel that night and had a nice session of motorcycle BS. Anyway, I asked her if she had dropped hers yet. She sheepishly replied, "...twice." Worse, she had owned the bike just two weeks! Worse than that, she had dropped it on both sides and the rash was substantial, broken mirror, etc. ! I felt so bad for her but tried to rebuild her confidence. It was clear her confidence was in worse shape than her Feej.

"Welcome to the dropped bike club. How you managed to avoid being a member for 18 years is beyond my imagination. Hell, I joined about three days after getting my first bike. But it doesn't hurt my ego or pride anymore when I drop it. Cause mainly the drops are due to gravel roads, dirt/gravel parking lots, or (crossed fingers) when no one I know is around to see...."

Alexi

I didn't say I wasn't member. I have dropped bikes, but just not for 18 years. That was an 1100F Honda and it, too, had crash bars, which stopped the fall and saved a lot of damage.