Dropped this top-heavy PITA today

[War Machine]

Dont know why it happend to you twice in a day. Sorry to hear about it though.

Because the bike was put back on the centerstand while still on the same slope! :blink:

 

[Kaelaria]

Sorry, bud, it's 100% user error. If you can't compensate for or detect (one of the two happened) a slope, don't look to the bike to place blame for your inadquate precautions.

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

whiny gash... Oops, sorry!

I too must concur that the FJR is a lightweight man's bike compared to my gen-1 Concours!

If you can't abide with the laws of physics, these things happen.

 

[Jetmaker737]

Wow... this and the "lay her down" thread are awesome entertainment.

 

[War Machine]

Wow... this and the "lay her down" thread are awesome entertainment.

And it's not even Friday!

 

[RickyRey]

:angry2: I am SO friggin sick of this!!! This F-ing bike falls over like that's what it was made to do. In ONE year, I have dropped this bike four times. In the 19 years prior to this bike, I have only had 2 bikes touch the ground, and one time was not my fault. What pisses me off is that the first time it went over today there was absolutely no damage, except a small scrape to the slider. Of course, the second time made up for that and bent the right side mirror mount, broke the right side foot peg off, scratched the recently replaced right side bag, and gouged the crap out of the slider.
I was on my way out of Albuquerque and stopped at the last gas station headed out of Rio Rancho on Unser. I had a great ride planned and was looking forward to enjoying the road and the new music on my mp-3 player. The gas station has a slanted driveway, but is relatively flat at the pumps. I have probably gotten gas there 5 times, three of them on this bike, with no problems. I put the bike on the center stand and get gas. After fuel, I get it off the center stand and that's when the trouble starts. As soon as the rear wheel hits the ground, I know the bike is leaning hard right. There is just no holding it up, so I guide it down. It touched the ground SOFT. I even switched it off because I still had my hand on the throttle.

I somehow raised the kickstand during this time, so I reached over the bike and put it down by hand so the stand would catch it as I lifted the bike. I'm pretty strong, so I lifted the bike by the bars and stood it up on the stand. I gave it an extra push to make sure it was solid. It was! I look the bike and paint over, and nothing is damaged, except for that small scrape on the slider and an almost unnoticable mark on the outside edge of the mirror. Nothing I give a crap about, so I make sure everything is square with me and go back to the left side to get back on.

As soon as I touch the left handlebar to swing my right leg over, the bike starts its fall to the right again. This time I do not have enough of a handle on the bike, so it goes without me and hits HARD. One of those hits were it seems like it bounces and you can year the plastic slap the pavement. Now I'm pissed, but I think, "Ok, it hit the same spot as before, so the damage should be minimal. Lemme just pick this thing up." That was the wrong answer apparently, because now I cannot get it onto the wheels. A pretty buff girl that was parking when the FJR fell the second time offered to help me lift it. Together we got it back onto its stand. There was no way to lift it putting my ass in the seat and walking it back because it was about 6 inches away from the raised pump island.

After this girl helps me get it standing, she comments on how heavy the FJR really is and then tells me her brother has dropped his bike at this same pump two times. Says everyone who lives in the area refuses to get gas there because so many of them have dropped their bikes on the slanted drive. Apparently it looks worse than it is, but I hadn't realized it was so bad and was comfortable with it because I had stopped there before without a problem. We look the bike over and now find the scratches on the bag and the gouged slider. The slider did it's job though and saved all the front fairing. Now I'm a little irritated, but it's nothing some paint can't fix and I'm still ready to ride and just get the stupidness out of my mind.

I get my helmet and gloves back on and check everythign over one more time. That's when I see the foot-peg laying on the ground. It broke at the mount. *********!!! I put it in the saddle bag and decide to ride the 13 miles home without it. This time I am able to get on the bike without a problem, althought I was very cautious of it moving. As I start the ride home, I realize my right mirror is out of adjustment. I try to fix it and realize the mount under the fairing is bent. Now I am really pissed. I get home and my wife, who doesn't expect to see me for about 5 hours hears me in the garage. She asks what happened and I rant about the whole incident and the money its gonna cost to fix. Then I get on the bike and hit the top of the bent mirror while letting out some cuss words.

I must have hit it just right, cuz it immediately went back into adjustment. Well, after looking it over, I think I actually fixed it, cuz now it seems fine. I know I bent the sub-frame underneath the mount and probably just bent it back to near pre-drop. If not, F-it, I'll just fix it later. For now, I will have to take the bag to the guy at BMW and head to Yamaha on Tuesday for a damn peg.

I love this bike, but I am sick of it falling over. No more slanted driveways, gas stations or parking spots. This thing is way too top heavy for that ********. Sorry for the rant, but I actually feel a little better. :angry2:

HRZ,

Sorry to hear your pain. And feel it. I dropped mine in the driveway twice the first day I had it. Much higher CG than my cruiser. Both times it was a slow trip to the asphalt as I tried to hold the thing up. Paint is fine, leg mended and elbow ligaments are still not right but good enough to ride.

At the pump, I sometimes use the side stand and fill standing next to the bike and sometimes just sit on the bike and balance it with my legs. The former is preferable in case of any issues with the fueling process)

And if it makes u feel any better, the bike fell over all by itself in soft gravel and scratched the **** out of the mirror and bag. I put the stand down on rain soaked road shoulder thinking it was asphalt and twas compacted gravel.

I figure the bikes for riding, not worship... and what's a few grand for paint down the road? LOL

Hope your back on the road soon.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Because the bike was put back on the centerstand while still on the same slope! :blink:

Uh...No it wasn't. It was put on the side stand after I stood it up the first time. That's when it fell over by itself.

That being said, for all the smart-***** who think I need to "get out from behind a desk" or "hit the gym", I bench nearly 350 and squat very close to 500. I'm not a little guy and spend a lot of time in the gym. For those who have trouble with their reading comprehension, I actually set the bike down the first time. I challenge most of you here to try that without bitching about some type of damage to your tender colons. I was gonna mention that those who think putting the bike on the sidestand is too much work should work out instead of going to Starbucks, but since I don't know them and their reasons, I figgured I would have more class than that.

I probably had my mind on hitting the road instead of where I parked my bike for the fill-up, which left me with too much downward andle when I took it off the centerstand. As for filling while sitting on my bike, I am too short for that and it is asking for disaster. I have not actually dropped the bike 4 times. It only fell over three, including these two; every time being on some type of slant, and I basically set it down the first time, so I don't know if that one really counts . The other time, I found it laying on it's side in the driveway; probably pushed over by some ******* neighborhood kid screwing with it and finding out it was very top heavy.

AND, I'm sorry for all you guys who are 1,000 years old had to deal with top heavy Connies. I wasn't gearing up for a comparison of who has the biggist pepis. I was stating that this is the most top heavy bike I have ever owned. I sometimes forget how in an anonymous setting people begin to think they know everything.

 

[weekend rider]

HRZ do not take it personally. You made some bad choices when you were parking you bike,no harm no foul.

As far as being musle man who cares. JUst quit dropping and get out and ride..... nuff said now put this thing to rest :drinks:

 

[HotRodZilla]

WR...I'm kind of a grumpy ass-hole tonight. You; however, are totally right. It'll be fixed tomorrow afternoon and I have to take it for a test ride. :yahoo:

 

[twowheelnut]

I sometimes forget how in an anonymous setting people begin to think they know everything.

Yer damn skippy and don't you forget it!

 

[SkooterG]

I sometimes forget how in an anonymous setting people begin to think they know everything.

Think?!

I DO know everything.

 

[CHRIS_D]

I DO know everything.

Look out, I think my wife has taken over SkooterG user ID!!! :blink: :blink: :blink:

 

[Fred W]

I have not actually dropped the bike 4 times. It only fell over three, including these two; every time being on some type of slant...

So what have we learned here?

AND, I'm sorry for all you guys who are 1,000 years old had to deal with top heavy Connies. I wasn't gearing up for a comparison of who has the biggist pepis. I was stating that this is the most top heavy bike I have ever owned.

That's the whole point. There ARE bikes that are heavier, and more top heavy than an FJR, and people still get along on them without dropping them all the time. Just because YOU never owned one doesn't make the FJR a top-heavy bike. Is it heavy? Sure. Says so in the specs. 600 lbs give or take. But it is not particularly top heavy or prone to tipping over given normal precautions.

BTW - I surely don't want to see your pepis whatever that is.

I sometimes forget how in an anonymous setting people begin to think they know everything.

Really? Seems like you remembered it quite well when you made this post...

 

[BikerGeek99]

Damn but this thread just keeps getting better and betterer....

:yahoo:

 

[Duff]

<snip>I sometimes forget how in an anonymous setting people begin to think they know everything.

A - You can't expect to post on the internet without having a thick skin.

B - You can't expect to post a rant without some unsupportive responses.

C - You can NOT start a thread by calling an object of affection, passion, investment and constant attention by almost EVERYONE on this forum a PITA and telling how bad it is without a passionate response by all the other owners!

I feel for you.

I understand your disappointment with having dropped the bike. (BTDT)

Think of it this way: If I walked into your familiy's home at Thanksgiving and started talking about your mother, your family would respond quite strongly in her defense...

...welcome to the FJR family.

Learn from your misfortune, the FJR is not a 125cc dirtbike, it's heavy! It does not like to be leaned over much except for high-speed corners where it likes to be leaned over a LOT!

Good luck on your emotional healing process and take care on future rides!

 

[Zorlac]

"Think of it this way: If I walked into your familiy's home at Thanksgiving and started talking about your mother, your family would respond quite strongly in her defense...'

You mean like I saw her just hours earlier with her forearm up a bird?

 

[Toecutter]

"Think of it this way: If I walked into your familiy's home at Thanksgiving and started talking about your mother, your family would respond quite strongly in her defense...'
You mean like I saw her just hours earlier with her forearm up a bird?

Yeah, what kinda dirt do you have on his mom? I mean, it's not like it's Thanksgiving or anything....

 

[dj bill]

2 types,those who have dropped and those who eventually will.yes they are heavy,it aint no step thru 90.be smart,be carefull and prolond the inevitable !

 

[twowheelnut]

Bah. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Try preventing a fully laden GL1800 from touching down on a slippery garage floor. Do that once and you will forever be aware of how to properly side or center-stand your bike.

 

[old&slow]

HRZ ,,, I agree with dj bill ,,,,, there are the ones that have dropped their bikes ,,, and those that are going to drop there bikes...

( like a old guy told me once when I was muzzle loading ,,, if you have been shooting for more than 6 months and haven't

loaded a ball without the powder ,,, you either aren't shooting the gun or you are a liar)

I dropped my less than 1000 miles CBR1000F ,,,, and dropped my Concours,,, Was it because I did something not to smart ,,,YES...

Does it really piss you off that you dropped it ,,, YES,,,, Does it make you sick to your stomach,,,, YES,,,

I don't bench 350 ,,, and I'm getting older and not as strong as I once was..but at 5'10" and 235 lbs,,,

Don't feel like a "little guy" either ,,, ( unless my wife has been telling stories on me)

SO, Sorry you had the Bad Luck with your bike,,, and F#@*% all the self righteous A**holes that are giving you a ration of ****...

If the bike just sits and you Never ride it anywhere ,,, you probably won't ever drop it....

Old & Slow Dan :angry2: