If you drop it...

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I have found that when one drops their bike, the witnesses are usually willing to help pick it up after they finish laughing. Remember, you never make stupid mistakes alone. There will always be a crowd to remember it over and over again.
Ain't it the truth. :lol:

 
I just hold the bars, and digout everything under it until it's upright. You'll need a good shovel, i recommend www.shovelforum.com

 
I have found that when one drops their bike, the witnesses are usually willing to help pick it up after they finish laughing.  Remember, you never make stupid mistakes alone.  There will always be a crowd to remember it over and over again.
Non, non, mon ami! One looks with heartfelt sympathy and aids the stricken rider with great empathy and some nervous, "Heh-heh-heh's". After one is sure that everyone is not physically injured and the bike has suffered minor damage, one helps (instructs on the proper procedure to) upright the said horizontal vehicle. THEN let the laughter ring out! :D

Skyway had the dubious honor of being part of ride wherein 50% (2 of 4) bikes were stricken with "Lay me down in the parking lot syndrome". :( Luckily neither the riders nor their pillions were injured. Some crow was eaten and pride swallowed without spices or condiments........ ;)

 
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David Hough's (?spelling) book Proficent Motorcycling has a section in it that covers this issue (in addition to many other very useful bits of info)

Toophast

 
Izzat Sophia??? :dribble:   :dribble:   :dribble:   That broad is still hot!
You will call me a liar...c'est la vie...but that's Missus Howie. (pant..drool)

God knows what she's doin' with an old bastage like me, but I ain't complainin'.

B)

 
at 5' 11" and 255# I am not the average small kind-a guy.

Christ! That IS you in your avatar picture, isn't it?
Yup, That be me...

...and in a few years ...

FJRocha_150x150-2.jpg


 
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Not long after I bought a KLR I sped into the parking lot of my favorite outdoor cafe/coffee house. I hopped off and spun around in one smooth move and the KLR crashed down into me, knocking me to one knee! Being a perfect spring morning there was a crowd outside. Not only did they laugh, they actually applauded! My buds....Oh the shame. I seem to be kickstand challenged, I've dropped my FJR in the driveway TWICE! Doh! With the instant adreneline fueled rage I could probably pick up 2 FJRs...

 
just one thing missing in the otherwise correct procedure described earlier.

lock your steering with the wheel pointed towards you prior to the lift. it comes up like a dream. it went down like a nightmare.

derek

 
Can the FJR be picked up by an average guy alone?Any tips or techniques? It hasen't happened, but I would like to know.

Thanks,

Bruce
If you are going to do it - make sure you take off bags and rely on your frame sliders to save the fairing !! :p

 
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I don't figure our FJR is especially hard to pick up but I was glad I had two riding buddies with me when I dropped mine. I had special circumstances.

First, I had already injured one leg and lower back trying to keep it upright in my zero MPH tip-over. I thought I could save it so I tried really hard. I'm sure I slowed its drop but was not worth the pulled muscles. Second, the bike was lying toward on down-hill side of a steep incline. If I was uninjured and alone I would have had to drag it around on the pavement before even attempting. As it was, three of us grunted plenty getting it back up.

 
I had an idiotic drop at an intersection on unnoticed slanted pavement. Plenty of cages as an audience. I was so determined to save as much dignity as possible under the circumstances, the bike was back up so fast that some might have thought it bounced. Of course it did give me the opportunity to find out that TOG's suck. Moko's were on within the week.

 
Ya know, drops are all embarrassing and it's fun in a sick sort of way to share our drop experiences. Couple years back we were at Deals Gap, it had rained we were in the gas station buying stuff waiting on the rain to lift. After it did, we were outside, in comes this guy off the dragon, angles into the parkinglot, slow speed, and for some reason, the tires just slip out from under the bike, he's doing about 10 mph or a little less, and lets go, the bike skids across the parkinglot and thank God, hits nothing other than asphault. Now there's about 30 some odd people standing around there in the parking lot when this happens, what does this guy do? he stands up, looks around and then takes a bow. Several folks help him stand his bike back up. Scratched up pretty good all the way down the left side, but the guy only had minor road rash. Such personal experiences humble your confidence, shake you up and sometimes make you second guess yourself. Our wounded pride will heal with time, and the sooner you get away from those people who saw it the better! ;)

 
Whilst we're sharing.

I was going to lunch with 3 other fellows in my truck.

A man sped around us on his bike (temp tags proudly displayed), and locked up the back tire trying to stop (speed too fast for skill and condition).

He managed to get the bike stopped, but failed to put a foot down, so over it went on the left side of the bike.

We stopped, said nothing, all three got out, and helped him right is bike.

He thanked us quietly, and explained he had just picked it up, and was riding it home.

My guess -- no experience, and no training. Fortunately the only damage was his pride, and a lot of damage to the bike.

 
my drop was self inflicted.

years ago - riding a Triumph Trophy - (a 71 or 72) I was at a gas station where my friend worked - waiting for him to get off. It was in Vegas, summer time. I was gasing up at the pump when some babes rolled in - in some sort of convertable (wasn't really looking at the car). My buddy jumps on the back of my bike and says....

Let's burn rubber out of here - impress the girls.

I'm sitting on that hardened fuel pump concrete - you know ... the slick kind. Dude's on the back and I goose it. Mostly nothing but wheel spin... but we make a little progress.

Right to the edge of the concrete and onto the asphalt.

Front end lifts - nice little wheelie - and friend (not wearing a helmet) flops off the back right on to the hardened concrete.

Man- were those girls impressed ! :clap:

I can still (30+ years later) see the looks on their faces as they almost coughed up a couple of lungs laughing.

by the way - clean up was easy - as back in the day they had water hoses on the gas pump landings. Must be why they had that slick concrete.... so you could hose your friend's blood off. :haha:

 
Anyone ever have a sneaker shoelace loop get caught around the shifter (without you knowing it?). Back on my first bike (73 CB350), I had that happen and went to put my foot down at a stop, foot snagged, bike went over on my leg. Ouch. Not hurt much, thankfully.

I also had (I didn't really learn back then) _both_ sneakers get caught (one side on shifter, one side on brake). I can still remember riding down the road, not being able to stop, running several stop signs until I managed to unhook one of them. One of the scariest moments of my life. :shock:

 
Last spring 3 1/2 months after shoulder surgery,...snap down lowside on gravel....left hand turn @ less then 10 kph....cosmetics to the fjr....3 broken ribs to me....(3rd time down on the street in 30 some odd years riding)(we aren't counting the race track)....found it was a bitch to pick the bike back up....you know your getting older when.... :blink:

 
I got brainwashed into buying MOKOS- never thought ... Getting back on bike in parking lot, turning key on, balance and weight go to left leg , boot touches down on a 3 in. long twig & round like a pencil, boot rolls on twig like it was on a ballbearing... weightshift, right hand on key, boot kicked out.... at 50` angle the big magnet at center of earth gets turned on and the irresitable force overcomes the immovable object. Pick it up or leave it--- My advice---Buy MOKOS

 
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