learned some things about dropping the bike today

[Bustanut joker]

If you drop it a fourth time you might wanna hire an agent.. Hell you'll be a pro by then.

The only time I dropped mine I was drunk... I know this isn't news to some of you.

I wasn't going to ride it mind you, just back it out of the drive an onto the lawn for the night.

Anyway the 2 klowns I was with came out to help as i was kinda pinned under the fat pig. They stood laughing for a bit and then Gary walked off only to return a few seconds later with a garden hose.

He figured since it was hot that day an the cement drive was attempting to roast my ass he might as well cool me off.

Bike had minor scratches on the sidebag and mirror. My elbow and knee got tore up pretty good though.

 

[Fred W]

Mathematical law, do unto one side as you do unto the other. Dropped mine twice on the right, once on the left. Another left is now imminent.

Actually, it is a statistical (not mathematical) supposition, and it is completely false. Just like the odds of a coin that has just come up tails three times in a row, on the next flip the odds are still 50:50.

OTOH, there is Murphy's law, which demands that whichever side of the bike has the least drop damage will be the side that goes down next.

 

[Spud]

After dropping my Bandit in the driveway when it was pretty new, I made a goal to never drop the FJR. I came real close once in a parking lot at WFO in Moscow, don't know how I saved it.

I have a routine EVERY time I park the thing--kickstand down, climb off holding by the bars, after I'm off I pull backward on the bars and kick the stand forward again. So far, so good. If I ever drop it, will probably be a foot slipping in a slow-speed turn around or something, but I am really focused on my goal!

 

[ionbeam]

...I made a goal to never drop the FJR. I came real close once in a parking lot at WFO in Moscow, don't know how I saved it...I have a routine EVERY time...So far, so good. If I ever drop it, will probably be a foot slipping in a slow-speed turn around or something...

Good luck with that. I believe that Murphy is a skilled hunter that works by ambush and is drawn to 'the best laid plains' like flies to dog doo then administers his 'law' when you least expect it.

Right side: Just north of Smugglers Notch, VT we (pillion and I) were turning around in a grass and gravel parking lot to go back and shoot some pictures. I stopped to look for traffic before pulling out, at zero mph I put my right foot down and -- whiff, nothing was there and it started to list more, still whiff, and more list and whiff. Plop in the gravel, lots of tears over vertical gravel scratches on most of the right side. Fortunately at the last second when I realized the inevitable was about to happen I got my leg out from harms way.

Left side: Pulled into the parking lot (theme?) of the Little Bay Buffalo Company to shoot pixs of the buffalo herd with lots of little baby buffalo. It had been raining and the asphalt was completely covered by a combination of mud and buffalo byproducts. While turning at close to zero mph we were suddenly laying on the ground before my eyes and brain could realize that in the zero friction mixture the front wheel tucked at near light speed and quicker 'n you can say OH SHIT we were in it. Fortunately we were riding with a friend so I had a witness to our downfall

I only managed to get the bottom edge of the stator cover and the very bottom of the rear bag slightly buffed up. Unfortunately, pillion took a long slide on the near frictionless surface.

Back end: In a parking lot (!) of a farm I was backing into a shady area and didn't see the protrusions coming off of a horse drawn hay rake and put small bungs in the ends of the bags.

 

[Spud]

Thanks for wishing me the good luck

The other part of my strategy to only ride in nice warm sunny weather....

Avoid wet slippery surfaces...

loose dirt....

unstable or slick surfaces...

etc...

 

[ionbeam]

Thanks for wishing me the good luck

The other part of my strategy to only ride in nice warm sunny weather....

Avoid wet slippery surfaces...

loose dirt....

unstable or slick surfaces...

etc...

I'd never ride in those places either.

 

[Fred W]

Now c'mon guys. You have it all wrong. You have to only ride in all of those challenging conditions and places.

It's the smooth clean roads that gets you all complacent. lulls you into a false security and lets your mind wander. Then before you know it you forget to put the kickstand down or do something else equally as retarded, like making a U-turn on the side of a wicked steep hill or trying to ride the bike up onto the sidewalk in front of your motel room like Julian Dupont.

 

[LKLD]

I'd be willing to bet that the garage is prime for drops. Mine is very slick and it's concrete.

 

[Dudewado]

See what you started??!!

Friday I started to make a right from a stop sign, and just at the precarious moment that the bars started turning and the clutch was engaging, I didn't give it quite enough throttle.

When that lead pig gets to a certain angle, you just have to let it go. Sigh, "Paging Dr. Garauld, I have another side bag cover that needs painting."

 

[Goodman4]

I think the scratches on my mirror from my recent drop makes me a little more relaxed when I ride. I was really uptight about not scratching anything up because it was in such perfect condition for an 07. Everybody keeps saying I should put some paint on the mirror and get somebody to take the tiny dings out of the muffler, but it gives her personality and I can see myself being smarter about getting out of the way if I drop her again.

 

[MEM]

I think the scratches on my mirror from my recent drop makes me a little more relaxed when I ride. I was really uptight about not scratching anything up because it was in such perfect condition for an 07. Everybody keeps saying I should put some paint on the mirror and get somebody to take the tiny dings out of the muffler, but it gives her personality and I can see myself being smarter about getting out of the way if I drop her again.

Good attitude!
Besides, chicks dig scars :thumbsup:

 

[Pepperell]

Now that my bike is 10 years old, I'm glad I never spent the money to repair the scratches from my tipovers. I have good news; plastic doesn't rust if it's scratched!!

By the way, I can't see a single scratch when seated on the bike.

 

[FJR Bill]

Maybe this is what new owners should do : Bring that sweet new FJR home, take pictures of it, swoon at it's beauty then kick the bitch over, pick her up then push the bitch to the other side. Worries over. Not sayin' I did this, just a thought I got from some other FJR owner.

Bill

 

[Eric L]

I've never owned a bike that challenges me so while parking, backing etc. At 65 years old but with decades of experience, so far I haven't dropped my 09 after 35,000 miles. But because I'm so tenuous on it while tip toeing in the parking lot I bought sidebag protectors and have on order fairing protectors. Would like to hear what damage you guys experienced on your drops. Mine was dropped by previous owner, sidebags not installed. Dent on muffler, scrape on motor, scrapes on side panels, mirror bent in but still useable. Bill

bit of scuff on bottom of bags, bit on the sliders, barend weights

 

[900gc]

Speaking of scratches; Years ago when I sold MB cars, I was delivering a $90K S class and the owner took off the license plate and scratched the paint underneath. He said something about not worrying about it getting scratched now. Yeesh.

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

Sounds like it's time to get a smaller/lighter bike.

 

[FJR Bill]

Sounds like it's time to get a smaller/lighter bike.

I've considered this, but all the other great attributes of the FJR have convinced me to keep mine.

Bill

 

[art miller]

I once almost dropped mine but managed to save it, that was about 3 years ago. The hemmoroid that shout of my ass has almost disappeared.
Note: When filling your tires and you have to give it a push a couple of feet to make the valve accessible, don't be a smart guy and leave your sidestand down. There might be a blue jelly bean glued to the pavement that will trip your sidestand back unbeknownst to you.

I always put the bike on its centre-stand to check the pressures. The rear is obviously easy, the front I can pull round.
Also, to get a accurate pressure reading, you don't want the air falling to the side

.

Remember to change the air at least once a year. Stale air will cause drag on the bike and lower MPG.

 

[Fred W]

Art, Art, Art... where the hell have you been all these long years?

No wonder my fuel mileage has ben sufferin', my tahrs wearin' out at an astronautical rate, and my temperature has been running one bar too low...

I haven't flushed the air in my tahrs since 2006!

 

[JPicks]

Dropped mine about 6 weeks ago when I stalled her going up a short ramp from a gravel parking lot at work up to the raised "patio" where I park my bike. Left food was 8 inches above ground level, so went down pretty hard. Broke the left mirror, scratched, scuffed and cracked the upper left fairing, scratched bar end weight, clutch lever, engine cover, front fender, and my left side case looks like a bear's been using it for a scratching post! Oh, and the slider is scuffed too, but I figure that's what it's for, so hardly worth mentioning.