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Have you ever dropped your bike?
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Several times. I was a fool when I started (hope that I'm not one now). I sold my car at noon and got my first motorcycle at 2, and I'd never ridden before. Not even once around the parking lot. Several times it fell over at stop lights and signs because I didn't have the clutch-brake-throttle coordination down. And my first spring I went around a curve that I knew well and found how much a difference sand can make as I slid down and into the grass. But I was young and strong enough that righting a 500# bike was no sweat.sigpic[Tom]
“The greatest service this country could render the rest of the world would be to put its own house in order and to make of American civilization an example of decency, humanity, and societal success from which others could derive whatever they might find useful to their own purposes.” George Kennan
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Cruzr
Not yet. I'm hoping the BRC will help me with my confidence level. NL keeps a pretty close eye on me since my first "experience".
If I drop it, I hope it's not too bad.....
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Darci
Originally posted by bwringer View PostThis was several years ago, but it was on the GS850.
I was headed to a state park to stake out a campsite early on a Friday afternoon. I just had a few lightweight odds and ends on the bike -- just enough "stuff" to make a campsite look occupied until I returned with my wife and nieces. It one of those bright, sunwashed days that seem all the more luminous because they follow a solid week of rain.
I rounded a back roads curve, and saw that the road ahead had been, well, removed. In its place was a barricade, and a nicely graded gravel roadbed, ready for asphalt on Monday. No one was around, and there was no machinery parked nearby.
Detouring would have added another 30 minutes to a quick two hour trip, and I didn't have the time or patience for that. I stopped for a second to make sure I was alone and to make sure there weren't any deep holes on the roadbed, but everything checked out.
As it turned out, what appeared to be graded gravel was actually a thin layer of the stones left when a pile of mud is gently washed by steady rain for several days.
As soon as I entered, I knew things weren't what they appeared to be. By gearing down, gunning the throttle, and standing up, I slithered and fishtailed a good 60 feet into the quagmire. Finally, my front fender packed solid with mud and the rear wheel buried itself nearly to the axle. Unfortunately, the mud was not quite thick enough to hold up the bike, and when I stepped off, I sunk in nearly to my knees. My nice clean GS fell on its left side with a wet "ploop". The handlebar didn't even turn -- the left handgrip simply buried itself a foot into the soup.
Worse, I had only made it about a third of the way through the mud before my dismount. But I'm no quitter. By slogging along beside the bike on foot and gunning it in first gear, I managed to make it to dry pavement on the other side. I made a complete mess out of the nicely graded roadway in the process, but I had a feeling they would be regrading anyway if it ever dried out enough to use machinery.
There were no witnesses aside from a few unhealthy looking cattle. I got a strange look checking into the campground, but other than a couple of hours spent washing and picking sticky mud out of every crevice on the left side of my GS850, there was no damage and no consequences.
Ok, Now I don't feel so bad!
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Darci
Originally posted by Pharkmeh View Postlol - havent actually dropped it yet - but Im sure its only a matter of time...
the first week I owned it I was pulling away hard racin a cager when the starter clutch chit it self.... big chunks of metal n stuff grinding in the case somehowlocked the back wheelup...
I heard the horrible noise and was backing down from about 100kph - but I was still doin mebe 70kph when it locked and the back end started wiggling its ar$e off....
I run it off the road into a small grassy ditch before it pulled up...
didnt go down - but those undies were neva worn agin....:shock:
Thanks guys for letting me know that I am not the only one out there!!!!
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Bud
I've dropped my CL 200, first time on gravel, too much front break.
My WIFE has dropped my 550L 2 times now. 1st the day I got it, throttle stuck a little and she had taken the BRC the week before.
2nd time was this last weekend. Back tire slid out while making a turn, I think I need to replace it
Both the bike and her are fine, but I REALLY need to find her a ~200cc beater of her own to drop.
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Darci
Originally posted by Bud View PostI've dropped my CL 200, first time on gravel, too much front break.
My WIFE has dropped my 550L 2 times now. 1st the day I got it, throttle stuck a little and she had taken the BRC the week before.
2nd time was this last weekend. Back tire slid out while making a turn, I think I need to replace it
Both the bike and her are fine, but I REALLY need to find her a ~200cc beater of her own to drop.
My GS850GL is the perfect heighth for me. It is a bit heavier but I can plant my feet firmly on the ground. When I was looking at bikes to ride while restoring my BSA, I found many of them were just to tall for me. I looked at the 250's but I knew that I would outgrow it really quick!
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Bud
Originally posted by Darci View PostOOPS....Unfortuantely, I have dropped my husband's bike as well. For me, it wasn't the power issue, but the weight and height issue. i don't know how big your wife is, but I do have a hard time on our Honda cb750F. I have to lower the shocks all the way down and I am still on my tippy toes. Once the bike gets off balance, that's it!
My GS850GL is the perfect heighth for me. It is a bit heavier but I can plant my feet firmly on the ground. When I was looking at bikes to ride while restoring my BSA, I found many of them were just to tall for me. I looked at the 250's but I knew that I would outgrow it really quick!
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jm_foote
half dropped it the other week. Was parking it in friends garage in between boxes. the stand didn't go down all the way. Put it down with my leg between a box and the muffler. Didn't get burned too bad though. Luckily a hocky net kept it from going down too far (about 45 degrees).
The sidestand peg broke off earlier this year. I've gota weld a new one on before I pull her out for the spring apparently.
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Dharma punk
Was on my first out of town ride. It was raining and I was a bit unprepared for it. We stopped to get gas, I filled up, moved my bike out of the way, got some coffee and had a smoke. When we got ready to get going again I started my bike, went to leave, and dropped it going nowhere. Pulled like hell on the throttle trying to keep it up and scared the ****e out of my buddy. I was extremely embarassed, but the only injuries were to my pride. I have yet to lay her down while moving.
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Can_O_Tuna
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pj1
A few months ago I was moving my GS750E around in the garage. I was standing on the RIGHT side of it, and as I pushed it forward, the kickstand must have brushed against something because when I went to set it back down the kickstand flipped up. The handlebar fell against the side of my car and put a nice dent right in the middle of the door.
Now I always stand on the LEFT side of the bike when moving it around, and I always give the kickstand a kick forward before setting the bike down.
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maclogan
In my MUCH younger days, when I rode all the time, the times I did drop my bike was when I was trying to pop wheelies. That coordination thing! Never have dropped a bike at speed. Recently was moving the 850 out the way to another shed with dirt floor. Tipped it over right so easily one might think I planned it!! No one around and was able to right it fairly easily. Those case guards are a great addition!!
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Forum LongTimerCharter Member
GSResource Superstar
Past Site Supporter- May 2002
- 19275
- Toronto, Canada
I have no idea how many times I have dropped my bikes. The first one I owned, a Triumph 500 twin, saw dirt, sand, mud, grass and it went down on all of them. Sometimes intentionally.
The Moto Guzzi was so well balanced that I have stopped it, leaned over and shut off the gas while turning the key, got off and walked away......then heard CRASH behind me ! Forgot the kickstand.
More than once .
The G fell over the day after I bought it. At a stop sign I put my foot down on a sloping roadway and found sand there.....
The GK has gone over at the end of my driveway. The driveway is higher than the roadway, and I learned that, If I stop exactly at that point to talk to someone who is calling me, I cannot reach the ground.....
The airport indoor lot is nice and smooth....really smooth. Too smooth to make sharp turns when you find yourself slowly rolling past a parking space...Bertrand Russell: 'Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.'
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graymulligan
I just had my first "no speed" drop about a week ago. I was backing down my driveway, slowly, on the bike, and my left foot caught a rock, and slipped a little bit, and it was enough for me to tip over to the left side. I caught it about halfway down, but I was past the "balanced and centered" point, so I couldn't pick it back up while I was semi-straddling it, so I had to lay it down gently, get out from over it, then pick it up.
I never realized how heavy the 700 is until that moment. I atually thought for a second that I might have to call help to get it back on 2 wheels, but with some extra effort, I got it up. Scary. Thank god it was in the driveway and not at work. I'd never live it down.
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Darci
Originally posted by graymulligan View PostI just had my first "no speed" drop about a week ago. I was backing down my driveway, slowly, on the bike, and my left foot caught a rock, and slipped a little bit, and it was enough for me to tip over to the left side. I caught it about halfway down, but I was past the "balanced and centered" point, so I couldn't pick it back up while I was semi-straddling it, so I had to lay it down gently, get out from over it, then pick it up.
I never realized how heavy the 700 is until that moment. I atually thought for a second that I might have to call help to get it back on 2 wheels, but with some extra effort, I got it up. Scary. Thank god it was in the driveway and not at work. I'd never live it down.
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