Was about 50 miles from home, on a small unfamiliar narrow road with some curves and hills. Wanted to turn around. Could do a u-turn in road but was a 90 degree curve up ahead, then I noticed that at the curve there was a gravell road going off in each of the other two directions. So I went on one of the one gravel roads with intention of comming back on the other gravel road road, total of about 100 feet.
Opps, not so much gravel road but dirt roads, Yikes. And turning from the one dirt road to the other dirt road was more like sand. Went to downshift and next thing I know, the front wheel jerks to the side, bike is comming to a stop, bike falling over, and I am falling off. Somewhat falling off, somewhat getting thrown off.
Crawl back to bike, hit the kill switch and turn off ignition.
Stand up, turn around, backup to bike, grab handle bar and trunk mounting bar and go to lift bike up. Seems like I lifted it up, but, no, its still laying on it side. Huh? But my feet had slipped in the sand. So tried again, this time making a point to also push some with my rearend. GOt it upright then.
Thru leg over and sat on it. Whew!
But something didnt seem right. Seemed like the ground was way too close or something, and something not right with the front end. Then I noticed that the front wheel was deep in the sand, spoke disaapearing in the sand, sand up over the rim. Oh, man, I am in deep sand. Deep Sand, Man, I am in deep sand !
SOmething else is definatly wrong, with front end, but lets see if can get engine started. Did get engine started. Seems like handel bars or front end not pointing in right direction or something.
Tryed to get out of there, and rear tire spinning and just diggin in deeper. Ew, I learnt waht to do in this situation before, wiggle front wheel back and forth while spinning rear tire, and did get out of there.
But definatlay something bent outta shape on front end. Took a bit to realise it was the left handle bar bent way outta position. Bar bent such that left bar about half way between where it should be and where it would be pointed at my ribs.
Oh, must have been when I first went to pickup the bike that I bent the handlebar. Yah, I bet that is it, pulled mostly on the handlebar and bent the bar more than I picked up the bike.
Now what to do?
I do most all the steering (countersteering actaully) with right hand anyway. SO lets see how it goes. Could manouver down the road okay. Seemed like only problem would be if had to brake hard and hold back my weight from the deceleration. Stopped at a palce in the shade to looked it over better. FOund a way to position bar and push against it while brace mysefl with foot on foot peg, and bent it back to somewhat close to original position. And then made it home.
So that is this story. So, If you have to pickup bike from its side, and do backup to it like is best to do, be sure to lift on something other than just the handlebar, dont just lift with handlebar only. Or maybe that is a problem with GK being heavier and maybe longer handle bar.
(Finding a replacement handle bar will be the other story.)
.
*************
** year and a half later
Was back in that area and got a picture of the place.
Had enough rain latley so not as bad.
.
Opps, not so much gravel road but dirt roads, Yikes. And turning from the one dirt road to the other dirt road was more like sand. Went to downshift and next thing I know, the front wheel jerks to the side, bike is comming to a stop, bike falling over, and I am falling off. Somewhat falling off, somewhat getting thrown off.
Crawl back to bike, hit the kill switch and turn off ignition.
Stand up, turn around, backup to bike, grab handle bar and trunk mounting bar and go to lift bike up. Seems like I lifted it up, but, no, its still laying on it side. Huh? But my feet had slipped in the sand. So tried again, this time making a point to also push some with my rearend. GOt it upright then.
Thru leg over and sat on it. Whew!
But something didnt seem right. Seemed like the ground was way too close or something, and something not right with the front end. Then I noticed that the front wheel was deep in the sand, spoke disaapearing in the sand, sand up over the rim. Oh, man, I am in deep sand. Deep Sand, Man, I am in deep sand !
SOmething else is definatly wrong, with front end, but lets see if can get engine started. Did get engine started. Seems like handel bars or front end not pointing in right direction or something.
Tryed to get out of there, and rear tire spinning and just diggin in deeper. Ew, I learnt waht to do in this situation before, wiggle front wheel back and forth while spinning rear tire, and did get out of there.
But definatlay something bent outta shape on front end. Took a bit to realise it was the left handle bar bent way outta position. Bar bent such that left bar about half way between where it should be and where it would be pointed at my ribs.
Oh, must have been when I first went to pickup the bike that I bent the handlebar. Yah, I bet that is it, pulled mostly on the handlebar and bent the bar more than I picked up the bike.
Now what to do?
I do most all the steering (countersteering actaully) with right hand anyway. SO lets see how it goes. Could manouver down the road okay. Seemed like only problem would be if had to brake hard and hold back my weight from the deceleration. Stopped at a palce in the shade to looked it over better. FOund a way to position bar and push against it while brace mysefl with foot on foot peg, and bent it back to somewhat close to original position. And then made it home.
So that is this story. So, If you have to pickup bike from its side, and do backup to it like is best to do, be sure to lift on something other than just the handlebar, dont just lift with handlebar only. Or maybe that is a problem with GK being heavier and maybe longer handle bar.
(Finding a replacement handle bar will be the other story.)
.
*************
** year and a half later
Was back in that area and got a picture of the place.
Had enough rain latley so not as bad.
.
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