Have you ever dropped your bike?

[MelodicMetalGod]

Have you ever dropped your bike? Gently or not so gently? I find myself being intimidated by the weight of a lot of the bikes out there.

I can?t ride my husband?s old Honda because I am to short. I feel like a weeble wobble when I try to place my feet on the ground. I have ridden it and do great as long as I don?t have to stop!

Granted, the bikes of today aren?t as heavy. I have a friend with a GSXR and the bike only weighs about 300 lbs. I love my Suzuki GS850GL. It is the perfect combination of both worlds and my My feet can reach the ground.

I don?t see myself on a speed bike. I love the old vintage bikes. Call me a classic type of gal. They don?t make things like they used to. I tease my friend that I have the original sport bike! Reaching speeds of 100 back in the 60?s and 70?s was pretty cool.

There is something about owning a classic bike. I love it when people, after getting over the fact that as a girl, I love to ride and wrench on my own bikes, look at me with that blank stare and say ?BSA what?? I am sure in southern California; you see British bikes all the time. A few know what the Suzuki is. Around here, you see mostly custom choppers, speed bikes and Harley's. The only metrics I have seen are the new ones like the star lines and such.

For me, the problem with the older bikes is the weight issue. You know, I am not intimidated by the power, just the weight. I guess that is because when I set down my (which has now become my husband?s) ?78 Honda CB750, I had a hell of a time picking it up. I was stopped at an intersection in my neighborhood and a gust of wind literally blew me off balance. You see, because I am so short (5'5") I had to lean the bike to the left a little to allow my foot to plant firmly on the ground.

For those of you that have been to west Texas, you?ll understand about the ?little gusts?.

Anyway, it knocked me off balance and I couldn?t get it back up. It was too heavy. There I was waiting for a Good Samaritan to help me. ITo know avail! With the adreline gowing through my veins, I got it back up on 2.

The bike wasn?t damaged, just my pride. I felt like an idiot. Honestly, I felt like I was the only person in the world that had ever dropped their bike. I guess that just comes with the territory, doesn?t it! Well, at least the bike and I are ok and we lived to see another day. I am just happy that it wasn?t my BSA or Suzuki! That would have been tragic!

I'm saddened that this thread has 8 pages of replies. lol I think I've dropped every bike I've ever owned, one way or another, including the Hayabusa which is THE heaviest bike I've ever owned.

Google 'pick up motorcycle' and you'll find lots of good tips/tricks for pickin' up a fallen ride.

This vid has a pretty good example of how to get the seat in the air and the wheels on the ground again. Check it out at 2:20.

Good luck!

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

Like many, I had dropped my (extremely heavy) GS on occasion. But the greatest mishap was more along the lines of a FALL. I foolishly parked my bike near the edge of a gravel road with a 15-foot drop to a lakeshore. After deciding that I would leave it at that spot for the weekend, I checked the stability of the center stand and I couldn?t foresee anything knocking it over. After a few days (and nights of heavy rains) I came back to the scene only to find that the road where I was parked had broken off and my bike was now lying among the rocks of the lake shore with waves crashing around it. Quite an upsetting sight!
With the help of a couple of strong hands, we propped up the old girl and inspected the damage: lots of assorted dents and scratches, some water and gravel in everything and that was about it. And being true to form, that engine fired up without too much trouble. Some serious smoke burnt off for the first few minutes but then she ran normally. I checked that the lights were operational and that the tires were good and I rode it over a 100 miles back to my home without incident.
Now that is bulletproof engineering!

Like, W O W!

 

[Steve]

I'm saddened that this thread has 8 pages of replies.

And I am saddened that you have not yet found that you can increase the number of posts per page.

Yours is the first post on page THREE for me.

.

 

[ChicagoBob]

I dropped my GT250 at a gas station one winter while touring, because my hands were so cold I couldn't hold on when tryng to lift it onto its center stand to fill the tank. Broke off a footpeg, which I replaced with a friend's highway peg for the rest of the ride home. This was in Oklahoma in 1977.

Can't believe we used to tour on something like a two-stroke 250. It usually couldn't hold 60mph in 6th gear, but could get up to 70 or 80 in 4th or 5th.

 

[Road_Clam]

There's two types of motorcyclists. Those that admit they dropped their bike(s), and those that are lying saying that they have never dropped their bike(s).

I've dropped 3 out of the 6 street bikes i've owned. All threee times were trying a very slow tight manuever in dirt/gravel/wet grass or pushing a bike and lost my footing.

Oh yea and the all too familiar "rested the bike on the tiny side stand foot in the soft wet dirt" deal...

 

[FreshmanJoe]

Twice i dropped mine. The first time i was giving my gs1000 an oil change and forgot to put it on the center stand. When I realized this my hand were oily, the bike slipped but went down very slowly into a pile of junk. The second time was backing out of a unfamiliar driveway stepped into a pothole, twisted my ankle and down she goes. No damage thank god.
To all the ladies out there, as I have read many of you saying that you dropped your bike cause of your height you may want to check this out. My wife is 5ft 0in and thought she would never get a bike over 500cc cause of her size. We came across www.roarmotorcycles.com at a bike rally. she went for a test drive and told me she felt as comfortable of that 1100 then she felt on her 250.

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

And I am saddened that you have not yet found that you can increase the number of posts per page.

Yours is the first post on page THREE for me.

.

lol A matter of preference. Guess I'll refer to post count rather than page count in the future.

 

[7981GS]

Besides while PARKED! ,
real close to dropping one: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=176264&page=2


Daniel

 

[cowboyup3371]

Not while driving on the highway but have three times in my yard (once by the wind pushing it over, scratched ignition cover), twice at Tkent02's place thanks to me being on the wrong side of the bike where his driveway slopes down (Broke brake handle), and once when I got caught in some deep sand on my dirt road (broke clutch handle).

I'm hoping I never drop it on the road though.

 

[Guest]

Oh yes ! I got four of them, I've dropped them all, driveway, parking lots, on the lawn, solo and 2 up.
...
I certainly don't enjoy falling over but it happens and I don't really think too much about it. I do get a kick out of the nice people who actually will stop and gasp and ask if I'm ok.....

If a person rides long enough, he will probably go down. Most of us have. But if going down isn't rare, there is a problem. And that problem could lead to very serious injury.

 

[1_v8_merc]

I've dropped my gs650 AT LEAST a Half dozen times, but Not In motion.
Usually it's when I'm drunk wrenching, and moving the bike somewhere, or trying to get in position to engage the centerstand, hehe.


The only other time I dropped it, was while taking off in a small parking.

I had just installed new bars and didn't know my turning radius at slow speed....

I was parked slightly downhill, with a curb in front of me.
So I got lazy and Only backed up a couple feet, then proceeded to cut the turn very close to the curb.

As I approached the curb , I realized how much sand was on the pavement and knew I couldn't make it, so I Slowed down and cut the front wheel
more, so I wouldn't nail the curb.
Well as soon as I swung the bars to the right, the ****ing RPM's JUMPED!!!

So the rear tire Spun in the sand and the bike fishtailed, so I steered Left to quickly compensate out of instinct. But I ended up grabbing and went straight for the curb.

I jumped the curb and quickly hopped off the bike, and the bike went flying into a metal-mesh fence.

Cut the ignition, picked it up and checked the throttle, and it was acting up.
I played around with it, and it was fine again....

Lesson learned?

Always adjust your throttle nuts after a new bar install.
And always engage the clutch and hit the Kill Switch.

And NEVER EVER ride tired!

 

[oldgsfan]

I've dropped bikes a few times. Guess I'm just clumsy.

But the last time I dropped my bike, the fall broke the clutch handle. Now, I always carry a spare clutch handle.

 

[GS ace]

I've dropped a few bikes but for some reason, never managed to drop a GS.

 

[shiznizbiz]

heh. i dropped my gs500 twice. havent dropped the gs650 yet. The first time the 500 went over, I was a little drunk. I was barefoot in the driveway. Now, i decided (keep in mind, i was drunk) that i didnt want my bike on its centerstand. I wanted to put it on its sidestand. well..........i stood to the side of it, pulled her off the center stand, and over and away from me she went. i still had a hold off her, and i muscled her down gently with both feet "firmly" planted. I picked it up to find no scratches or dents or anything bent. Walked inside to by couch and started watching tv. about 15 minutes later, i noticed bloody footprints. apparently my feet slid a little across the concrete.
The second time, well, i got peeled off by a woman on her cell phone driving an suv. I went to turn left. She was on the target road. Next thing i know, i get pinged in the shoulder by her corner light. the torsion on my body made me goose the throttle, causing the rear tire to come out from under me, but i stomped the fall out with my left foot, and slid a couple or few feet. I only scuffed the mirror on the fairing. I muscled that one down too, but with one hand ............wow....makes me sound strong. lol Im sooo not strong.

 

[1_v8_merc]

Lol, geez, if i had a nickel for every time I dropped my bike while drunk.....I'd probably have Fifty Cents.

It's always when Im wrenching in the garage at like 1am, and need to move stuff around. When im Walking a bike, I just FORGET that it can't balance itself.....haha.

I'm just like "alright gotta put this overr heereee,,ahhhh shiiitttt!", and down she goes.

 

[TPL]

I've dropped my gs650 AT LEAST a Half dozen times, but Not In motion.
Usually it's when I'm drunk wrenching, and moving the bike somewhere, or trying to get in position to engage the centerstand, hehe.


The only other time I dropped it, was while taking off in a small parking.

I had just installed new bars and didn't know my turning radius at slow speed....

I was parked slightly downhill, with a curb in front of me.
So I got lazy and Only backed up a couple feet, then proceeded to cut the turn very close to the curb.

As I approached the curb , I realized how much sand was on the pavement and knew I couldn't make it, so I Slowed down and cut the front wheel
more, so I wouldn't nail the curb.
Well as soon as I swung the bars to the right, the ****ing RPM's JUMPED!!!

So the rear tire Spun in the sand and the bike fishtailed, so I steered Left to quickly compensate out of instinct. But I ended up grabbing and went straight for the curb.

I jumped the curb and quickly hopped off the bike, and the bike went flying into a metal-mesh fence.

Cut the ignition, picked it up and checked the throttle, and it was acting up.
I played around with it, and it was fine again....

Lesson learned?

Always adjust your throttle nuts after a new bar install.
And always engage the clutch and hit the Kill Switch.

And NEVER EVER ride tired!

Do you have to double check the work you did on the bike the next day, after a night of drunk wrenching.

 

[shiznizbiz]

Lol, geez, if i had a nickel for every time I dropped my bike while drunk.....I'd probably have Fifty Cents.

It's always when Im wrenching in the garage at like 1am, and need to move stuff around. When im Walking a bike, I just FORGET that it can't balance itself.....haha.

I'm just like "alright gotta put this overr heereee,,ahhhh shiiitttt!", and down she goes.

that just made my laugh out loud. Very good stuff right there.

 

[burntup2]

many moons ago my oldest son was around 4 yrs old and was in love with my little 250 enduro, he was on the front porch when i pulled off the street i thought i'd impress him with a wheelie thru the front yard when my germin shepard( who hated that bike ) decided he was gonna attack it. got the front tire in the air for about 10 feet before i saw the dog, hit the rear brake as the dog was under the bike. im slideing thru the yard while the dog and bike are flipping everywhere. kid, neighbor and wife are all screaming at the same time.wasnt the effect i hoped to have on him. him or the dog never let me live that one down...

 

[mcneilk]

i wish i would have read this before i was moving the concours out of its winter hibernation corner. i was of course... a little drunk. it didn't hit the ground but did hit the wall. cracked fairing and right mirror. SGI and their no fault insurance... HA! because i was honest and told the truth about what happened they want 175 bucks and 5 points on my driving record. 175 on top of my 100 deductible.

 

[tkent02]

5 points? Should have told them you were drinking, you would have gotten a DUI.