Author Topic: Don't ya hate it when,....  (Read 5138 times)

Offline stormi

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Don't ya hate it when,....
« on: September 30, 2009, 01:40:33 AM »
you drop a bike doing something dumb?

Yep, it took me almost 4 years (of ownership, 5 years of riding), but I finally did it.  I had a moving crash.
Dropped Blue in the parking lot of the 7 Eleven on the way home from the Toy Run on sunday. :(

Lots of Shoulda coulda wouldas running through my head.
Boy, was I sore yesterday too! Scraped knee (wasn't wearing riding pants, jeans only), shoulder's a little jammed, and my hip feels a little out of joint.

Blue's fine for the most part.

I came through the driveway and downshifted from second to uh,... neutral. By the time I'd revved it and figure it out it was too late for me to shift into first, and I couldn't anyway, because I was riding two up and a jerky shift probably would have put us down. We were pretty much at a dead stop by now, and gravity overtook us. Blue started falling and I couldn't get enough leverage to hold him, with my weight and Amy's on the bike. I set him down as gently as I could. Amy jumped off when it was clear to her that I wasn't going to save it, so she's fine. r_outsider got to watch the whole thing.

I need a bar end. The crash pucks did their job. The clutch cover's a little scraped, mirror's a little scratched and the worst damage is to the brake lever. We think it can be straightened out. The one we fixed on the CBR was worse. All the parts I changed last year after it fell over in the trailer. *sigh* At least the only mark on the tank appears to be from my left boot when I came off. A scuff, no dents.

It looks like all of my paranoia "what if I crash it" prep saved the day though.  Between the plastic on the tank and rear fairing, and the crash pucks, as well as my wider bars, I think the tank was saved from damage.

The worst part is: It shouldn't have happened, and I'm sure that it's my pride that's hurt the most.










« Last Edit: September 30, 2009, 01:45:01 AM by stormi »
stormi

Dita - 91 Bandit 400 - SOLD
Blue - 02 Hornet 919 - Perfect Gentleman
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Offline smooth operator

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2009, 06:10:35 AM »
  Bummer! We all hate it when that happens,and it usally does happen sooner or later.Glad the outcome wasn't too bad anyhow.

Offline Sven

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2009, 08:19:41 AM »
It annoys you.  You don't want to make a mistake,  You don't want to scar the bike.  But it's nothing to beat yourself up over.

For all the people who have made statements like "I had to lay the bike down when...." there seem to a hundred who are able to say "I dropped the bike in the driveway" or "I got off without putting the kickstand down".  Bikes get more unstable at low speeds when the vertical weight affects handling more.  I know you know all this, but it all leads up to "this stuff happens".  Yes, if you are eternally vigilant and totally perfect, you can avoid it happening to you.  But most of us aren't that perfect and will get distracted or uncoordinated at some point.

As many times as we have self-confessed our errors on this site, consider how infrequently car drivers confess their errors.  Back into something and dent the bumper?  Hardly worth mentioning.  Scrape the door while pulling into the garage?  Just normal wear and tear.  We judge ourselves by differing standards!
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Offline Snubnose

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2009, 11:25:54 AM »
you drop a bike doing something dumb?


Id say you had one of the few "better " drops, in terms of bike damage anyway, judging by those pics. As far as your emotions go when stuff like this happens?.. that can play a different toll!
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Offline mademiriam

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2009, 06:01:08 PM »
sorry to hear that happened... but glad to hear the 'crash' gear did it's job and protected most of the bike.
Hope you're feeling better soon too, the effort one puts in to holding up a bike is often only felt the next few days...
and yes it's happened to me  :banghead: :banghead: dropped it early this year when I didn't make sure the kickstand was all the way down...
always makes me glad I don't ride a 1198 I think i'd need therapy to get over it then.
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Offline wizzobeer

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2009, 09:16:22 PM »
Sorry to hear about this but am glad both you and Amy are alright. BTW did the 400 make it home?

Offline asskickinpeanuts

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2009, 01:11:03 AM »
Yes.  I just dropped mine TONIGHT!  (Conincidence?)  I stopped on the side of the road and put the kickstand down, removed gloves, laid them on the seat, walked around the bike, stepped over the guardrail to make my bladder gladder, a car went by and I heard Crunch!  What the... turned around, saw the bike on it's side.   :banghead:ARRRGHHH!!!  Fortunately, the previous owner installed engine crash bars.  It looks like the turn signal housings and clutch lever are the only things that broke (thank goodness for folding rear view mirrors).  And, at least you only dropped your Honda :stickpoke: (sorry, had to say it; after all, it is a bandit forum, ya know!)
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Offline 06 Greyhound

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2009, 11:05:43 AM »
Been there and done that.  It sucks, I know all too well.  Lucky there was no serious damage..


Offline asskickinpeanuts

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2009, 12:44:00 AM »
Yeah.  Small consolation, but it is a consolation (i think?), to know I am treading where fearless intrepid explorers of stupidity have already gone before.
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the sum intelligence of humanity is a fixed quantity.  The greater number of people, the less intelligence per person (and I resemble this remark).
If it's too loud, you're too old.

Offline r_outsider

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2009, 10:51:18 PM »
Sorry to hear about this but am glad both you and Amy are alright. BTW did the 400 make it home?


Yes, the Bandit made it home. Required a couple bump starts to get there, but I'm getting good at those...   :annoy:


Offline Red01

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2009, 10:51:50 AM »
Glad to hear that personal injury was minimal.  Too bad you totalled the bike though.   :stickpoke:
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Offline stormi

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2009, 02:30:06 PM »
It annoys you.  You don't want to make a mistake,  You don't want to scar the bike.  But it's nothing to beat yourself up over.

... Yes, if you are eternally vigilant and totally perfect, you can avoid it happening to you.  But most of us aren't that perfect and will get distracted or uncoordinated at some point.

...  We judge ourselves by differing standards!

Well, I backed into a pole with the Mustang.. and I was possibly just about as hard on myself about it,.. except that there wasn't a mark on the car.   I think the problem I'm having is that we've had "close calls" before,... for instance, I popped the clutch once, and stalled him while trying to make a corner, from a stop.  He was probably 30 degrees from upright, and I managed to stop from hitting the ground. 

A couple of other times I've saved things that seemed as bad,.. but this time it seemed like a foregone conclusion before it started.   The more I think about it, the more I know it was unavoidable, but man does it hurt the pride!

I am sure I had my left foot down on the ground after I shifted (for stability, because of the extra weight I was carrying), and my right covering the brake, so I was in 100% the wrong position for saving this when I found myself in neutral.  How can I change this in the future?  That's where I'm not sure.  To me, that's the most important part, that I learn from it so that hopefully it doesn't happen again.

Id say you had one of the few "better " drops, in terms of bike damage anyway, judging by those pics. As far as your emotions go when stuff like this happens?.. that can play a different toll!

Yeah, who knew that the pride could take that sort of a hit!   In all honesty, the damage there isn't worth fixing, with the exception of the brake pedal.  There's no compromise in the performance,.. it's all a matter of whether I want the reminder everytime I get on him.

sorry to hear that happened... but glad to hear the 'crash' gear did it's job and protected most of the bike.
Hope you're feeling better soon too, the effort one puts in to holding up a bike is often only felt the next few days...
and yes it's happened to me  :banghead: :banghead: dropped it early this year when I didn't make sure the kickstand was all the way down...
always makes me glad I don't ride a 1198 I think i'd need therapy to get over it then.

I was really sore the next day, then already feeling somewhat better the day after.  I went to the chiropractor on Friday (so 5 days later) and I really got to see how much I'd put out.  Wow.

I'm really impressed with how well the bike laid down. I had thought that there would have been a souvenir on the tank.  (Because of course I've always had the crash gear but never tried to lay the bike on its side to see what would really happen if...)  Somehow it looks like the width of the bars stopped me from getting pinned under it too.  So all in all, between the Rizomas (that I customized, btw.  They're not installed as intended by the manufacturer) and the bars, I am pretty happy with the protection both the tank and I got. 

So far, I've never had a problem with the kickstand, because I use it to stop the engine.  I come to a stop, and put the stand down.  If I don't feel a positive stop of the stand, I don't get off the bike.  It's a weird procedure, based on the looks I've gotten, but it's cheap insurance.   Worth a try?

Yes.  I just dropped mine TONIGHT!  (Conincidence?)  I stopped on the side of the road and put the kickstand down, removed gloves, laid them on the seat, walked around the bike, stepped over the guardrail to make my bladder gladder, a car went by and I heard Crunch!  What the... turned around, saw the bike on it's side.   :banghead:ARRRGHHH!!!  Fortunately, the previous owner installed engine crash bars.  It looks like the turn signal housings and clutch lever are the only things that broke (thank goodness for folding rear view mirrors).  And, at least you only dropped your Honda :stickpoke: (sorry, had to say it; after all, it is a bandit forum, ya know!)

Poor Dita's been on her side a couple of times that way.  I did it in Jasper, r_outsider was riding the 919 down one of the mountain roads, because I'd said no @#$#@ way was I riding back down it after having ridden up it, and once at the bottom we were going to switch back.  So I stop Dita, put the stand down, and get off.  I didn't pay attention to how sloped the road was.  She was too upright, and I was about 10 paces away from her when I heard a CRASH! and thought ahhh,.. shit.  The other notable time would be when I was push starting her in the alley, and had to stop for a breather.  She leaned away from me and I thought,.. "what the hell?"  as I tried to stop her, I began sliding toward her on the gravel, and she pulled me on top of her.

Sorry to hear about this but am glad both you and Amy are alright. BTW did the 400 make it home?


Yes, the Bandit made it home. Required a couple bump starts to get there, but I'm getting good at those...   :annoy:



We haven't figured out yet what her temper tantrum was about though.  For those who weren't there:
We rode the route for the toy run, and when we got to the destination, Dita just decided she needed a nap.  r_outsider was riding her into the parking lot and she just slowed down the rpms, coughed and stalled.   He managed to bump start her and get going again after all of the other bikes were in and parked (that was a bit of a wait.  There were tons of bikes this year) and she was fine while riding the rest of the day, she just had a dead battery the whole time, necessitating the bump starting, which was the reason I offered to take Amy as the passenger, instead of her riding with him.

Glad to hear that personal injury was minimal.  Too bad you totalled the bike though.   :stickpoke:

I know right?  With the way Hondas depreciate,... $150 damage... the ins co will definitely write it off if I tell them....  :rofl:
stormi

Dita - 91 Bandit 400 - SOLD
Blue - 02 Hornet 919 - Perfect Gentleman
02 KTM 200 EXC - Sold
08 VFR800 - Lowered 1.2"
17 KTM RC390
17 Husky TC85 converted to 105

Electrosport Charging System Test - it really works

Offline Vidrazor

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Re: Don't ya hate it when,....
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2009, 12:17:30 AM »
Yeah, we all phuck up. at least you didn't miscalculate your lean angle on an increasing radius turn...