Dropped her again :(

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I haven't actually dropped it on the ground, well except for that crash thing. But I did lean it pretty good into a couple of gas pumps before getting the hang ot the kickstand. Now I take an extra second every time I park it and give it an extra nudge with the boot before swinging my leg off. Haven't had a problem in years.

 
Texan said:
That round piece is the stator cover. It should come scratched from the factory. Good to see a KLM rider. You never miss a riding day because it's too cold.
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Yes - its always hot here. Riding season is all year round. In fact its too hot, I feel. If you ride in traffic, you're bound to be damp from sweat. And then there's the rain. And that happens most of the year too.

 
Nah, I don't bother to fix it. Dropped it once, VFR twice, pick it up and ride until you crash it good.

I gotta admit the first time I dropped the VFR I was devastated. But over time it didn't matter, because I realized I can't expect to get a lot of joy out of a bike (or any vehicle) and expect it to be like the day I bought it. As long as the bike works, aesthetic issues are just that.

Besides .. if I had spend $$$ on fixing all those little nicks and dings and scratches, it would have been for naught when I crashed.

I suppose I could expect a higher resale value if it's in perfect condition when I sell it, but I suspect the high mileage will discourage anyone who cares about appearances anyway.

 
nik.hisham said:
This is the second time. And this time, I'm a bit more upset than I was the first time I dropped her because this was completely avoidable and I should have known better. If my dad were still alive, he'd give me a good smack to the back of the head.
Rode her past the front gate. Put down the side stand. Got off and turned around to close the gate and I heard a loud crash. She was on her side.

I'm not sure if the side stand was not down completely, or if it was because I was parked on a slight down slope. Or a combination of both. But the scratches on the fairing, mirror, and pannier really makes me feel sad. Especially on the round engine piece (I don't know what its called). I'm quite sure that can't be rubbed off or repainted. What made it worse was that I still don't have my frame sliders when I could have gotten them last week. On the upside, nothing broke off and I still enjoyed riding her to work this morning.

A quick question to those who have dropped their bikes - do you guys go and get it fixed immediately? Or do you wait? If you wait, what do you wait for?

Ok, dumb questions I know. But I'm just trying to cheer myself up.

Nik.
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Bummer 'bout yer bike dude. I'd leave it all busted up until ya sell it, then get the good stuff and put it on. (But get sliders ASAP)

As far as putting it on the centerstand, I find it easier if I grab that "arm" (that goes from under the seat) to the rack to lift with, you have better leverage than the real "lift" handle.

Good luck,.

 
At least you remembered to put the side stand down. I dropped mine last summer because I was a dumb ass. It sucks when you do it but you get over it. The scratches are just cosmetic and not from abuse or neglect so I haven't bothered to fix mine, maybe they'll serve as a reminder.

 
I've dropped mine more than once. The worst I described here. That resulted in (among other things) the stator cover getting ground down a bit.

(click on image for larger view)



Changed mine, not difficult, so long as you realise the rotor magnets are STRONG and don't pull the cover off so quickly you break the stator wires! (No, I didn't, but it would be easy to do.)



And yes, I did mine as soon as I could get the necessary coins together. Tuppaware ain't cheap. And put sliders on (more money, but well worth it). Better late than never.

 
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The kickstand on the FJR is one of the flimsiest that I have seen especially considering the size and weight of the bike. Make sure that it is fully employed and the bike is in gear. You are right on about parking on soft ground, carry a small board to prevent tip-overs and check the bike occasionally.

 
Had similar drop: Bike on verrrry slight downhill in driveway, engine warming in neutral. Short dash back to garage for gloves. Bike decides to try to drive away by itself, goes down. Luckily had sliders, just some minor rash. Have not repaired, reminds me not to be a knucklehead.

The sidestand spring is wimpy since it doesn't engage fully forward, but is manageable with vigilance. Also, a crushed soda can works for bigger footprint if needed.

Once you've experienced the joy of launching onto the centerstand, it is cake forever. If the posted explanations don't work for you, maybe go to a dealership and ask them how. There are a few techniques out there: I saw a guy at my dealer use the left side of the luggage rack for a grip instead of the cut-out which is more forward. That gives better leverage IMO; been doing it that way ever since.

 
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wfooshee said:
Alway look the sidestand down, put an eyeball on it before you put any weight on it. Don't use it if the bike's facing downhill and in neutral.
And if you think your bike will fall in grass on the sidestand, just wait till you put it up on the narrower centerstand, both feet sink till the rear's on the ground, and it still sinks to one side and falls over. The centerstand feet are closer to the bike's centerline, which will result in a fall from a lower-angle lean. On any decent surface the sidestand is MUCH more stable.

I understand it when people have a problem with the centerstand. It's barely got the leverage it needs to raise the bike, and if you've lowered your bike it's even worse. But people who complain about this bike's sidestand; I just don't get that at all. All you have to do is look at it, make sure it's there, and don't park in neutral.
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I agree 100%. I have used the "kickstand" almost exclusively for over 40 years on many, many bikes. I find the centerstand far more unstable in a number of circumstances and ackward in others.

You do need to be careful in employing the sidestand. Very careful on any downgrades-in that case put the bike in gear and push forward a hair before leaning her over to eliminate any gear slack before letting the weight on the stand. Bike pointed up-slope, no problem. A little trick to be sure: after I swing the stand down, I got into the habit of giving it a little kick to ensure it is all the way forward. Also, carry a little kickstand plate, they make all kinds and you can carry them anywhere. I have even used the back of my glove in a pinch between the stand and asphalt (which becomes soft when hot).

One more suggestion. Take a dremmel and grind some metal away where the top of the sidestand meets its stop. That allows the stand to swing even farther forward, making it more stable.

 
Stop kicking yourself. Almost everyone has a tip over at one time or another. I tipped mine over on a touring ride last year. Bent the right mirror mount, and really scratched the right side saddle bag paint. I was parked on a shoulder with a little gravel on it, having dismounted to do some tourist shit, and when I attempted to get back on, discovered that the ground on the right sloped down and away. The bike was fully loaded for touring and when it went slightly past upright, I just did not have enough purchase on the ground to keep it from going over. Luckily my riding companions were nearby and responded quickly to my predicament.

 
Dropping the bike is a drag, the centerstand is always my bet. As for the dings let it go man .

 
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Aasland said:
Nah, I don't bother to fix it. Dropped it once, VFR twice, pick it up and ride until you crash it good.
I gotta admit the first time I dropped the VFR I was devastated. But over time it didn't matter, because I realized I can't expect to get a lot of joy out of a bike (or any vehicle) and expect it to be like the day I bought it. As long as the bike works, aesthetic issues are just that.

Besides .. if I had spend $$$ on fixing all those little nicks and dings and scratches, it would have been for naught when I crashed.

I suppose I could expect a higher resale value if it's in perfect condition when I sell it, but I suspect the high mileage will discourage anyone who cares about appearances anyway.
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That is an excellent summation of just enjoying your possessions and not idolizing them. :good: Sorry Nik, I know it stings when she's new, I had a slow motion drop on the left side during a MSF class & was pissed enough that I apologized to the instructor for my colorful language when it happened. :blushing:

 
Thanks everyone, for your kind words. I truly appreciate it.

After a few days, and giving my bike a wash (I've been riding it almost every day on my commute to work for the past week - in sunshine and in rain - its really dirty) it doesn't look so bad anymore. Plus, I'm thinking, 'ah what the heck. It's just a minor scratch'. So I don't feel so bad anymore. But the word Aasland used aptly described how I felt at first - devastated!

But anyway - no big deal now.

Also, I'm in a good mood today! I actually managed to put the bike on its center stand. With panniers and all! :yahoo: Imagine that - all 125 pounds of me propping a 650 pound bike on its center stand (yes, I'm the skinniest guy ever on an FJR). Amazing what you can do with the proper technique. And I realize that its supposed to be 'pull back' and not 'lift up'. The foot pressing down on the stand will take care of the lifting up. Thanks all for the excellent advice on how to get it done!

 
+1 - a few scratches give a bike character. It separates the riders from the posers.

And don't be afraid to use the side stand in the future. It works just fine. Yes, you have to be sure to deploy it fully, and yes, you do not want to park the bike pointing down-hill (on side or center stands). So just get in the habit of backing the bike into a downhill space.

But so long as the bike is parked correctly, and you remember to actually put the side stand down (DAMHIK) the bike will be safe enough on the side stand. IMO, putting it on the center every time you stop would be a serious PITA.

 
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Sorry about your drop, Nik. Glad to hear you're feeling better about it. You've gotten a lot of good advice, one little thing I wanted to add for you. If you do get a 'fat foot' to put under the sidestand when parking, it's very handy to have a string tied to it with the other end attached to your handle bars (or something) so you can get on the bike and pull up your foot before taking off. Then, if you have a tank bag, you can put it in there or maybe the little compartment forward on the port side of the fairing?

Dropped mine too. In the driveway and boy was a PISSED! But I'm over it. Mostly.

Have fun on your upcoming trip!

 

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