Dropped her again :(

[petercwelch]

I'ved dropped it twice, the second time very gently and with frame sliders so no damage. Bottom line is you can NEVER relax. You must pay close attention whenever you come to a stop, to the terrain, the sidestand and to what you are doing. Sorry for the damagef. I know how you feel.

 

[Patriot]

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?

Fix it?!?

Bah.

Screw that.

Chicks dig scars, man.

fix it...whatta ya mean...I don't even wash it...

 

[Scarbo]

Sorry to hear you dropped your bike. I know what a sickening feeling it is. I've dropped mine twice also. Both times due to operator error (not paying attention to what I was doing).

But I'd like to explain how I dropped it about two months ago so it may save someone else from making the same mistake.

I had pulled my '04 FJR into a parking space and put down the kickstand. I was wearing my leather riding boots that have the zippers on the inside of the boots. As I was leaning the bike over on the kickstand, I somehow moved my left foot back and the velcro cover over the zipper caught that little bar on the kickstand and popped the stand back up. By then, the bike was going down and I couldn't stop it.

Then, I had also made another mistake. I usually put the bike in neutral when I park on a flat surface. But this parking space had just a very slight uphill angle. So, as I was struggling to pick the bike up, it started rolling backward. I was having to pick the bike up and stop it from rolling backward. Fortunately, this guy saw my dilemma and came over to help me before I had a heart attack.

It was a pretty humiliating experience. I hope not, but you may catch it on "America's Funniest Home Videos".

 

[iboldguy]

[

I would agree with both you guys actually. I'll be doing a 3 day trip with a small group of friends next weekend and I worry about using it on soft surfaces and was actually considering bringing along a small piece of metal or plank for anytime I need to park on grass or something. The wide feet would be reassuring, assuming its wide enough.

But yes, turning off the engine and parking in gear is good advice.

ALWAYS kick the side stand forward EVERYTIME. The FJR side stand in infamous for looking like it's down when it's not. Transmission in gear motor off is good advice. I carry an electrical box cover with a string tied on in an easily accessible place. Hold the string, manuever the cover under the kicked fwd side stand. To leave, get on the bike and lift it off the stand, pull the cover up with the string, kick the stand up - no worries.

 

[Karmak]

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!

Another hint Nik-You are pretty light, so at least when you are on home base, push the front tire onto a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood (or the like), or find a flat piece of wood with a beveled front (if you have a hard time getting the tire up on the 1/2-3/4 edge of the wood). Then steady the bike on the side stand and crank her up. Just getting the tire up higher a bit helps tremendously.

 

[Karmak]

Sorry to hear you dropped your bike. I know what a sickening feeling it is. I've dropped mine twice also. Both times due to operator error (not paying attention to what I was doing).
But I'd like to explain how I dropped it about two months ago so it may save someone else from making the same mistake.

I had pulled my '04 FJR into a parking space and put down the kickstand. I was wearing my leather riding boots that have the zippers on the inside of the boots. As I was leaning the bike over on the kickstand, I somehow moved my left foot back and the velcro cover over the zipper caught that little bar on the kickstand and popped the stand back up. By then, the bike was going down and I couldn't stop it.

Then, I had also made another mistake. I usually put the bike in neutral when I park on a flat surface. But this parking space had just a very slight uphill angle. So, as I was struggling to pick the bike up, it started rolling backward. I was having to pick the bike up and stop it from rolling backward. Fortunately, this guy saw my dilemma and came over to help me before I had a heart attack.

It was a pretty humiliating experience. I hope not, but you may catch it on "America's Funniest Home Videos".

Scarbo, you made me remember something similar, but not related to the side stand. When I took my first FJR out for the first time (an '05), I cruised up to a a stop sign, stopped and let out the clutch. Back then some FJRs were subject to the clutch "judder" as it was called-the clutch shuddered and I stalled the bike just as I accelerated and turned left a bit. It took everything I had to hold it from falling while it was still moving (momentum) and I turned in an entire half circle, pointed the way I had come by the time it stopped (I had a blown out shoulder at the time to make things worse). I hope to heck to this day that no one saw me!

 

[FJR-Pilot]

I put Skyway's sliders on my FJR the same month I bought it and have dropped the bike twice since then ... only 1 tiny little scratch on the left hand side mirror.

 

[saltywheels]

Nik, I am about the same build, except abt 30 lbs heavier. Same problem, bike came off the side stand for the first time ever & that after 40 years of riding. Except in my case, I snapped my patella & spent 3 months in a cast & 5 months off Big Silver!Lessons learnt..no etched in my DNA: Never-Never park & dismount in Neutral (especially if the road is uneven) and Always kick the side stand forward, for good measure. I stop in 1st & swing the stand out. The bike stops. tap the stand a wee bit & then dismount. As for the centre stand, I learnt being smallish with pins & plates & fused discs to remind me, that stomping hard on the stand while pulling up on the lifting pocket works like a charm. Do this a few times & you get the knack. Keep the rubber side down, Dude!

 

[maddad]

Have dropped mine one to left and once to tight. Both times due to stopping on gravel, which was more like marbles.

Have frame sliders, meant that I scratched the bar ends and pipes.

1) Bar ends gave me a reason to purchase throttlemeiser.

2) Looking for the right pipes.

Scratches don't both me at all, but I'll use any excuse to justify my desire to add to the bike.

And just picked up a Scala G4 today, so my buddy can tell me if my bike looks like it's leaning too far.

 

[firewalker]

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.

 

[firewalker]

Stop ridin. Take your time, no race, put it in gear, turn of the engine, make sure it's secure before you leave it. Treat it like your kid! STOP BEING SOOOOO CARELESS!!!!!!