Motorcycle mistakes you only make once... and ones you make all the time...

[TwistedKestrel]

Forum Sponsor

I think about the only mistake that I'm done making is "inappropriate" speeding, I haven't gotten a ticket in at least 15 years.

The mistake I make most often is troubleshooting a bike that won't start, eliminate the battery early on, bang my head on the problem for a week or two, then replace the battery to fix it

 

[PrivatePilot]

the kickstand side of my bike while low on sleep. Had a board under the kickstand to give me a bit more room on that side and had the front tire turned the opposite way making it really close to the tipping point. I turned a wrench or pushed something and the bike flopped over on the other side. First and only time dropping a bike. It was also a very pretty bagger so it wasn't a cheap fix.

Oh boy this brings back some panicked moments from a few years ago...almost happened to me as well when I was doing a tire change.

Now if the bike is going to sit in this situation for any length of time I put ratchet straps from the handlebars hooked into the roof rafters in the garage and snug them up - they'll catch the bike if something goes pear shaped.

 

[Aens]

Motorcycle mistake I make a lot of the times:

Putting on my gloves and realizing the key is still in my pocket. @!#$@

This happens most when I get distracted by others. Whether it be keys, ear plugs, helmet strap, etc etc.

To fix it, I had to turn it into a routine, almost like a sacred ritual.

 

[Lightcycle]

The mistake I make most often is troubleshooting a bike that won't start, eliminate the battery early on, bang my head on the problem for a week or two, then replace the battery to fix it

So common.

How many times have I seen on the Internet:

"Help! Bike won't start!"
"It's your battery, dude."
"I'm pretty sure it's not, I charged it up, tested it with a voltmeter, 12.8V... It's not the battery! I'm gonna replace the <<stator/regulator/fuses/flux capacitor>> and get back to you guys"



"It was the battery"

Good 'ole surface charge.

Gets them every single time.

 

[MacDoc]

Turning my ST1100 around on a steep hill it went over high side down....now in my defense the clutch failed ( interesting ride home.)
Luckily a strong older guy helped me get it upright. I actually tumbled down the hill a couple of rolls it was that steep. ( Herberton )
The ST1100 has some sort of tip over rail on the side that is not obtrusive and works the charm. You can see the gray blade. Enough stump pulling torque starting off in second was non issue then just rev match

Cracked mirror casing was the only casuality but damn a nervous 120 km ride home without a working clutch on that big bike.

 

[adri]

So common.

How many times have I seen on the Internet:

"Help! Bike won't start!"
"It's your battery, dude."
"I'm pretty sure it's not, I charged it up, tested it with a voltmeter, 12.8V... It's not the battery! I'm gonna replace the <<stator/regulator/fuses/flux capacitor>> and get back to your guys"

View attachment 72791

"It was the battery"

Good 'ole surface charge.

Gets them every single time.

I always keep a spare lithium in the garage for testing purposes. Small enough to fit in any bike, mighty enough to work on any bike.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Cracked mirror casing was the only casuality but damn a nervous 120 km ride home without a working clutch on that big bike.

How did you even manage that? On an oldschool bike I could see it being possible easily enough, but on most modern bikes you can't even crank the starter without the clutch in and the bike in neutral.

Circa 1997 I brought a fully loaded Freightliner with a set of B-Trains back from Montreal to Oshawa with no clutch, but back then there was no interlocks - I just dumped it into deep low reduction every time I needed to stop, then just pressed the starter button to get things moving and started, and went from there. You don't actually need the clutch to shift a big truck.

 

[Sunday Rider]

How did you even manage that? On an oldschool bike I could see it being possible easily enough, but on most modern bikes you can't even crank the starter without the clutch in and the bike in neutral.

On the ST1100 if the bike is in gear you can start it if the clutch lever is pulled in to trigger a switch to allow it. If the side stand is down, putting it in gear with stop the engine.
I put a VFR adjustable lever (brake lever adjustable but not clutch lever), had it set too close and it took a while to figure out that the plunger wasn’t being activated and couldn’t start the bike in gear if stopped or stalled, had to be in neutral.

 

[oioioi]

You can get cheap customized covers for the fobs in different colours to tell them apart. These are ones for the BMW motorcycle fobs.

We had identical fobs for my R1250GS and my wife's R1250RS.

Did I buy those coloured-coded covers for the fobs?

Nope.

Did I mistake the fobs and sometimes bring the wrong one out to the garage?

Yup.

You can also just put a favourite colored zip tie onto the key hole. Or maybe match the zip to the color of the bike.

Only once mistake:
I'm sure there are several but I don't remember them all.
However one that stuck in my head was 2 season ago while on a trip to PA/WV. While putting my Givi top case onto the rack, I unknowingly did not press it down hard enough for the lock on the rack engage properly into the case. I think this was my first trip with this case.
Somehow the case stayed on the bike from Keyser, WV to NY. A day full of twisty PA roads and downpour rain, bumps, highways etc.
I had only noticed this when I switched bike with a buddy for 20 min in East Aurora NY. I rode behind him to see how load my exhaust was as they were all complaining about it. Ever pump by buddy went over with my bike. I saw the top case jump off of the top plate. Thankfully the 2 front bolts the case slides into held it well enough not to fall off. a 42L case full of snacks, personals items and a MS surface laptop.


The kickstand incidents that some of you mentioned. Yes I am a victim of that as well. But this falls into the "Multiples times" mistakes department.
Too late for that tonight.

 

[timtune]

Mistakes I'm not likely to make again:
I won't use a 1200 GoldWing to catch up with a guy on a Suzuki Bandit. At 160 it was weaving so bad neither I nor my buddy behind me thought I would get it slowed down in one piece.
If I'm working on a bike and decide to test something by snicking it into gear I will make damn sure the rear tire is clear of leads and cables of my battery charger.
I won't roll a bike up on a stand that is not wide enough to deploy the kickstand unless I know that when I go to roll it back down the ramp the rear tire won't just push the ramp off the stand leaving me holding a bike with no way to get it down.
I will NEVER EVER again reassemble an engine and install it in the frame without knowing that it at least turns over.
I probably won't forget to put the kick stand down at the gas station and break the glass on the front of the pump with my handlebars.

 

[Gaoler]

I've lost count of the number of times I've left the key to my top box in the lock...
Rode from Osoyuss to Medicine Hat with the thing back there...
'Good thing it's pretty secure once inserted into the lock

 

[timtune]

Squeeze and I were touring the Marine museum in Greenbay WI when we realized I'd lost the keys to the Wing. Retraced our steps thru the museum 2 or 3 times before finding the keys still stuck in the saddlebag lock.

 

[Morrissey]

Mistake I made once: took a girl who was nervous about riding on a motorcycle for an ice cream. As I was backing the bike up (with her one it) I stepped on someone's discarded plastic spoon and my left foot shot out from under me like in a cartoon and we and the bike toppled over. I thought it was funny (no damage to us or the bike) but we didn't go out on another date after that. TBH I was surprised she didn't make me put her in a cab to go home!

Mistake I make all the time is leaving something I need in the house and only remembering after I have all my gear on and I'm on the bike about to pull out of the driveway.

 

[nakkers]

Is it a mistake when you test the range of the low fuel light? My calculations of fuel consumption and tank capacity has me question manufacturer specs from time to time. Might be one of my faults from owning carburetor machines for several years and not adapting well to FI that don’t have a “res”! Happens more times than I can count.

I have been known to check my messages on the cell at a fuel stop. Have I left the cell on a saddle bag while putting my gloves on and getting ready to ride off? Poor company supplied cell was run over somewhere in Ottawa while I rode through the roads of Quebec and didn’t realize the phone was gone until seeing that beautiful charge cord waving out the saddle bag. Happened once. Almost happened again but, going through the trauma of not having a work phone for more than a day the first time saved me the second time.

 

[Lightcycle]

Is it a mistake when you test the range of the low fuel light?

Yeah this is a mistake I make over and over again, especially on a new and unfamiliar bike:



Guess which camp I fall into...

I have been known to check my messages on the cell at a fuel stop. Have I left the cell on a saddle bag while putting my gloves on and getting ready to ride off?

Motorcycle mistake I've only made once

Leaving anything on the pillion seat or on top of the panniers/topcase, and then riding away - the aforementioned items becoming a sacrifice to the Asphalt Gods.

Anything not in my line of sight when I get on the bike is immediately forgotten the minute the key is turned.

Now when I take anything off at a stop: gloves, GPS, phone, etc., it either goes on the tank/in the tankbag or on the rider's seat, so I have to pick it up to sit on the bike.

 

[Mad Mike]

Mistake I made once - dismount on an icy patch in the office parking lot when 100 people have their noses pressed against the glass to see what idiot would ride to work in January.

Showed them all how to pickup an FJR.

Make all the time - buying another project bike when I already have more projects than I’ll ever finish.

Kicking over my dirt bike until my knee bleeds only to have my wife ask me if the key is on.

 

[Lightcycle]

How did you even manage that? On an oldschool bike I could see it being possible easily enough, but on most modern bikes you can't even crank the starter without the clutch in and the bike in neutral.

Circa 1997 I brought a fully loaded Freightliner with a set of B-Trains back from Montreal to Oshawa with no clutch, but back then there was no interlocks - I just dumped it into deep low reduction every time I needed to stop, then just pressed the starter button to get things moving and started, and went from there. You don't actually need the clutch to shift a big truck.

I snapped the clutch cable on an old Royal Enfield Bullet in India.

Had to stall the bike to stop, of course. And to get going again, had to start the bike in neutral, and then tap it into gear while pushing the bike forward without stalling it.

Took a few tries to get it right. Hilarious for anyone watching, I'm sure...

Did get the bike fixed on the side of the road. You gotta take the tank off to route the clutch cable from the lever, beneath the tank, down to the engine case.

Fork, that was a pain.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Is it a mistake when you test the range of the low fuel light? My calculations of fuel consumption and tank capacity has me question manufacturer specs from time to time. Might be one of my faults from owning carburetor machines for several years and not adapting well to FI that don’t have a “res”! Happens more times than I can count.

I've been known to do that. Like yourself, I miss the days of being able to reach down and switch the petcock to the reserve side when you start to feel it sucking air.

FWIW, carrying a small jerry can of extra fuel is the difference between doing this sort of experiment comfortably, vs not.

 

[MacDoc]

I think only once in 60 years riding did I turn the petcock the wrong way and actually ran out stone cold empty. Long time ago.
The CBF1000 had a lying fuel gauge ....would lure you along showing 1/4 remaining then plummet.
Only bike I ran out of fuel ...tho might have stretched the Burgman 650 to 10 km from home and needed a fuel delivery from staff.

 

[Relax]

I always keep a spare lithium in the garage for testing purposes. Small enough to fit in any bike, mighty enough to work on any bike.

While it's nice to have a spare battery or jump starter (I have multiples of both), anyone with a car can just that in a pinch - same 12 volts, and much better cranking capacity.

Forum Sponsor