Ooops! Oh crap. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Ooops! Oh crap.

Morrissey

Morrissey

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So, I made a boo boo today. Attempting to put the Bandit up on it's centre stand to lube the chain and I didn't get it all the way up. It came back down and bounced away from me and I just couldn't hold onto it. I've never had a bike fall away from me before. It sucked because it was falling away from me I couldn't help guide it down to help diminish the damage to it and it also gave me a few extra moments to watch in terror as it fell. The sickening smack it made as it hit the driveway made my toes curl! The neighbour came over and helped me pick it up. Because of my Givi cases, the bike was actually tipped over even further, the rear wheel was actually up off the ground a bit! When we stood it up, it wasn't as bad as I feared. The Givi case actually took most of the hit. It sustained a big scuff and some gouges in the plastic and the front turn signal broke off. But, other than that the only damage was a scratch on the bar end and as scrape on the mirror. No damage to painted parts or the engine cases. Could have been worse. Luckily I still have two weeks until my big trip so I will be able to get the light replaced in time.

Now there is nothing left to do but nurse my bruised ego. :(
 
Ah that sucks. At least the cases took most of the hit.

It's like it happens in slow mo though!
 
I keep thinking that there's got to be something better than these plastics they use for fairings. Falling is one thing, but these things scratch just looking at them the wrong way.
 
I'm always envious of bikes that have tip over bars. The older series Kawi Concours, and the ST1300 all have accessory tip over bars that stick out past the fairings AND the bags so that in the event of a tip over, the only thing that usually touches down is the tip over bars and maybe the handlebar end. My Dad's old Vulcan Nomad had those bars and it was great when that thing tipped over. 2 tiny scratches on the underside of the bars and that was it! My poor Givi bag now has a good sized collection of scrapes on the bottom front corner.

I've already had my shop track down a new turn signal for me and they will install it next week when I go in to have my new tires put on. Bike will be all ready for the trip so that's all that really matters.

Ego still badly bruised though.
 
Your bike has been baptised. Mine had the same thing happen when I had a missmount off a rear stand...fell away from me...not much I could do. Small scuff in faring, scratch on bar end...mirror end scratches. Character I call it.
 
Almost the same thing happened to me 2 years ago. Except I got to pull it back on the stand. And it landed on by big toe. And I was wearing sandals...
 
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OP: I totally feel your pain. The same thing has happened to me before as well, lost balance and bike fell away from me. The only thing that was in my mind was "poor bike... stupid hand..." T_T
 
About a month ago I started my bike on my driveway to let it warm up.

As I'm walking away to put on the rest of my gear, I hear a scrape, turn around to look, and watch it fall - CRUNCH! I had not put the kickstand down all the way (or properly). Sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.
 
Take everything in regards to handling or prepping your motorcycling nice and slow. You have all the time in the world to go fast. Less chance to make mistakes/errors.
 
that sucks.

saddlebags (hard) make for great swingarm sliders though.
 
Charles Darwin said:
About a month ago I started my bike on my driveway to let it warm up.

As I'm walking away to put on the rest of my gear, I hear a scrape, turn around to look, and watch it fall - CRUNCH! I had not put the kickstand down all the way (or properly). Sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Click to expand...

Ditto! Kickstand down but not forward... Fell on the wifes bike!.... Another 30 years of hearing about that one to come. See, your not alone.
 
I get a kick out of the guys that go on about never dropping their bikes. I believe most of it is pure hogwash, truth is, accidents like this happen to all of us at one time or another. With that said, don't beat yourself up over something that was going to happen at some time or another. Glad your big ride won't be hindered.

I dropped mine in the parking lot at a mall forgetting to put down the kick stand. Good thing for naked bikes and frame sliders, both of which I got knowing I would drop my bike at some point lol. Well that and the naked SV is just sexy.
 
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The same thing happened to me with my Bandit a few weeks ago!! I was washing it on the driveway and had the centre stand up on 2 plastic discs. It was a really hot day. When I was finished I went to take it off the centre stand but didn't notice the one side slid off the disc and sunk into the hot asphalt. Of course it had to be the side away from me. I tried to hold it but couldn't and had to let it go. Same terrible sound. Brake lever snapped, turn signal broke off, bar cap. Didn't have the Givi bags on so the edge of the tail pipe caught a few scratches. The fairing got scratched as well. I've never dropped a street bike before after 25+ years of riding so it hurt me. This one is an '09 and and was in mint condition. Not any more.
 
Yeah, those slow motion falls are pretty funny/terrible.

I was in an underground garage with very slippery floors. Unfortunately, when I got off my foot landed in a puddle of oil. The bike started to slowly go over and all I could do was slowly slip-n-slide until I gently placed the bike on the ground. Probably the slowest speed drop ever. And only a crushed left turn signal.
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