Repeated Drops

+1 on owning and dropping

I agree completely with the earlier comment. I have the replacement 1100rt turn signal/mirror housing to show for my "off the center stand, reverse walking it in a turn..then it starts to fall away from me and I cannot stop it as it hits the lawn" blues!

I have learned to right the bike very quickly and was thankfully taught to deploy the kick stand before so doing!

LCBIKEMAN said:

I have learned to right the bike very quickly and was thankfully taught to deploy the kick stand before so doing!

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After I forgot to deploy my kick stand and dropped my bike, I now use the kick stand switch as a kill switch. I rode well over 30 years before I forgot to deploy my kick stand so I figured I must be getting senile and I apparently need all the help I can get.

Don't feel bad I've been stuck under my bike for 2 years. My skeleton fingers are typing this.

I'm seventy-three yrs old and have ridden since I was sixteen. Never dropped a bike until the mid eighties when I got a Yamaha Venture Royal that pig was as top heavy as an aircraft carrier and about as big. I have since managed to drop my BMWs a few times usually by driving HUA.

OLSENSAN said:

Don't feel bad I've been stuck under my bike for 2 years. My skeleton fingers are typing this.

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I've been there, but not for that long. The first bike I dropped was a friends Ninja 600. I had just gotten my motorcycle temps and borrowed his bike to practice on and and take my test. I parked it nose down in my driveway in neutral. As I walked away, I heard a funny noise and turned around to see the bike rolling forward off the side stand. By the time I got to it, the side stand was snapping up and the bike was on its way down. I managed to dive underneath it and save the plastics with my body. It only ended up with two small scratches, one on the side cover of the engine and another on the bar end. It was fun crawling back out from under the bike without causing more damage.

When I purchased my '07 R1200RT (pre-owned) it had scratches on the left side valve cover. [On the first day the original owner rode the bike he didn't get the side stand all the way down before leaning and starting his dismount. Yep! Down it went!] He sold the bike to me with 1-year of service and 3228 miles on the clock. Yep! During the first two months of ownership I added two drops to each side and added more scratches to valve covers and side-case covers. Then, I discovered that if I put BOTH feet down when coming to a stop I had significantly better control and balance. It took a while to learn to use only my left leg and foot...EXCEPT when loaded to the gills with rally-camping gear. No drops in almost 5 years. (I know, I know, now I'll get off-balance the next time I come to a traffic light...and it will serve me right....)

MPMARTY said:

I'm seventy-three yrs old and have ridden since I was sixteen. Never dropped a bike until the mid eighties when I got a Yamaha Venture Royal that pig was as top heavy as an aircraft carrier and about as big. I have since managed to drop my BMWs a few times usually by driving HUA.

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Sorry...What's HUA?

on the subject of leveraging your tires off the pavement with running boards...

http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=19659734&postcount=760

http://advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=19670385&postcount=829

Bmandiego said:

Sorry...What's HUA?

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Head Up A$$

evansdjango said:

Here's the thing. For the second time in ten years, I dropped my RT while starting a sharp turn from a stopped position. I understand the geometry of the situation, but tell me I am not the only forgetful one who does this?

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I decided to park in the parking garage one morning at work. I slowed way down for the turn into the space, a little too slow, turned the handlebars and, CLUNK, down on the left cylinder head & side bag. Wrenched my back standing it up. But it wasn't nearly as bad as the drop I made the second day I owned the bike, when I busted the mirror and bent the foot peg bracket.

!@#$%^&
Hate when this happens.
I dropped it this last weekend. Operator error, of course. It was very similar to another time I dropped it. I was in a dirt parking lot that had a pretty good slope to it. I went to do a slow speed downhill turn to my left. I didn't leave enough room to straighten out, and turned too sharp downhill. I should have just parked it along the side facing uphill. I hope I learned my lesson this time.
I though about taking the crash bars off the rtp, but they have saved the bike several times now.
stupid stupid stupid.
I never had slow speed drops on my 82 HondaCB-750 a couple of decades ago (that I remember, lol).

evansdjango said:

Here's the thing. For the second time in ten years, I dropped my RT while starting a sharp turn from a stopped position. I understand the geometry of the situation, but tell me I am not the only forgetful one who does this?

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I don't know if you are still following this post but no you are not the first and you won't be the last.

The trick is to use your friction control, throttle, clutch and rear break as you go from a stop to make either a left or right hand turn. Stay off the front brake, if you apply it you will go down. In slow moving situations, parking lots, turns from stop etc, you never want to use the front brake unless the bike is straight, not turned or leaned over.

Go to a parking lot and practise your friction control. We all seem to forget our slow riding skills and you need to practise them frequently.

Drops

Drops can happen, even with the best of care. Gravel, sand, or a dip in the surface and the bike leans too much to right with old knees when you stop. It happens, and you did not really hurt yourself or the machine too much.

I recently practiced tight left and right turns from a stop, doing drills taught by motor-cops at a MSF instructor update in our area. The turn radius was about 12', so almost a full lock left or right turn from a stop. I ride a 94 RS with a narrow handlebar and the off-center fuel load of the RS series oilhead. Here is the technique they taught and we practiced:
1. Come to a stop, one foot down in the direction of the turn.
2. Turn the handlebar almost full lock in the turn direction.
3. LOOK past the turn into the path direction after the turn, DO NOT look at the outside of the turn just in front of the bike.
4. Lean the bike toward the leg with the foot down, other foot on the peg.
5. Clutch into the friction zone just enough to cause the bike to creep slightly.
6. Apply throttle to get the bike moving without releasing the clutch any more.
7. This is key: as soon as the bike is moving, get the foot up and apply rear brake! This causes the bike to stand up straighter, making it much easier to maintain the turned handlebar. It's just enough rear brake to cause the bike to want to stand up.
8. Once the front tire is on the new path, ease out the clutch fully.

I found this to be very effective on very tight turns from a stop. Once you practice this technique and get good at it, slightly larger turns don't require any rear brake at all. With a bit of practice I was easily doing this both left and right over and over. Oh, and I'm 5'-6", 30" inseam on a stock height RS. It takes practice, but with it you get so much more confidence at it.

Thx guys,
I'll try the rear brake maneuver.