First drop story

[9000white]

i have got a 85 ch125 now.great scooter--liquid cooled engine.

[DustyJacket]

April 9 2005 - I take the bike out to practice clutch control.

I find my hiking boots won't let my toe under the shift, so I need new boots. A couple of construction trucks park on our road, so I use neighborhood streets.

I start feeling like I got this licked, when 15 minutes into the practice, I stop (for the second time) at a stop sign, headed downhill, and need to turn left and go uphill. It stalled so I revved it and CRASH ! I dropped it going 1 or 2 MPH.

Left front turn signal broke off into pieces. Shifter peg bent up. Tank scuffed. Flyscreen/fairing scuffed. Bracket holding headlight and flyscreen bent. Headlight shines up.

I picked up the pieces; picked up the bike; left my pride laying on the road; and rode home. I put some turn signal pieces back on; bent the bracket into place and rotated the headlight into position. Bent the shifter peg straight.

Then, I went out and stayed on my street dodging trucks until I got better on the throttle and clutch. Mary took the picture you see here - left turn signal isn't very amber, nor waterproof.

We went to Gails H-D dealer to order parts. Total cost of new parts (turn signal and bracket) is $19.98

[VeganRider]

This is a story I'd rather not tell. Two months ago I was comming home; made it to my house. My car was in the driveway but is usually parked in the two car garage to give me room to ride up the drive and into the garage. On the very edge of the drive there is a one foot rut from my service truck (1 ton chevy van). Well, I thought the small area of the concrete between the left side of my car and the edge of the drive pavement was going to be wide enough, but as I got close to my car I thought I was going to clip it's side mirror so I leaned my bike left away from the car but my wheels must have been on the very edge of the drive by the rut. Instantly my bike dropped a foot while leaning it and filpped over, pinning me underneath. I tried but could not lift the bike up. Then gasoline started dripping all over me and I tried even harder to move it, no luck; man, talk about freakin out! I laid there in the dark trapped for a long time and blowing the horn in short bursts. I'm thinking..... , well not going to say the exact words, but that I was gonna be toast. Finally a guy walking down the sidewalk heard me and came running. He got the bike off and I started to scoot back a few inches but saw my boot was not moving with the rest of me! A sight I will never forget! He called 911. It turned out to be a very long night. The cast comes off in a week. I broke the left leg real bad in three places, now I have a titanium tube in it from below the knee to above the ankle and some screws. They say it will be stronger than before the accident; sure hope so. I had been in a careless hurried mood that entire evening, tought me a lesson; last time I do something stupid like that, I hope. But my bike was fine, not a scratch, must have insulated it with my body. Now it's spring and I can't wait to go ride, I'm stuck in the house on the frekin couch listening to all the other scooters go by! eerrrrr

[zarakand]

Last spring, I'd set up some cones in a parking lot and was practicing weaving around the cones as they have you do for your DL test. I was having a hard time with it going very slowly while leaning...didn't have enough momentum, stalled the bike, and over she went! Luckily it was under 5mph, the footpeg took the brunt of the fall and that's the only one so far!

[chickenhawk]

I had my bike for about a month, when I decided to take a pretty long day trip - mostly expressway riding. I got off at the exit and stopped at the light...Oh yeah, you have to put at least ONE foot down at that point! What a newbie move, and I wasn't a newbie.

The second time it happened I just tipped over at the foot of a driveway while standing still. Oh and that one time in my own driveway while turning around. I was standing next to it. Did I mention that I can't pick it up myself? Ended up driving to work THAT day.

Boy I sound like a winner!

[allawybiker]

ok, so I have had my first bike for 3 days now. Yesterday, I was sitting on it getting ready to leave and setting up my GPS unit for directions and talking to my wife, let the bike rest on the stand...ooops, forgot the stand had been kicked back... It was too late and both the bike and I went down. Luckily, only my wife was present, and laughed hard until I was gone...
The bike is ok as I tried to let it got down slowly, but man those things are heavy

[poppygene]

That was just your bike's way of telling you to pay attention.

Glad it wasn't serious!

[9000white]

1978 xs500 yamaha had sidestand that retracted when weight was taken off of it.just got finished installing new windshield --mirrors--turn signals.was sitting beside it on right side and pulled myself up by handlebar--train was going by and i didnt hear stand go up--turned it loose and it fell over on Onan generator it was parked beside.windshield--left mirror--left turn signal==complete air cleaner assembly on generator demolished.i still blame the railroad for this.

[poppygene]

Good greif, Bob! It seems it just wasn't meant for that bike to have mirrors and signal lights!

[poppygene]

I've been very lucky, from a certain perspective, since all my "drops" have been at speed. I don't count dirtbikes. Dirtbikes beg to be dropped.

The worst street-related crash I had involved an extremely twisty, mountain road, too much entry speed and sand. Textbook low-side. Rashed me and the bike nicely, but I learned from it. I started wearing better gear after that.