Dropping your bike...

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MattL · #11 Unread post by **MattL** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 1:55 pm

VermilionX wrote: 2nd was taking a corner too fast for my skill level.

Verm.. What happened? You sound very responsible now. You have an epiphany? Good for you.

VermilionX · Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:08 pm

i guess you weren't around here yet when it happened.

well anyway... it was on a canyon. it's a downhill decreasing radius turn. i took the turn a little too fast and a little too late. i was on the edge and there was some loose gravel on it.

bike slid a little, i panicked so i tried to stand the bike up and brake instead of just pushing to lean more.

i hit the guard rail and got thrown off the bike. the guard rail was actually good since if it wasn't for it... i would have ended up in a ditch and probably suffered body injuries.

anyway... the bike's fairing was messed up but no mechanical problems that i could see. so i continued to ride and went home later w/ a bruised bike and bruised confidence. i suffered no physical injury and my 1pc suit was fine.

i have been in the canyons w/ snow, hail, thick fog, hard rain and made it through. but then of course, i was more careful during that time. so i guess i got careless on that sunny day.

Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:09 pm

How fast do you think you were going when you fell off the bike ?

dieziege · #14 Unread post by **dieziege** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:13 pm

I've never dropped a motorcycle.

I have a lot more experience handling "dead" bikes than riding live ones... when I was young there were always a few bikes in the garage (CB350, trail 90, etc)... and my parents were always paranoid about me knocking them over (or having them fall on me)... so when I moved them, I was always careful. And I did move them, fairly often. Since then I've maneuvered quite a few other bikes in awkward environments (manhandling a 575lb bike up boards and into pickup trucks without the help of an engine, then getting it back down, for a warm-up)... so far, haven't dropped one... but I'm always worried about it when I move a bike with the engine shut off.

When I'm moving a working bike I almost always get on it and start the engine... even repositioning it in the driveway... I'm a lot more comfortable knowing that the engine is available to help move the bike if I need it...and that with me astride the bike I'll be able to control tips in either direction before they get out of hand.

Riding... I still haven't pushed the limits enough to come close... I ride in an area where there is always sand and gravel on the roads (year round) and the sand can be inches thick and appear from one day to the next (e.g. a thunderstorm blows through and washes sand over the roads)... so I'm also very paranoid about road surface conditions and not taking a curve too fast until I know what the conditions really are... which has maybe prevented a few drops... because a few of the roads were clean when I rode out to work in the morning but had an inch of sand when I came back at night... and the bike definitely lost traction on the curve...but I was aware of the potential and had plenty of margin to keep the bike upright. Not as much fun as blasting through on good clean asphault would be, but that's life.... one of these days I'll probably go a bit too hard on some of that sand and find the limits... but hopefully not too soon.

VermilionX · Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:16 pm

MrGompers wrote:How fast do you think you were going when you fell off the bike ?

since i was braking when i hit the rail... im not sure, i probably slowed down to 20-25mph.

camthepyro · Sun Jun 04, 2006 2:41 pm

fireguzzi
PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 5:23 pm Post subject:
Shocked Man thats a helluva sink hole!!

By the way, what was a county worker doing at your house?
If that ain't to personal of a question.

Haha, yeah, it's a pretty damn big sinkhole, and it's slightly larger now, we're getting it repaired soon, after we re-finance the house.

And no, I don't mind the question, the county worker was there to leave tax information for my parents' business (a train hobby business, they make buildings for model train layouts). She didn't know the hole was there, and you can't see it when you pull into the driveway. I was looking at my window when she pulled in, and man was that hilarious. I was thinking "wow, it looks like she's going to drive right into that hole!" and then, crash! She drives right into the hole. Had to call a wrecker to pull her out.

Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:00 pm

Aint sink holes fun? I live in a mining town, full of old workings, in april of 2004 a sink hole opened up a few blocks from my house, it was huge, 12 cars fell in, a few trucks, a 40' trailer, 2 wreckers and a bunch of trees and other vehicle parts on a garaghe property, the garage is still condmened.... *L

kabob983 · #18 Unread post by **kabob983** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:45 pm

First drop today, w00t! Trying to do a reeeeeeally slow turn and lost balance...TUMP! Almost no damage to the fairing. The end of the clutch lever broke off, that's it. Have a small scratch in my pants too.

Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:49 pm

My dirtbike? I lost count after the 5th time.

anthonyjwhite · Sun Jun 04, 2006 6:13 pm

I dropped mine twice, once in the driveway and another time in the yard. The driveway fall was because I thought the stand was down and the yard drop was when turning the front tire sunk into the sand. Both times I escaped unharmed. The bike suffered a broken tip off the clutch lever.

Those who ride a top-heavy motorcycle should test on a soft surface to find the most lean angle before gravity takes over and the bike will fall. I am glad I learned this at a stop rather than on the street. There is a point on most motorcycles where it will fall reguardless of your strength.