Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Let me just be the first to admit it…

Those of you who said to start with a small, old motorcycle were probably right. Today on my lunch break I was riding along on a side street, enjoying my ride back to work, when I came up to a very sharp left hand corner… so I downshifted and slowed to about 20, started to lean when all of a sudden, wham… there I am skidding along the ground, my 2 month old V-Star 1100 Classic sliding right along in front of me thanks to that nice little pile of rocks that had somehow made their way onto the road…

Now I’m not gonna say that it was completely my fault b/c without those rocks I would’ve been fine. But had I been on a smaller bike I might not have went down like that. And I definitely wouldn’t be so upset about breaking both left-side turn signals off and scratching the left side of the handle bars and the left foot rest on my brand new bike.

So let me just tell all you who are looking at your first bikes. I was in exactly the same place as you a few months ago thinking I wanted to start with a big bike that I wouldn’t tire of in a year… thinking there’s no way I would lay it over like that… you’ve all heard the saying S#!T HAPPENS… now I’m left with 2 road rashed hands (cause I wasn’t wearing my gloves) and a slightly broken bike… (Thank God nothing else)

So, if you don’t think it can happen to you… IT CAN!!! Watch out for them dang little rocks that somehow work their way to the middle of the lane!!!!

(now I get to spend my graduation money on repairing my bike instead of that exhaust I was gonna get)

Marcus - Glad YOU are ok tho

Glad you are ok... I don't think the size of the bike had anything to do with it though.

not gonna say told you so or anything like that (mostly because i never told you so). glad you are okay. the lights can be replaced, the scratches dents and dings can be repaired. roar rash will heal.

but the lesson learned is quite important. Little rocks can cause big problems.

i think this might have happened no matter the HP of the bike though, but had it been an older beater, you might have been laughing and saying "lesson learned, hurt my pride more than my ride" instead of "damn it"

yeah, I really don't think it had anything to do with the size...

I'm mostly just talking about the not getting a brand new bike...

But then again, I don't really think there was anything I could've done about it... Other than maybe noticing there were rocks there before I started turning...

...i told you so.

glad your all right mate.

Glad you're alright man, but the same thing happened to me after I got my bike. I had had it for maybe 2 weeks and I was driving home in the rain and I braked a little to hard with the front wheel ever so slightly turned and BAM, down I went. I was only going about 7mph so I was fine, but the bike was a little beat up. I agree with everyone else about it not being the bike or the power, just the experience, you're gonna drop it (maybe) at least once, and when its new scratches on a brand new bike, its just hurts a little more than a bike thats already a little beat up. I mean my bike is only 360lbs....so, just don't get discouraged, be glad you're alright, fix it and get back out there!

Oh yeah, 3 weeks after that a kid sideswiped me in his car, so watch out for that too! Finally the bike is fixed I'm back on the road though, with a ton a new knowledge to make me a better rider. Good luck with everything

Glad you're ok..... try to think of the nicks and scratches as beauty marks.

give em names...

I came close to dumping my Bonneville on loose stuff twice last winter. Each time I got a foot down, dirt bike style, and saved it. (Both were at relatively low speed.) The Bonnie has a very compact geometry, low center of gravity, and predictable steering. I think those qualities helped me wrestle it back under control as much as its absolute weight or horsepower.

I also became very tentative cornering. Wasn't until April, with clean roads, warm asphalt and warm rubber that I got back into my groove leaning the bike.

Glad you are okay.

Any damage to the rocks?