Just wondering if anyone has a story about how that tipped over their motorcycle. I recently had a shoe string get caught and almost didn’t get my foot down at a stop sign. Just trying to learn something from other people’s experiences to prevent scratching up my precious.
How did you tip over your motorcycle
4thand26
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Been riding since 1963, so I've had a few.
I used to pull up to stoplights and allow the front forks to compress, then release the brake so the bike would slowly roll backwards, then try to keep balance for as long as I could (like bicyclists do at lights without putting their foot down).
Did it once on my beloved 1969 H1 and managed to keep balance for quite a while, while cars were pulling up around me at a big intersection. As the bike started to tip to the right, I went to put my foot down, but it wouldn't go. The kick starter had found its way up my pant leg and down I went. I fully expected to see lot's of laughing faces in the cars around me, but instead shocked looks of great concern.
Another at a toll booth in the 70's when cars leaked oil and antifreeze readily - especially at toolbooths. Pulled up to a bridge tollbooth on a loaded heavy bike, stopped and put my left foot down into the slippery ice rink of oil and antifreeze, where it slid out and the bike and I ended up on the ground.
Two on my FZ.
Coming back from Las Vegas in March, pretty cold and loaded down with tankbag, saddlebags and dufflebag on top of that, stopped in Baker on I15 for gas, filled up and used the bathroom where it took me ten minutes to get enough clothing off to do it, redressed, got on my bike and headed out. Then thought maybe I'd forgotten my phone, so pulled over to check. The side of the road slanted off to the right, but I figured I could handle it. But I didn't take into account that the shoulder was lots of gravel on asphalt. Foot slipped and I couldn't handle the weight of the bike, all my stuff and full tank. Rolled off the bike, but still OK, but on the slope, the bike was past horizontal and a bit up-side-down. Which freaked me out because the last thing I wanted was for gasoline to leak out and start a fire.
So I made a valiant attempt to be Mr Universe and immediately pick the bike up (incorrectly).
Tweaked the crap out of my back unsuccessfully trying. Had to unload everything and then try again. I finally managed (can't remember if I did it the right way or not). I do remember I couldn't get traction for my feet because of the gravel. Bought some sort of pain meds and made it back to San Jose (didn't know if I would), but sore back for a couple of weeks.
Then coming up Redwood Retreat Rd. to it's intersection witn Summit Road there's a very big tree. I was going to stop to wait for my buddy who was behind and decided to skid to a stop in the dirt. Except the dirt turned out to be a dusty giant polished flat, wide root - like a tabletop upon later inspection. Both wheels locked up and down I went in an instant. Left side of the FZ this time, so I'm balanced.
I haven't had Chester's unfortunate experience and hope I don't. I've painted on my rear stand: "BIKE IN GEAR! KICKSTAND DOWN! HANDLEBARS STRAIGHT!" and I make a point of forcing myself actually to read it everytime I use it.
Definitely get some sort of case savers. I had them and I'm glad I did!
I used to pull up to stoplights and allow the front forks to compress, then release the brake so the bike would slowly roll backwards, then try to keep balance for as long as I could (like bicyclists do at lights without putting their foot down).
Did it once on my beloved 1969 H1 and managed to keep balance for quite a while, while cars were pulling up around me at a big intersection. As the bike started to tip to the right, I went to put my foot down, but it wouldn't go. The kick starter had found its way up my pant leg and down I went. I fully expected to see lot's of laughing faces in the cars around me, but instead shocked looks of great concern.
Another at a toll booth in the 70's when cars leaked oil and antifreeze readily - especially at toolbooths. Pulled up to a bridge tollbooth on a loaded heavy bike, stopped and put my left foot down into the slippery ice rink of oil and antifreeze, where it slid out and the bike and I ended up on the ground.
Two on my FZ.
Coming back from Las Vegas in March, pretty cold and loaded down with tankbag, saddlebags and dufflebag on top of that, stopped in Baker on I15 for gas, filled up and used the bathroom where it took me ten minutes to get enough clothing off to do it, redressed, got on my bike and headed out. Then thought maybe I'd forgotten my phone, so pulled over to check. The side of the road slanted off to the right, but I figured I could handle it. But I didn't take into account that the shoulder was lots of gravel on asphalt. Foot slipped and I couldn't handle the weight of the bike, all my stuff and full tank. Rolled off the bike, but still OK, but on the slope, the bike was past horizontal and a bit up-side-down. Which freaked me out because the last thing I wanted was for gasoline to leak out and start a fire.
So I made a valiant attempt to be Mr Universe and immediately pick the bike up (incorrectly).
Tweaked the crap out of my back unsuccessfully trying. Had to unload everything and then try again. I finally managed (can't remember if I did it the right way or not). I do remember I couldn't get traction for my feet because of the gravel. Bought some sort of pain meds and made it back to San Jose (didn't know if I would), but sore back for a couple of weeks.
Then coming up Redwood Retreat Rd. to it's intersection witn Summit Road there's a very big tree. I was going to stop to wait for my buddy who was behind and decided to skid to a stop in the dirt. Except the dirt turned out to be a dusty giant polished flat, wide root - like a tabletop upon later inspection. Both wheels locked up and down I went in an instant. Left side of the FZ this time, so I'm balanced.
I haven't had Chester's unfortunate experience and hope I don't. I've painted on my rear stand: "BIKE IN GEAR! KICKSTAND DOWN! HANDLEBARS STRAIGHT!" and I make a point of forcing myself actually to read it everytime I use it.
Definitely get some sort of case savers. I had them and I'm glad I did!
Every time I've dropped a bike it's had sliders and it definitely helps in my opinion, even on a faired bike. Kind of depends on the circumstances though.
I have yet to drop the 2019 MT09 (knocking on wood)!
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231 Posts
Had a tip over when I stopped at a McDonalds in northern Alabama on a hot summer day. Went inside to cool off and enjoy a cold drink when a guy came in and said, "whoever owns that motorcycle in the parking lot, it just fell over." The kickstand had slowly sunk into the hot tarmac until the bike toppled over.
Had another when my 14 year old son wanted to help me by rolling the bike out of the garage. He was doing fine until he let it start to lean away from him too much and then he couldn't stop it. Slider saved it from much damage. Damned VStrom 1000 is a top heavy beast!
Last one was when I pulled up at a stop sign on my Ducati, looked both ways and started to take off and somehow didn't engage the clutch fast enough taking off while turning left and the bike just slow rolled onto its left side. Worst thing was I jumped up quickly to pick it up and couldn't get a good enough grip on that fully faired "turtle" to stand it back up. A guy pulls up on a Harley and jumps off to help me otherwise I'd still be there! Very embarrassing and costly to say the least.
Had another when my 14 year old son wanted to help me by rolling the bike out of the garage. He was doing fine until he let it start to lean away from him too much and then he couldn't stop it. Slider saved it from much damage. Damned VStrom 1000 is a top heavy beast!
Last one was when I pulled up at a stop sign on my Ducati, looked both ways and started to take off and somehow didn't engage the clutch fast enough taking off while turning left and the bike just slow rolled onto its left side. Worst thing was I jumped up quickly to pick it up and couldn't get a good enough grip on that fully faired "turtle" to stand it back up. A guy pulls up on a Harley and jumps off to help me otherwise I'd still be there! Very embarrassing and costly to say the least.
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4,824 Posts
Oh I forgot another time on my FZ... this one is gross, so fair warning.
I was pulling into my local grocery store, and looped around to park.
When I came to a stop, I put my left foot down and it immediately slipped.
Wanna know what I slipped on?
A thick, nasty loogie.
Yep... some foul individual left my a phlegmy surprise with the perfect lubricity to ruin my day.
I was pulling into my local grocery store, and looped around to park.
When I came to a stop, I put my left foot down and it immediately slipped.
Wanna know what I slipped on?
A thick, nasty loogie.
Yep... some foul individual left my a phlegmy surprise with the perfect lubricity to ruin my day.
I'll share my friends as it's funny looking back at it now. We were at a party and someone decided they liked his bike more than he did and tried to steal it. When we heard the kid was trying to ride away on it like a bike with no pedals. Ended up dropping the bike and took off. We being young and dumb felt the need to give chase. I caught the kid but my friend was no where to be found. (Felt REALLY fast for a moment and then just felt lucky). When we chased after him he turned a corner. I was just in front of my friend as we turned the corner. I made it without issue. He however found a fresh pile of dog shit with his left foot causing him to go down hard. On his way down his face found the same pile of shit... He was so mad he had tears running down his face as he was spitting whatever the dog left behind out. Pretty sure he would have killed the kid if I had let him near him. Bike was not hurt. We now love telling him hes full of shit or that he needs a mint every chance we get.
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564 Posts
Great stories and lots of humility (not humiliation) here. My most embarrassing one was early in my riding I took my VFR800 to a rally in the Columbia River gorge. We were on a "fun run" and had parked in a lot that had a slight slope to it. Being new and inexperienced I was always putting the VFR up on the center stand when just parking. So it was time to go the next stop and trying to be cool I was going to roll the bike off the centerstand with feet up on pegs and over I went. Then, like a bad movie scene I careened over into my new riding buddy's beautiful FJR knocking it over and scratching his side case...I felt like such a tool. A few hundred bucks later I paid for a paint job on his side case and all was well.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
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4,824 Posts
Ooooof.... man, I felt this. Haha. That’s a rough story.
That's what I did......after the fact.
Funny. At lunch today I was telling my wife about this thread. She yelled “that happened to me today!! I got to work and didn’t get my kick stand all the way down. I got off my bike and it tipped over!”
She said it tipped and she was able to grab it and soften the blow. The bike was already scratched up from taking her license test last year, and the instructor hitting her from behind on a right hand turn.
She said it tipped and she was able to grab it and soften the blow. The bike was already scratched up from taking her license test last year, and the instructor hitting her from behind on a right hand turn.
That should make family get togethers fun.
That sucks!!!! I have a hard time lending out tools and you gave out your bike....😬
I was parked and leaned over to... scratch my ankle, I think... and over it went. I couldn't get it back upright but at least I put it down very very gently. Thankfully, there was no-one around to witness my moment of idiocy.
Sharing my sliders/protection for 4thand26. I tried T-rex stuff and didn't like it.
I've got Givi frame/engine bars which are not the prettiest but I really don't notice them any more. They are really good bang for the buck. Woodcraft axle sliders which seem like a very good product.
![160722]( "160722")
Wide but not nearly as bad as those turn signals.
![160723]( "160723")
![160724]( "160724")
I've got Givi frame/engine bars which are not the prettiest but I really don't notice them any more. They are really good bang for the buck. Woodcraft axle sliders which seem like a very good product.
Wide but not nearly as bad as those turn signals.
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514 Posts
Damn, did you squash your leg?
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My first: 1963, Parking my 1941 Harley knucklehead 74 at home in the driveway and did not get it quite into neutral on the gear shift lever on the left side of the tank and my pant leg caught on the suicide clutch so when I tried to put foodt down I couldn't but the clutch released and the bike left the driveway with me on it to the middle of our lawn and we both fell over in the grass. I thought is was funny. Bike weighed 575 pounds me 100. There is a Technic to pick up a Harley. I did it.
Latest tip over was a few months ago on my FZ09 trying to go through a patch of snow over a spot in the highway. There had been a truck through there that left a tire track but when I got into it there was ice on the pavement so fell over in the soft snow. No damage. Friend helped me pick it back up. We laughed and decided to head back the way we came to dry road.
Latest tip over was a few months ago on my FZ09 trying to go through a patch of snow over a spot in the highway. There had been a truck through there that left a tire track but when I got into it there was ice on the pavement so fell over in the soft snow. No damage. Friend helped me pick it back up. We laughed and decided to head back the way we came to dry road.
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564 Posts
Dual sport trick...never ride in tire tracks, only on the untracked fresh snow...
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
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