Oops

[PRD]

Most of us have been riding quite a long time. Whilst riding have you ever done something embarrassing. A few years ago I was riding down the Pacific coast highway and decided to stop at a diner.  There were quite a few people outside. As I slowed and stopped the Harley I was riding I put my foot down not realising there was a gully there and over we went.  Two things were damaged. My pride and a slight scuff on crash bar.  Some nice people helped me pick it up. Full dress harleys are very heavy!

[Lonewolf]

Last year I dropped my new GSA twice in ten minutes while exploring some single track roads in North Yorkshire. I then dropped the same bike in Scotland last year and as if that wasn't bad enough I parked up on a very steep gradient on Hardknott Pass to grab a photo and then realised I couldn't get it off the side stand to stand it upright because it had leant over too far and I had to wait for a passing motorist to assist me.


Embarrassing....no not in the slightest! 

[Lonewolf]

Everybody else must be riding God's, 14 views currently and no more confessions. 

[O.C.]

I pulled up at an off camber junction on my first Versys 1000 back in 2013, put my foot down and realised I couldn't properly reach the ground, there was traffis approaching from my right, the first car in the line had the best view of me gently falling over onto my right side in the road junction, it must have looked funny and almost in slow motion, fortunately the first car who witnessed the fall stopped and helped me pick the bike up     

[pross]

About 15years back I had a tank slapper on my Suzuki 1250. While it was being repaired the gave me a brand new Yamaha FZ1 with only 5 miles on the clock 👍.
One day I visited my mom on the mentioned bike. Parked around the back she had the door open to the garden. As I walked towards the door she started shouting the bike the bike 😖 . Not realising due to the fallen leaves I had put the side stand on a drain grille  as the side stand went down the drain the bike toppled over luckily it only had marks on the black exhaust easily repaired with a Black felt pen on collection 

[flatfour]

Whilst on a filling station forecourt in France a few years ago en - route to the Coupe De Moto Legende, I put my foot on the main stand extension of my BMW and, as I lifted the bike onto the stand using the handle provided, my foot slipped and I forcibly threw the bike on its side.

Similarly, a couple of years later heading to the same place, my brother realised that he had stopped at a "Pay at the Pump" island instead of the normal (for us) fill up and then pay. Whilst pushing his (new) Honda CB1100 to the correct pump, he stepped into one of the semi - circular drainage gulley's so beloved of petrol stations in France and the resulting trip meant that he was found on the floor under the Honda!

There was no damage to either my brother or myself from these incidents, though bikes were slightly damaged and pride hurt.

[O.C.]

Reading about these 'events' reminds me of another tumble that I suffered,

I picked up a brand new ZX 9 R  from Bradford Motorcycles on Manningham Lane,  Bradford, it would have been about 1994/5 and  it was a rainy day.

After completing the paperwork I set off from the showroom which was next to the main road ( remember it Steve[ ?)   I was excited to get going and set off, the bikes choke was still open so with the nice new bike revving a bit fast, my rear tyre lost traction in the middle of the road and down I went

Damage was limited to a broken brake lever and some deep scratches.

The really embarrassing bit was that I was only 15 feet from the dealership  /color]

[Lonewolf]

Yes I remember Bradford Motorcycles being on Manningham Lane, if my memory serves me correctly I believe they were on a corner of one of the roads which leads down to BFD City football ground.


They no longer exist, their most recent premises are now used by Colin Appleyards for selling cars.

[O.C.]

They had the showrooms at one side of that T-Junction and parts across the road....Wasn't it Paul Wilkinson and ches ?

[Lonewolf]

They had the showrooms at one side of that T-Junction and parts across the road....Wasn't it Paul Wilkinson and ches ?

Yes Paul and Chez senior. Chez junior then came onboard and was the parts manager down at the last place on Canal Road opposite Arnold Lavers.

[Rusty]

Early 90,s on a job bike ... eastbound along the seafront into Brighton ... stolen car 2 up westbound .. quick mirror check forgetting the 18 inch central reservation .. tip tip over I went .. never saw the car again !!!

[Lonewolf]

Early 90,s on a job bike ... eastbound along the seafront into Brighton ... stolen car 2 up westbound .. quick mirror check forgetting the 18 inch central reservation .. tip tip over I went .. never saw the car again !!!

You kept that one quiet! 

[Brizzlerob]

I had an incident mid 90s. My friend lived in a cul-de-sac and at the end there was a hammerhead turning area which was easily taken in one turn on the CBX500 that I owned. I sold the Honda and bought a 6 year old ZX10 from a local dealer. My 1st stop was around my friends to show off my newly acquired stead. Straight to the end of the road to carry out the obligatory turn only to find out that the turning circle was vastly different. I'm not sure how much notice the 2 old boys gave, they certainly didn't rush over to help, but knowing that they were there gave me the strength to lift the bike without a second thought. Thankfully no real damage done.

[mcfroyce44]

Waiting to get off the ferry at Cherbourg in 2003,  I needed to move the Blackbird forward a few feet. It was on the sidestand so I just eased it upright, wheeled it forward and then let it lean back onto the sidestand.  I hadn't realised that the sidestand had collided with a metal ring on the floor of the deck during the move. Just enough to move it back slightly so that when I let the bike lean left the sidestand flipped up and the bird went on down. Without even thinking I stuck my left knee (in armoured leathers) under the bottom of the fairing and ended up sitting on one knee supporting the bike. Luckily, two young French gents jumped out of a beat up Peugeot behind me and ran over. They pulled the Blackbird upright allowing me to get the stand down. Bike undamaged. Knee tender for a few days. One very grateful Irishman. Since then, I always raise the sidestand when moving either the Bird or the GTR and make sure it's fully forward before letting the bike lean onto it.

[2kwacks]

well I think every biker at some point as dropped their bike.. and I'm no exception. the only bike I never dropped was the biggest and heaviest which was my 2010 gtr1400 which I had for 2 years and did 10,000 miles and 2 Europe trips on. As I'm a short arse which "the wolf" as reminded of a few times.. lanky bugger lol...I put this down to never under estimating the bulk of the GTR. If I remember correctly when we did our jolly boys meet at the lower lode inn many years ago there was a really big well built guy well over 6ft who dropped his gtr1400 on a sharp turning as we were leaving the lower lode and joining the road on a very bad bend.. and I remember at the time if thinking if he can't stop the gtr1400 from falling down then I've got no chance. I have however dropped 2 of the zzr1400's I had.. first time was lake Como in Italy and 2nd time was in Grenoble France. first time was my fault as I did not check the ground when I was backing the zzr1400 out while sitting on the bike and did not noticed the ground had a large hole did try to stop the bike from going over but it went to far so had no choice but to let it down as softly as I could lucky enough I had r&g frame protectors so only scuffed the protector/bottom belly fairing and bar end.. I was so pleased I had the r&g on or I would have chucked wobbler as I just fitted new akrapovic exhausts to the bike the week before I went on trip. the 2nd time I dropped my other zzr1400 performance sport I don't think it was really my fault or maybe it was? I was approaching a roundabout in Grenoble as I was coming to a stop I noticed a car signaling coming around the roundabout from my left indicating to me he was taking the slip road before reaching my position  so I let of the brake and slip into 2nd gear to pull away then guess what! he change his mind or had left his indicator on and came right round I then of course stop but I also stop on the turn but still managed to hold the bike up but then did the supid thing forgot I was in 2nd gear and let the clutch out and yes the bike stalled but I was then leaning over and down my price and joy went got up as fast as I hit ground and proceeded to call the driver all the names under the sun.. well ok it was my fault as you should never assume someone his turning just because he as his indicator on! but as far as I'm concerned he was at least half fault lol..  and yes I did have r&gs fitted as I remembered they saved me a lot of misery the first time. suppose my point is never get to complacent when it comes to riding bikes as your never as good as the bike you ride. I also have another obvious saying which is..   if things don't change they will stay the same lol........ ride safe and lets hope this virus ends soon as I'm going stir crazy with this lock down as I ordered my brand new Kawasaki h2 sx se just after Christmas for the 20 plate reg in march which came later then expected due to unforeseen circumstances then I managed to catch a really nasty bug not the "corona virus" a few days before I was due to collect the bike so was stuck at home really feeling bad for 2 weeks then we were advised to lock down.. so decided to get the bike delivered as did not want to leave it in the dealers where it could get damaged if was moved around all the time and it's been locked in my garaged since mid march.. so just at to drool over it in the garaged which is driving me crazy.. so lets hope everybody listens to the advice and stays responsible then we may just beat this virus sooner that later.

In the mean time ordered a few accessories which now have fitted..
Akrapovic end can
powerbronse hugger
powerbronse cornering light protectors
powerbronse head light protector
powerbronse double bubble screen
powerbronse rear tail cowl
r&g fenda extenda
r&g rad guard
tom tom rider 550 sat nav

also at to cancel the first service I had booked.. I've  also cancelled the gtr1400 weekend trip also can't see my normal Europe trip happening this year or the normal 2 week family holiday. apart from all that I'm tickety boo!!