Ready to go, bike is idling at the curb the wife is kissing me goodbye. Everything is good until I hear the bike hit the ground! I turn around and there it lies on the right side with a broken mirror cover. It was very windy that day but it's hard to believe the wind blew it over! That's the only explanation I can come up with. That was my 91, the 12th bike I owned and so far, the only tip over.
Still don't believe it.....
- Thread starter raybonz
- Start date
Doh......... 
.
Upt'North.
. Upt'North.
Very VERY local earthquake?
Is it a tip over / drop if you were not actually aboard at the time?
Sorry it took a nap, whatever the cause and no matter how it's scored.
Is it a tip over / drop if you were not actually aboard at the time?
Sorry it took a nap, whatever the cause and no matter how it's scored.
Welcome to the tip over club.
Possibly the illustrious club on this forum.
Sorry that your wife had to witness the calamity.
Good luck finding a new mirror cover.
Possibly the illustrious club on this forum.
Sorry that your wife had to witness the calamity.
Good luck finding a new mirror cover.
Not necessarily. My '01 1100 sits much more upright than my '96 Nighthawk does.
Walleye
Site Supporter
Didnt CA have earthquakes yesterday with expected strong aftershocks.
There've been times I started to dismount only to realize the bike is now more upright than usual because of the location/angle and a tip-over was looming. Something like that on a 'very windy' day could easily drop an ST.raybonz said:
SoCal has been having a lot of very noticeable quakes over the last couple of days but I think any that would make an ST settle in would be noticed by the rider in this case.
Thanks all, but this is a club I'd rather not be in! This happened about 7 years ago in front of my house with the wind blowing from the kickstand side across the bike. My wife let out a little Oh No! and that's when I heard it. I still rode to work that day and replaced the mirror and cover about a week later. I live about 60 miles from the epicenter of those quakes and was trying to go back to sleep when the first one hit. Jumped up and checked to see if the bike went over but all was fine. When the second one happened I was at work and we were all evacuated so I took the opportunity to see if the bike rode that one out as well. Yup, she's fine.
Nobody wants that. It's a club you don't join. You're inducted. Nobody celebrates. They commiserate. It could have been worse though. It could have been lightning instead of wind.raybonz] said:
The Cheese
The wind can most certainly knock an ST over. I don't know how OP defines very windy but it's quite possible.
I have found my ST to be unstable at the curb on some roads due to the crown and pitch of the road. If the suspension gives a little twitch due to stiction letting go, then it is very possible that the bike will go over. Since I've dropped my bike quite a few times, I've become quite good at assessing a stopping/parking place before using it.
Earl43P
Wrencher turned Rider
Might as well share mine....
Pulled into the gas station parking lot last Monday, wide open parking so I did the loop so I would be facing downhill facing out. Didn’t need gas. At full right lock, I applied front brake (dumbass) to stop and ceremoniously dropped it. Fortunately, a clerk was emptying trash and rushed over to help me upright it.
I’m wearing bruises to the left shin and some vague aches in my shoulders. Skinned the right tip over guard, as designed.
That’ll teach me to leave the house without coffee at 5 am.
Pulled into the gas station parking lot last Monday, wide open parking so I did the loop so I would be facing downhill facing out. Didn’t need gas. At full right lock, I applied front brake (dumbass) to stop and ceremoniously dropped it. Fortunately, a clerk was emptying trash and rushed over to help me upright it.
I’m wearing bruises to the left shin and some vague aches in my shoulders. Skinned the right tip over guard, as designed.
That’ll teach me to leave the house without coffee at 5 am.
The last time I dropped mine was at a gas station. I had pulled in (avoiding the area around the pump islands) to fiddle with my phone. A guy filling his HD saw me and hollered over (we were probably 50-75 feet apart; "hollered" is a bit too strong but elevated volume was required to span the distance) asking if I was okay. I assured him I was and, after finishing what I had stopped to do I started to duck-walk the bike toward him to finish the conversation. Plop went the ST.
Instantly, the HD guy stopped what he was doing and came over to "help" me get the ST back upright. I put "help" in quotes because, with one mighty heave from the off side, he had my bike back on its wheels just like that. He just picked it up. He then suggested that I trundle off to the side for a moment to let things settle, since the ST was not eager to re-start. After he was done fueling his bike he came over to make sure I was okay and would not be stranded. We had about ten minutes of (to me) very enjoyable conversation and then went our separate ways. It was exactly the sort of rider-helps-rider scenario you hope for.
Wherever you are, my unknown and anonymous benefactor, thanks once again and RESPECT.
Instantly, the HD guy stopped what he was doing and came over to "help" me get the ST back upright. I put "help" in quotes because, with one mighty heave from the off side, he had my bike back on its wheels just like that. He just picked it up. He then suggested that I trundle off to the side for a moment to let things settle, since the ST was not eager to re-start. After he was done fueling his bike he came over to make sure I was okay and would not be stranded. We had about ten minutes of (to me) very enjoyable conversation and then went our separate ways. It was exactly the sort of rider-helps-rider scenario you hope for.
Wherever you are, my unknown and anonymous benefactor, thanks once again and RESPECT.
ReSTored
Site Supporter
?? Sounds like someone with superhuman strength and a guy you don't want to be miffed with you.
It certainly impressed me. He was a very decent chap.
JBIRD
2006 ST1300, sold
I guess I would be using the centerstand more if I felt the sidestand would let the wind take my bike to the ground, yikes.
I'll take this thread as an opportunity to confess that I had my first tip over.
Was in a strange to me parking lot that had a bit of a slope, I decided to back in, late decision, & didn't set myself up as well as I should have.
So backing into the spot suddenly between the slope & my new to me Laam seat, my right leg was not as long as I needed it to be.
So i rolled on the right side.
I pulled myself out from under the bike & instantly got the bike upright using the technique I've seen in videos with your back to the bike.
Getting the sidestand down so I can set it on it was tricky, should have deployed that first I guess.
Any way, no real damage, just a couple minor scratches in the textured part of the bag.
Got lucky twice, no real damage & no witnesses!
Jbird
I'll take this thread as an opportunity to confess that I had my first tip over.
Was in a strange to me parking lot that had a bit of a slope, I decided to back in, late decision, & didn't set myself up as well as I should have.
So backing into the spot suddenly between the slope & my new to me Laam seat, my right leg was not as long as I needed it to be.
So i rolled on the right side.
I pulled myself out from under the bike & instantly got the bike upright using the technique I've seen in videos with your back to the bike.
Getting the sidestand down so I can set it on it was tricky, should have deployed that first I guess.
Any way, no real damage, just a couple minor scratches in the textured part of the bag.
Got lucky twice, no real damage & no witnesses!
Jbird
the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
At times I could barely get my ST 1300 off the sidestand and I'd have my pillion wife lean off the bike to the right to help me get it upright. Never dropped the ST though in 11 years. Only took me 2 months to drop my new FJR, and broke my arm in the process booooo.
JBIRD
2006 ST1300, sold
Just once on the tip over: "Got lucky twice" was in reference to "minimal damage AND no witnesses"
Jbird
Jbird