Tell the Story of Your First Drop...had mine today :\

[osuengineerbk]

Toll Booth Tipover-First One, Very Supportive Audience

Ok, I've got mixed feelings about it.

1) I dropped my baby, and cracked that little plastic guard over the tip-over bumper...barely visible since it's underneath, but I still now it's there

2) The roads are still covered in sand on many of the roads I rode on today...120 miles loving the weather, and the twisties and the highways, and I succeeded in dropping my bike, at a toll booth, while reaching to get my wallet, with a line of cars behind me and the toll booth attendant 3ft to my right. I stopped the bike, put my feet down, and wondered why my right foot kept moving...and then the bike started tipping over, and the right foot wouldn't stop it...eventually I gave up and realized that there was no way I was going to keep 8000 tons of motorcycle from falling over, so I let it go the rest of the way. I look down...STANDING IN A PUDDLE OF OIL!!!!!

TAKE CARE OF YOUR CARS PEOPLE!

3) I had lots of people watching, was thankful for a full-face helmet, but am HAPPY to say I really didn't care much at all what other people were thinking, it was like they weren't even there...I just didn't know if I was going to be able to get that heavy bast*)d stood back up. Once it did, and I paid my 25-cent toll (a nice shiny quarter), I moved on.

4) Oh, I had to figure out in short order that once the bike tip-over sensor trips the engine off, you have to cycle the ignition off/on to reset the computer before you can turn the engine over again.

5) EasyPass is probably a worthwhile investment...especially if it means this doesn't happen again.

6) I almost feel like I've just partaken in some rite of passage.

There's mine...I'd love to hear yours.

 

[Firstpeke]

Sounds about par for the course, did that years ago with a fully faired, side cases, tank bag and rack luggaged CX500.

Nice hot day, stopped at a service area for a toilet break, put my foot down and it just kept sliding..... yup, right in a puddle of oil..... been very observant about such things ever since...

At least you only did minimal damage which, as you say, only you know it's there.....

My current ST has been down gently on the right tip-over cover due to a bad camber and a slow turn..... no big deal, annoying sure, but no big deal....

Welcome to the "SAD" club... (Stopped and dropped).....

 

[FJRHank]

I worked one summer in tollbooths when going to college. They can be very very hazardous to riders for sure.

Remember a guy on a sportster that paid the toll, then revved it up and took off fast, only to have the rear tire spin up in the oil slick and he and the bike went bouncing off the sides of the exit. Back and forth, from side to side.

Glad you ended up much better off, except pride wise anyway. And you're very correct, use extreme caution at these places, quite dangerous they are.

 

[Geoff]

I had my highway pegs extended and I always try to get them back in before i do any stop and go riding. Left them out once and as I was coming to a stop and putting my feet down my right pant cuff got caught on the little peg that sticks up. I tried and tried to push my foot to the ground but it would not move. Of course this is all happening in milliseconds even though it seemed like 5 minutes. We slowly go over on the right side as my foot is now on the ground but the center of gravity is not in my favor and the highway peg, still extended, lands on my right foot and folds in. It cuts across the top of my boot and thank goodness I was wearing steel tipped boots or I would have broken my foot I think. Friend and I picked it up and away we went. The cut mark is still there on the boot as a reminder for me to FOLD the pegs in.

 

[Old2wheeler]

Two for the price of one...

My ST SAD was just about this time last year. We have gravel roads here in La Veta, and piles of snow everywhere in the spring. I was leaving the post office and making a right turn, all on gravel. I was planning on a typically La Vetan "rolling "STOP" at the intersection and was assuming I was in first gear:mcrider:. Assumptions, I get in more trouble 'cause of those darn things!!! Well, I actually was in second, so when I let the clutch out after the slowest part of the not-quite-stopped"-STOP, that killed the engine, bike stopped, we fell over. Right beside a pile of frozen snow, so I couldn't get myself properly positioned backing up to the bike. I couldn't get traction and was making no headway. One of the town maintenance guys saw this from his tractor and came over to help which made me more nervous. So, of course after we got the bike upright and I was bending over to get my helmet and gloves and thanking him profusely:bow1:, the wind blew the bike back over!:chrfl1:

 

[maxib]

Re: Two for the price of one...

Well...in Minnesota we have snow. So my wife and I were practicing in a school parking lot (on a weekend) trying to get some skills back from winter hibernation. I proceeded to demonstrate how not to do it! I locked the front brake and went over. I managed to upright the bike before she could ride over to me, but all the same, I was totally embarrassed. It is a very good thing that Honda put on the tip over wings, and that the covers are not terribly expensive.

 

[osuengineerbk]

Re: Two for the price of one...

LOL..Ok, that is definitely the funniest one I've heard to date. The wind blew it right back over. Wow...that is just bad bad luck.