It finally Happened - the tip over

[dduelin]

I dropped mine in a Chik Fil A parking lot. In Daytona. During bike week. Front and center of the long plate glass windows. There must have been 50 Harleys in the parking lot and my supine ST. A few moments after I fell over there were about 10 guys outside offering to help me pick it up though and some of those with their own "when I dropped my bike" story. That was embarrassing but many of us have done it.

 

[docjacobi]

Boy howdy that laughing you might hear if you go out side right now would be me ! I[we] just got our initiation a few weeks ago. Rounding a curve on a particularly curvey section of ruarl hi way we came up on a schoolbus in the opposite lane stopped to let off the kids. Stopping was not even the issue, it was putting the left foot down on the tilt of the banked roadway , just a few inches lower than I was ready for. It felt like an audition for the old comedy shows, very slow motion and I barely got out " we're going down'' .Oh well we're now members in another club.

 

[Gator]

txdon2006:

Stopped at a stoplight, slight left hand curve that is uphill. Left my right foot on the brake pedal, put the left foot down (about 3 inches lower than normal) and had that sliding, sinking feeling.

But what did you think of the bike you were looking at?

Gator

 

[PizzaHog]

2x in the garage, fer goodness' sakes!

Then there are the non-tip-overs, when I get too close to cars, vertical cinderblock supports...

All in the last 4 months.

In all cases, my tip-over wings and BigDawg bars saved my bike's butt w/o damage to the bike.

Good to know I'm not alone!

PH

 

[txdon2006]

txdon2006:

Stopped at a stoplight, slight left hand curve that is uphill. Left my right foot on the brake pedal, put the left foot down (about 3 inches lower than normal) and had that sliding, sinking feeling.

But what did you think of the bike you were looking at?

Gator

It was a nice 03 model but he wanted way too much for it. 10,900.00 with 36K miles. Don't you just hate that sinking feeling?

 

[BridgeMan]

If anyone wants to minimize most of the scuffing on their tipover wing covers, just try a little concentrated heat from a heat gun. It smoothes things out, almost as good as new. Don't think it will mend cracks, though.

 

[ShinySideUpAZ]

If your under 5'6" your going to drop more than others. If your 6'+ and can't believe people tip over their STs, get over yourself that 4 to 5 inches means everthing. Lot's more leverage, lot more tilt before you are at the point of no return.

That being said every one of you will have at least one tip over. If you don't think you ever could, walk naked into your dark garage and chant this phrase three times while holding a lighter in your left had and some sandpaper in your right.

"Murphy you king of all gremlins, faires, orgs, gnomes, trolls and sprites. I challenge your pee weak irish beer, and I challenge you to wait no longer, Send all your Menions I will prevail, I will stand tall and defend. Your filth shall never lay with my STEED. She is mine to ride, and you only to watch , and sometimes take pictures. If they're tastfull.​

Then jump on your mount and circle the town. if you are truely brave, and not just some middle aged yuppie burnout looking for his lost youth. I dare ya. NO I Double Dog Dare YOU!

 

[ShinySideUpAZ]

I'm glad we can share these hishaps in our life. My tip over was at 0/mph in the garage. I had finished mowing the lawn, moved the bike into the garage, turned the ignition off, proceeded to get off of the bike before I realized that I never put the sidestand down. It started to go to the right and I pulled it back and on top of me. No marks on the bike but I landed on my wifes 07 Ninja and knocked it over. A couple of light scuffs on her fairing so I spent the $900 to get her new fairing (it was a new bike after all and it was my fault). Will never forget the sidestand ever again. Pretty absent minded, I was.

For years I've have had a habit my wife thought was OCD. Everytime right before I lift my leg up to dismount the bike I tap the sidestand with my toe. This is a great habit to get into. Even if you stop the bike and talk with someone for 50 minutes sitting on the bike, you try to get off without the stand down. More then once I have tried to tap the stand and found I hadn't put it down.

 

[Eclipse327]

I'm running for president of this club.
1. Leaving the inlaws house on an upward slope and stopping to quickly at the stop sign.
2. Daughter getting on the school bus and riding up the dirt yard and hit a soft spot as I stopped.
3 and 4. Daughter riding with me and stopped quickly on another uphill grade and over it went. Then after I got on she tries to climb on, the right side, and over it goes again.
5. Parked in the yard on a downward slope this time, and come back out and she is on her side.

All this in the first 2 years of ownership. Talk about hard lessons. Thru all this have only had to replace the left mirror and housing once and the wing cover once. I have learned that if I leave the wing scuffed then I won't go over again. That and being extra careful to avoid stopping quickly on uphill grades. (30 inch inseam)
Haven't gone over in 6 months. Yipppeeeee!!!!!

 

[ShinySideUpAZ]

I'm running for president of this club.

Haven't gone over in 6 months. Yipppeeeee!!!!!

There you go attracting the wrath of the gremiln gods. You know your going to tip over the next time you ride.

 

[helicopper]

Back in the 80's I was leaving a biker bar with a few of my sport bike friends and my squeeze was on the back. There was a crowd of Harley guys out front (back when Harley guys were long haired "bikers" and not bankers). Like the guy that started this post, I had the high front and rear tire thing with the deep gap in the middle, and over she went, bike, squeeze, and me. The "biker's" laughed at the dorky sport bike rider. My friends about pissed themselves laughing. For some reason, my girlfriend saw zero humor in it.

You guys just had to pick the scab from that sore memory!

 

[8-BALL]

Tipped at a Suzuki dealer Parking lot slope:

Saved by wings - no cover damage - don't use 'em.

 

[roadriderg]

I was riding tailgunner in our group. As we were leaving the parking lot in nice neat order mine stalled just as I was going down the driveway curb. I let out the clutch in first gear and the bike just stopped with me halfway on street and half on driveway about 3" shy of foothold, the bike just fell over, no stopping it.

Most in our club are on radios so the rider by me called out rider down!! rider down!! Our group of 15 stopped to look back at the carnage. As well as the group in front and behind us stopped to look at the carnage.

Fortunatly no damage except my red face. With some help we got the bike up and on our way.

Gary

 

[SupraSabre]

I haven't seen Fred by, to give you your reward!

Sorry to hear that you are no longer a member of the "I Couldn't Keep It Up Club". :

I have come very close to dropping mine once, But having a 32" inseam and a strong back saved it....just inches from touching...

My brother, Dave on the other hand, has tested those tip over wings a couple of times now. Once with a lady on the back. No harm to either, but he was a bit embarrassed!

 

[txdon2006]

Thanks to all for lending me moral support in my moment of embarasment. There is comfort in numbers.

 

[Tom B.]

Unbelievable!

Haven't dropped my ST1100 yet but dropped my 98 Nighthawk on my...er...um...oh, the shame of it...helmet . Long story and I'll regale you if you like but you'll have to ask...

A while back I bought a 1984 Nighthawk 700S with a smashed bikini fairing and instrument cluster. Owner, glowing red, said he'd arrived home in a rain storm, parked it in the yard under an apple tree while he ran through his house to open the garage door from inside where it was padlocked. Came back to the bike to find it leaning against the tree! Kickstand was down but the ground was too soft. Why he didn't just park it in the drive, Ill never know...

Anyhoo, not such a bad thing!!!

 

[Finewest]

I slacked again! Sorry... Here's your TOA!