Once it's going over.....It's going over!

[camos]

And just to jinks myself, I have not yet dropped a bike in 30+ years of riding.

You done good.

I wish I could say the same. The only time I laid my 90 over was about one month after starting to ride it. Pulled into a parking lot space and while trying to get the kickstand down tilted a bit too far to the right and it started to go over. Could not stop it but did manage to get in between the bike and the truck next to me. Couldn't move without risking it hitting the truck and could not get enough purchase to lift it. So there I was, stuck until a few good Samaritans came by to help me.

 

The first time I laid my 89 over was in my driveway. It was late at night after work, came through the portico which was dry and hit some ice. Was going very slow so no damage but could not get it up either since the ice was acting like ice does, very slippery. Fortunately, my neighbour came to the rescue.

 

The second time I laid the 89 down was on ice as well, but at 30 mph a couple of blocks from my house. Gouged up the left side crash bars and broke the top corner of the fairing. Somehow or other, did not manage to break the mirror... that's my silver lining.

 

The third time I laid the 89 down was when doing a left turn out of my driveway. The engine was cold and I did not feather the clutch enough so it stalled half way through the turn. Was hardly moving so no noticeable new damage to the left side.

 

AND as mentioned the guards on a 1st gen do not stop the bike from going ALL the way over. It does not even start to slow down till the fairing hits the ground.

Since I seem to be prone to falling over, I'm in the process of doing something about that.

Here are some pix of my new crash bars. They are not finished yet. It is the first fitting and they will be painted, not chromed.

 

 

 

[snyper316]

I guess I've gotten lucky somehow

 

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[BlueSky]

When I had my 2004 Kawasaki Concours, I rode it into the Everglades National Park and turned off into one of the side roads into a parking lot. I was turning into a parking space when I realized that it sloped down and it would be difficult to push the bike back out. So, like a big dummy, I hit the front brake while turning and down I went. Those Concours weigh about 670lbs wet with a 7.5 gallon tank up top making it very very top heavy and that combined with the short rake and trail, it's tipover city. I was determined to not let it go over and this managed to pin my right foot under the bike. I couldn't free myself. Luckily there was one car in that parking lot and the guy came over and helped me get the bike off my foot. Minimal damage to the bike but it broke the second metatarsel in my right foot. I didn't go to the doctor until about 3 weeks later. Due to my age and my work requiring me to sit at a desk all day, my right lower leg developed blood clots. I had to inject myself with warfarin for 4 months after that. And my wife said, "You've got to sell that dam black motorcycle.". I eventually did sell it but by then I was getting used to it and liked it better than I did at first. There is a reason the concours.org site has a place just for tipovers.

 

The other memorable tipover was many years ago when I rode my Honda CB750 up a board covering the porch steps to be able to park it on the covered concrete porch between apartments. I didn't build up enough speed and gave it too much throttle and it spun and dumped me into a large bush beside the steps with the bike falling on top of me! :rotfl: No damage to the bike or me that time.

[ToyOdie]

My wife and I went for a ride down A1A and stoped at the beach access near Marineland. It's a packed sand parking lot with a bath house at one end. We went around the bath house and came to a stop. I put my feet down. Lucy, (the bike, not the wife) for some unknown reason decided she needed a nap and started to lay down. Tried but there was no way to stop her. She rolled over on the crash bars and bags nice and easy. Nothing hurt but my pride. Butt in the seat and push with the legs. Even I was impressed that my 140 Lbs could lift her.

[MikeWa]

When the bike goes over there is only one proper thing to do. Jump off immediately, look around and call out "ok where is that ice cream"

 

Mike

[Yammer Dan]

My 1st ride on a Venture (84) I returned home and dropped it in the driveway. Picked it up, backed up to turn it and dropped it again. The Warden wanted to know what I had been drinking!!

[Flyinfool]

Geeezzz

With all of these drops, the drop fund should be doing pretty good by now.................

[Bounder]

Since delinking the brakes last spring I have discovered that I can keep the bike from tipping over so often.Most of the time it was loose gravel or or on a slope.The first time I got off and forgot to put the stand down. Most recently I was moving slowly with the wheel turned slightly. The wheel went off the blacktop into a small hole in the gravel. Down I went. So far it has taken all the abuse I've given it. I really like it,will probably never get anything else. I like to think it's name is Harley.

[cowpuc]

Now I am a big guy, but this morning after getting to work. I proceeded to turn to back up into our motorcycle parking area at work. I turned a little to sharp and proceeded to "lay" the bike down. Thank god for the highway bar!! Tried to stand the bike up while still sitting on it....NO DICE! Got off it with the bar still holding it up, got my right knee under the seat gave it a little leverage and it popped right up. No damage except for my pride because my co-worker/riding buddy/best friend saw the whole thing and was laughing. Lesson learned!! Stuff Happens!!! ETC.... Probably will not be the last time I do this....LOL.

 

Stat

 

Gave your thread here a 5 star rating Stat :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

When I was a kid my first real motorcycle was a 59 Sears/Allstate, two speed on the grip, pedal start moped (still have its remains in my basement) - this was a few years ago,, back in the mid 60's. One day while practicing my burnouts with it in the High School parking lot that adjoin my parents property its throttle stuck wide open - I remember that little 2 stroke motor going to hyper R's as I pulled the clutch in and I came to a halt. I was pretty sharp mechanically even back then but, similar to today, I was somewhat electrically challenged. As I leaned over its little gas tank while standing on the left side and grabbing the metal shrouded spark plug cap to unplug the plug wire and shut her down - I received a "crash" course in how much zap a secondary ignition coil being charged by a high winding magneto could produce.. I dont remember actually hitting the ground and having my bike land on top of me but I do remember my body flapping like a flag in a strong wind as the current passed thru it though..

,, another one that I do remember actually hitting the ground.. We have this event every year called "The Blessing Of The Bikes" in Baldwin Michigan. I used to LOVE to ride one of my homemade Choppers "up north" to this outing and show off on it - slow riding, riding wheelies and all that stupid kind of stuff. One year the line of bikes was backed up and down to a 1/2 mile an hour "crawl" of bikes.. As usual, people were sitting on the side of M-37 (main road thru Baldwin) in lawn chairs and stuff = tons of little kids waving at the real deal genuine bikers passing them by - the kind of setting that can get a show off in trouble fast.. I made sure I was in the outside lane of traffic so I was as close to my future followers as I could be - stood up on the boards of my Santee framed Honda 750 Chopper and began to show off my slow riding skills to the crowd.. They loved it as I demonstrated a one handed bounce showing how durable the rockers are on one of these old school California 18 over springers and how steady a long bike can be even at a crawl when its built right.. Little did I know that my right pant leg had found itself draped over the kick start (remember those) of the SOHC Honda motor and as the traffic came to a stop with my bike and I in perfect alignment with no less than 20 of my followers standing up cheering my antics on, I came to a perfectly executed stop - went to place my right foot down and it refused to move off the board:Cartoon_397:!!!!!! Wowzy did my bike and I hit the ground hard... I remember looking up into the face of some kid standing next to his dad who was trying to lift my bike off me and hearing those infamous words that all show off's love to hear = WOW - NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE DAD = from the mouths of babes so to speak!!

[snyper316]

OK this is really embarrassing But aproximately at 12:06 tonight I laid her over and she came completely over. I was like omg and in front of someone they were turning onto the road I was getting ready to turn into but I thought they was gonna go straight. So I am on that damned white chat and when I hit the front brake it cause just enuff to get that chat **** rolling. OMG there she went and I got the Hell outta the way all I could do is watch and jump!!!

 

Hold on need some music. :fiddle::crying:

 

Ok I think I am better. I think. Anywho's needless to say they were turning in the drive I was turning out of... I started walking towards My Friends house to get him to help me and one of them come down the driveway going man you ok. I'm Like I am fine Hit that brake and it locked the front wheel all I could do was get out of the way!! Anyways that guy helped me lift her on the gravel and I got out of there with my tail between my legs.

 

Anyways @Flyinfool you were right. They do come all the way over I am glad I replaced that TCI cause it did like she was supposed to and shut down Good thing I think Considering I just filled the tank on her. Now I think I'm gonna play some COD to maybe get a little dignity back tonight.

[Flyinfool]

Sometimes I really hate when I am right.

 

Glad you are OK and hope the bike is not to bad either.

[snyper316]

I seriously thought you was WOT when you say they go all the way over. Stupid CHIT ROCK!! I have always had problems on two wheels on it. OK I had a 69 Mercury Montery with 390 under the hood and One time I did wipe out on a chat rock spot on a gravel road. I was only doing about 30. But chat rock has always spooked me on 2 wheels even on a dirt bike but they seem to have alot better grip maybe I need to get Nubby Tires on the Venture.

 

Yeah I scuffed the lower fairing with the highway peg and got a couple of Cracks on my Right hand side saddlebag and she landed on the mirror. Woke up with my foot sore as heck but other then that just peachy. Seeing is believing sometimes tho.

[Flyinfool]

Since you went down on the right side. Check the plastic elbow that runs from the water pump to the thermostat housing, the right engine guard can flex enough to put a tiny ding in that elbow and then spring back to looking like plenty of clearance, then a few months from now you will be chasing a coolant leak.

 

That is the main reason that I de-linked my brakes, twice I got very close to going down by using only the rear brake and have the front lock up on gravel.

[cowpuc]

And here I thought that lil divet in the plastic waterpump tube on the 1st Gens was some sort of high end factory issued internal coolant mixing device built into the tube as common as they are..

 

EXCELLENT POINT you ol snow monster you!!:clap2:

[baylensman]

I'VE DROPPED EVERY BIKE I'VE EVER OWNED. In the same, i'm so stupid ,i want to crawl in a hole a die manner. I did dump two of them at much higher speed due to other than my lack of attention. All in all I think i'd rather do it the slow way! With the latest '07 I did the miss the ground thing, with my foot, (it is possible to miss the ground) I was so worried as the bike fell i did a one legged hop and actually caught the grip with my other hand and stopped the bike from making contact, (ever try to hold one of these beasties a foot of the ground with just one hand) Well I screamed my bloody head off, two of my co workers run out of the shop and help me get it upright , then they fall on the ground laughiing at the "Biker".. I still get it ribbed every couple of weeks when one of them catches me in the parking lot.

[cowpuc]

I am sooo trackin with ya Bay!!! I got it bad too.. Years ago when I was heavy into dirt scoots the new "Gas Gas" came out and I stopped at a local shop to check em out.. First thing I noticed when I lifted up one to sit on it (yes, I did ask permission, ALWAYS) was a loud clunk - looked down and noticed the kickstand had sprung up on its own - salesmen looked at me and said with a smile = "they come equipped with a GP style stand" = it was suppose to do that.. Buddy yells from other side of showroom = "come look at this beauty".. I CAREFULLY placed the stand down, rolled the bike back to make sure it was firmly planted, got off and walked around the back of the bike and headed across the showroom. Made it to the other bike and CRASH:yikes:.. Turned around to see the BRAND NEW bike I was sitting on laying on the floor.. Salesman walks over and picks it up and says = "happens alot,, ya gotta make sure you point the front wheel to the right when ya get off cause those kickstand springs got enough umph to push the bike forward on the own ...

Another one that ALWAYS gets my attention are the Harley stands.. They have a locking notch when the stand is down to prevent the stand from doing what the Gas Gas did.. Problem is that there is a fair amount of play in that notch right from The Motor Company.. Cant tell you how many times movement in that stand has given me an adrenaline rush when getting off a Harley and having them "creep".. You would think as many times as I have had to pick scoots up that I would be used to the CRASH but not so ..

[snyper316]

Didn't even think to check there.

 

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[snyper316]

Yeah that crash on a motorcycle sounds so much worse then it is.

 

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[snyper316]

Ok I went out to check there is a leak but it appears to be a well aged rubber hose that appears to come from that area to the left side of the engine I would say a 2 inch round one and looks to be six inches long maybe. Looks very tight fit where it is. O there is an antifreeze mixing divot in the plastic pipe.

 

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[cowpuc]

Ok I went out to check there is a leak but it appears to be a well aged rubber hose that appears to come from that area to the left side of the engine I would say a 2 inch round one and looks to be six inches long maybe. Looks very tight fit where it is. O there is an antifreeze mixing divot in the plastic pipe.

 

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Does it only happen when its cold and then disappear when the bike warms up Snype

 

 

[mraf]

Last time I dropped mine it was in the pole barn. Dirt floor with a 2"round rock under the front wheel at a slowwwww crawl. It was a slow fall so I grab hold hard and try to let it go down slow. It did but pulled my ribs under my left shoulder. It took a few days for the damage to me to become noticeable. After a week I couldn't even use my left arm. Weak as a kitten. Went to the chiropractor to get put back in place. Just not a spring chicken anymore. More like an old buzzard with a damaged wing. Someone on this site suggested to remove that crash guard and grind down that edge to increase the distance between the plastic elbow and the guard. I did this along time ago and believe it has helped to elude the dimpled elbow problem.

[Flyinfool]

I have been advocating grinding down the corner of that mounting point for a long time now. I then touch it up with "chrome" Colored paint from the hardware store so that the bare metal does not rust. You would have to look close to notice it.

[yamagrl]

I can now say I have dropped Big Red

[Venturous Randy]

I can now say I have dropped Big Red

And it can happen real quick too.

The worse I have been hurt on my bike was a tip-over where I was pulling out up a slight incline and stalled the bike and went over to the right. When I hit the ground, my right arm was under my lower chest and spent a couple months with sore ribs. X Rays did not show any breaks, but I was told I could still have some cracks. I know it sure hurt to cough.

Randy

[Yammer Dan]

Them busted ribs ain't no fun. Try 12 of them with double breaks at once. I was doing good til 250 lb nurse got on top of me to put things back in place. That finished me.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Yammer Dan