Common methods of dropping bike?

[zmlam]

Hi,

Am a newbie - just got my learners and in process of looking for a bike and gear. Quite green in terms of experience (rode a 50cc bike at camp twice when I was much younger). But enjoyed the thrill of it back then, ~15 later years managed to finally decide on buying a motorbike! So extremely excited!! Been learning a lot through these forums (thanks!) and am very aware that I should approach learning with more caution than haste and all with the appropriate gear!

So my question is what are some common things people do to drop their bikes? I have read some about low speed dropping - I assume this would be caused by not looking ahead generally, or too going too fast? I can also imagine uneven surfaces could be a trigger, anything else?

I rather not drop a bike in case it becomes expensive to fix so would like to learn more about what to watch out for! Also it seems most people drop their bikes - though there is the rare few whom never have!

Thanks in advance! :yes:

[AllanB]

Cold tyres, damp road, too much speed.

To much corner speed.

Shingle/diesel or similar on road mid corner - slide out.

Rider brain fart - one of the most common ways of falling off - basically anything that the rider could have done, or should have foreseen prior to the spill.

Stupid passing maneuvers just short of a blind corner - just wait until you go on a group ride, some people can apparently see around blind corners.

Slow speed turn on wet grass - front end slides out from under you.

The usual spill resulting in the other party stating "I did not see them".

Rider forgets to put down side stand and walks away - bike falls over.:angry:

Rider and passenger stop in rest area to have sex up against the bike and shunt it over (hey - it could happen!).

Rider takes their Jap bike to a Harley bike only rally and finds in on the bonfire .........

[baptist]

Closest I have come (so far:facepalm:) is going so slowly towards a parking area that the bike stalled as I turned... a noobie:baby: who had not covered the clutch:zzzz:... bike stalled and stopped dead, managed to get my feet down quick enough:o

[yod]

Rider forgets to put down side stand and walks away - bike falls over.:angry:


classic :facepalm:

did that on my NS250 years ago in a mates driveway....epic fail!

[Hiflyer]

The "axel" in the sidestand of your flatmates Buell XB9R snaps but you dont notice then the bike keeeeeps leaning over . . .

[BuzzardNZ]

gravel, oil and wet slippery roads mixed with inexperience, too much speed and/or brakes gets em learners everytime. :corn:

[ducatilover]

Checking out boys on my Honda. Very dangerous.

[Blinkwing]

Going round a 45 corner at 110, drop from 5th to 3rd in the corner and slide out. :innocent:

[BuzzardNZ]

shoe lace tangled up in a footpeg. Got me down a few times :facepalm:

[Maha]

Test Rides....:facepalm:

[BMWST?]

trying to put your "downhill" foot down when manouvering on a slope.You will find that your leg may be too short

[ellipsis]

....inattention...running before you can walk...not having done a bhs day....ignorance of the basic mechanics of riding....bad luck....

[Ronin]

Gravity is the largest contributing factor.

[Str8 Jacket]

Engine siezure...... :facepalm:

[kiwifruit]

Not giving the machine smooth inputs

[nodrog]

Trying to balance a Big Mac combo at the McDonalds drive through.

Fanny.

[skinman]

parking bike in windy place
U turn on slope in narrow road with gravel edges:facepalm:

[Pascal]

Trying to balance a Big Mac combo at the McDonalds drive through

Bah. McDonnalds. The one in Greenlane has refused to serve me four times now. Apparently as I'm not "in a vehicle" they are not allowed to serve me.

Tried arguing that the food was going straight from her hands to the saddlebags (On the bike) but nooooo...

Wendy makes better burgers anyway.

[YellowDog]

New riders often put their bikes down at low speed due to use of the front brake whilst turning.

The bike stops dead and thows them off :no:

Keep your foot over the back brake pedal when manoeuvring at low speeds :yes:

[zmlam]

Wow - thanks to all! Great (and some hilarious) advice - I'll do my best learn from what has been posted! Cheers

[HenryDorsetCase]

Hi,

Am a newbie - just got my learners and in process of looking for a bike and gear. Quite green in terms of experience (rode a 50cc bike at camp twice when I was much younger). But enjoyed the thrill of it back then, ~15 later years managed to finally decide on buying a motorbike! So extremely excited!! Been learning a lot through these forums (thanks!) and am very aware that I should approach learning with more caution than haste and all with the appropriate gear!

So my question is what are some common things people do to drop their bikes? I have read some about low speed dropping - I assume this would be caused by not looking ahead generally, or too going too fast? I can also imagine uneven surfaces could be a trigger, anything else?

I rather not drop a bike in case it becomes expensive to fix so would like to learn more about what to watch out for! Also it seems most people drop their bikes - though there is the rare few whom never have!

Thanks in advance! :yes:

its not uneven surface in my experience, its stuff lying on top of an otherwise fairly even surface.

shingle. loose chip. tar snakes. water. oil. diesel. actual poo (cow is the favourite round here but it could be sheep or horse). leaves. pine needles.

the biggest mistake new riders make (in my reckoning anyway) is being too concerned with operating the motorcycle, and not looking far enough down the road. When you get to a point where you dont have to think about the mechanics of riding, and can just focus on riding, that will be good. The further down the road you look, the more time you have to react to stuff.

[HenryDorsetCase]

New riders often put their bikes down at low speed due to use of the front brake whilst turning.

The bike stops dead and thows them off :no:

Keep your foot over the back brake pedal when manoeuvring at low speeds :yes:

thats trail braking innit??

[HenryDorsetCase]

The dumbest newb crash I ever had was approaching a corner marked 35kph too fast (a left hander)... got into it too hot, though "Whoa, going too quick" put on the back brake, locked the wheel, lowsided. slid across the other lane and 10ft down a bank. luckily nothing coming, and I walked away, bike towed back up the bank, stared right up. one bent clutch lever was the only damage.

so yeah, learn how not to be retarded.

[\m/]

Stalling when exiting driveway and putting feet up too soon

[MadDuck]

Coming to a stop....putting foot down....ground too far away.

Has got me a couple of times but I have short legs you see :sunny:

[Juzz976]

Getting new riding boots that jam inside fairings.:angry:

Tank slap over judder bars:innocent:

seen someone slide because they had chain lube all over the rear wheel.:facepalm:

Mate of mine died because he did burnouts on his tire and didn't replace, blew out and hit 4wd head on.:bye:

[Str8 Jacket]

Heres a list of things that caused me to crash when I first started riding on the road and most of it because I was way to overconfident, some of it bad luck:

Wind gusts, small bike, stopped at intersection, Wellington.

Leaving disc lock on outside a packed local mall, maybe trying to show off and taking off with a full throttle.

Way too much brake into a corner.

Not watching the cars, people etc around you.

Watching the cars, people around you and not watching where your going.

Side stand still down.

I am pretty sure that there's many more 'incidents'.... :facepalm:

[Juzz976]

forgot to add

having throttle cable pulled whilst turning bike because your dickhead flatmate wont stop F#$%ing with your bike and he doesn't know where the cables should be routed.
:bash::ar15::devil2:

[HenryDorsetCase]

Heres a list of things that caused me to crash when I first started riding on the road and most of it because I was way to overconfident, some of it bad luck:

Wind gusts, small bike, stopped at intersection, Wellington.

Leaving disc lock on outside a packed local mall, maybe trying to show off and taking off with a full throttle.

Way too much brake into a corner.

Not watching the cars, people etc around you.

Watching the cars, people around you and not watching where your going.

Side stand still down.

I am pretty sure that there's many more 'incidents'.... :facepalm:

Its not just newbs that do that, I am embarrassed to admit I did it outside work about three weeks ago!. did $300 damage to the bike too....l.

[SPP]

Rolling it off a paddock stand onto the side stand... that’s still up

[Str8 Jacket]

Its not just newbs that do that, I am embarrassed to admit I did it outside work about three weeks ago!. did $300 damage to the bike too....l.

lol, I was so embarrased. An older gentleman with a walking stick came to help me up but he couldn't even bend over to reach me. There was a school load of children waiting for a bus and I was at the car park of a full service station..... :facepalm:

Funnily enough I have never done it again. I just stopped using disc locks all together!

[HenryDorsetCase]

lol, I was so embarrased. An older gentleman with a walking stick came to help me up but he couldn't even bend over to reach me. There was a school load of children waiting for a bus and I was at the car park of a full service station..... :facepalm:

Funnily enough I have never done it again. I just stopped using disc locks all together!

same!. .......

[Houseman]

Trying to balance a Big Mac combo at the McDonalds drive through.

Fanny.

Hahaa classic I thought that was just me...

[megageoff76]

Riding in sneakers and the laces get snagged around gear/brake lever.
Makes it hard to put your feet down at the next set of lights.

[The Pastor]

being a noob

[NighthawkNZ]

Common methods of dropping bike?

Gravity...

[cheshirecat]

Taking the disc lock off and being interupted by a someone wanting to know about your bike. Forget to completely remove and ride off - well not and fell over on to the next bike (the one l was about to sell) which fell over onto a Range Rover (also on the market)

Getting flared jeans caught on gear shift on my CB160 and falling over at traffic lights along with my friend on his CB500 who did exactly the same thing next to me (it was the 70's)

Falling over at 2kph in a firestation forecourt whilst attempting a U turn with fairing restricted lock, large tankbag, full tank of petrol, full camping gear and dog on back. Dog decides to move to the inside lean to get a better view of firemen and we fall over. Dog leaps out to disascociate himsefl with the embarisment and what seems like hundreds of firemen arrive to see if we are all right.

Falling over at 2kph when traversing a steep road to park and pillion decides to put feet down and forgets the downhill side is lower

[hellokitty]

parking on a gravel driveway at a cafe - trying to back the bike out and my feet going nuts on the gravel but getting nowhere! Luckily a random man gave me a shove otherwise I would have dropped the bike = 250kg is a heavy bike to pick up.

[vifferman]

Lesseeee...
My bikes have been down for the following reasons:
Test-riding my first bike: found it a bit heavy to manoeuvre and dropped it in the owner's rose garden.:o
Wearing a dark visor in dreary twilight: clipped a Mini I didn't see.:facepalm:
Swerving around some plonkers standing on the road, only to have the front wheel wash out in some gravel behind them.:angry:
Lost steering (and all control, in fact) when a cyclist turned in front of me without looking.:shit:
Wheelied up my drive, realised I was going too fast, hit the picks and slid on the shiny concrete into the back wall of the carport.:confused:
Lost traction when trying to ride my road bike up Mt Tarawera (back in the days when you could). :yes:
Lost contact with the bike (and all control, in fact) when I intersected with a car that failed to give way (nice somersault over its roof).:gob:
Lost front end when I turned into a corner and the tyre hit a squashed softdrink can.:violin:
Had difficulty steering and braking with a errant pedestrian under the front wheel. :shutup:
Swerving and braking to avoid a car changing lanes without the driver looking first = FAIL! (Newly-fixed pedestrian-damaged bike damaged by road). :crybaby:
Being side-swiped by a brain-dead, u-turning Audi driver.(Newly re-fixed road-damaged bike written off)<_<
Bedding in new brake pads by braking hard on greasy off-camber road with tar snakes (dumped bike at near standstill in front of road workers, landed on my head) :bye:
Taking a shortcut around traffic on grass/gravel verge while drugged up = FAIL! (dumped bike at near standstill in front of service station patrons) :woohoo:
Brain overload while drugged up and tired: Braking + turning + indicating + operating gargre door-opener + trying to look kewl for spectating neighbours = FAIL!:eek:

Err.... that's about it, if you don't count off-road adventures, such as trying to ride an AG100 with trailer+ dead sheep up hill, or parking XL100S into electric fence, or getting barbed wire wrapped around ankle while riding MT250 through a swamp, or wheelying same MT250 over backwards up a hill.
Or "stunting misadventures: donuting a CB175 on concrete. Or gravel. Or grass. Or asphalt....
Really (sadly?), there's no end to the ways you can dump a bike or yourself on your ear.
:doh:

[cheshirecat]

Lesseeee...
My bikes have been down for the following reasons:
Test-riding my first bike: found it a bit heavy to manoeuvre and dropped it in the owner's rose garden.:o
Wearing a dark visor in dreary twilight: clipped a Mini I didn't see.:facepalm:
Swerving around some plonkers standing on the road, only to have the front wheel wash out in some gravel behind them.:angry:
Lost steering (and all control, in fact) when a cyclist turned in front of me without looking.:shit:
Wheelied up my drive, realised I was going too fast, hit the picks and slid on the shiny concrete into the back wall of the carport.:confused:
Lost traction when trying to ride my road bike up Mt Tarawera (back in the days when you could). :yes:
Lost contact with the bike (and all control, in fact) when I intersected with a car that failed to give way (nice somersault over its roof).:gob:
Lost front end when I turned into a corner and the tyre hit a squashed softdrink can.:violin:
Had difficulty steering and braking with a errant pedestrian under the front wheel. :shutup:
Swerving and braking to avoid a car changing lanes without the driver looking first = FAIL! (Newly-fixed pedestrian-damaged bike damaged by road). :crybaby:
Being side-swiped by a brain-dead, u-turning Audi driver.(Newly re-fixed road-damaged bike written off)<_<
Bedding in new brake pads by braking hard on greasy off-camber road with tar snakes (dumped bike at near standstill in front of road workers, landed on my head) :bye:
Taking a shortcut around traffic on grass/gravel verge while drugged up = FAIL! (dumped bike at near standstill in front of service station patrons) :woohoo:
Brain overload while drugged up and tired: Braking + turning + indicating + operating gargre door-opener + trying to look kewl for spectating neighbours = FAIL!:eek:

Err.... that's about it, if you don't count off-road adventures, such as trying to ride an AG100 with trailer+ dead sheep up hill, or parking XL100S into electric fence, or getting barbed wire wrapped around ankle while riding MT250 through a swamp, or wheelying same MT250 over backwards up a hill.
Or "stunting misadventures: donuting a CB175 on concrete. Or gravel. Or grass. Or asphalt....
Really (sadly?), there's no end to the ways you can dump a bike or yourself on your ear.
:doh:

Don't tell me it was your RC46 you were taking up Mt T

[Berries]

Forgetting to put your foot down at the traffic lights when you are wasted.

[Gremlin]

Left side... Right side...

[PrincessBandit]

SJ's post (29) covers most of them. Short legs are a common trap, especially for those of us with top-heavy bikes - over balancing when trying to back into my driveway has caught me a couple of times in the early days; have also gone to ride off with disc lock in place :facepalm: and suffered the consequences.

First time I dropped the bandit was meeting a neighbour on the bend in our drive - he was caning it up the r.o.w. just as I was entering the bend and had to grab a handful of brake. Bike went over, cracked my faring and smashed my brake lever and all he could say was "is that a new bike?" He didn't even offer to help me pick it up! I was furious, and I'd only had it a couple of weeks!!

[steelphoenix]

I've managed to drop the bike only once, thus far...

First lesson on the bike (months ago now), turning a corner, leaning on the footpegs, hit the footbrake by accident... rear wheel skidded out from under me, splat. :o

Almost dropped it trying to put it up on its centre stand... still takes me four-five tries to do that... :blink:

[superman]

Lesseeee...
My bikes have been down for the following reasons:
Test-riding my first bike: found it a bit heavy to manoeuvre and dropped it in the owner's rose garden.:o
Wearing a dark visor in dreary twilight: clipped a Mini I didn't see.:facepalm:
Swerving around some plonkers standing on the road, only to have the front wheel wash out in some gravel behind them.:angry:
Lost steering (and all control, in fact) when a cyclist turned in front of me without looking.:shit:
Wheelied up my drive, realised I was going too fast, hit the picks and slid on the shiny concrete into the back wall of the carport.:confused:
Lost traction when trying to ride my road bike up Mt Tarawera (back in the days when you could). :yes:
Lost contact with the bike (and all control, in fact) when I intersected with a car that failed to give way (nice somersault over its roof).:gob:
Lost front end when I turned into a corner and the tyre hit a squashed softdrink can.:violin:
Had difficulty steering and braking with a errant pedestrian under the front wheel. :shutup:
Swerving and braking to avoid a car changing lanes without the driver looking first = FAIL! (Newly-fixed pedestrian-damaged bike damaged by road). :crybaby:
Being side-swiped by a brain-dead, u-turning Audi driver.(Newly re-fixed road-damaged bike written off)<_<
Bedding in new brake pads by braking hard on greasy off-camber road with tar snakes (dumped bike at near standstill in front of road workers, landed on my head) :bye:
Taking a shortcut around traffic on grass/gravel verge while drugged up = FAIL! (dumped bike at near standstill in front of service station patrons) :woohoo:
Brain overload while drugged up and tired: Braking + turning + indicating + operating gargre door-opener + trying to look kewl for spectating neighbours = FAIL!:eek:

Err.... that's about it, if you don't count off-road adventures, such as trying to ride an AG100 with trailer+ dead sheep up hill, or parking XL100S into electric fence, or getting barbed wire wrapped around ankle while riding MT250 through a swamp, or wheelying same MT250 over backwards up a hill.
Or "stunting misadventures: donuting a CB175 on concrete. Or gravel. Or grass. Or asphalt....
Really (sadly?), there's no end to the ways you can dump a bike or yourself on your ear.
:doh:

You sound like a good bloke to have a beer and chat with :drinkup:

[HenryDorsetCase]

Wheelied up my drive, realised I was going too fast, hit the picks and slid on the shiny concrete into the back wall of the carport.:confused:


Had difficulty steering and braking with a errant pedestrian under the front wheel. :
Really (sadly?), there's no end to the ways you can dump a bike or yourself on your ear.
:doh:

awesome!!

those are my favourites....

[ckai]

We just sold the wife's bike to the old man (returning rider ;)) and I went for a ride with him and stopped at a cafe. When we went to leave we were all geared up, started my bike and waited for the old man to start his. I turn again and see him started to fall with the bike still attached!

As an instinct I reached out then thought bugger that I can't keep me and 250+ kgs up.

Turned out the silly bugger forgot which side the stand was on and leant it the wrong way to flick it up! :lol:

I felt so stink for him. Luckily there was another biker there that came over and helped us out. He was bloody good about it ("I've done that heaps of times") and Dad took it surprisingly well too. I still felt stink for him. Funny all the same. The lucky bugger only scuffed the fairing about 1cm since he managed to lay it down on the grass.

Bloody returning riders ah? ;)

I've nearly done the forgot-stand-up-when-taking-off-lift-thing and slipped on gravel. Lucky my bike is pretty light.

The wife (vertically challenged) slipped on our gravel driveway and god knows how she managed not to drop it. It was bloody impressive. I swear it was past the point of no return but she said after "there was no fucking why I was gonna drop it". haha determination that is.

[vifferman]

Don't tell me it was your RC46 you were taking up Mt T
Hmmm... now there's a thought. It's done some gravel riding, but nothing that gnarly.
No, it was my first bike - a CB175. I doubt the VFR would've fared better - various other bikes didn't make it either (CB550/4s, CBB750/4s, etc etc.). My next attempt succeeded easily (MT250) and I had a lovely time motocrossing around on the summit (yes, yes - very un-PC, but hey - it was the '70s.)

[vifferman]

You sound like a good bloke to have a beer and chat with :drinkup:
I don't do stunting every day - those stunts were spread over 37 years.

awesome!!

those are my favourites....
The wheelie one would have to be up there, fer sher. The somersault over the car probably had the biggest bang and destruction for the least injury (few abrasions and 9 stitches in my knee. (The bike was so bent it ripped half the rocker cover off when the frame buckled. Amazingly, it was rebuilt, courtesy of a CD175 donor bike).
Also memorable in that I was wearing jandals, it was Christmas Day 1975, the police visited me at home to try to get me to confess to speeding, and in the legal wrangle over money, I had one Paul East representing me.

[Cheshire Cat]

being a noob

"I Like This" :lol:

[davebullet]

Looping it :facepalm:

[Ride Fast Live Long]

Letting your mate whose determined hes a better rider than you have a boost :facepalm:

[Toaster]

Sheep......

[HenryDorsetCase]

Looping it :facepalm:

Oh yeah, I was on a mates near new DT400 and I thought I'd do a wheelie to impress some girls I knew, looped it and it cost me three weeks wages to fix the bike and the girls pissed themselves laughing. Doh.

[Corse1]

Stalling when exiting driveway and putting feet up too soon

New bike take off and at the same time turning..stall feet down but too much weight on the falling side to hold.:facepalm:

Stall on hill in driveway ...put foot down but garden was 8 inches lower than concrete drive......same as above.:facepalm:

And the best advice I can I can give is if you are manouvering a bike inside a confined space like a garage and you are close to other objects......sit on the damn thing while you are moving it:facepalm:

Thats three strikes so it shouldn't happen any more or does that mean I am out:blink:

Seriously its been a long while since those incidents but they are still fresh in my memory.

[Deano]

If it hasn't been said before ?

Ask a Mair !!

Jimmy and Drew are well qualified.

[steelphoenix]

Turning at the top of Twin Oaks Drive in Cornwall Park, forgetting the clutch until a moment too late, stalling, realising that I was tilting... over... too much... CRUNCH.

In front of a group of runners... undignified... :facepalm:

[vifferman]

Looping it :facepalm:
Oh.:blink:
Yeah, done that too. :facepalm:

Here's something highly entertaining but kinda stupid.
When I was at high school, a classmate of mine asked his brother for a turn on his bike. He'd never ridden before, so his brother gave him some pointers, in the back yard:
"Er...yeah, turn this grip here, until that needle there is on that red bit on that dial, then let go of this lever here."

[Conquiztador]

Riding with a windshield. In the dark. In the rain. And too fast. Then coming to a 90 degree turn... Oh and, after a few beers...

In a hurry with a new bike with a 7 meter turning radious and a few hundread meters down the road realising you forgot something, doing a U-Turn at speed (with the bike weighing 250Kg's) and hitting the steering stop... I can tell you now that putting down the foot is a waste of time.

[Coolz]

Stalling on a cattlestop and foot slips through rails ... Trying to get through gate before wind blows it shut ... Showing off in front of the ladies....

[Cheshire Cat]

Shit tyres....

[Magna83]

Very nearly dropped it yesterday. Turned to go up a hill on a quick spin around the block. Not enough speed. Stalled. Luckily Im tall and the bike is low so I got my feet down in time and got it centered. Took all my strength to stop it from going though cos its bloody heavy for a 250. I'm a n00b though. Havent even taken it for a proper spin yet :innocent:

[varminter]

This says it all: http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=077&Set= My personal bet noire is failing to put the side stand down, once piled me up against a load of cardboard boxes, saved the bike tough. The second time, in a driveway, I heaved it up by myself I was so mad, took a few weeks for my back to heal.

[Conquiztador]

This says it all: http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=077&Set= My personal bet noire is failing to put the side stand down, once piled me up against a load of cardboard boxes, saved the bike tough. The second time, in a driveway, I heaved it up by myself I was so mad, took a few weeks for my back to heal.

Must be bored; had a read of them all. Liked the "Falling asleep" one...

Just remembered one more: Inside dark garage deciding to check oil level (glass window on r/h side). Stand bike up straight and lean down to see in window while sitting on seat, but not able to see any oil, so lean bike more over to the right to see when the oil comes in to the window while head down by the window...

[varminter]

I can see the headline now 'Man Found Pinned Under Bike':yes:

[zealchick]

Ive dropped mine twice, first time, put the side stand down, hopped off and bike went the other way:facepalm:
2nd time...no wait this was the 3rd (on 2nd bike...after writing off first bike:shit:) stalled it at the top of the drive and.... didn't get my feet down in time doh!!

[Brian d marge]

Scroll to 5 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_bsRsQNgEY

Stephen

[lanci]

Moving the fucker around in the garage... :facepalm:

[st00ji]

If it hasn't been said before ?

Ask a Mair !!

Jimmy and Drew are well qualified.

you know drew mair? (obviously!)

used to work with him... wellington region eh? whats he doing these days?

[Mom]

classic :facepalm:
....epic fail!

Along with forgetting the side stand, how about add a very light touch of front brake just as you reach the triangle of pea metal, while going very slowly...

Results in you hitting the tarmac so fast you dont actually realise you are on the road until your helmet makes this incredible "BANG" sound. Scares the shit out of campervans following you apparently :o

[motodrummer]

[QUOTE=zmlam;1129921649]Hi,


So my question is what are some common things people do to drop their bikes? I have read some about low speed dropping - I assume this would be caused by not looking ahead generally, or too going too fast? I can also imagine uneven surfaces could be a trigger, anything else?

Getting your pant leg hooked on the foot peg as you put your foot down makes for a pretty embaressing fall- did it once! never again, ha ha.

[Gremlin]

Also stalling while trying to do a low speed turn like in a carpark. Bike leant over + no power = drop. :yes:

[hellokitty]

When I had my first dirt bike, I wanted to see how far over I could lean it on corners - I was doing figure eights on the lawn - turns out that you can lean it over quite far really, when the pegs dig into the ground it flicks you off :yes: good fun!

[Bikernereid]

Riding your bike up the pavement towards the house you think you should be going to, get to the closed gate and realise the house you want it accross the street. Then try and walk the bike backwards and lose your footing between curb and road and drop you very slow moving bike!

[kilgh]

While sitting on and leaning over the stationary bike muttering "now where was that choke at?"

[Dogboy900]

Put my leg down on the downhill side stopping at a giveway right onto the wet paint.
The car driver behind me almost pissed himself laughing as I performed a slow motion splits and very gently lowered the bike to the ground.

Stopped outside a motel with about 5 riders beside me at the Wanganui races a few years ago while someone sorted out our booking... Forgot I had not put my sidestand down and started leaning the bike over. The guy next to me stared in disbelief as I ever so slowly leaned over and went red in the face while I just managed to stop the bike falling onto him.

Got hit head on by a truck which crossed the lanes inside the Mt Vic tunnel. I got fired off down the tunnel beside the truck, the bike got crushed under the wheels. Took me a few goes to convince the guy I was the rider and I was not stuck under his truck!

And forgot the disc lock.. Twice!

[varminter]

So my question is what are some common things people do to drop their bikes? I have read some about low speed dropping - I assume this would be caused by not looking ahead generally, or too going too fast? I can also imagine uneven surfaces could be a trigger, anything else?


I would say that a "drop" is either stationary or at no more than walking speed, after that it becomes "a crash"

[Fatt Max]

shoe lace tangled up in a footpeg. Got me down a few times :facepalm:

Faaaaarrrrrkkkk yeah, didnt drop it but was fecking close one morning. Got my lace tangled on the clutch lever as well, got away with it though. Laces are now tucked inside me boots.

Brought back memories that one...

[Velocipede]

Going too slowly (in parking lot) and trying to do U turn. Indicator stalk one... Luckily no one saw.

Pulling up in crowded supermarket feeling ten feet tall. parking up bike without the aid of kickstand. Right in front of supermarket windows. Oh the shame. Indicator stalk two.

Also, if silly enough to do burnouts on wet concrete with the bike, face it up or down hill. Not parallel to hill. Just about (but not quite) indicator stalk three.

The motto of my ramblings? Buy a bike with the indicators set into the cowling. :facepalm::yes:

[Newo]

Not paying attention to oil/petrol/(slippery stuff) on round-abouts in the wet.

Broken front break lever, scratches and cracked side fairing.

Learned that lesson the hard way.

[steelphoenix]

Roadworks on Campbell Road, One Tree Hill.

I stalled a couple of times, kept going, restarted (albeit with a few car drivers probably mumbling things at me), thought I was OK - until the loose gravel at the end of the roadworks, coinciding with a turn from one lane to another, and one of those bumps you get when the asphalt is ripped up. I was going about 5-10kph, but the tail just slipped out from under me, and all of a sudden I've got a bike on its side and I'm standing over it going "WTF?!". :facepalm: I didn't even scratch the paint.

Was very glad I had the learner sign that day...

[steelphoenix]

Double post fail!

[Hellzie]

front braking and turning at the same time at slow speeds.... bike lurches to the side that you're turning.. did it at very slow speed pulling into my driveway.. BOO. Luckily it's the one and only drop I've had so far, won't do that again....

[Magna83]

front braking and turning at the same time at slow speeds.... bike lurches to the side that you're turning.. did it at very slow speed pulling into my driveway.. BOO. Luckily it's the one and only drop I've had so far, won't do that again....

Bummer! Did you do any damage? Nearly did it myself the other day.
Been really lucky so far (first bike) haven't dropped it yet, but I have a feeling my lucks gonna run out some day soon....



Roadworks on Campbell Road, One Tree Hill.

I stalled a couple of times, kept going, restarted (albeit with a few car drivers probably mumbling things at me), thought I was OK - until the loose gravel at the end of the roadworks, coinciding with a turn from one lane to another, and one of those bumps you get when the asphalt is ripped up. I was going about 5-10kph, but the tail just slipped out from under me, and all of a sudden I've got a bike on its side and I'm standing over it going "WTF?!". :facepalm: I didn't even scratch the paint.

Was very glad I had the learner sign that day...


Yeah those roads where the asphalt is ripped up and all you've got left are those wavy lines in the ground are fucking lethal. I took the waterfront turn off coming back from Lwr Hutt a couple weeks back, stopping at the lights somewhere on Waterloo Quay where there was road works on, back end started slipping all over the place and I was only crawling along. Frightened the shit outta me. And yes my tires are in perfect nik and had correct amount of air in them.
My ass tightens up like a duck in water any time I see a road works sign now... :blink:

[Berg]

Mrs Bergs "drop" and my "near miss" were on a diesel slick just outside Havelock. Wet day having to slow down for traffic and without any warning, the front end on both bikes washed out. Fortunatly Mrs Berg was ok with just a bruised knee and I saved my bike.

[junkmanjoe]

yup picture this...........gas station. fully loaded bike ready to start a tour. both fuel tanks full to the top with gas.... bike on center stand,,, i rolled the bike off the center stand lost balance and bike fell away from me....me and bike splated all over the forcourt.....very embarrassed...:o

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_r4RTcX8Awjo/TF4bM6YcnDI/AAAAAAAAIME/cC2cKOP0XDU/IMG_0258.JPG

this is the bike when i left home............yes its very heavy...

JMJ

[hayd3n]

gave the ol bike a thorough claean and polish
stood back admired the shine
i noticed a small blemish on the high side of the tank
i walked over gave it a quick buff and the bike fell over i tried to save it but i ended up landing on top,
only broke the clutch lever and my ego

[Hellzie]

Bummer! Did you do any damage? Nearly did it myself the other day.

Not too much damage, I let it down very gently, if I was a tad stronger I probably could have held it, but no such luck. The gear lever got a bit squished and broke the custom fly screen - nothing that a bit of duct tape couldn't fix! Definitely won't do that again though...

[Maakz]

Don't do what i did this avo-great day out riding, came back and rode into the garage all ecstatic like. Had a brain fart - i go to get off the bike, forget i havn't put the bloody stand down, realise belatedly but it takes a slow motion plonk. O F$@K moment. Goddamnit. Swearing head off and calling for assistance-get back up, luckily a tiny scratch to the bikes mirror only, thank gawd for that. NEVER do that again for chrissakes! Fricken Amen to that. Horrified about the potential for disc WTF moment, am so glad the witnesses to my newb faux pas have been few and far between, cos i'm so chicken that i restrict riding to low traffic density areas at ungodly hours. Yegadz.:shit:

[Conquiztador]

Last night at the Bay MC One Night Stand we were wandering around looking at bikes for the last round before hitting the partying. Just as we walk past the bike in the pick it topples over. Stand had sunk in to the ground. So I lift it up and we put a branch from a tree under to keep it from happening again.

As I was standing there holding the bike up after I had lifted her up and waiting for the branch to arrive, I was hoping as hell that the owner would not turn up from the dark and get the wrong idea...
231144

[blackdog]

if ya dont wanna put up with the tears and recrimination, might be better just dropping them via text message

[JacksDad]

This guy i know dropped his bike in the drive-way when he stalled it trying to take off and turn 90degress up hill at the same time, he now has a special short clutch lever.

[Hellzie]

Dropped my bike yesterday on a stupid cambered road... put my foot down on the downhill side, couldn't hold it up. BOOO!!!! Seems super stupid now, why didn't I realise it before I did it?

Note to self - next time stick more to the crest of the camber and lean uphill....

GRRR!!! Lucky I was able to put it down gently and only the gear lever was bent a bit, no other damage.

[oneofsix]

Dropped my bike yesterday on a stupid cambered road... put my foot down on the downhill side, couldn't hold it up. BOOO!!!! Seems super stupid now, why didn't I realise it before I did it?

Note to self - next time stick more to the crest of the camber and lean uphill....

GRRR!!! Lucky I was able to put it down gently and only the gear lever was bent a bit, no other damage.

Oops, glad the damage wasn't too bad.
Your drop illustrates one of the issues with the "recommended practice" of holding the back brake when stopped. I prefer what I was taught which was to put the right foot down just as you stop as this is the up hill of the camber - usually - and holding the front brake. Means I don't have to do the foot dance to pop into or out neutral.

[Hellzie]

Oops, glad the damage wasn't too bad.
Your drop illustrates one of the issues with the "recommended practice" of holding the back brake when stopped. I prefer what I was taught which was to put the right foot down just as you stop as this is the up hill of the camber - usually - and holding the front brake. Means I don't have to do the foot dance to pop into or out neutral.

That was exactly my issue! Normally I use my front brake, but I've been practicing the 'slow race' stuff lately, gently back braking, and keeping the clutch in friction zone and throttle on a little... then while I was concentrating on all this, I didn't think about the camber and the fact that I should put my right foot down instead... I guess back brake stops are definitely not always the best option... Annoying thing is I've done that stop plenty of times before... with front brake and both feet down.

[R-Soul]

Rode a mates bike DT125 down a gravel road, a bit pissed and in the dark- enjoyed giveing throttle and missed a corner. Just missed a telephone pole. Big damage to bike. Pissed off mate.


Rode another mate's DT125 down a tar road, sober, in broad daylight. Missed a corner - down embankment into cornfields. Big damage to bike. Pissed off mate.

Years later learnt about counter steering, and realised that I had no actual control over bikes in the first two crashes:

LEARN ABOUT COUNTERSTEERING NOW!

You cannot control a bike with weight shift alone.

[Hellzie]

Rode a mates bike DT125 down a gravel road, a bit pissed and in the dark- enjoyed giveing throttle and missed a corner. Just missed a telephone pole. Big damage to bike. Pissed off mate.


Rode another mate's DT125 down a tar road, sober, in broad daylight. Missed a corner - down embankment into cornfields. Big damage to bike. Pissed off mate.

Years later learnt about counter steering, and realised that I had no actual control over bikes in the first two crashes:

LEARN ABOUT COUNTERSTEERING NOW!

You cannot control a bike with weight shift alone.

I blame the DT125.

[R-Soul]

I blame the DT125.

dont joke- I did originally too!
But once I discovered counter steering, I realised that trying to steer the bike (even a light one like that) without countersteering, was like trying to steer a car by scraping my foot on the road....

[Conquiztador]

Rode a mates bike DT125 down a gravel road, a bit pissed and in the dark- enjoyed giveing throttle and missed a corner. Just missed a telephone pole. Big damage to bike. Pissed off mate.


Rode another mate's DT125 down a tar road, sober, in broad daylight. Missed a corner - down embankment into cornfields. Big damage to bike. Pissed off mate.

Years later learnt about counter steering, and realised that I had no actual control over bikes in the first two crashes:

LEARN ABOUT COUNTERSTEERING NOW!

You cannot control a bike with weight shift alone.

Lesson one: Ride your own bike.

Lesson two: Don't ride DT 125's

Lesson three: Stay sober

Lesson four: Keep your fuckups to your self ;-)

[R-Soul]

Lesson one: Ride your own bike.

Lesson two: Don't ride DT 125's

Lesson three: Stay sober

Lesson four: Keep your fuckups to your self ;-)

Nobody likes admitting that they stuffed up (especially on a DT125!). But if somebody else can leanr a lesson from it without doing it the hard way like I did, then its worth it.

[Hellzie]

Nobody likes admitting that they stuffed up (especially on a DT125!). But if somebody else can leanr a lesson from it without doing it the hard way like I did, then its worth it.

+1 Totally agree. Plus it's fun to laugh at other people's mistakes. Plus it's good not to take yourself too seriously and know that you're human and make mistakes. :cool:

[skinman]

Ha
you guys think you have it tuff now
just wait till you get a big heavy bike (see my avatar)
lets just say its a good thing that footplates always hit the ground first :) & if you dismount quickly it can be stopped there. Picking it up is a both hands job.

[R-Soul]

+1 Totally agree. Plus it's fun to laugh at other people's mistakes. Plus it's good not to take yourself too seriously and know that you're human and make mistakes. :cool:

I guess, but hell, if I think of the stuff that I did, with no respect for the machine (or my life) at all, I sometimes wonder how I managed to survive my teenage years and twenties....

TBH I was a fucking retard, and could easily have killed my self on both of those occasions - but at least they made me think hard and long about what I was doing wrong, and to leave bikes the hell alone for a while until I knew how to control them properly....

[sportsbikesrock]

Weird ways of dropping bikes - cant do the normal way it seems....

A duck decides to fly straight at you and so you brake.... hard..... :facepalm:

Some dickheads in a shitty matt black r33 skyline reverse into you deliberately cos its fun - you fall off cos you didn't expect it. :shit:

Must say I did enjoy roaring at them, pity I couldn't have done more than that.
Fucking ducks and dickheads. Still out riding though! Bound to have something worse happen.

[R-Soul]

Weird ways of dropping bikes - cant do the normal way it seems....

A duck decides to fly straight at you and so you brake.... hard..... :facepalm:

Some dickheads in a shitty matt black r33 skyline reverse into you deliberately cos its fun - you fall off cos you didn't expect it. :shit:

Must say I did enjoy roaring at them, pity I couldn't have done more than that.
Fucking ducks and dickheads. Still out riding though! Bound to have something worse happen.

Purposefully reversed into you?
Geez that is just looking to have their side view mirror smashed off and door kicked in. Although you do have to have a bike that can outrun a skyline after that. Or you could get off and smash their head in through their window...

[sportsbikesrock]

Trust me I so wanted to, but it was just me and although I have a 'fast' scooter - its still a scooter so I didn't have a chance. There were 4 of them and the passenger was looking eager to get out and try give me the bash. Oh well I did get up and I ran my mouth (you name it I roared it!) and the scoot did ruin his bumper a bit... oh and I gave the bird before the passenger got out - by then the light was green and I was at wot.... going all of 30 km/h! Faster than him opening the door back at the intersection I guess.... What if they do it again, the person comes off and the wankers keep reversing? Went to the cops anyway. Guess it just wasn't my week, that and the duck. Still scooting and nothing has happened since.

[sgtp]

Heres a rule worth repeating....I need to hear it a few more times myself.

This did not result in a drop, but could have: DO NOT SHIFT IN MID CORNER! EVER!

I was coming home to welly, going over the Rumatakas, in the rain. I was only going around 40km/h around a corner when I felt the need to downshift, which resulted in the rear wheel sliding about a foot to the outside of the turn :facepalm: when releasing the clutch. Luckily I did not lose it. I wont be making that mistake again, in the wet or not!

[DrunkenMistake]

Heres a rule worth repeating....I need to hear it a few more times myself.

This did not result in a drop, but could have: DO NOT SHIFT IN MID CORNER! EVER!

I was coming home to welly, going over the Rumatakas, in the rain. I was only going around 40km/h around a corner when I felt the need to downshift, which resulted in the rear wheel sliding about a foot to the outside of the turn :facepalm: when releasing the clutch. Luckily I did not lose it. I wont be making that mistake again, in the wet or not!

Agreed, I used to be able to get away with the occasional mind slip and change down mid corner on the 250, but that all changed with the 400, I dont have much choice, my bike has a mind of its own, and its an angry little bitch, it will try and toss me off.

Watch for white paint and man hole covers in the wet, especially at intersections when your stopping/stopped, youd be surprised how often your boots slip and slide on the road while your waiting haha

[LBD]

New tires combined with Chch liqufaction silt on a smooth asphalt corner....8 weeks later and my ankle still aches

[varminter]

New tires combined with Chch liqufaction silt on a smooth asphalt corner....8 weeks later and my ankle still aches

Whoooaaa, liquifaction silt, that's a new one, I like it. I'll add it to the list, heal soon.

[Genie]

hahaha :killingme

Just knew this thread was gonna be a classic, wish I'd read it before I'd dropped mine three times....at the fuel stop, turning on an uphill and in the garage.

All very common so I read,


Now - NOT to follow in the footsteps of others.

Cheers for laughter.