Pesky soft earth

[Black Bandit]

First an introduction: New learner rider here from West Auckland on a Suzuki 250 Bandit.

So I dropped my bike for the first time today on her 1 week anniversary. :eek:
Came home from work, set her on the side stand to check for post, side stand sunk into the rain-soaked earth and down she went.:thud:
Luckily no major damage - cracked indicator. But then wouldn't start (lucky I was already home), strong smell of petrol so had a go at "tinkering". Had to dry the air box with paper towls - soaked in petrol. Then battery went flat - too much cranking to try to get her to start.
Anywhoo eventually got her going again after setting the battery on charge for an hour. All good for the work commute tomorrow.
:ride:

[Highlander]

Welcome to the nut house.

Saw a doco on tele about Burt Monroe. He rode onto the sand at the beach, took off his helmet, put it upside down on the sand under the side stand to stop it sinking in.

I wouldn't do it, but it worked for him.

[Motu]

Used to do that with a footpeg on the top of the helmet.

[OMG]

Welcome to KB. It's a bugger that, I always looks for a bit of wood, or stone or something I can put the stand on. Enjoy the site

[phantom]

G'day, been very close to doing the same with my bike, even got so far as thinking " must cut myself a bit of ally checker plate that will fit under my seat for use on these occasions " but have never got any further than thinking about it:wait:

[Riff Raff]

Welcome to KB and the world of motorcycles tipping over. At least you've got that one out of the way early!

[erik]

Welcome to the site. :)

[kiwifruit]

Welcome to the site :)

[Pumba]

Welcome to the site:scooter: At least you were there when it fell over, when my footpeg sunk it the earth for the first time it happened over night and it wasnt till the morning when I found it lying on its side:gob:

[Kendog]

I got myself an Oxford stand thingy which fits in a pocket or under the seat quite nicely for that exact reason, but anything flat and sturdy would probably work. Unfortunately it's often not something you think about until your bike falls over, and you think "geeze I'm a dick, why didn't I test the ground first". Glad to hear your stead is rideable.
Mrs KD
Oh, and by the way, Welcome!

[Colapop]

Welcome to the madhouse...
Just put a brick in the lawn next to the letterbox. Or stop on solid ground.

[Black Bandit]

Thanks for the welcome folks. They say you should learn from your mistakes and setting a bike on soft ground is one those mistakes I hope never to repeat! Almost buggered my back trying to lift the bike up again. Hopefully there'll be no more hard knocks this week. :yes:

[Colapop]

dropping her on grass at 0kph is a whole lot better than binning at 150kph on chip seal! Don't worry, even the 'experts' make f*ck ups.

[poorbastard]

Welcome

Better grass then concrete

[boomer]

Give me grass any time :doobey:

[Karma]

Give me ass any time :doobey:

That's a bit forward ain't it?

I'd rather lay it down gently like that than run it into a two lane roundabout at 80kph...

[Biohazard]

Grass is always the better option.

I wouldnt worry about dropping her, she'll forgive ya. If it helps the first bike i ever owned a FZR600 i had for 4 hrs and dropped it :doh:

[thehollowmen]

A flattened beer can is what I was told to use. Of course you have to empty it and flatten it ...

Not really kosher in this country and more.

A large tile will work,

Just keep an eye out for a hard peice of rubbish ...

[MidnightMike]

Welcome to kb black bandit, you may want to search the forum for 'paddock stands' :blip:

[Drum]

Welcome mate. Ya wont do that again!

Also look out for using the side stand with the bike facing downhill! **ahem**

[BEAMER89]

Welcome to KB Black bandit, enjoy the site mate.:spudwave:

[XP@]

Hi,
and as the others say, don't worry. I dropped my old gpx750 4 times in as many weeks. The first 3 times I broke brake levers, so decied to carry a spare. The next(and last) to go was the clutch lever (on christmas day in the middle of bloody no where)

[WickedOne]

Welcome to the asylum mate.

[Phurrball]

Aloha Blackbandit - welcome to the KB madhouse!

Nice bike too BTW :headbang: I've got an owners' manual in English if you ever need a looksee - that goes for other folks too (guessing your Bandit is a jap import like most)

Our Bandit had a whoopsee in the first week too at 0km/hr on gravel - a few character scratches, like you, and same sort of problems starting as I recall. (They don't like being on their sides much eh?)

What Colapop said is the plan - I've got a paver inlaid into the soft-stuff where I have to stop to open the door to the 'bike palace' (AKA dirty great tin shed)

That, and the old L plate when you're done with it is handy for the job. Stash it under the seat...using the old 'L' like that has a certain level of satisfaction associated with it :shifty:

[Insanity_rules]

Welcome black bandit. Loads of folks here have done worse, myself included. Count yourself lucky there werent any fellow bikers around to witness it.

[magg]

Hey, welcome! Add some pics of ur bike.

I dropped mine few times when i used to live on a very steep hill and parked him on the wrong angle (it seemed rite to me at the time). Broke few little things, but nothing major (touch wood). Unfortunately the bike's been too heavy for me to lift so had to get help to pick him up. :/

[Jabez]

Welcome, might see you on the road....:)

[hayd3n]

i made a wee square/rectangle block that has a groove in it for my stand,
fits nicely and wont slide off
p.s tie a bit of string to it when its parked ,so when you get back on the bike you can pick it up with out falling off or forgetting it.

[Fatt Max]

Good stuff mate, you got her going.

I have no mechanical apptitude myself so I really respect your perseverence.

Nce one mate....

[fire eyes]

helloooooooooooooooooooooooooo :rockon:

[Fatt Max]

Nice one for getting it going again,

I'll look out for that one myself.

Cheers