Why not to park on a slope! DOH!

[Sleepr]

Righto, after today's awesome 250 ride, I met up with few of my other mates and went to grab some food, parked the bike, put the side stand on, got off the bike and started walking towards the food place, and then suddenly i hear crunch. I see the shocking face expressions from the people inside the food place, so I turned around and saw my bike on the floor. Picked her up and saw the damage.

1 broken clutch lever
1 bent gear shiffter (just enuf to shift gears)
1 broken rider's left peg
1 scuffed mirror

The lesson I learnt: Dont park bikes on slopes, if you have to, park it with it being locked on one side.

It happens that my bike was parked straight and as soon as I got off and walked, the gravity took over, the side stand lost its grip and down she went.

So after getting home, I gave Justin a call and he came over and we had a lil twidle with the bike, bent the gear shiffter a bit, and fixed some new crash guards woohoo, thanks for your help justin :)

[jafar]

If you have to park on a slope , leave it in gear, that should stop gravity from taking hold & costing you $$$:innocent:

[Donor]

Don't park on slopes...

...it's just not PC...

[gijoe1313]

Donor, it's a slippery slope you are parking that argument on :innocent:

[Sleepr]

Donor, it's a slippery slope you are parking that argument on :innocent:

haha good one :rockon:

[shafty]

Bad luck Sleepr, but an experience you will learn from - thats life; At a Cold Duck I watched a Guy pushing his pannier closed on his mint Triumph Trophy, only to apply too much pressure and push his own bike over. The look on his face brought anguish to mine. Lessons being learn't everywhere.....

[RantyDave]

The lesson I learnt: Dont park bikes on slopes
Another good one, and a Wellington lesson this: You might think you're smart, parking pointing downhill with something preventing the bike from rolling forward - a kerb for instance - but you've forgotten that you have to get back out and the bike does not have a reverse gear. Yeah, *push* that bastard up the hill :)

Dave

[janno]

Hahahahaha - that's me laughing a hollow, bitter laugh.

Been there, done that, got the tshirt.

In front of maximum viewerage, too. And when I got down off the hill, I put my foot down in a hollow, tipped over, and bust the lever on the other side.

However I must say, when you learn lessons in such fashion, they are usually not repeated . . .

Which is why the PC coddling of our kids today is such crap. Sometimes you learn quickest by getting hurt, stuffing up yourself or your gear, and total embarrassment. Whoops. Getting off topic now.:innocent:

[McJim]

If you have to park on a slope...buy a trike. :rofl:

Seriously though I find if I park the bike pointing uphill it's stable enough. And I have a notorious Ducati side stand (famous for letting go!)

[gijoe1313]

If you have to park on a slope...buy a trike. :rofl:

Seriously though I find if I park the bike pointing uphill it's stable enough. And I have a notorious Ducati side stand (famous for letting go!)

All part and parcel of the "personality' of the Duchess of course! And splashing innocent wee cagers with a huge plume of water that would have done a fire engine proud!

[gijoe1313]

Oh yeah forgot to mention that we got Sleepr sorted. I'll be bunging on my slightly scuffed clutch lever till he gets his anodised blue ones, he'll be straightening the gear lever at a mate's place and more importantly, got the crash bungs installed.

Little ol'Hornet never looked happier! :yes:

[McJim]

All part and parcel of the "personality' of the Duchess of course! And splashing innocent wee cagers with a huge plume of water that would have done a fire engine proud!

Wasn't the side stand that did the splashing. Just the water displacing properties of a Bridgestone BT020.:scooter:

[babyblade250rr]

glad to hear your two wheeler came off not too badly, i always hesitate to park up my bike on a slope but yeah i guess sometime there arnt any choices

[Sleepr]

RantyDave: Yeap learned that lesson too, took 2 ppl to move the bike around -_- (but i picked it off the ground by myself, i am so proud)

janno: LOL so you dropped it twice within the same day :O, makes me feel lil better hehehe

McJim: Yea parking uphill will be fine, as the gravity will be in the other direction of which the stand will move in (so should've parked in reverse, damn it)

gijoe1313: Yeap hornet does look happy, but I cant wait till I get the new parts and fit them :). Thinking of getting new pegs all around too, know any places? Where did you get your golden ones from?

Speaking of side stands, I think i need a better one too -_-

[Sleepr]

glad to hear your two wheeler came off not too badly, i always hesitate to park up my bike on a slope but yeah i guess sometime there arnt any choices

yeap, all part of experience I suppose, now I know exactly what NOT to do hehe.. Just cant ride the bike for a while, it was hard enough with 2 fingers on the clutch and a bent shifter, I got home though :). She rests in peace till the next ride muhahaha.

[gijoe1313]

RantyDave: Yeap learned that lesson too, took 2 ppl to move the bike around -_- (but i picked it off the ground by myself, i am so proud)

janno: LOL so you dropped it twice within the same day :O, makes me feel lil better hehehe

McJim: Yea parking uphill will be fine, as the gravity will be in the other direction of which the stand will move in (so should've parked in reverse, damn it)

gijoe1313: Yeap hornet does look happy, but I cant wait till I get the new parts and fit them :). Thinking of getting new pegs all around too, know any places? Where did you get your golden ones from?

Speaking of side stands, I think i need a better one too -_-


I think I can help with the new pegs... will have to take a looky and see if they are compatible with the little ol'Hornet!

[Blind spot]

Bad luck mate,no matter how much advice you get here that crunchy scraping sound as your pride and joy falls never gets pleasant.
I went on a trail ride with experienced guys once, they patiently waited for nana me to catch,i stopped by them on a slight down hill slope and put my downhill leg down,talk about feeling like a prat when you then need them to lift the bloody bike of you as well

[EJK]

Omg that must've suck!
I broke the rear brake lever when I accidentally dropped it. It cost me $150 for my mindless act.

[Sleepr]

Yeap, the parts for the levers, gear shifter etc are quiet expensive too, got a replacement shifter for $70, havent found any levers for cheap yet ($70 for anodized ones on trademe, but 2 week wait :(). Might replace the pegs if the price is right too. Interesting thing is, I come from the car world, and I used to get more parts for the car with the same amount than in the bike world -_-. People just want to shaft people with bikes :(.

gijoe1313: Any news on the pegs bud?

[gijoe1313]

Been a bit sick x_X had today off, got a call from school in the afternoon... and said don't come in..stay home and get better...

once I'm out and about again, no prob on the pegs

[Sleepr]

Been a bit sick x_X had today off, got a call from school in the afternoon... and said don't come in..stay home and get better...

once I'm out and about again, no prob on the pegs

:O get well soon man :)

Hope you dont work on the hornet or on your other bikes when you are home and actually have rest :).

[Boob Johnson]

Donor, it's a slippery slope you are parking that argument on :innocent:lol nice one Gijoe :laugh:


Bad luck, guess u wont do THAT again :shutup:


You can always park the other way, as in rear tyre to the curb, I find that's always worked for me :niceone:

[gijoe1313]

I remember when I made it to one of Busa Pete and Mrs Busa Pete's legendary get-togethers. Parking was starting to become a bit of a premium and I parked on a slope...watched by a crowd of on-lookers who were giving me good advice. All at the same time :sweatdrop

That's when the man-giant Colapop came around to the back of my little ol'Hornet and with his big beefy mitts, grabbed the pillion rail and yanked it around to the right position! :shit: Whilst I was on it!

So, Sleepr, next time you have slope parking problems... who ya gonna call? Colapop!

[janno]

janno: LOL so you dropped it twice within the same day :O, makes me feel lil better hehehe



Twice within 20 minutes actually, a couple of years ago now when I'd had my new SV650 for two weeks. I was having trouble adjusting to it from the mighty beast that is a Virago 250 . . .

The one and only time I have ever considered giving the bike away to the nearest passer by and walking home.

But, like most things, you get over yourself and the rest is all fun in the sandpit.

[NotaGoth]

Have done the same thing on my mums driveway outside the garage, parked up... Its what I thought was suitable, put stand down, turned my back all of 5 seconds and heard the "crunch".. Lets just say... I learnt to pick it up again quickly... :Oops:

I guess after doing it once you start to become more aware over how to park it appropriately..

[Transalper]

yep, you can park facing uphill and you can park facing down hill, just leave it in gear, turn it off, let go of the clutch, and gently let it roll down the hill untill the chain is tight (maybe half a foot) so it can not roll any more, then put it on its side stand.

Great thing about the DR650, it can fall over on the left side, it can fall over on the right side, it can go for a wee slide and flip left to right, nine times out of ten you break nothing and it has no paint to scratch so you just pick it up and ride away.:done:

[Skunk]

Great thing about the DR650, it can fall over on the left side, it can fall over on the right side, it can go for a wee slide and flip left to right, nine times out of ten you break nothing and it has no paint to scratch so you just pick it up and ride away.:done:
The very reason I always try and get learner riders to consider trail bike like the Kawasaki Sherpa (there's a Yamaha and a Honda but I can't think of their names). nice short trail bikes.

You can drop it anywhere, pick it up and ride away was not damage. Never had one listen to me; but plenty have wished they did after dropping their 250 sportbike.

[Sleepr]

Yea I am still a bit gutted, just sourcing parts, very hard to find for grey imports -_-. Missing out tomm's ride too :(. Cant wait till she is all back up and running :).