Common methods of dropping bike?

**Dogboy900** · 5th January 2011, 17:55

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** · 5th January 2011, 20:05

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** · 8th January 2011, 08:17

Originally Posted by BuzzardNZ

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

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** · 10th January 2011, 08:08

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.

**Newo** · 31st January 2011, 22:38

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** · 1st February 2011, 12:01

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?!".

I didn't even scratch the paint.

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

**steelphoenix** · 1st February 2011, 12:06

Double post fail!

**Hellzie** · 4th February 2011, 14:04

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** · 4th February 2011, 15:47

Originally Posted by 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....

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....

Originally Posted by 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?!".

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...

**Berg** · 4th February 2011, 17:55

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** · 6th February 2011, 08:10

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...

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

JMJ

**hayd3n** · 6th February 2011, 09:13

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** · 6th February 2011, 10:18

Originally Posted by Magna83

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** · 6th February 2011, 14:38

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.

**Conquiztador** · 6th February 2011, 17:41

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...