Dropped Bike This Morning - Advice Please

**Darryboy** · 8th September 2004, 08:30

Hi Everyone,

On my way to work this morning I went to overtake a Previa (which was going about 20K and had been since we had passed the road works on the previous road)

Anyway I'm accelerating and pull out to pass, the previa then indicates to turn down a driveway on the right, I start braking and move to go around the left (which I would have been able to do hadn't the previa decided to slow down even more) To avoid hitting the back of the previa I decided to slide under it's bumber.

Now by the time I stand up and look around the previa is nowhere to be seen, vanished down a driveway.

Is this one of those 'tough luck' moments?

My bike is rideable but I've scratched a couple of fairings bent the gear selector and there's a crack just below my seat.

**bluninja** · 8th September 2004, 08:41

Originally Posted by Darryboy

Hi Everyone,

On my way to work this morning I went to overtake a Previa (which was going about 20K and had been since we had passed the road works on the previous road)

Anyway I'm accelerating and pull out to pass, the previa then indicates to turn down a driveway on the right, I start braking and move to go around the left (which I would have been able to do hadn't the previa decided to slow down even more) To avoid hitting the back of the previa I decided to slide under it's bumber.

Now by the time I stand up and look around the previa is nowhere to be seen, vanished down a driveway.

Is this one of those 'tough luck' moments?

My bike is rideable but I've scratched a couple of fairings bent the gear selector and there's a crack just below my seat.

First I'd check your crack below your seat and remove any excess material that sometimes ends up there during an off

Sorry to hear about the spill; if you've got no witnesses then all you can do is fix your bike. Perhaps next time you get this you might try applying the brake and just stopping rather than swapping sides to complete the pass.

Also what makes you think you would have hit the back? If your bike having slid on it's fairing that is much slippier than tyres you went under the bumper, it's possible that you may not have hit it anyway staying upright.

Good look with the repairs, I'm sure there're a few peeps on KB that can show you how to fix up your bike real cheap.

**Dodgyiti** · 8th September 2004, 08:47

I think you should go door knocking until you find the owner, and talk to them politely explaining the situation.

If that has no effect, assemble a mob of bat weilding yobbo's [ might not have much luck on the 'Shore, come out West and I'll find some for you] and intimidate a settlement out of them.
In these situations you have to have the confidence that YOU are right, you have talked to you lawer, and its going to cost this much.
My way of dealing with these things might not be legal, but it has worked for me in the past, meet, greet, and intimidate.

**Bob** · 8th September 2004, 08:50

Sadly, I agree - it has to be filed under "tough luck" - as bluninja says, without witnesses, you're going to have a hard time proving anything.

Definitely get that crack under the seat looked at and sorted out - cracks are most certainly not a good thing.

You don't make it clear, but going along with bluninja again - did you brake first? It is always good to plan your "Escape route", but first action has to be brake to bleed off some speed and give you more time to assess your best course of action.

Hope you can get things fixed up for not too much (the gear selector can be replaced with a pattern part for much less than the OE kit) and hopefully some of the very helpful KBers can assist.

**Darryboy** · 8th September 2004, 08:54

I guess it wasn't really a conscious decision to lay it down. More that I locked the front when trying to get a bit more braking power.

Thanks for the advice, in hindsight it would have been better to have just stopped when I was on the right.

I'll try and explain it a bit better.

I was going faster than the previa but was still behind it and to the right. When they started indicating/drifting right I braked hard and then went around to the left. As I was going around the back (I'm still going faster at this point but had enough room) the car brakes aswell. So I then have to apply more brake again and lock the front wheel.

**jrandom** · 8th September 2004, 09:10

Bummer, dude. It'll be a learning experience for you, at least.

Get the cracks checked out to make sure you're not going to suddenly find your butt riding on the back tyre one day, and just bend the gear lever back into shape. No worries. Suzuki don't seem to make them very solid these days; I didn't have any trouble bending mine straight on the side of the motorway once after wrapping it up under the linkage.

Battle-scarred fairings are cool.

Keep repeating that, and one day you might believe it...

**jrandom** · 8th September 2004, 09:11

Oh yeah, and plenty of people will tell you this, but I'll say it again because it doesn't hurt: if things are going pear-shaped, grab the brakes real hard and try to stay upright. You'll stop a lot better on rubber than plastic, and if you do hit something, better to smack against the back of it than go under the wheels.

**Bob** · 8th September 2004, 09:12

Originally Posted by Darryboy

I guess it wasn't really a conscious decision to lay it down. More that I locked the front when trying to get a bit more braking power.

Thanks for the advice, in hindsight it would have been better to have just stopped when I was on the right.

I'll try and explain it a bit better.

I was going faster than the previa but was still behind it and to the right. When they started indicating/drifting right I braked hard and then went around to the left. As I was going around the back (I'm still going faster at this point but had enough room) the car brakes aswell. So I then have to apply more brake again and lock the front wheel.

Hell, bad luck, sounds like there really wasn't much else you could do.

But please get that crack checked out - the fairing can wait until another day, but a crack isn't something to be put off to another day - you don't want it to suddenly go from under you when you're riding.

**Darryboy** · 8th September 2004, 09:21

The crack is just the plastic of the tail so I don't think it's structural but I'll have a look anyways. Thanks guys.

**Coldkiwi** · 8th September 2004, 13:25

Originally Posted by jrandom

Bummer, dude. It'll be a learning experience for you, at least.

Get the cracks checked out to make sure you're not going to suddenly find your butt riding on the back tyre one day, and just bend the gear lever back into shape. No worries. Suzuki don't seem to make them very solid these days; I didn't have any trouble bending mine straight on the side of the motorway once after wrapping it up under the linkage.

Battle-scarred fairings are cool.

Keep repeating that, and one day you might believe it...

be careful rebending suzuki parts tho. Its a good idea to anneal it first by getting it nice and hot in your oven before bending, otherwise you run the risk of over cold working it by bending it back. If its REALLY bent, you may need to pop it back in the oven a few times to get it soft again before carrying on- I.E if it gets hard while bending, reheat it then try again.

**jrandom** · 8th September 2004, 13:39

Originally Posted by Coldkiwi

be careful rebending suzuki parts tho. Its a good idea to anneal it first by getting it nice and hot in your oven before bending, otherwis.e you run the risk of over cold working it by bending it back. If its REALLY bent, you may need to pop it back in the oven a few times to get it soft again before carrying on- I.E if it gets hard while bending, reheat it then try again.

My gear lever had about a 45 degree bend in the middle. It bent straight again with one hand on each end so easily that I didn't even consider nursing it home, heating the metal and doing it properly. Maybe I'll pay for that one day when it snaps in half under my boot..

**Mr Skid** · 8th September 2004, 14:57

Originally Posted by Darryboy

Hi Everyone,

On my way to work this morning I went to overtake a Previa (which was going about 20K and had been since we had passed the road works on the previous road)

Anyway I'm accelerating and pull out to pass, the previa then indicates to turn down a driveway on the right, I start braking and move to go around the left (which I would have been able to do hadn't the previa decided to slow down even more) To avoid hitting the back of the previa I decided to slide under it's bumber.

Now by the time I stand up and look around the previa is nowhere to be seen, vanished down a driveway.

Is this one of those 'tough luck' moments?

My bike is rideable but I've scratched a couple of fairings bent the gear selector and there's a crack just below my seat.

Sorry to hear Darryboy, those Previa owners are a dodgy bunch, nearly ran into the back of one myself in Pakuranga last Friday - he/she pulled left from a stationary line of traffic into my lane. Hard braking followed by swerving around the front worked for me in that case, shame it didn't work for you.

Don't worry about the fairings, if/when you drop it next, you've got the stress out of the way. A road bike without scratched fairings is a bit like a trail bike with no mud.

Also, if you ever park your bike around auckland uni, you'll be able to distingush it from all the other gsx250 by the scratches. Think of it as personalising the bike - sorta like a meaningless tattoo that you can get laser surgery on if you want your skin to look all nice again

**Ms Piggy** · 8th September 2004, 15:24

Argh bummer mate. Glad you're ok though.

**Skyryder** · 8th September 2004, 17:15

Yep shit happens. Just another expensive learning curve. Going by the way you described the 'event' even with witnesses, looks like you are in the wrong. Sooner the bike smashed up than you. No other way of looking at this one.

Stay sharp stay cool stay alive

Skyryder