Fell off. What went wrong?

[helenoftroy]

Hmmmm......I feel your pain. All too well.......

Exactly the same situation happened to me a short time after I got my Duc. I discovered myself being tossed over the right-side bars onto the bitumen which then took a nasty bite out of my lovely ST4 just behind me.

The greatest damage was to my ego.

I had been used to wide bars and low centre of gravity on the BMW so balance was never an issue.

Don't feel bad. Find a carpark and practise. Not that I've done that of course, but you should

Have'nt dropped my Duc doing a u turn(2 falls of side stand tho)but they have shocking turning circles and I have come very close.......

And like Winston001 and others have said trail bikes/adventure bikes turn so easy

My last bikes were a BMW1000GS & a XL200R

[merv]

So let me get this straight.
If you hit the steering stops, that's it you crash?

Generally yes unless you are going really slow and manage to kind of do a hop on your foot on the inside of the turn and get the bike upright as quick as you can. The reason is your body is kind of set up for the turn, the bike hits the stop and doesn't turn sharp enough and you put your foot down to catch it but you end up doing ever increasing splits and next thing you are lying on your side.

As Motu says, its a bit of a trap for us dirt bikers used to the generous steering lock of our trail bikes. I have to be quite careful doing u-eys on my VFR because of the lack of lock in comparison. The one that has caught me out once is Mrs merv's DR650 because it just doesn't turn as sharp as our other dirt bikes.

[The Stranger:Me]

Generally yes

Ok thanks for that.
I must stop doing that then, I have always found it quite inconsequential and never paid it a thought. Even on my Blackbird which is heavy as fuck and the weight is quite high.

Personally I would suspect that the plot is lost prior to the stop being hit and the hit is just the straw or the result, but having not exerienced the problem obviously I can't say for sure.

[Usarka]

Sounds to me like you were in the wrong gear. .

Gotta remember ATGATT.......

[Motu]

Personally I would suspect that the plot is lost prior to the stop being hit

As it's hit! For Me and Merv it's a case of expectations - we expect the bike to turn tighter...we are making a tighter turn,and then clunk.Of course I don't drop a bike like that....but had a few close calls.You know your bike and don't have a problem....possibly the other bikes you ride would be similar.If you rode a tight turning dirt bike you wouldn't run into problems with too much lock.Think outside your box....

[Winston001]

Difference in use is character issues

There ya go - he was on a Duke, it's a character issue. Solved.



Apart from that, these lovely beasts require a a small paddock to complete a 180 degree turn. Character. Love it.

[McJim]

Mmmm big turning circle on a 900ss..makes U turns more....thought provoking....

[The Stranger:Me]

Think outside your box....

No thanks, I am quite happy within my box where there is no problem when hitting stops or with low speed tight turns, on my road bike or motard.

But thanks, I'll keep your ideas for use as an excuse later should I need it.

[wezo]

Just look at the replies!!
I must admit i like the explanations that blame the bike and not me!
The steering stop makes sense though. And done plenty of U turns on that road on my SV without a problem. Fortunately no damage that super glue can't fix! (indicator cover) Picking the thing up in a hurry to stop the oil and petrol leaking out (and to avoid embarrassment) has given me a flippin sore back though.

I'm putting it down to inattention to what would normally be a piece of cake and inexperience with the bike. I promise it won't happen again.

[Hinny]

I must admit i like the explanations that blame the bike and not me!
The steering stop makes sense though.
.

You should be able to do figure eights on the steering stops.
It is a matter of throttle control. More gas and the bike stands up.
You can get training videos which show you how. Little women, riding Harleys, doing fig 8's on the stops.
Look where you want to go etc.... go practice.

[Voltaire]

[QUOTE=Hinny;1756505]You should be able to do figure eights on the steering stops.
QUOTE]

I can do figure 8's with a BMW and sidecar with the sidecar wheel in the air....in a large carpark....rural road...no.
I can turn my solo BMW no bother on any road, but the 900ss not so easy....must be just down to me not using throttle control, weighting the pegs and counter steering.......
Maybe after another 25 years of riding I might improve.

[idb]

Not enough steering lock....and as Merv says,hit the stops,you need more lock....and down you go.I have problems with street bikes because of this,I'm used to dirt bikes and trials bikes which have much more lock - and U turns are a breeze.

It's a stupid idea to have steering locks then, they should ban them!!!

[Wingnut]

OK, been riding 'big' bikes for about 6 months. Was doing U turn at end of rural road. Sports bike (Duke 900SS) Road slightly sloping to right (slightly). About half way through turn and its tipped right over?? Didn't expect that! Broke indicator. I feel bad. Thankfully no one saw me that i know of. I got a sore back too picking the thing off the road.

What did i just do wrong. Signed brusied ego.

Automatic entry for the "Stupid question postings 2008" Competition. JESUS WTF!!!!

[Bonez]

Just look at the replies!!
I must admit i like the explanations that blame the bike and not me!
The steering stop makes sense though. And done plenty of U turns on that road on my SV without a problem. Fortunately no damage that super glue can't fix! (indicator cover) Picking the thing up in a hurry to stop the oil and petrol leaking out (and to avoid embarrassment) has given me a flippin sore back though.

I'm putting it down to inattention to what would normally be a piece of cake and inexperience with the bike. I promise it won't happen again.

Get that back looked at.

A bit more speed while doing the turn would probably have helped. You were on a slight slope no momentum and over you go Easy to do on a new(to you) bike.

[rocketman1]

What happens is you have leaned into the tight turn, expecting to turn as usual, hit the steering stops, and because of your slow speed and the fact that have leaned over for a tighter turn than the bike will allow means disaster, you cannot recover from this unless your very quick with being able to speed up and transfer your weight to the outside of the bike, which you often cannot do because of the nature of the geography around you, which makes you do a tight turn to start with. ie the width of the road.