Awkward moments on a bike

[Maha]

The one that will stay with me for very long time is....

Leaving the McDonalds carpark in Whangarei (Banks st) in the dark and it was raining, it was the second time only that I had pillioned and I had tinted visor, I was also on a bike that I had owned for about 10 days.

The awkward part was, at that stage, I had never been on a bike at night let alone the rain and a pillion and apparent lack of vision due to the visor thig.
With a pillion and we still had an hour or so riding to go, all this after a massive day out in a large group doing the Norfland Loop.

I had exited the carpark but stopped for traffic, and the bikes front wheel was on the road while the rear was on the foot path.
Now anyone who knows the exit on Banks st, will understand the shit I got myself into, my feet would not touch the ground, I yelled at Anne to ''get off' and it was like I had an ejector seat on the Triumph, the reaction was fantastic, but unsetteled me a tad for a while.

We got over the tinted visor thing by swapping helmets.
But that was a night to remember.

[FJRider]

I rode into the Homer Tunnel with sunnies on once ... instant blackness !!!

[Virago]

Must be something about Macdonalds carparks...

On our South Island tour last March, Mutley and I stopped at Maccas in Christchurch for (an uninspiring) breakfast. As normal, we parked the two bikes in one carpark, in a staggered position. Upon leaving, I took off first. My bike lurched, and I could hear a fair amount of yelling from behind...

I had forgotten about the width of my fully loaded pack on the back, and had hooked Mutley's handlebar, dragging her over. She lay half on and half under her bike, unable to move. Because the bikes were tangled together, I was unable to put my bike down on the side-stand. We were stuck.

Luckily, a guy sitting in his car had seen the events, and jumped out of his car to help Mutley lift and untangle her bike.

Other than a ripped side-pocket on my pack and a twisted throttle grip assembly (easily fixed), there was no harm done - other than a bruised ego - and a very grumpy wife...

[OutForADuck]

When a young fellow living in Aust, I was broke and bike mad but had managed to do a little bit of racing and scaped enough cash together to own some nice bikes.

But then after alot of dealing, wheeling and future financial commitment I managed to purchase a very rare and exclusive bike, my first brand new bike and one of only 200 being released into Aust as homologation models.

I was cool, I was proud and I was just exiting the bike shop when I noticed some friends walking down the road. In a fit of inspriational youth filled braggery, I zipped up onto the grass verge beside them, wtih proudly new shinny piece of kit squarely beneath me and belting out lovely "I'm a serious race tool" type sounds.

I had coasted to a gentle stop and slid my foot along hte grass as I cooly glided in.... but as with all these sorts of memoralble moments... the grass had just been watered and I kept, not so cooling sliding my foot along the grass.. at first forward with the bike but then sideways as I tried to support the nearly 300Kg that made up a "sports" bike in those days.

Laying on the ground with a hot exhaust tattooing my left leg for pospertity, I attempted a very cool and casual smile..... but that didn't work either, the laughter still came thick and strong

[Broomrider]

I was ready...bike loaded up with essentials for the road trip from CHCH to Tauranga..... I wish I could say I slid under a truck and came out the other side unscathed..,.rather like Frank Spenser on a pair of roller scates...however this was not to be....

I lay there looking up thinking things cannot get any worse... R parked his bike and wandered down to pick my bike up off me as we lay in the driveway and with a sheepish grin and a comment about silver linings and not being on the road...or some crap like that.....we set out for the North Island..a fabulous uneventful trip ensued....

[Trudes]

Funniest probably for sectators are my many pit stunts I pull. My fantastic bump starting of Pamela where she kicked and I couldn't get the clutch back in fast enough and ended up both of us lying in the dirt with her engine screaming away. The latest was coming into the pits on Rangi after a race and thought I'd try and run Str8 Jacket and Sully60 over standing on the dummy grid, braked heavily, front slipped on something slippery and I fell off at their feet.

[boman]

Riding a trail bike over jumps I hadn't seen before. Having a blast, rode up one jump that was kinda steep, slid off the seat, wound the throttle open, and hung on as the bike dragged me away till I had the sense to let the bike go. No injuries, except the major catastrophic bruising of ones ego.

[Maha]

Funniest probably for sectators are my many pit stunts I pull. My fantastic bump starting of Pamela where she kicked and I couldn't get the clutch back in fast enough and ended up both of us lying in the dirt with her engine screaming away. The latest was coming into the pits on Rangi after a race and thought I'd try and run Str8 Jacket and Sully60 over standing on the dummy grid, braked heavily, front slipped on something slippery and I fell off at their feet.

Doncha just wish the ground would open up when Mr Minty strikes?....great story Trudes...

Riding a trail bike over jumps I hadn't seen before. Having a blast, rode up one jump that was kinda steep, slid off the seat, wound the throttle open, and hung on as the bike dragged me away till I had the sense to let the bike go. No injuries, except the major catastrophic bruising of ones ego.

Love it!!......

Road bike/East Cape/uneven surface sign/two up/road drops about 300mm/pillion ends up on my shoulders, well not quite but.....

[Mikkel]

I rode into the Homer Tunnel with sunnies on once ... instant blackness !!!

That hasn't got so much to do with the sunnies as with the Homer tunnel to be honest.

Gotta say, I bloody well hate the new 15 minute one-way red-green cycle thing they have installed now a days! Plenty of space for a tourbus and a car in there.
I still remember doing over 140 km/h in the old Silvia coming up through the tunnel once... (And yes, there was no oncoming traffic!)

[FJRider]

That hasn't got so much to do with the sunnies as with the Homer tunnel to be honest.

Gotta say, I bloody well hate the new 15 minute one-way red-green cycle thing they have installed now a days! Plenty of space for a tourbus and a car in there.
I still remember doing over 140 km/h in the old Silvia coming up through the tunnel once... (And yes, there was no oncoming traffic!)

True ... but it is dark ... AND wet.

That "cycle" was tried in the past ... Tour busses (have been known to) IGNORE this "cycle". BEWARE...

[Dean]

Met a nice girl visiting Rotorua from Germany on Saturday she'd be about 17-20 let her sit on my bike and a conversation ensued exchanged ph number she left with her mum in their combi and we left about 10 minutes later. Coming up the road with my group and try to impress her by trying to speed up on the straight and pass everyone, all bravado and a casual wave at her oh shite next corner *break hard* legs wail off bike and rear skids in gravel on the side of the right hander. Awkward because I froze up for a few seconds I dont know what I was thinking but was just steering straight for about 10 seconds like a statue then took off. It was weird, awkward, embarissing. Another day, another lesson, deano extremo who drinks primo and eats burger kingo fights another day.

[Maha]

Thats not Awkward Dean....thats a FAIL!!!

[Spyke]

Thats not Awkward Dean....thats a FAIL!!!

+ 1 to that.

[Mom]

Laying my GN down in a culvert was possibly my most awkward moment. Going up a driveway behind Maha, it had a 90 degree left hand bend on it, and a big barking dog letting us know how exciting it is to have visitors on bikes come It got between me and Maha, he got away from it, but I had lost alot of momentum. Anyone that has ridden one of these bikes will understand there is absolutely no pick up to get you out of the shit in some circumstances. So here I am attempting to negotiate a 90 degree bend, avoid a friggen big dog and stay upright. No chance, my rear tyre curbed the edge of the driveway and I went to put my foot down only to discover I was at the only spot on the whole poxy driveway that had a deepish culvert right there. So, my foot goes down into fresh air and over we went Managed to through myself away from the bike so I did not end up with it on top of me in the drain and did this rather impressive hollywood. Flat on my back like a starfish

I look up and the guys are at the top of the driveway drooling over the new can on one of the bikes, while I am flat on my back and my bike is handlebars down, tyres up in a drain

Typical eh

[BoristheBiter]

Riding on dirt (well sand) at Woodhill on my XR250, came up a hill, opened it up and saw a person who had fell off on the corner, waved to see if they were fine, front wheel dug into the deep sand, twisted sideways and with a dead stop i went over the top and landed in a ditch. then other guy came over to see if i was allright (i was other than a few stars) but i could see he was trying so hard not to laugh.