For those of you...

[Big Rig]

That have "dropped" your fat girl, where did it happen? And how?


Looking at low speed, no speed drops.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Once I had to stop in the middle of a U turn on a steep hill. My leg was too short too reach the ground before the bike was too far over to save.

Twice since then my kick stand didn't go all the way forward to lock when I put it down. Then it folded up when the bikes weight got on it.

[alph]

Twice, first time in my garage, my foot slipped out from under me, no damage at all.  The second time I came up to a stop sign in the rain any my front wheel slid on the white line, down I went, again no damage (thankfully!)

[Tailgate Tommy]

Stalled mine at a gas station once and tipped over. Scratch on the crash bar. I blame it on my buddy's Harley. It was so loud that I couldn't hear mine running and didn't give it enough gas and stalled it.

[ptgb]

Thrice...

1. Working on it in the garage, in a wheel chock. Moved the handle bars pretty harshly and it folded on top of me. Had to call my wife to help me get out from under it.  No damage.

2. Of all places, a parking lot at a Harley Dealership. Went with a friend to pick up his just purchased Road Glide. Backing the Valk into a space, had the front wheel turned. Started rolling backwards too fast and grabbed front brake.. over she went. Nobody saw  No damage.

3. Gas station. We were leaving, I forgot to close the trunk all the way and stopped to do it seconds after starting to move. Forgot to put the kickstand down... couldn't save it... plop  No damage.

[Serk]

Blind corner into my alley by my house... Twice... I go SLOW turning into the alley, twice I've had people in large SUV's barreling down the alley towards the street not paying attention. (Well, more than twice but twice that it got me!). I was creeping through the corner, always expecting to have someone coming at me. The two times I sat her down I was doing under 5MPH, saw a SUV coming right at me, and hit the brakes, coming to a complete stop and making her drop...

[..]

Once I had to stop in the middle of a U turn on a steep hill. My leg was too short too reach the ground before the bike was too far over to save.

Twice since then my kick stand didn't go all the way forward to lock when I put it down. Then it folded up when the bikes weight got on it.

Always lean the bike uphill 

I know, I know stating the obvious 

[..]

When I had the Valkyrie (still miss it) I used to think it was cool to deploy the kick stand as I was coming to halt so it would screech on the ground. Then I'd hit the kill swicth and step off as the bike came to a rest.

Pulling into the parking lot of the Knights Inn in Boone, NC I followed the usual procedure as I crossed a slight rainwater run off channel in the parking lot.

I stepped off the bike to find the kick stand had neatly folded up after it touched the upside of the afore mentioned channel.

 

That was a habit I quickly broke 

[gregc]

 First time , rolled backwards out of a driveway into the street. Forgot to put the kickstand up, tipped it over on the right side. Second time on a hill at the stop sign ,with the wife on the back. Put my foot down into gravel, and over we went on the left side.  No damage to the bike either time, but my convidence level sure took a hit.

[..]

http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html

[Willow]

If you were there to see it I don't need to describe it for you.

If you weren't there to see it you don't need to know.

Okay, there was this one time involving the Ford.  Last Ride of the Jade Phoenix Dragon

[Jess from VA]

While leaving the secured backyard perimiter to the front drive,  I put my foot into some pea gravel.  Pea gravel is like ice, my foot began slowly sliding out, I pushed down harder to get traction, there is no traction, I did a near perfect Nadia Comeneci split, with the bike weight assisting the groin pull, yelped like a sissy and went over.  Walked funny for a few days.  Now avoid the pea gravel at all costs.

I've also thrown the bike over on a non-deployed kickstand a couple times.  Yeah, I meant to do that, I needed to see how dirty the bottom of my engine is.

[RiderNJ]

On my fat girl,  just once...  in the garage.
Pulled it in, played with radio controls, checked odometer for miles ridden that day, hmmm.. should have stopped for gas before getting home...  oh well. 
Stand up and take off my helmet and gloves and  place on the shelf directly to my left.
Right leg comes over to the left side of the bike and with only my left hand remaining on the left grip, I turn my back and let go....  suddenly I'm getting pinned face first into the shelving unit as the fat girl has fallen against the back of my legs. "What the h*ll just happened?"
Must have been a mechanical failure,  NO WAY I'm that stupid. 
Took a bit of squirming to get in better position and a couple of grunts,   but she got back up and kickstand seemed to be working better when pointed towards the ground.  I figure I will try it that way from now on.
RiderNJ

[PhredValk]

Haven't dropped the fat girl (yet) but dropped the GL1100 twice, both times in gas station lots that were gravel or stone, not paved. Both times I put my foot down and hit the front brake for one reason or another. The second time I got two weeks off work from torn ligaments in my left foot.
Fred.

[Michvalk]

Rolling out of the garage, backwards, turn to the left on the grass as I'm going backwards to make the turn around, and foot slipps on the wet grass. I had a heck of a time picking it up. No damage, except for the pride

[shooter64]

Not yet, but only had it a little over 2 months. Give me time.

[..]

For those about to drop we salute you (think AC/DC  )

The bike will not fall over very far thanks to the engine guards.

There is a REAL potential of physical harm if you try to muscle the bike upright or stop it from touchign the ground.

Best to assist it in touching down without ripping muscles or tendons and then using the method in the link above raise the fat girl to a more normal upright position.

[Jabba]

I have had 2 kickstand mishaps... and a parking lot jab the front brake while turning maneuver that ended with me picking her up.

Jabba

[Pete]

Tail from previous owner of my IS.

Pulled out of his garage on a slanted driveway, lost his footing and fell over.
Since it was laying over down hill he could no pick it up, so he called his son to help pick it up.
I doubt that he could have picked it up even if level.
Son and he picked it up and promptly dropped it onto the other side.

Shortly after that he sold it to me at a very good price with 19,000 miles.

Damage:
Scratches on both front case guards. Steel wool and waxed, looks fine.
Busted chrome handle bar end cap.   Replaced.
Scratches and pecks on both saddle bags. Not fixed may have to repaint.
Minor scratches on left mirror. Fixed.
Minor scratches on lowers. Touched up.

[olddog1946]

Twice at the same gas station, used to leave the bike in neutral to fill up, bike starts to move and ever so slowly just lays down to rest. No longer do I leave it in neutral.

Worst one: At a rally/poker run. Second bike in, first turns unexpectedly in front of me, I hit the brakes with the wheel cranked to the right and over she goes at maybe two mph. Bent the hell out of my highway peg and of course having about a 100 on lookers, in front of a Harley dealership was just a wee bit embarrassing.  The good news was I had the best looking bike there, IMHO.

[czuch]

Seems to be the next to stopped with the wheel turned is the most popular method.
 I've done that twice. Thats enough. She's heavy.

[jer0177]

Me?  I've *never* forgotten to put the kickstand down after riding.... 

D'oh! Forgot the kickstand after riding the Dragon.	powered by Aeva

[R J]

ONCE, wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.

Daughter and I went for a ride, her on my old GL1100.

Pulled in and got gas.   Got on and started to move out, looked back and daughter was pinned between the pump and the bike.

In a big fat hurry to help her, I never got the side stand down.   I stepped off, it started over, I just stepped off and took off for the daughter.    Couple of guys helped me get her up and the GL1100 on the kickstand.    Looked around for my bike and it was parked over in the shade under a tree.    One of the station attendants had uprighted mine and rode it over there.   Only damage was the left turn signal caught on something and broke it out of my Cobra Light bar.   It had a screw holding it on, now it has a bolt.    Done that like 1998, and no one has noticed there is a bolt sticking up on the top of the C-Bar.

[Red Diamond]

First time my wife volunteered to ride, in front of 100 people, little old lady stepped off curb in front of me while I was turning. Laid it down gently on its right side, my wife and I both stepped off. The lady was quite upset, thought she caused us to damage our 01 I/S. After I explained to her that it was not damaged and was suppose to fall like that, we all had a laugh.
The second time I was in Big Bend National Park, and could not pick it up without help. It was top loaded with crap I didn't need and leaning toward the downward shoulder of the road.

[Spirited-6]

NEVER ! I sold my Tourer before I did. Quite heavy for my short legs, 29". TP, don`t drop my Jade Lady !  I know TP would not mistreat his " greenie".
Ride On.
Don

[BIG--T]

Me?  I've *never* forgotten to put the kickstand down after riding.... 

D'oh! Forgot the kickstand after riding the Dragon.

Haha, I picked mine up that fast too bc I was so embarrased,,,like  'I didn't do it'!   

[JerryH]

I'm to embarassed to say - once while turning around in a small parking lot at a "Dairy Queen".  No one saw me - that made it easier.

Second time - went to visit a friend on a two-track road of sand and gravel. His driveway goes up and to the right. Got near the top and found his gate locked, backed down to the curve in the drive to turn to the entrance and "plop" over it goes on the right side with the front facing uphill.  that positon just about doubles the weight of the Valk.  Tried to upright from the down side of the hill  -way to heavy.  Pulled the back end to the right to make a better angle and lifted with the arms, couldn't get my legs under it.  Heard a funny sound from my left arm - ruptured tendon left arm.  Ok - I screwed. 

Off the main highway, no one around. So I pulled the ass end over some more so I could try to lift the bike towards the down hill side of the driveway and gave it my all.  UP it came landed on the kickstand.  Sat down and rested, got on the bike and rode home.  emergency room the next day.  surgey to repair tendon the next week.  Six weeks in a cast, at home phy. therapy, good as new.

[jer0177]

Me?  I've *never* forgotten to put the kickstand down after riding....  

D'oh! Forgot the kickstand after riding the Dragon.

Haha, I picked mine up that fast too bc I was so embarrased,,,like  'I didn't do it'!  

I was more worried about my girlfriend who got hit in the thigh by the luggage rack on the top of the trunk, but being a member of the "big boy club" means I've got the muscle to back up the weight and it lifted relatively easily.  Was very impressed to see that it was lying completely on guards instead of expensive parts.  

I was lucky SmokinJoe or none of the other VRCC members were there to witness it! 

[Jess Tolbirt]

I dropped mine in the parking lot at the harley dealer,,thats where i left it!!!

[Big Mike]

I went down last Monday. First time in 40+ years of riding. The car in front of me stopped to turn. I did not see brake lights or a turn signal.
I was going about 120mph or so according the the responding officer. The guy standing in the rear. Actually I was at about 40mph. The officer in the front agreed with me. I did get a ticket for failure to stop. See the judge next week.

[NCGhostrider]

I did it outside of Cripple Creek, CO at a turnout/rest area.   We had pulled up to use the facilities, parking lot was empty so I chose the one closest to where we needed to go.  The lot was not level, I pulled the bike up and parked, no problems.   

When we got ready to leave, I let G/F get on and the rolled the bike down a ways, let out on the clutch.   I didn't give enough throttle to compensate for the high altitude, the fact we were loaded heavy and had a noticeable incline.   

The bike went "umph umph" and laid over to the right.  Girlfriend landed away from the bike and was not happy.  I about killed myself trying to keep it upright, and I am a big ole boy as some of you can testify.  I was afraid it would land on her when it started over.   Lucky I didn't rip the handlebars off of it.  As it was, I did strain my leg a bit. 

Anyway, I stayed straddle of it, asked G/F to back up to it, and pull up.  Mostly to prove a point, because she didn't think we could pick it up (she was kinda short and small).  It popped back up as I guided it in place, just like they say it should!!!  I was real wary of it coming over and landing on the kickstand and shearing it off....another reason I stayed straddle of it and stopped it as it was upright.  BTW, she had no problem picking it up.

I then looked around to see if anyone had noticed, and there was no one, we promptly left!!! 

Things that compounded my fallover was my passenger was not real bright (probably why she did not end up being permanently attached to me), and wasn't paying attention (nor was I apparently), as the bike leaned, she leaned with it and really threw the bike over (I felt her transition).   I am glad neither of us was hurt.  As a side note, if she had not had a helmet on, she probably would have bounced her head off the pavement. 

This was not one of my greater moments.  I generally get my passenger off before backing (but it would not have mattered in this case), and I definately give her a little more fuel if I am in doubt.  It is easy to get used to the Valk just taking off at an idle from a start.....most of the time.

Craig
NcGhostrider
99 I/S

[BF]

Three times so far. 

First time right after I got it.  Pulled up to the video store, made a too quick left going too slow into a parking space.  Put foot down to stop it, bike didn't care, trapped foot.  Got it off foot and back up myself, but dayuuum that was tuff.....foot not much better. 

Second time about 1 1/2 years after I got it.  Wife on back.  Went to bank on the weekend to get funds for a riding around the bay ride.  Pulled up to the ATM, fiddled with wallet, went to dismount with wife still on back......forgot kickstand.....bike went over.  She never fell off, but hung on for dear life.  Picked it back up.....a little easier that time after knowing how now. 

Third time this last winter while it was stripped down for a makeover.  Bike's kickstand was on a 2x4 block standing a little more upright than usual.  Had just installed shorter shocks (see where this is going  ).  Was working on the headlight bucket and needed more access.  Grabbed the front wheel and turned the front wheel/forks to the right (my left).  Bike went over on it's right.  Right mirror hit on my stacked Craftsman tool box and broke off.  No other damage except to my pride.  Alot easier to pick up this time because most of the tins and weight had been taken off. 

I've got Kuryakn highway pegs mounted on the side of the crashbar and they stop the bike from going over very far, thank goodness, or the damages could have been alot worse each time. 



 

[YoungPUP]

I did it in my driveway leaning over a little too far to reach the keypad to close the garage door.  Fell over and pinned my to the driveway. I was wearing cargo pants at the time and landed on the side that had my cell phone and work radio in it.  Luckily the neighbor was able to hear me yelling 2 hrs later when he came out to go to work.