Dropped my Valk today (but it's ok!)

[Smithim]

Hi guys, I've been lurking for awhile but figured it was time for a pity post. I dropped my beautiful Honda blue Valk on a low speed turn!

I was riding down to check out a motorcycle auction. The auction place was on a bit of a side road and after passing it I turned around in a shops lot to get back over to all the bikes that were gonna be up for sale. In my excitement to check out the auction preview, I didn't negotiate a small hill just correctly and put 90% of the weight of the Valk against my left foot at 2MPH. (I know I know, my foot shouldn't of been down at proper throttle. Told ya I didn't pull off the turn well).

We all know the weight of this bike is down low and very easy to manage. The weight wasn't the issue. My no traction Chuck Taylor sneakers I wore for the ride were. Sliiiipppppped right over on the left side. I flip my kill switch because I'm goosing the throttle in the attempt to hold onto my handlebars to keep the bike vertical. I take a big breath and start to think rationally to get the bike back up. My back is still young enough to directly lift the bike up in a deadlift motion and I find a flat spot to pop out the kickstand.

I've dropped bikes, had a shop drop a bike, these things happen. Drops can be very expensive when they happen. I look down at the left fairing just above the engine and there is a nice 8 inch scratch scrawled into the paint. "Crap I didn't think the bike fell that far over". I touch the scratch and for f***s sake it's a little spider web! The engine guard completely caught the bike, and the exhaust caught the equivalent of a rock chip on the underside. No damage done to the Valkyrie at all.

Hope this wasn't too long. I use to have sport bikes until I realized comfier doesn't have to mean slower and the Valkyrie just gives me another reason to love it every week. Everything is better with pics so here is my beauty in blue.

[sleepngbear]

Glad the worst of the deal was just a little embarrassment!! I've dropped twice on similar low-speed, tight turns on an unlevel surface. Luckily not the Valk -- my back is NOT young enough to try that dead lift, or any other kind of lift! Like you said, these things happen.

[Robert]

Been there, done that. Some lay the bikes on the side to do service work. Even with the Corbin bags the  whole bike comes out pretty much unscathed at a drop. The Goldwings have a rear guard that sticks out further than the rear bags and was looking to see if I could put one on. If I didn't have the Corbin bags maybe but the placement is such that the rear fender may also be in the way.

Can be a bit traumatizing for a few reasons going into embarrassment to regret but in the end not much to worry about. Easy to lift when done right. Glad all came out ok.   

BTW welcome to the board.

[Kidd]

Honda is the ONLY manufacture that designs bikes like this , I dropped a st 1300 twice  , 1 time it slid 3  feet   and I was sure it scraped  the entire side , lifted it up  easily   using my back side ( not lifting from my front  side ) , when I got home , all I need to erase  the appearance   of been dropped was replacing a plastic cover  on the tip over bar

In case you didn't know how to lift 'em
https://www.google.com/#q=lifting+a+downed+motorcycle

The first time I dropped the ST , it sat in my drive way  for 30 minutes  until someone on the ST forum showed me how

[Smithim]

In case you didn't know how to lift 'em
https://www.google.com/#q=lifting+a+downed+motorcycle

I always love these videos, shows no matter how heavy the bike there is a way to leverage it. Appreciate you posting it as I would of had to use the technique if the bike tumbled down the hill at all.

Glad I'm not the only one that's embarrassed himself, more glad Honda designed dropping the bike to be a trivial thing!

[dans2014]

  Car wash with a slimy floor got me one time on a 1981 Kawasaki 1300 I bought new. Very easy to do

[Jess from VA]

I have pea gravel landscape just outside the gate I depart from, edging the concrete drive.  Ride through gate, stop right there to get off and shut the gate before departing, put boot in pea gravel, watch in slow motion as boot goes sideways in pea gravel and bike goes over to the guards (I can slow it, but not stop it), and do an 800lb powered splits and pull my groin.    

(Walk like Chester on GunSmoke for a week)

Note to self....... never stop right there where the pea gravel is. (Think of pea gravel as ice.)

[Wayne Basso]

I was a police officer assigned to the Traffic Division, doing a funeral escort using our BMW 750 Police bikes.  I stopped just past the turn the funeral was making and when I looked back, my hand slipped off the clutch and I managed to jam the front brake.  The bike lurched forward (as they are prone to do) as far as I could stretch and like the little old man on the tricycle on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, (sorry to those too young to remember) I went over in slow motion.  I ended up laying on the ground pinned under the bike.  People stopped and ran over to see if I needed assistance.  In total embarrassment, I declined any help and muscled the bike back up, lifting on the bars alone.  The only damage was a broken mirror from the housing flexing as it hit the pavement. 

[Smithim]

Car wash with a slimy floor got me one time on a 1981 Kawasaki 1300 I bought new. Very easy to do

I have pea gravel landscape just outside the gate I depart from, edging the concrete drive...

Note to self....... never stop right there where the pea gravel is. (Think of pea gravel as ice.)

I was a police officer assigned to the Traffic Division, doing a funeral escort using our BMW 750 Police bikes.  I stopped just past the turn the funeral...  The only damage was a broken mirror from the housing flexing as it hit the pavement. 

I'm gonna start telling people if they haven't dropped their big bike yet, they are missing out on earning a good story. Loving these.

[idcrewdawg]

Since we are confessing silliness.

About two months after I got mine, I went on a nice ride. Stopped at a gas station, and was looking at this hot babe as she was looking at my bike, not my ugly mug. Well, in an effort to be Mr. Cool, and all my oggling I forgot the kickstand. Got to get off, and the bike throws me into the car next to me, and lays on it's side. The girl I was looking at was giggling and walked over to ask if I needed help lifting it up, and I accepted. TLDR... I now eyeball the kickstand every. single. time. I get off the bike.

[Smithim]

Since we are confessing silliness.

About two months after I got mine, I went on a nice ride. Stopped at a gas station, and was looking at this hot babe as she was looking at my bike... I now eyeball the kickstand every. single. time. I get off the bike.

The hot babe will get ya every time. Did she accept your offer for a ride since the bike was ok? 

[idcrewdawg]

Since we are confessing silliness.

About two months after I got mine, I went on a nice ride. Stopped at a gas station, and was looking at this hot babe as she was looking at my bike... I now eyeball the kickstand every. single. time. I get off the bike.

The hot babe will get ya every time. Did she accept your offer for a ride since the bike was ok? 

After feeling a little put in my place by the bike, I figured it best to not ask that question.

[postoak]

I was navigating the cul-de-sac at the end of my street when I saw one of my female neighbors working in her front yard.  When she heard me approach she turned around and smiled and waved.  I learned then that basic social customs are hard to shut down!  I automatically waved back just when I should have been steering and down the bike went.

The only damage was on the lower side of the engine guard and the under side of the muffler.  I really can't understand how the side of the muffler wasn't damaged but I'm not complaining!

[bscrive]

I am glad to say that I have never dropped any bike that I have owned.  I have come close, but I was able to recover it before the bike hit the ground. 

I did drive my cousin's 1972 350 Honda up a fence when he was teaching me to ride, but that so many years ago.   

[DaFoo]

Wow, glad it was ok.  I dropped my 2001 Goldwing twice in 10 years, both times were a slow drop.   I glad to hear the Valkyrie is the same.  I assume so from the crash bar.

 

[Tonysax]

Hi, I'm Tony and I dropped my bike.  Your are not alone. Bought it new, the second week I had it I was backing out of my garage and forgot about my disk lock and took a nice 1-3/4" triangle chunk out of my fender. Two weeks later making a low speed right turn in my alley, I hit some sand and dropped it into a chain link fence. Scrapped my front fender, left pod and crash guard. Nothing major but thats what you get when you buy a shiny new bike. You get the honor to be the first to mess it up.

[Robert]

You know no one covered the design of the bike in safety and not having the bike pin you down when it falls over. One reason some when they lay the bike down have such horrific personal injury is because the bike lays on their leg grinding it into the pavement. Or just laying the bike over the bike falls on their leg and pins them under the bike and damages their leg. My mother was a nurse and I used to hear the stories of the guys who fell and what the bike did to their legs. When I saw the Valk it was one of the considerations in the purchase.

 This is one of the reasons I do like the design of the 1800 and 1500 Valkyries, in the event of an accident they do offer more protection than some bikes. I will go so far as to say this is one of the reasons I bought my Valkyries. When you have the crash bars on front and the bags in back and your legs sit in the low spot on the bike instead of the highest point its always a good thing. This also helps in the comfort of the rider with air distribution also.


 Knowing this I had a friend that bought a VTX 1800 and when he bought it I made him install crash bars. He didn't understand why or how important they were till one day he fell over on his bike. The crash bars stopped most of the damage on the bike and he was ok even though he fell off. The bike was not on his leg and it did not pin him down. That day he learned the value crash bars.

[Jambriwal]

Several years ago returning home from 12 hour shift totally exhausted. I pulled the driveway right next to my 4x4 ford pickup stooped and failed to extend the kickstand. Over we go with the bike stuffing me right into the wheel well. Wife looks out and said ( you need help) no just checking the tires on the Truck.

[ledany]

  

[Robert]

 

[Smithim]

Hi, I'm Tony and I dropped my bike..

Everyone together "Hi Tony, welcome to the group therapy    "

I've always ridden sport bikes, but I'm very glad the Valkyrie doesn't pin us underneath it by design Robert. I can only imagine how truly screwed you'd be just stuck under 800lbs of motorcycle.

[Robert]

Since this was posted I started to ask veteran riders have they dropped their bikes. So far everyone I asked has dropped a bike at one time or another. So its not so uncommon as I thought it was.