Bike dropped :(

[h0wz3r]

It had to happen eventually and my luck finally ran out yesterday afternoon.

Having stopped briefly in a lay-by just past Leominster Golf Club, I went to stand the bike up off its side stand, lost my footing and... over it went onto its right hand side

I had put my right foot out to steady the bike and myself but the camber of the road must have been so that there was just a couple of inches too much room. Felt like a right royal divvy, especially in broad daylight when cars are constantly going past! It's true what they say - once it's going, it's going and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Whilst I was nursing my pride and making feeble attempts to pick the bike up, fortunately a van going in the opposite direction stopped to help pick the bike up (thank you guys wherever you're from!!) and put it back on the side stand. Being fully laden with luggage and fuel it took 3 of us to pick the bike up off the floor but fortunately damage is only light with slight scuffs to the wing mirror, hand guard, crash bars and one of the corners of my pannier. Nothing bent, cracked or broken so at least I've not got anything to replace.

I wouldn't mind half as much but I manage to slightly scuff one of the reflector strips on my 2 day old Rev it trousers and the bike, a 1200GSA is only 8 months old!

These things happen but I wondered if anyone might have any advice about polishing up the scuff marks on the crash bars and plastic bits? Anything that can restore a scuffed reflector strip?

I'll be observing the camber of the road much more carefully next time

 

[Big_Steve64]

Battle scars are cool right?

Add character and authenticity to your GS. Some of us do this sort of stuff in the dealers car park just so we don't look too noob on a GS

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Battle scars are cool right?

Add character and authenticity to your GS. Some of us do this sort of stuff in the dealers car park just so we don't look too noob on a GS

.....a bit like sports bike jocks filing there knee sliders

 

[h0wz3r]

Battle scars are cool right?

Add character and authenticity to your GS. Some of us do this sort of stuff in the dealers car park just so we don't look too noob on a GS

LOL, there is that way of looking at it I suppose!

I'm more bothered about my pride than the damage to the bike but that'll come round!

Honestly the number of times this has 'nearly' happened but managed to catch it. It just caught me very unawares this time and there's nothing like feeling helpless as you watch your pride and joy go crashing to the floor in slow motion.

The only thing that did make me feel better was reading this month's copy of RiDE when I got home which had an article about buying a used GS. One of the sections read something like 'judging from the number of comments we've had from owners, there aren't many out there that haven't been dropped at least once in their life' so at least I'm not in the minority it would seem!

 

[Beemerman59]

LOL, there is that way of looking at it I suppose!

I'm more bothered about my pride than the damage to the bike but that'll come round!

Honestly the number of times this has 'nearly' happened but managed to catch it. It just caught me very unawares this time and there's nothing like feeling helpless as you watch your pride and joy go crashing to the floor in slow motion.

The only thing that did make me feel better was reading this month's copy of RiDE when I got home which had an article about buying a used GS. One of the sections read something like 'judging from the number of comments we've had from owners, there aren't many out there that haven't been dropped at least once in their life' so at least I'm not in the minority it would seem!

I dropped mine when stationary in a petrol station - fully loaded with camping gear etc. Your're right, when its going over there's little you can do to stop it. In my case there was no damage other than a slight scuff to the plastic corner bit of the pannier. The worst part was I was leading a group of 30 bikes down to Cornwall so I felt a right divvy as they all watched the GSA drop slowly but inevitably to the ground as I struggled to hold it upright.

 

[Beemerman59]

.....a bit like sports bike jocks filing there knee sliders

and rubbing their chicken strips off with sandpaper......

 

[Toad]

If it makes you feel any better I did both sides within 5 minutes on a 2 week old bike..............

 

[Big_Steve64]

I was at a Harley dealer (sorry, i flirted with the dark side briefly before coming to my senses) and there was a guy picking up his new Ultra classic, that's the big bugger withall the bling on it. I was talking to him while he was waiting for the salesman. His first bike!!!! Only passed his DAS a few weeks back and had spent another 4k onto of the base price adding bling from the Harley catalogue. He was one cocky bastard.

Anyway.......You know what happens next don't you?

Yes, that's right. He turned into the traffic, misjudged the power and weight of the thing and went straight into a car at walking pace. Then dropped it. It took 6 of us to get it upright.

No I hate to see bikers in trouble, but I have to admit I had to fight back the grin.

 

[Spike]

took a loaned 1150 (the one in my avatar) down to Rimini italy for the motor GP and as me and the mrs was in a service station on route we where looking at something so I turned one way she turned the other and the bike went down, it was like slow motion, we tried to lay it as gently as we could and then left it for a minute to assess the damage before trying to lift it, we got it back up right without a single graze scrape or dent.

That has to be the luckiest day of my life, i was expecting a bill for crash bars panniers the lot. Nothing.

spike

 

[chas820]

I have dropped every bike bar one that I have owned.Always at a standstill usually due to gravel or camber.On my first BMW (R80rt) I was in a car park and I didn`t concentrate when I threw my leg over,kicked the seat and down it went.A mate of mine who has a K1100lt and is about 6stone soaking wet,drops his bike nearly every time we go out somewhere.

 

[Kneeslider916]

I dropped my 1200GS within a week of ownership, off camber road, GF on back, needed 2 people's help to get it back onto its wheels, no damage tho....and i dropped my first 1150GS whilst trying to bump start it. A few scrapes just add to the bike's image

 

[Farmer Palmer]

It is a GS.........

Its 'natural habitat' is usually on it's side or upsidedown in a muddy ditch somewhere and once it's fallen over it aint going anywhere so I can never quite understand why people rush over to pick them back up so quickly......At least stop and take a photo of it with your foot on the fuel tank in a triumphant pose!

I deliberately dropped mine last week to show someone how to pick it back up again......Actually that's a lie....It was theirs that I dropped(laid down gently)and they picked it up again.


Those GSA's are heavy b*ggers and once they're going they're gone....I've been riding GS's for ages and if i'm honest dropping them for ages, they're tough and can take a few knocks so I wouldn't be too worried although that first drop is always the worst!

If you're worried about the scuffs on the handguard or pannier corners you can sand them out or fit a new plastic corner from Motorworks if it's the ADV alloy boxes as for your engine bars/ cylinder head guard I think there's a post on here somewhere about fitting protector protectors.......!

FP.

 

[Toad]

Too true

I've always said that the only people that don't drop them, are those that don't ride them.

 

[Andy B]

Was that you I followed into Leominster yesterday? Red bike, white helmet? I was with a guy on a red Multistrada and we turned off round the back streets of Leominster to avoid the traffic lights.

 

[WindyChuffer]

It had to happen eventually and my luck finally ran out yesterday afternoon.

Having stopped briefly in a lay-by just past Leominster Golf Club, I went to stand the bike up off its side stand, lost my footing and... over it went onto its right hand side

I had put my right foot out to steady the bike and myself but the camber of the road must have been so that there was just a couple of inches too much room. Felt like a right royal divvy, especially in broad daylight when cars are constantly going past! It's true what they say - once it's going, it's going and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Whilst I was nursing my pride and making feeble attempts to pick the bike up, fortunately a van going in the opposite direction stopped to help pick the bike up (thank you guys wherever you're from!!) and put it back on the side stand. Being fully laden with luggage and fuel it took 3 of us to pick the bike up off the floor but fortunately damage is only light with slight scuffs to the wing mirror, hand guard, crash bars and one of the corners of my pannier. Nothing bent, cracked or broken so at least I've not got anything to replace.

I wouldn't mind half as much but I manage to slightly scuff one of the reflector strips on my 2 day old Rev it trousers and the bike, a 1200GSA is only 8 months old!

These things happen but I wondered if anyone might have any advice about polishing up the scuff marks on the crash bars and plastic bits? Anything that can restore a scuffed reflector strip?

I'll be observing the camber of the road much more carefully next time

So what. Get over it. Its a GS and they are fine being dropped. Just read up on how to pick it up by yourself.

There's something quite satisfying about off-roading a GSA thats less than a week old and coming off it...

 

[h0wz3r]

Was that you I followed into Leominster yesterday? Red bike, white helmet? I was with a guy on a red Multistrada and we turned off round the back streets of Leominster to avoid the traffic lights.

Nope, wasn't me mate. My bike's grey / black but I do wear a white helmet!

I was heading from Moreton-on-Lugg on the A49 back home to sunny Yorkshire at about 3pm or so yesterday afternoon.

 

[h0wz3r]

So what. Get over it. Its a GS and they are fine being dropped. Just read up on how to pick it up by yourself.

There's something quite satisfying about off-roading a GSA thats less than a week old and coming off it...

I've got to say I was impressed at the build quality. Any other bike would've just crumpled, even from a drop at a standstill.

Like I say it's more my pride that's hurt than anything else but dropping a bike under any circumstances is a first for me, I'm sure it won't be the last.

The point of the post was more for advice on how to buff out marks on the crash bars & plastics rather than fishing for sympathy! Personally I don't mind the marks being there whilst the bike is in my ownership but I'm thinking more about the resale / trade-in value when that happens in a couple of years or so. Dealers these days will use any excuse to knock the value down.

(waits for the slew of abuse regarding bike values and stealers )

 

[Roymondo]

I bought mine on a Thursday, rode it to France for the weekend next day, and promptly dropped it in the underground car park on arrival at the hotel (oops).

Mind you, I got it back on its wheels unaided - I think the panniers stopped it going all the way down on its side. No damage other than a small scuff where the windscreen grazed a concrete pillar.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.252941,-1.152308

 

[Toad]

I bought mine on a Thursday, rode it to France for the weekend next day, and promptly dropped it in the underground car park on arrival at the hotel (oops).

Mind you, I got it back on its wheels unaided - I think the panniers stopped it going all the way down on its side. No damage other than a small scuff where the windscreen grazed a concrete pillar.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.252941,-1.152308

LOL.

Reminds me of riding through freezing conditions and ice to get to the Elefant Rally, and then dropping it in the car park when I'd stopped to buy my ticket

Biggest injury was that I landed in a rose bush!

 

[Mark Hooton]

Mine got `blown over` in wales a few months ago - screen, bar, mirror and a few brackets £400

it aint cheap to repair pal!