I came off my bike this week!

[Peter Pan]

Tuesday 31 March at 7.50am on the A43 southbound at the Moulton roundabout near Northampton.

Going round the roundabout at maybe 15-20 mph, nice and dry, maybe 7 degrees C, had it cranked over a wee bit and the back just stepped out and bike skidded off down the road!

Fall took me completely by suprise and was amazed at how quickly the bike suddenly went with no warning at all.

Fortunately no major injuries (other than my pride) and just a few bruised ribs. This is my first off in over 25 years of biking!

Went baxck to the roundabout this afternoon to have a look at the condition and it's pock marked to hell . Now wish I'd asked for the name and address of the motorist that helped me up and got the bike off the road!

Not too much damage to the bike either but despite my BMW crash bars and cylinder head protectors, the cylinder head still got damaged which made me wonder whether they're worth the money.

Was on Anakee's. Still plenty of thread left and utterly confidence inspiring ...... until now!

 

[Ravenbyrne]

Sorry to hear that.......... the important thing is that you're ok.

the bits on the bike can be replaced, as can your lid..............

Its also important that this off does not effect your confidence.... so the sooner your back in the saddle the better.

Best wishes

Brian

 

[sandyB]

glad to hear your OK. the bike will repair.

I was recently thinking about get crash bars for my bike but I have also thought are they really worth it, I think you picks prove that they are good and have stopped your bike from sufering greater damage. If you didn't have them would the cylinder not be really badly damaged and then cost 4 times as much to repair.

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

Sorry to hear of your little get-off. Try and be philospohical about it - you're not hurt, bike is not badly damaged.

Every time I've fallen off like that, I've always been amazed how quickly it happens- none of this "noticing the back step out, tried to power through/back off/feather the rear brake." One second - riding along; next - sliding on my arse!

When you say "cylinder head is damaged" I think you mean cylinder head cover. Not massively expensive, but if it isn't holed, a few scratches just add character...

 

[tcbezza]

Glad your OK

Sorry to hear about you off but glad to hear you are OK. Your description sounds exactly like the off I had about 2 years ago further down the A43 at the M40 junction, quietly going around the roundabout then sitting on my backside thinking what the ****. OK I was riding a Tiger at the time but I am sure it was not a bike or rider problem.

I guess the question on engine bars is always a matter of degree although the design will have an impact on how effective they are. Looking at the pictures there was a lot of energy put into the bars so the question is, if they had not been there what additional damage would have been caused.

Only had my GS for 3 months but I will be fitting a set of guards as soon as I get the chance.

Trevor

 

[Format]

Hope you and the bike are back to road soon mate.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Damage control

"....Went back to the roundabout this afternoon to have a look at the condition and it's pock marked to hell . Now wish I'd asked for the name and address of the motorist that helped me up and got the bike off the road!["/I]
Although it seems that little damage was caused and you were not hurt, it is also important to work out why this happened; A GS will not behave like this in normal circumstances. Either road surface or tyres (tread/pressures)would seem to have been the likely cause..

 

[Janie]

no diesal on road?

 

[it wisnae me]

as long as you are ok,but you should ride within your and the bike limits

 

[Glyno]

Sorry to hear about your little off .
Im more than a bit concerned about tyres on mine.I have Metz tourances and to be honest they dont really inspire me.Ok, where I am its mostly mountain roads which will you to make the most of them and which I do enjoy,however theres been a few heart stopping moments when either the front or rear has stepped out and at no great speed really.I know Spanish tarmac aint the same as were used to and has less grip (cos it dont melt in the summer ) and I do try to avoid the slippy bits in the middle of the road.I dont race around,but I do like to make progress wherever possible without it giving me palpitations.
Tyre pressures as per book and reckon the setup is otherwise fine.
Any suggestions as to tyre replacements please.......
Mine are nearly cooked now anyway

 

[Format]

Sorry to hear about your little off .
Im more than a bit concerned about tyres on mine.I have Metz tourances and to be honest they dont really inspire me.Ok, where I am its mostly mountain roads which will you to make the most of them and which I do enjoy,however theres been a few heart stopping moments when either the front or rear has stepped out and at no great speed really.I know Spanish tarmac aint the same as were used to and has less grip (cos it dont melt in the summer ) and I do try to avoid the slippy bits in the middle of the road.I dont race around,but I do like to make progress wherever possible without it giving me palpitations.
Tyre pressures as per book and reckon the setup is otherwise fine.
Any suggestions as to tyre replacements please.......
Mine are nearly cooked now anyway

Huh?

You say you don't like the way the tyres grip and they are nearly cooked?

Get new rubber on asap me thinks

 

[Glyno]

Asked for that, but what I meant was they are nearing replacement,still a few mil left but well rounded due to the nature of their use on these roads (its all twistys) as soon as I leave the front gate !
Any suggestions as to a grippier dry weather tyre.
Thanks.

 

[ijg5]

Cold tyre? How did you hit your head? You must have been sleeping?

 

[spock]

Asked for that, but what I meant was they are nearing replacement,still a few mil left but well rounded due to the nature of their use on these roads (its all twistys) as soon as I leave the front gate !
Any suggestions as to a grippier dry weather tyre.
Thanks.

bad luck ow boy,as for the road condition,sometimes this soon after winter,the salt will still be on the road, in a dry way, this can make the surface of the road just a bit on the slippy side,but I'm sure you would have noticed if the road was just a bit on the dry/white'ish side,I had the very same thing happen to me,but I managed to save it,I was going straight on at a local round about,maybe a bit to quick,and the back went out,and this was I'm sure due to dry salt.
Hope you get sorted soon boy,
ps. by the way, is that helmet one of those realy light weight sort???by bmw that cost an arm and a leg...looks like it did the job well...

 

[ktmmark]

Not too much damage to the bike either but despite my BMW crash bars and cylinder head protectors, the cylinder head still got damaged which made me wonder whether they're worth the money.


I got some 1200 adv head guards s/h (one scratched) & painted them black. better than the plastic ones fitted to the 1200, & cover right where your cover is damaged .

Hope not to test them soon though

 

[Red Rock]

It's not much use as advice now, but the BMW salesman I bought mine from told me the protectors were not really worth having, as the valve covers are only around a hundred quid each anyway and are a doddle to replace. ie don't waste your money on useless bling now, but cross that bridge if/when when you get to it.

He was right in this case as now you've got to replace both and as I recall the protectors aren't cheap for what they are! I suppose you've go to think, you could have been miles from anywhere and ground a hole into the cover with oil p*ssing out of it, but they're still rideable even then. - They do a rubber temp cover for times like this, so they must be.

Anyway, sorry to hear about your 'off' and hope some of the scratches can be sanded away.

 

[Paul Wakefield]

When I had my 1200GS, I had a very similar experience. Fortunately I stayed on; I like to put this down to god like riding ability but it was just luck.

On Tourances and the back went without warning. I actually went back and walked the stretch of road. It was in goodish condition, no debris, no diesel. The road was slightly damp but there had been plenty of recent rain so it wasn't greasy; in fact grip levels felt good. I was bimbling and took the bend (which I knew well) some 15mph slower than normal.

Very odd. Left me nervous for quite a while not knowing why.

Glad you were OK.

 

[Coolcarbon]

Went baxck to the roundabout this afternoon to have a look at the condition and it's pock marked to hell

How many miles does the bike/rear shock have on it?

It may just be that the damping was set a bit soft or is giving up and that allowed the wheel to lose a bit of contact over a series of small rapid-succession bumps...

 

[Big Lee]

I`m pleased you`re ok Just think of the cost if it had been a fully faired sportsbike With the engine bars my H&B ones have a bar going along where your plastic protectors are so hopefully would protect the head better than those BMW ones. Your head might be damaged but at least it didn`t have a great big hole or crack in it
Carbon Schuberth damaged

Glyno, try some Continental Trail Attacks next

 

[Pukmeister]

Done the same myself, painful innit? Amazing how you are cranked over one minute, and sliding up the road next to your bike the next with what feels like no transition between the two.

Luckily I ground away my Hepco & Becker bars rather than my cyl head, and as they are mild steel I welded a patch over the damage. My top box was about half as badly scuffed as your is.

Glad to hear you are alright, that's the important thing. If it's any consolation, imagine doing that on a Jap sportsbike and the repair bill, that's another plus point for owning the GS IMHO.