Garage mishap..glad to have bars

[CTHalk]

It was very warm in CT today. So warm, that as the warm air came into the garage, it condensed on everything in the cold garage. Including the floor. As I was going to put my RT-P on the center stand, my foot slipped. The bike started to go over away from me. By the time I got a good footing and hold on it, it was over far enough that the front tire actually slid towards me, and down it went onto my compressor and snowmobile. I am sure glad I have those police crash bars! No damage. As my wife and I tried to pick it up, the front tire just kept sliding away from us. I hate condensate. I'll be painting the garage floor with textured paint. I can't believe how heavy that bike is when it is laying on its side!
Very embarassing! Is there a trick to righting a big heavy cow (what it felt like) that is laying on its side? I could always pick up my FLH Harley on the few times it fell over. H.

[mrich12000]

Hope you are ok
Dropped my wing two years ago in my garage shure was heavy to upright :type

[cwsenn]

The trick to lifting a downed bike is easy. Check this out.

http://ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html

[Easy]

As long as you are ok, the bike can be fixed.

Don't feel bad it happens to everyone. In '87 I rode my week old bike to the dealership for some farkles. It was Saturday morning just before noon. The weather was perfect for motorcycling. The sun was out and all was right with the world. There were a good number of folks in the parking lot looking at my new wheels as I pulled in. Being a little distracted I did not put the side stand all the way down. Down I went with the bike. No damage to the bike. It landed on me. I had a burse on my leg for several weeks that to this day is a good reminder.

The crowd came over lifted the bike off me. They tried not to smile, but I started smiling, they returned the smile and then we all started laughing.

After the dust settled I went into the dealership got my farkle and managed to leave without causing any more calamities.

That's how I earned my red badge of humility.

Anyone else care to confess how they earned theirs?

Easy :german

[osbornk]

I've tried the floor painting thing on both a garage and a carport. Si seemed that the paint only made it slicker and it won't stay very well. I paid a ton for special paint for the carport that was guaranteed to stay put but when hot tires were parked on it, it didn't work. Maybe they have come up with something better in the last 6 or 7 years.

[Motor31]

Years ago when I was competing in the Police Motorcycle Rodeo's there was an award that was given out to all who earned it. It wasn't much, just a red tag, like a name tag that you could pin on. It showed a bike on it's side with a little swirl above it and the 2 words almost universally uttered when the bike falls down, "Aw ****!". I have mine, proudly earned in front of the entire crowd during practice runs.

It ain't no big deal, it's just a part of motorcycle life and it happens to all of us at some point. As long as motorcycles remain a 2 wheeled vehicle, gravity will assert itself at an inoportune time. Just get her upright and move on. :D

[lensuz]

I thought I had missed a turn off so I pulled into a gas station to review my map. I was riding 2-up and "put the kickstand down" while I reviewed the map. I leaned the bike real slow, but it just kept going!! I couldn't hold it with the weight of my riding partner. Forunately I had just put on my Wunderlich "crash bars" and did no damage to the bike. I was concerned that my wife might be caught under the bike but she's a natural passenger and abandoned her position long before I did. Anyway, a very nice couple saw the incident and stopped to help. Not much of a crowd as witness. All in all I was relieved to have it happen because I knew it would happen, but now I didn't have to worry about WHEN it was going to happen.

[MCMXCIVRS]

I put on a spectacular show for a crowd once. It was at the ferry crossing at Needles - Farquar on hwy 6 in BC. The staging area on the Needles side is quite steep, no level ground to park on. I had managed to get my bike parked for the short wait and hung my helmet on the mirror while I took advantage of the break to dispose of some used coffee. I came back to the bike and the ferry was all ready mostly loaded including most of the group I was with. I quickly stradled my bike and righted it off the stand. I reached for my helmet on the mirror to don it, my head being the easiest place to carry it for the short run onto the ferry. Well that was all it took to off balance the bike to the (steep) downhill side. Since I did not have a hold on the bars, or any other part of the bike, I was helpless to stop it, the bike went down hard and my helmet went off rolling downhill towards the ferry (it nearly boarded ahead of me). All this of course in full view of all the people on the ferry. My bike faired ok with only a few minor scuffs on the mirror, saddle bag and cylinder guard. My helmet was not so lucky, it was quite scratched up, the visor was seriously scratched, I had to stare throught them for the next two days of the trip going home. Of course lifting a fully loaded bike that is laying on its side, topside downhill was not easy, but adrenilin (and a couple others from the group) really helped.

[brook.reams]

Greetings ...

The most recent example was with my new R1150-RS just after I mounted a new set of PIAA lights. I live on a hill so the street is on an incline going up hill right to left, while my driveway slopes down to the street. And, driveways don't have a ramp into the street in this neighborhood, just the a drop off the curb edge. As I got to the sidewalk, I saw a car coming down the hill pretty fast. so I braked just as the front tire transitoned off the curve into the street. I fell to the left and I couldn't stop it so down it went with a nice "Crunchhhinnng" sound as it slide a few inches on the pavement. My first thought was there goes one of the brand new PIAA lights !!!!. But, they were unscratched ... it was the edge of the faring :banghead

When I got back from my ride, I decided to make lemons out of lemonade (see attached picture) and added a bandaid. Unfortunately, after two weeks, the wound hadn't healed :-)

[CTHalk]

My most embarassing event was a long time ago when I had a '67 triumph 500. I went to pick up a grinder at the pizza joint. At the time I had long hair, scruffy beard and a ratty bike. I pulled into the parking lot right up in front of the window. Shut off the bike. Closed the fuel tap. Got off the bike and turned to go inside. Suddenly, I was tackled from behind, and pinned to the ground....by....the Triumph. Doh! Forgot to put down the kickstand. The people inside didn't know whether it was safe to laugh or not (I looked like Manson, even my mother passed me when I was hitchhiking). I did see a few smiles when they realized I wasn't a threat. I'm glad it wasn't a bigger bike! Hal

[glwestcott]

Mine came years ago on a Yamaha Radian, a 650. I had driven about 25 miles to work in well below zero weather with long johns, jeans, and a set of foul weather gear from my boat. Got to work and stopped in the parking lot and couldn't unbend my leg from the peg. Seemed I was so cold, it just didn't want to work right then. Over I went with the bike. Nothing was hurt and I couldn't stop laughing.:laugh

[MEWAYBRIGHT]

I have had a few mishaps over my riding years but my most recent with an audience was in front of a local bank a couple of years ago. I pulled into the parking lot (which is sloped high side left to low right) on my K and thought I would park on the high side facing down hill to make for ease of leaving... well during the turn I got too much right turn and too much front brake... looked like something from Laugh In... of course there was an entire road work crew sitting in the parking lot... I had to endure lots of snippy remarks... Amazing what those that don't ride can say when one drops their ride... :doh

[41107]

same think happened to me with my rt/p. in trying to lift it up the bike just kept rolling away with its front wheel. put a piece of 2x4 in front of wheel that did the trick. one thing about the ladies picking up a bike as illustrated brings back memories. did my goldwing like that and threw right over the top to the other side.ouch ha.ha:nono :doh

[gsinmaine]

And proud of it Was out gravel pitting w/ a 73 Honda XL 350 riding berms and one that jest ( well lets say should have had more H.P. ) to the top and yes thay do unwillingley have Rev. w/ big rocks you know at the bottem Oh #@%$ !!! And the GSa no ... In 22+yr down 4 or 5 times never in snow all on sand ( yes I do ride on snow you should see the looks)

[RichardCCarson]

I feel much better having read the above mishaps. Here is my sad story: Went to the dealership to finalize the paperwork and pick up my brand new R1200CLC.
Wheeled it off the sales floor into the parking lot, started it, rode it up onto the end gate of my trailer, and it stalled. Backed down. Repeat process. Third time's the charm! Stalled again just as the front wheel went over the seam between the end gate and trailer floor, put a foot down to save it, but by now simple physics had taken over. I'm on the asphalt, bike on top of me, thinking what I can't print. The expression on my wife's face was a combination of sincere prayer, panic, and "Where am I gonna live when I get home??"
A world record (I think)- rode new bike a total of 12 feet before dropping it. "All's well that ends well." and " Pride cometh before a fall." Oh, and one more - I should have accepted the help offered by the dealership to load the bike. "Experience is a great school, but the fees are high!"

[Panhead_Jim]

to put my feet down! No explanation whatever. Complete brain freeze, I guess. Pulled up to a light in the middle of town at about 11PM one cold night on my '59 FLH bagger. I can't say what happened in my brain, but I just rolled up, stopped, then woke up seconds later under the bike. Just did not put my feet down. I could not believe how easy she came up, I don't even remember exerting myself at all, seemed like I just grabbed it and willed it up. I've left the scratches all these years to remind me to put my feet down. Stupid.:dunno

[dbOnIce]

Long ago and far away, and proud of the skills I had developed in using two wheels for my primary transportation a couple of years running, I spied a narrow spot in a long line of other scooters.
As I smoothly wheeled in I lifted my left foot from the highway peg to provide the the necessary langing gear, I nicked the muffler on the bike to the left and pinned my left foot between the primary case and the peg.
It was not a smooth landing. Fortunately momentum to the left was very low and the only real damage was to my pride and not the motorcycles involved.
:uhoh

[nrhodes1971]

Picked up my '02 R 1150 RT from the Dealership on a Saturday morning, Got a nice 317 miles in on Sunday and went to the DMV on Monday for my new Tag. Got home with no problems, pulled into the driveway and had to get off to open the garage door (I had not installed the garage-door-opener on the new bike at that time.) I (thought) I had put the kickstand down, I was in the act of dismounting--with one leg still in the air....."And she just kept-on coming..." I'm off balance, and fighting her all the way the ground. She came to rest on the side bag, cyclinder head guard, and my highly shined, blue-fairing mirror--which popped off immediately.

I was totally alone in my driveway at 11:30 AM, on a bright sunny October morning, but I had my ego, pride and self-esteem standing there laughing their heads off at me. Once I got both feet back on the ground, I snatched up the RT and went straight to the Center Stand and I have not trusted that side-stand since. Maybe we need a new thread on "Side Stand Mishaps"? My RT seems to "lean" a great deal on the side-stand and I have checked it multiple times for damage and extra "bends." -- rock

[gened12]

Here is one that is perhaps most embarrasing moment for a BMW Rider.

The setting: South Dakota Minuteman Visitor center parking lot in loose gravel.
The Bike: My 1200 GS fully loaded (paniers, 2 H2W bags, ect)

The story:


I am getting ready to leave, sitting on the bike when I drop one of my gloves. I try to lean way over to pick it up (forgetting that the sidestand is already up!) At some point my foot slips just a little bit in the loose gravel and the bike starts its slow decent towards the ground. OK what is so embarrasing you may ask? Well did I mention that about 200 ft away were about 100 Harley Davidson bikers (on their way to Sturgis) all waiting to gas up! There I was all alone for all to see! Some cheered! Needless to say that I picked up the bike with lightning speed (despite the weight) and humbly left the area!

Cheers

Denis R1200 GS