Arrrr - dropped it!

[FJmonkey]

Well... I did it again, every morning on the way to work I pull up at the servo down the road to get the newspaper, put the stand down but my boot must've knocked it back as I got off, next thing I'm swearing as Im trying to wrestle it from falling on the ground, not a hope in hell.

Shit!!! Now I gotta try and pick it up, first attempt no way, the lady at the servo was out getting something and I nearly asked her for a hand but thought better not, she might think I'm a weak bastard or something, so second attempt I huffed and puffed and just about busted a gut but finally got it up.

No damage apart from a scuff on the engine bars, and a near heart attack from lifting it, (why are they so fuckin heavy)  but that's the second time now I've dropped it at a servo, I really should avoid the place.

There's a saying that if you can't pick it up, you shouldn't be riding it. At the moment Im ok but not too sure for how much longer.

Happy to hear you have the bars, my bars have scuffs on both sides. One side from the '86, the other from the '89. Other than the mirrors no other scuffs. Both from zero speed tip overs.  In my own drive way....

[ribbert]

Well... I did it again,  so second attempt I huffed and puffed and just about busted a gut but finally got it up.

No damage apart from a scuff on the engine bars, and a near heart attack from lifting it, (why are they so fuckin heavy)  but that's the second time now I've dropped it at a servo, I really should avoid the place.

There's a saying that if you can't pick it up, you shouldn't be riding it. At the moment Im ok but not too sure for how much longer.

I always reckon a sure way to lift your bike up in a hurry is to drop it with an audience. Glad their was no bike damage. You might need to change servos before they report you and you have to sit your licence again.

I dropped mine on Thursday in most unusual circumstances, at a busy intersection dead smack in the middle of the CBD in the middle of the day.

I vary my feet/foot down combination to suit the circumstances when I come to a stop. In Aus, the road is highest on the RHS so this is the obvious foot if placing only one down although most of the time I come to a rest with two, then put my left foot back on peg. No hard and fast rule and no conscious thought given to it, just what ever seems most appropriate. I never use the back brake to hold the bike on a hill so it doesn't matter.

I like my mirrors angled differently when riding in heavy traffic compared to riding the open road. I had just weaved my way between the cars to the head of the traffic at a red light, and while waiting, decided my RH mirror needed a tweak. The intersection was slightly uphill and I was holding the bike with the front brake. It was very windy and I had both feet down. I raised my right foot up to use the rear brake while I released my grip on the front one to adjust the mirror and BANG!, a freaky gust of wind, the sort that only seems to develop in the canyons between the skyscrapers of a big city, hit me and the bike was on it's side with me doing a couple of one legged hops to the right but not quite falling over and thankfully, the light was still red.

I was fortuneate I had pulled just ahead of the first row of cars and did not damage the car beside me, I'm not insured for that.
There were literally hundreds of people on the spot and the bike was vertical again within seconds, in fact there were so many that dived to pick it up I'm surprised it didn't land 20 feet away or at the very least, flip it onto the other side.

As soon as I had cleared the intersection I pulled over to check for damage AND re adjust my RH mirror. Only a few scratches on top of a few previous scratches but most importantly, the muffler was undamaged.

Zephyros may not have been my friend that day, but the God of Shiny Mufflers was.

Noel

[X-Ray]

Bugger Tony, what a pain. Actually last time I dropped mine was after a long ride a few years back. Did exactly the same thing, popped the stand down, my boot brought it straight back up again. Next thing I know I'm underneath it in my shed, lol. I did have to ask for help from my beloved, as I was just too stuffed to get my leg out from under that weight. Did you do the trick of lifting the bike with the bars turned to the left, and  grabbing near the end of the bars and lifting straight up? It still doesn't make it easy, but others say it is a doddle to lift a bike this way.

[Country Joe]

The first and so far only time that I have dropped my  first FJ 1200 was the first time it left the driveway after trailering it home. And of course my wife was watching when it rolled forward off the side stand when I got off the bike to close the gate. She was soooooooo impressed....


Anyway, just in case there is anyone that hasn't seen the proper technique to picking up a dropped motorcycle... of course if there is a gas pump where you want to be standing or you are stuck under you bike...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWrsyP1tJuM

[Bones]

Did you do the trick of lifting the bike with the bars turned to the left, and  grabbing near the end of the bars and lifting straight up? It still doesn't make it easy, but others say it is a doddle to lift a bike this way.

No Ray, I did it the hard way as always, left hand on the handlebar and right hand on the grab rail under the seat and deadlifted it. Felt like I was lifting 1,000 kg but more likely only 100kg. That was the same day we felt that earthquake up here, wasn't sure at the time if it was the ground that was shaking, or the bones in my body collapsing from the earlier lifting.