Dumping your bike during parking lot practice

I can pick up the Nomad just fine if I'm off the bike, but picking it up while standing over it is a different matter. I did this in a restaurant parking lot once when I found myself in 2nd gear when I should have been in first. I eased the clutch in at the middle of a u-turn and stalled the engine. He (it's a he) fell over at about zero MPH with me just standing there pi$$ed as hell. (First time I'd ever dropped it.)

I planted my feet, grabbed the handle bars, gave out my best RAARRRRRRGH! war cry, and pulled him back on his feet.

Some guy walking across the lot with his kids just goggled at me a second, then asked, "Are you OK?"

The funny thing was his tone of voice which was really saying: "Are you sure you shouldn't be 'put away' for reasons of public safety?" :)

[dantama]

I can pick up the Nomad just fine if I'm off the bike, but picking it up while standing over it is a different matter. I did this in a restaurant parking lot once when I found myself in 2nd gear when I should have been in first. I eased the clutch in at the middle of a u-turn and stalled the engine. He (it's a he) fell over at about zero MPH with me just standing there pi$$ed as hell. (First time I'd ever dropped it.)

I planted my feet, grabbed the handle bars, gave out my best RAARRRRRRGH! war cry, and pulled him back on his feet.

Some guy walking across the lot with his kids just goggled at me a second, then asked, "Are you OK?"

The funny thing was his tone of voice which was really saying: "Are you sure you shouldn't be 'put away' for reasons of public safety?" :)

Am I understanding you right, you were straddling the bike and lifted it up? If so, what are you 7' and 400lbs?

[dantama]

Dan: question are you doomed everytime you crash to getting a low side-high side condtion or is possible to just get a low sided slide?? Thx

It's possible to just low side, but very common for the low side to gain some kind of traction somewhere (floor boards, tires, etc ) and flip into a high side.

[cactusjack]

[quote:ucymoymo]I can pick up the Nomad just fine if I'm off the bike, but picking it up while standing over it is a different matter. I did this in a restaurant parking lot once when I found myself in 2nd gear when I should have been in first. I eased the clutch in at the middle of a u-turn and stalled the engine. He (it's a he) fell over at about zero MPH with me just standing there pi$$ed as hell. (First time I'd ever dropped it.)

I planted my feet, grabbed the handle bars, gave out my best RAARRRRRRGH! war cry, and pulled him back on his feet.

Some guy walking across the lot with his kids just goggled at me a second, then asked, "Are you OK?"

The funny thing was his tone of voice which was really saying: "Are you sure you shouldn't be 'put away' for reasons of public safety?" :)

Am I understanding you right, you were straddling the bike and lifted it up? If so, what are you 7' and 400lbs? [/quote:ucymoymo]

Similar thing happened to me. I dropped mine in the right turn lane of a major intersection. People on the corner, waiting at a bus stop, cars all around, and this a_hole behind me honks his horn at me. I turned around and stared at him for a minute, then still straddling the bike, grabbed the bars and lifted it up. I turned back around and gave him a look like "don't make me come over there" and started it back up and made my turn. He was in the lane next to me at the next light and he wouldn't look at me.

[dantama]

I would never dream of being able to pick my bike up while straddling it. I'm strong for my size, I'm just not that size :)

[flightdoc]

You can pick up your bike from a straddled position.....if it hasn't reached the ground.
Dan, when I had my accident last year my bike low sided and slide about a hundred feet on the guards. If the tires or something else touch during the slide it may have flipped and high sided. It balances pretty nicely on those bars.

[cactusjack]

I would never dream of being able to pick my bike up while straddling it. I'm strong for my size, I'm just not that size :)

It surprised the s**t outta me. I'm big, but I didn't think I was that big. Must have been the adrenaline ::) I was just praying I didn't get it halfway up and drop it again.

[nighthawk700]

cactusjack, did you have any pains after the experience? Once when I was going on a switchback on my Concours, the pickup truck in front of me stopped. (no traffic or anything, the guy was just being a PITA).

The bike didn't have enough momentum, and I didn't get my feet down right, so she started going over. I tried hard to keep her up, but after fighting for about 10 seconds (felt like an hour), I let her down gently.

Later that day my legs and shoulders ached like heck. I used some motrin for the pain. Both legs and one shoulder felt better the next day, but the left shoulder (she went down on the right side) hurt for 2 months afterwards. Had to get a cortizone shot, for a while they thought maybe I tore the rotator cuff. I learned, if she's going down, let her go. Maybe try to make it gentle, but don't fight it. Then might as well pick it up the right way (i.e. not with your back). I sent my experience to "flash gordan m.d." over at Motorcycle Consumer News, and he made an article out of it. Not the kind of fame I wanted, but I guess if I can't be a good example to people, I might as well be a bad example. :-/

One reason I'm looking for a Nomad now is the crash bars. Even though the Concours wasn't moving forward at all when she went down, I snapped a footpeg and came very close to breaking the mirror.

[cactusjack]

cactusjack, did you have any pains after the experience? Once when I was going on a switchback on my Concours, the pickup truck in front of me stopped. (no traffic or anything, the guy was just being a PITA).

The bike didn't have enough momentum, and I didn't get my feet down right, so she started going over. I tried hard to keep her up, but after fighting for about 10 seconds (felt like an hour), I let her down gently.

Later that day my legs and shoulders ached like heck. I used some motrin for the pain. Both legs and one shoulder felt better the next day, but the left shoulder (she went down on the right side) hurt for 2 months afterwards. Had to get a cortizone shot, for a while they thought maybe I tore the rotator cuff. I learned, if she's going down, let her go. Maybe try to make it gentle, but don't fight it. Then might as well pick it up the right way (i.e. not with your back). I sent my experience to "flash gordan m.d." over at Motorcycle Consumer News, and he made an article out of it. Not the kind of fame I wanted, but I guess if I can't be a good example to people, I might as well be a bad example. :-/

One reason I'm looking for a Nomad now is the crash bars. Even though the Concours wasn't moving forward at all when she went down, I snapped a footpeg and came very close to breaking the mirror.

Nope. Bruised the ego for a little while, but shoulders, back, and neck all were fine.

[quote:9tns837r]I can pick up the Nomad just fine if I'm off the bike, but picking it up while standing over it is a different matter. I did this in a restaurant parking lot once when I found myself in 2nd gear when I should have been in first. I eased the clutch in at the middle of a u-turn and stalled the engine. He (it's a he) fell over at about zero MPH with me just standing there pi$$ed as hell. (First time I'd ever dropped it.)

I planted my feet, grabbed the handle bars, gave out my best RAARRRRRRGH! war cry, and pulled him back on his feet.

Some guy walking across the lot with his kids just goggled at me a second, then asked, "Are you OK?"

The funny thing was his tone of voice which was really saying: "Are you sure you shouldn't be 'put away' for reasons of public safety?" :)

Am I understanding you right, you were straddling the bike and lifted it up? If so, what are you 7' and 400lbs? [/quote:9tns837r]

No, I'm 5'-10" and 205 lbs, and I'm no body builder but I'm not a marshmallow either. It still took everything I could muster to lift it.

I tried to keep it from falling, but only managed to let it down easy.

[socwkbiker]

Adrenaline can work wonders when something like that happens.

[strider]

Thanks Dan for those pictures!

I lost my balance as I was pulling out of a parking spot, and she went down; rather gently tho.......
I searched, but didn't see any marks or scrapes at all!!

............there were no witnesses! :)

[cactusjack]

Thanks Dan for those pictures!

I lost my balance as I was pulling out of a parking spot, and she went down; rather gently tho.......
I searched, but didn't see any marks or scrapes at all!!

............there were no witnesses! :)

...then it wasn't really dropped, huh? If a tree falls in the forest...

[audiogooroo]

[quote:qw3vylk8]Thanks Dan for those pictures!

I lost my balance as I was pulling out of a parking spot, and she went down; rather gently tho.......
I searched, but didn't see any marks or scrapes at all!!

............there were no witnesses! :)

...then it wasn't really dropped, huh? If a tree falls in the forest...[/quote:qw3vylk8]
lol!

[unwind2]

Originally Posted by nighthawk700

cactusjack, did you have any pains after the experience? Once when I was going on a switchback on my Concours, the pickup truck in front of me stopped. (no traffic or anything, the guy was just being a PITA).

The bike didn't have enough momentum, and I didn't get my feet down right, so she started going over. I tried hard to keep her up, but after fighting for about 10 seconds (felt like an hour), I let her down gently.

Later that day my legs and shoulders ached like heck. I used some motrin for the pain. Both legs and one shoulder felt better the next day, but the left shoulder (she went down on the right side) hurt for 2 months afterwards. Had to get a cortizone shot, for a while they thought maybe I tore the rotator cuff. I learned, if she's going down, let her go. Maybe try to make it gentle, but don't fight it. Then might as well pick it up the right way (i.e. not with your back).

That IS exactly how a friend of mine tore her rotator cuff. She was on a Harley Road King.