Dropping Voyager During Slow Turns...

[mr500]

What do you guys think would be damaged if when I am doing my low speed (Ride Like A Pro) maneuvers I drop my big ol voyager? Thinking maybe take off the bags as they seem to stick out past the rear guard.

Also looked at getting some of those bar covers that I see online that wrap around the front N rear guards.

Don't know IF I will lay it over, just curious the damage IF I do. I'm sure someone here has done it lol.

[MrMikey]

I've never dropped mine (Yeah right :-) ) LOL.
Once was using front brake coming to a stop and turning, (rookie move I know) couldn't use the rear brake as my left hip was bad and used my right leg to hold, or attempt to hold the bike up. Didn't see the hollow in the shoulder and over I went in slow motion.
Second time was in the garage moving the bike around and I went just a bit too far and over she went.
Both times I was not moving so no damage other than slight scratches that you have to really look for on the aptly named crash bars. If you were moving I would imagine they'd be a lot more noticeable with possibly bent bars.
What you think about the split pipe insulation?
There's only two types of riders...three actually, those that have dropped, those that will drop and those that are lying that they haven't......Mike

[mr500]

I looked at the pipe insul. I need to revisit it and see how thick they are. I know they have the plastics wrap arounds that attach with zip ties. I can zip tie the pipe wrap the same way im sure.
I may have to move my foot pegs so they don't bend etc.. I hope NOT to lay it over but it could happen lol

[Sabre-t]

I have put that split pipe pool noodle insulation on my engine and saddlebag guards when practicing slow maneuvers, but I wouldn't want them on all the time. I don't think there is any way to make them look decent for normal use. I have some hook and loop fasteners to hold them on and make it quick and easy to put them on and take them off.

[mr500]

Yeah it would not be a permanent thing for sure. Ill look at the pool noodles. They are much thicker

[napom]

Every spring my Blue Knights chapter does a "Spring Tune Up" and we do cone courses. To try to get the guys over their embarrassment of possibly dropping their bikes, I promise them that if they show up, they will get to see me drop and pick up my Voyager at least twice - So far I haven't let them down on that promise. So that means that my Voyager has been down in the slow speed courses well over a dozen times. What's been damaged in them? Nothing. Mind you I also have the saddle bag guards on mine which actually saved the right bag and got a little bend when I got run off the road once, but they have never been damaged in the slow speed cone courses.

A great option, Which I bring to every spring tune up for the guys who are really afraid of putting a character scratch in their guards, are the pool noodles. Cheap and cut them to length . . . wrap guards with them secure with a strip of duct tape and you have nothing to worry about. I fill my bag with pre-cut noodles for the Harley guys because their chrome seems to scratch as easy as their egos LOL . . .

[vulcanscott]

remove the bags and wrap pool noodles around the bars

[Sabre-t]

Originally Posted by mr500

Yeah it would not be a permanent thing for sure. Ill look at the pool noodles. They are much thicker

I'm not sure how substantial actual pool noodles are, but they may work, too. I was just using that phrase as a description of the pipe insulators.

[mr500]

Agree. Bags off with the noodles. If it drops maybe it wont be bad lol
Oh well. Cant stay new 4 ever

[Chuck A.]

Before you start the ride like a pro, get you some tennis balls and cut them in half. lay them in a 24 ft diameter circle. Learn to ride around the outer side of the circle without stalling, in both directions and then repeat while riding on the inside of the balls. Set the throttle just above idle, feather the clutch, and use the rear brake to control the speed. Until you can do that with out stalling and falling, you will fall over riding a course.

[napom]

Originally Posted by Chuck A.

Before you start the ride like a pro, get you some tennis balls and cut them in half. lay them in a 24 ft diameter circle. Learn to ride around the outer side of the circle without stalling, in both directions and then repeat while riding on the inside of the balls. Set the throttle just above idle, feather the clutch, and use the rear brake to control the speed. Until you can do that with out stalling and falling, you will fall over riding a course.

That is some great advice - We use the tennis balls for our courses and that drill is one of the best . . .

Sabre-T - Pool noodles work fine at low speed . . . Where most guys get into trouble and scratch/damage their bikes is they fight it going down for too long, grabbing the bars tight which in turn rotates the throttle open, so the last bit of rolling friction that back tire has is directed at slamming the bike down or sliding it across the pavement. When that happens the noodles tend to get shredded rather quickly . . .

[mbarr10]

Check out when MCrider bought his Harley. He had bought some sort of bolt on clamps to place on the drop points of his engine and bag guards. They were like a foot peg mount but without the foot pegs. I guessed it was a thing. But yah I would remove anything I could ALSO.

Safe rides and let us know what you learned. I am interested.

[mr500]

yeah I got cones. Small ones I bought way back when I took my 800 out doing the same thing. Ill deff try the circle first. Never got down scraping on this bike. Need to learn the lean angle first. Shes a heavy ol gurl lol

I like the MC Rider. Hes got loads of info. Moto Jitsu is good as well

[Chuck A.]

On the 24 ft circle, we call it the circle of trust. You learn to trust the bike and its lean angle. Start out wide if you have to and keep your eye on the cones/balls. Drive closer in each circle while never looking away. Before you know it you can do a U-turn on a average 24 ft wide 2 lane road instead of the "embarrassing" 3 point turn. Bike goes where you are looking.

[bouson]

When I had my 2011 Vaquero, I left work for lunch one day and as I made a sharp turn I dropped the bike at about 5 mph. Back was acting up that day and cause me to drop it a couple times while getting it upright'


Checked it all out after lunch and couldn't find any scratches.