So embarrassed, haven't posted in awhile

[Rottiedog]

I swore to myself that I'd be the only newbie who was good enough to not drop her bike. Well, I did. Like, a few months ago. And just never told. Until now. Because, well, you'll just laugh.

It's my fault that I didn't get a bike that I can easily touch the ground on. Sort of. I mean, I only had 900.00 of my tax return to spend (actually, that was the total amount of my tax return) so my choices were limited. I ended up with a 26-year old Honda Nighthawk that I got off of Craiglist for 750.00 bucks. Runs great but it's too tall.

OK. So, I'm in my friend's driveway, I've started the bike, and am ready to put up the kickstand, which involves letting the bike "fall" to the right until my toe touches the ground (and I can put the kickstand up with my left foot). Well, instead of landing flat-footed when my right foot finally touched, I ended up rolling my ankle. And down I went.

So, not only did I have a bruised ego, I had a sprained ankle. Of course, I'm thinking gee, I bet ya I'm the only idiot who has crashed - - at zero miles per hour! How lame is that?

So, I've decided that my next bike will be one that I can touch the ground flat-footed on both sides when I'm at a stop. If I have to save up money for the next twenty years to get such a bike then I'll do so. It'll save me much embarrassment!

[Cyclone67]

Don't be embarrassed, we've all been there!!

[chienjouet]

I did it. I could put both feet on the ground, too. 0 miles per hour. Turned and braked. Fell over.

It was very upsetting and it was with the bike of my dreams.

Gracious, humble and kind motorcyclists who I admire shared with me their stories of dropping their bikes. It helped.

You'll get over it. It takes some time.

Good on you, for sharing it here, today. Good job!

[kamilshka]

We're all with you. I dropped mine twice in the last 6 weeks, zero miles per hour, the first time reversing/turning and the second we'll not even go into because it was so shameful i can't share the details even with you guys!

Thanks for sharing that with us, it's a difficult thing to do i know.

Getting a bike where you can flat-foot is a great idea, i'd not consider it otherwise. Consider that maybe you can have your existing bike altered... sometimes you can get different seats that allow you to flat-foot. Might be cheaper, and allows you to keep your existing bike?

[zee]

Sprained your ankle?!! Sounds like a valid reason to fall over to me! But I can empathize with your embarrassment.

My first drop (though I want to say this one doesn't count), got on my bike in the garage. I don't remember putting the kickstand up but I must have, because when I went to get off, the bike fell over on top of me. The kickstand was all the way up.

My second drop, I pulled into a parking lot, turned around and stopped. Didn't put my feet down and just fell over. :slaphead: Right in front of a car full of 20-something girls... who leaned out to ask if I was okay (I was) but didn't offer to help pick up the bike. Luckily (and embarrassingly) there were a couple guys who saw me struggle to pick it up and came over to help.

Welcome to the club!

[KansasKawboy]

Don't be embarrassed, we've all been there!!
Yep we have all done it. It's called "the bike taking a nap". When I bought my first bike it was winter so I trailered it home, got out of the car unhooked the strap on the drivers side and the strap on the passengers side was still tight and over she went, before I had even sat on it. :mgbanghead: So if you trailer you bike put the side stand down and unhook the passengers side strap first.

[Astir]

I have been riding since I was 14 years old. I dropped my GS at the gas station when it had less than 500 miles. I simply forgot to put the kickstand down. It really is an unreasonable expectation to never drop your bike. Two wheels just do that - they fall over!

So sorry you hurt your ankle. :hug2: Heal well, and keep your chin up!

[ImaSoftT]

Yes everyone is right, we have all been there so don't be embarrassed. I hope your ankle healed without any lasting discomfort. BTW, it's good to hear from you, don't be so quite from now on.

[Luna Tique]

+1 on what everyone has already said.

That is a quite the lesson to learn KK.

Any time (which has only been a few over the years) I have always secured the bike with the sidestand down.

[ridingAK]

Because, well, you'll just laugh.


:hug2: Hope your ankle is healed up by now.

If there is any laughter it is being shared with you, not directed at you. Embarrassing moments happen. Any serious motorcyclist will tell you dropping your bike is only a big deal if you let it get you down and stop riding. But remember, dropping a tall bike because your ankle twisted doesn't rise to the level of embarrassing. Forgetting to put your kickstand down, now that is embarrassing. It is also something a lot of us have done. KK did it unloading his bike. Astir did it at a gas station. I did it at a view point (where everyone had their cameras out and ready...) in the Badlands of South Dakota. It is what it is. :shrug:

[Follow]

First off I hope the Ankle is all healed and riding is going well.

I dropped mine (the Honda ST which is a top heavy bike) just last year in front of RR81 and Terabound. I too have short legs, I throw the bike to the right a bit to get it off the stand well I didnt anticipate how deep the gutter was and down and rolled like a rolly polly I went, jumped up and looked around to see if anyone saw...well of course everyone in the parking lot and on the street..:lol: Who was I kidding.
But that's not the first and won't be the last. I do have an extention on the HD and the HD doesn't have to be in nuetral to take it off the stand like the Honda so I can actually drive off and kick it up but my mechanic (hubby) put the extender on it, so nice of him.:D:
I dropped the HD Streetgline in Kansas, hit a tornada and the wind was just too much for me to hold the sail, ripped it out of my hands and down I went, rolled away.....you know rolling away from the bike can save ankles from getting crushed. I think I learned to roll in my dirtbike younger days when I would drop at least once every time I rode. Once I had to go potty so bad I jumped off my bike (sportster early 90's) and started to run into the gas station and my bike fell over, I looked at it and still ran in went potty and came back out, someone (hubby) picked it up for me..tee hee hee.
So with that said, we all drop at least once (in my case at least four times on the street).
A matter of fact on another forum under the Avatars with the signatures it has DROPS: and your suppose to be honest and fill it in....all for fun and make others feel better too.:lol:

[indianscout]

Who here hasn't dropped their bike?? What is worse is having a few years experience, rolling up to your family reunion and forgetting to put the side stand down.....:wtf: Now THAT is embarrassing!! To this day even my nieces remind me of that story. Honestly if your bike just has to fall over it is best that it is at 0 mph and not 60. Get well soon!

[KansasKawboy]

That is a quite the lesson to learn KK.

Any time (which has only been a few over the years) I have always secured the bike with the sidestand down.
It was down....just on the wrong side. :D:

[phoenix63]

Yep we have all done it. It's called "the bike taking a nap". When I bought my first bike it was winter so I trailered it home, got out of the car unhooked the strap on the drivers side and the strap on the passengers side was still tight and over she went, before I had even sat on it. :mgbanghead: So if you trailer you bike put the side stand down and unhook the passengers side strap first.

*taking notes for my upcoming move, in which Bebe will be trailered*


Yup... we've all been there, Rottie... I dropped mine in a parking lot. Zero mph.

[gypsyangel]

LOL I've been riding like 10 years now and only have had 2 bikes out of the numerous ones I've owned that I HAVEN'T dropped. I'm just a bike dropper and I'm ok with that. They make bikes too tall and my legs too short. Even Thumper has taken a dirt nap...or two. Offroad mind you :D:
I'm also ok with telling my husband that it's easier to help me park the bike on uneven ground, then to pick the bike up from the ground. Just sayin' ;):

[gypsyangel]

See, ya'll see bike dropping as a bad thing...a glass half empty and now my bike has a 1mm scratch on it type of bad thing. But me...oh hahaaa, I'm going to turn that frown upside down and tell you that there's an up side, Girls, you need to use that bike dropping skill to your advantage! It's a great way to pick up guys. Men will flood out of the woodwork,bushes,building, heck, they'll parachute in as soon as they see a pink helmet standing next to a dropped bike. "Oh woe is me, mai poor bike is on the ground. Whatever shall I do." (Insert brisk helmet removal and tossing of the hair here), Heck, they will even drop their own bike in such haste as to recue the poor damsel in distress with the dropped bike (be sure to ask if she's ok while checking out her butt for any..ahem..bruises). At which point we get 1 of two choices
1: if they're hot, thank them profusely, ask where they're riding (be sure to act as if you have no f-ing clue where you're going) and ask to tag along to see if romance ensues.
2: if they're not, thank them profusely then leave them in the dust. Or just tell them you need to catch your breath and you'll be fine. At which point they leave and you can kick your bike back over and wait for the next sucker..erm,gentleman to come to your aid.

See, now isn't that useful? :D:

(Note: I'm just joking of course and would never endorse kicking over a bike just to pick up men.....maybe just lay it down gently in some grass ;): )

[Astir]

:lol:

[zukilady]

:rofl:

I'll add my name to the "I'm a newbie and I'm going to defy the bike-dropping odds" list..in the "it happened, darnit" section. :)

[TW200_CA]

I'm with everyone else - have lost track of how many times I've dropped it. Every single time, was at a complete stop. New SV had her first this weekend - right in front of my mechanic's shop, before i even turned the bike on... :slaphead:

[kari-star]

oh, ROTTIE. I was so there a couple of years ago. I was so sure I would be the one who never dropped her bike! I didn't drop it at ALL when I was learning, and I had a couple thousand miles under my belt!

and then one day I was turning in a parking lot and yanked the handlebars too far and just fell right over.

so I totally know what you're feeling. I hope your ankle is all healed up!

[VStar]

Yup, me too, first time I ever sat on my first bike, plopped right over sideways in the driveway, kickstand was up, engine was off, zero mph. Felt real stupid, was mad at hubby, neighbor was watching.

[ImaSoftT]

See, ya'll see bike dropping as a bad thing...a glass half empty and now my bike has a 1mm scratch on it type of bad thing. But me...oh hahaaa, I'm going to turn that frown upside down and tell you that there's an up side, Girls, you need to use that bike dropping skill to your advantage! It's a great way to pick up guys. Men will flood out of the woodwork,bushes,building, heck, they'll parachute in as soon as they see a pink helmet standing next to a dropped bike. "Oh woe is me, mai poor bike is on the ground. Whatever shall I do." (Insert brisk helmet removal and tossing of the hair here), Heck, they will even drop their own bike in such haste as to recue the poor damsel in distress with the dropped bike (be sure to ask if she's ok while checking out her butt for any..ahem..bruises). At which point we get 1 of two choices
1: if they're hot, thank them profusely, ask where they're riding (be sure to act as if you have no f-ing clue where you're going) and ask to tag along to see if romance ensues.
2: if they're not, thank them profusely then leave them in the dust. Or just tell them you need to catch your breath and you'll be fine. At which point they leave and you can kick your bike back over and wait for the next sucker..erm,gentleman to come to your aid.

See, now isn't that useful? :D:

(Note: I'm just joking of course and would never endorse kicking over a bike just to pick up men.....maybe just lay it down gently in some grass ;): )

:rofl: Gypsy, you are a true Southern Lady, someone who - when there is a gentleman around lets him be the rescuer, mainly because it makes HIM feel good. But when there isn't a gentleman around she is someone that can be tough as nails, kick ass and take names.

[Rottiedog]

I feel better now. You guys have me thinking that maybe I should have been more worried if I hadn't dropped my bike yet. Thanks for your kind words. From the time I dropped it (which was, like, in my second month of riding or so) I've since found a certain kind of balance point to where I can be tippytoe like a ballerina on either side and shift my weight around in a manner that dropping it like that again is pretty unlikely. Until, of course, I forget to put the kickstand down. Because, from reading your posts, it's about my turn by now. :hiding:

[chienjouet]

PS Love that Rottie Dog! In your Avatar. Looks like a sweetheart.

[ozzie650]

ive dropped mine twice now, the first was the day i got my lisence..just got home from doing the test, took it in the yard, stand down (didnt put it in gear :redface1:) and down she rolled. I was still holding on cos i'd just swung my leg over so was able to gently lay it down but still hurt...my pride!
Second time was just the other day...was sinking in grass where i parked so i went to play the good mum that looks after her baby hehe and down it went again! I was stuck between my bike and a carport wall so kinda tricky but i managed to pick it back up with my awesome skills *cough cough*
The only thing you can do is learn from what happened..i now know i gotta leave it in gear every time i get off and to park somewhere more solid.
I think though that your not a true rider til you've made some mistakes and dropped a bike, afterall your only human :):
Hope your ankle is fixing itself x

[calico1062]

Oh geez I hope your ankle is feeling better! See my thread about my dropped bike... luckily every one here made me feel so much better about it... I learned a lot from the experience and sounds like you did too... it's all part of the process! :):

[BlueLghtning]

:rofl: Gypsy, you are a true Southern Lady, someone who - when there is a gentleman around lets him be the rescuer, mainly because it makes HIM feel good. But when there isn't a gentleman around she is someone that can be tough as nails, kick ass and take names.

See, GA hasn't told you her latest scheme. :lol: Since she now has the man of her dreams (I think I actually did help her pick up her bike one time before we dated :D:), it no longer does her any good to kick her bike over and wait.

So now when we get somewhere (usually parking) where things might be a bit questionable for her touching. She simply informs me over the headset that I can either graciously park her bike with a smile or I can just pick it up later. :roflmao:

I generally help her park the bike. :):

Now just ask GA about the Battery Tender. :lol: :rofl:

[gypsyangel]

Battery tender: 1
Ninja 650r: 0

Those little cords are tougher than they look :p:

[ImaSoftT]

:rofl:

[ridingAK]

:lol:

[Luna Tique]

:lol: