Please post about your mishaps here

[MikeN02]

I think that's what most beginners suffer with is to stay calm at all times. I imagined even if you did grab the brake you'd grab too much and lock the front and just go down but not as hard.

Stay safe and keep on riding.

 

[ME_with_a_B]

Well, I kinda crashed yesterday. I wouldn't call it "crash" exactly... but my bike did end up in the ditch on it's side... so I guess that's a crash. Trust me, I'm still laughing my @$$ off about it -- which is lucky for me -- so it really isn't a big deal but I thought I would explain what happened because it was TOTALLY MY FAULT and hopefully I've learned something from the experience.

I was out for a ride after meeting up with a dozen riders from our group for breakfast. We were doing our "Cherry Valley" ride, one I've done over a dozen times this year already. Its nothing fancy like you guys out in California have, but its a short stretch of some nice curves and corners -- which we take a little too fast to make it fun.

All morning I was feeling feisty, (aka overly-confident) so I was probably riding a little too fast for my experience level... but so far so good through the curves and my speeds were in the mid 80's.

We had just gotten to the actual run of curves (there are maybe a dozen good curves in the run itself) and I made the first two really well. I was hauling @$$ into the third right when I checked my speed, 83mph, and thought "oh crap, that's way too fast for this corner" (it's a 15-25mph curve) and immediately thought -- I better not grab my brakes too hard or I'll skid and wipe out completely. So I braked firmly, realizing I was already going across the double yellow onto the wrong side of the road. I stopped looking through my turn :banghead: and fixated on the trees & grass on the other side of the road......... which is promptly where my bike and I ended up.

I was still in the process of slowing down when I rolled off the road and into the grass, and wanted to slow down enough to roll back up onto the road, but I misjudged the slope of the shoulder, and almost immediately my tires swung out from under the bike (to the left), the entire bike swung out from under me, landing in a very immediate thud. TUCK AND ROLL – that’s all I can say.

I’m fine. THANKFULLY there were no oncoming cars. And miraculously, my bike has barely a bit of dirt on the right fairing, and some dirt/grass stuck to the rear brake lever and on the clutch housing.

Lesson learned: :surrender: Slow the F down and LOOK THROUGH THE TURNS!!

Ya, my shoulder is a bit sore today. And my ego bruised. But that’s all. I'm very very lucky. It could have been 100x worse.

 

[Heineken]

Well, I kinda crashed yesterday. I wouldn't call it "crash" exactly... but my bike did end up in the ditch on it's side... so I guess that's a crash. Trust me, I'm still laughing my @$$ off about it -- which is lucky for me -- so it really isn't a big deal but I thought I would explain what happened because it was TOTALLY MY FAULT and hopefully I've learned something from the experience.

I was out for a ride after meeting up with a dozen riders from our group for breakfast. We were doing our "Cherry Valley" ride, one I've done over a dozen times this year already. Its nothing fancy like you guys out in California have, but its a short stretch of some nice curves and corners -- which we take a little too fast to make it fun.

All morning I was feeling feisty, (aka overly-confident) so I was probably riding a little too fast for my experience level... but so far so good through the curves and my speeds were in the mid 80's.

We had just gotten to the actual run of curves (there are maybe a dozen good curves in the run itself) and I made the first two really well. I was hauling @$$ into the third right when I checked my speed, 83mph, and thought "oh crap, that's way too fast for this corner" (it's a 15-25mph curve) and immediately thought -- I better not grab my brakes too hard or I'll skid and wipe out completely. So I braked firmly, realizing I was already going across the double yellow onto the wrong side of the road. I stopped looking through my turn :banghead: and fixated on the trees & grass on the other side of the road......... which is promptly where my bike and I ended up.

I was still in the process of slowing down when I rolled off the road and into the grass, and wanted to slow down enough to roll back up onto the road, but I misjudged the slope of the shoulder, and almost immediately my tires swung out from under the bike (to the left), the entire bike swung out from under me, landing in a very immediate thud. TUCK AND ROLL – that’s all I can say.

I’m fine. THANKFULLY there were no oncoming cars. And miraculously, my bike has barely a bit of dirt on the right fairing, and some dirt/grass stuck to the rear brake lever and on the clutch housing.

Lesson learned: :surrender: Slow the F down and LOOK THROUGH THE TURNS!!

Ya, my shoulder is a bit sore today. And my ego bruised. But that’s all. I'm very very lucky. It could have been 100x worse.

Glad your okay. I had a bad feeling that morning plus I wasn't in my riding mood(or maybe it was just the hangover), that's why I split before Cherry Valley. And you are right it could have been worse, I could be riding at the back of the pack and catch that on HD video . J/K .
By watching Martin's video from yesterday I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep up with him, but Michael and Noelle did ).

 

[ME_with_a_B]

Glad your okay. I had a bad feeling that morning plus I wasn't in my riding mood(or maybe it was just the hangover), that's why I split before Cherry Valley. And you are right it could have been worse, I could be riding at the back of the pack and catch that on HD video . J/K .
By watching Martin's video from yesterday I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep up with him, but Michael and Noelle did ).

Yesterday was a weird day -- a bunch of us had close calls, some with gravel, others with bad lane/position choices, too much speed, even Michael said he almost wiped on a curve following Martin...

And I am SO GLAD you weren't there to take pictures... I never would have lived it down!!

Oh, and like I mentioned above -- I am SO LUCKY the bike wasn't totally messed up -- here's a photo of it taken about an hour after my "incident". You can barely even see the dirt.

View attachment 19312

 

[Diluted]

Wow, hardly noticeable! How'd you get so lucky?! Any idea how fast your were going by the time you went down?

Glad to hear you're ok!

 

[99vengeur]

You Chicagoans are crazy!! :jawdrop:

When I move back to IL, maybe I'll stick to the boring roads around Champaign with bmw...

I'm glad that you were not injured seriously. It could have been really bad. There are times when I let my emotions get the better of me as well. Sometimes it takes a quick stop to get things in check before I get going again.

Ride safe!

 

[dart1963]

ME_with_a_B, that's how I almost crashed myself... I was looking for two things.. oncoming cars, and a place to go if there were oncoming cars.... once I saw there were no cars and attempted to turn.... I couldn't, 'till I remembered (and quickly mind you) that I had "spent my whole dollar on braking".... let off the brakes, and the bike immediately turned.

I just read somewhere something about if you think you are coming into a turn too hot, lean into it farther, the bike is better than you. Probably true in most cases.

 

[99vengeur]

I just read somewhere something about if you think you are coming into a turn too hot, lean into it farther, the bike is better than you. Probably true in most cases.

That's what they taught us in the MSF. If you don't think you can make the turn, press harder! In most cases, you will lean over further and make the turn. I've had to do this a few times. Scary as hell, but it works. However, if you are running way too hot, and already at the tires edge, you are going to lose it if you press harder. One good reason not to try and burn your chicken strips. It's always nice to have that extra little bit in case you run hot into a curve.

 

[JonKerr]

Another thing to remember if you're going too hot into a turn is to make sure you at least take the right line through the turn. If you wait just a bit longer and take a slightly later entry, stay on the outside of the turn, and have a quick countersteer and dive into the corner, you should be able to get the bike turned and leaned over hard enough to make it. Also make sure you get your body into proper position. The lower and farther to the inside your weight is, the less lean angle yo need to make that turn at a given speed. That way if you need that extra 1/2" of tire, you have it. If you think about it, faster riders are most likely entering that turn as fast or faster than what you're "panicking" about. (Of course there's a limit to this and entering most 15-20mph turns at 80 on the street isn't something even most racers would do) My point is that a lot of times you run wide simply due to poor line choice and too slow and shallow of an initial turn in. Then you tighten your upper body as a survival reaction (see Keith Codes Twist of the Wrist) and don't allow the front of the bike to work properly and the bike stops turning all together and you run wide.

I'm very glad you're OK. Like others have said, that could have turned out much worse than it did. Always ride within 75% of your limit and keep cool and calm. Panicking will do nothing but make your mistake worse.

 

[Brock Kickass]

So, I completed the 40 multiple choice questions required in Ontario, Canada, to get the first stage of our three stage graduated motorcycle license. After the test, I went immediately to my dealer to pick up my bike.
Having never been on a street bike, but always around bikes in my life, I was cautiously optimistic that I could master this skill quickly and easily. I spent plenty of time riding, getting comfortable, and building confidence over the next few weeks. I quickened my heart rate a few times, but always left myself enough margin to pull myself out safely.
I booked my practical riding test for the earliest available date (we have to wait 60 days but no more than 90 days) and headed over with nary a concern. The test is a very tight slalom, a u-turn, and 2 left turns on the street. I motored through the slalom easily, tried for the u-turn, realized it was twice as tight as I expected, slowed too much, and fell over like a cut tree.
My bike suffered very minor damage to the mirror, bar end, and a nick on the fairing, and my pride suffered massively, as I cockily volunteered to go first, and thus had all the other participants and testers watching me. I got the bike upright immediately, and was lucky enough to be allowed a second attempt, so I did not fail my license test.
Lesson learned: I am blessed with a natural aptitude for running all things motorized, but that alone is not enough to keep me upright. I'm very glad my slice of humble pie was served sitting still, and not at 100+MPH.

 

[dart1963]

That's what they taught us in the MSF. If you don't think you can make the turn, press harder!

I actually have my two mishaps on video.... I felt like a complete idiot... but may still post them up, just as a.... don't do this... like I said earlier, part of the issue was a really bumpy road that shook the bike violently..... maybe later this week I'll get the vid up online

 

[RedDeadRaven]

So, I bought my FZ6R about 2 weeks after taking the BRC, which was the first time I'd ever ridden a motorcycle. After finishing up the paperwork and being handed the keys I geared up and started her up and started playing with the controls to kinda start familiarizing myself with the bike. I was extremely nervous about this first ride (although it was only about 4 miles) because I was so new to riding and I was pretty unsure of myself. While I was sitting there playing with the controls I also shifted through the gears a few times to get a feel for them. Unfortunately I didn't get it back into neutral before letting out the clutch and killed it of course I quickly looked around to see if I'd been caught, but I was clear. Started her up again and very carefully began my first ride. Embarrassingly waited for a HUGE gap in traffic before I was willing to pull out onto the main street. I made it to the speed limit and then successfully stopped at my first red light where I was first in line to turn right. I was still nervous and waited for the light to turn green. When it did, I eased out the clutch and rolled on the throttle....just not quite enough. When the engine died, the bike lurched and I racked myself on the tank. Hard. I loosed a string of curses that would make a sailor blush as i started it back up and went on my way. Luckily, the rest of the trip was uneventful...except for the stupid grin that etches itself across my face every time I ride.

 

[RedDeadRaven]

Unfortunately, that was nothing compared to my first major mishap. I'd had my motorcycle for less than a month and (yes, this is embarrassing) on the 4th of July weekend I lost my key. My only key. :banghead: Until then, I'd never lost a key to anything my whole life. I rarely even misplace them. This won't happen again. Anyway, I was able to trailer it to work. Called the dealer on Tuesday to figure out my options. They said I should have a small metal tag with a code on it that they could use to cut a new key. Ohhh, so thats what that was for...yeah, that was on my keyring. No I didn't write it down, I didn't know what it was for. Yes, I know it was in the manual, but I didn't get a manual with my bike. The dealership ordered one for me and I didn't get it until later and no, I didn't know I could see the manual on Yamaha's website for free. :banghead: So, option #2 is to remove the ignition and take it to dealership to have a new key cut. After talking to several dealerships and locksmiths, this is apparently my only option. I'm no mechanic, but I looked at what the job would require and decided that I could do it, but wasn't sure if I could do it without messing something up. Like I said, I'm no mechanic, but I'm good at diagnosing problems and I can figure out how to fix them...I just don't have the patience. There would have been cussing and tools thrown and I would have ended up breaking something. So, i decided to take it to the dealership to have it done, but I had to wait 'til payday. Delivered it to dealer on Friday and they're 2 weeks behind. By the time I get it back I'll have not been able to ride it for longer than I had it before I lost the key. If there is a bright side (so I tell myself) it's that it has been WAY too hot to gear up and ride anyway and I won't ride without being fully geared. Sadly, a cool front came through this afternoon and dropped the temp 20 degrees.... I miss my baby.

 

[DocFZ]

Bought my bike, then brain hemmhorage

Bought my bike april 23rd of this year. Then after work one night I was supposed to ride to see my g/f who at the time was about 35 miles away. But something didnt feel right. I wasnt in any pain on my ride home but I just felt I shouldnt go anywhere. Then about 45 minutes later I had the BIGGEST headache of my life. Literally like someone cracked me in the head with a bat. I was rushed to the hospital and told I had a brain aneurysm that has basically popped and started bleeding. Went thru invasive brain surgery and was not allowed to ride my bike for three months. It sat and sat and sat with just 95 miles on it just begging to be ridden. And now its got 1100 miles on it and I was just cleared to ride towards the end of july. But good thing I got the bike before- cause no dealer would give a loan out to someone whos gonna have thousands of medical bills (still makin my payments just fine tho)

 

[drunknfairy]

How do you prevent something like this?

I've been riding a 125cc for about 1.5yrs, last weekend I bought my first 600cc.

Today while going downhill to an intersection, I stopped at the stop sign. Everything is good. A car goes by, still good. Check both ways before making my left hand turn, good good. In the middle of my turn, a car decides he's not going to stop but make a wide circle in front of me to pass before I can complete the turn. Front brake, rear brake, and first gear. Being that I'm on a hill and partially leaned over, I still stopped, but the weight of the bike on one leg pulled me down. Now I'm on a downward angle trying to straighten the wheel and right this bike. Too flippin heavy for me, I drop my baby twice. If it weren't for some onlookers and a passerby I never would have got it upright on that hill.

Now I have scratches, a torn FZ6R decal, and the plastic vent just beside the headlight is popped out a bit. Oh and don't forget a now shortened clutch lever! And of course my husband blames the whole thing on me. I take responsibility as I was the one riding, but don't know what I could have down differently. Other than having Spider-sense.

Any suggestions to prevent this kind of thing?

Lesson Learned: 1) Don't go down steep hills, 2) Go to the gym and get some muscles before buying a heavier motorcycle

 

[dart1963]

I've been riding a 125cc for about 1.5yrs, last weekend I bought my first 600cc.

Today while going downhill to an intersection, I stopped at the stop sign. Everything is good. A car goes by, still good. Check both ways before making my left hand turn, good good. In the middle of my turn, a car decides he's not going to stop but make a wide circle in front of me to pass before I can complete the turn. Front brake, rear brake, and first gear. Being that I'm on a hill and partially leaned over, I still stopped, but the weight of the bike on one leg pulled me down. Now I'm on a downward angle trying to straighten the wheel and right this bike. Too flippin heavy for me, I drop my baby twice. If it weren't for some onlookers and a passerby I never would have got it upright on that hill.

Now I have scratches, a torn FZ6R decal, and the plastic vent just beside the headlight is popped out a bit. Oh and don't forget a now shortened clutch lever! And of course my husband blames the whole thing on me. I take responsibility as I was the one riding, but don't know what I could have down differently. Other than having Spider-sense.

Any suggestions to prevent this kind of thing?

Lesson Learned: 1) Don't go down steep hills, 2) Go to the gym and get some muscles before buying a heavier motorcycle

PA, huh.. more and more of you popping on here! Check out the NE section for a planned ride coming up in Oct.
There is a way to pick up the bike, if you are by yourself, it's the whole, use your legs with your back to the bike (google a how to pick up a dropped mc).
Sometimes, once you reach the tip point and have no momentum, the weight is just too much, I've done it twice, but both times with the assistance of gravel. Best you can do is make sure you're clear of getting anything crushed, hit the kill switch, and help her lay down gently until you can get you composure together to get her back up.

 

[dart1963]

Almost lost it... at about 5=10mph


usually run straight through my yard and pull up to my parking spot... wow... squirrelly... wasn't expecting it, and my back tire hit a couple leaves, bump, something... and it kicked out to the right... as the bike twisted... and I wasn't ready for it, the throttle proceeded to go up as well (just the way it was all rotating), took me a split second, to get back off the throttle completely... sqeeze my legs up hard, and pull the bike back straight...


wow.

 

[thatklutzychick]

Lesson Learned: 1) Don't go down steep hills, 2) Go to the gym and get some muscles before buying a heavier motorcycle

I feel your pain drunknfairy.

I took my bike out for the first time this weekend for nothing more exciting than parking lot practice. I even had a very experienced rider friend drive it out there for me. All I was doing was starting and stopping. I ride a road bike frequently, and I'm used to setting my right foot down first with my handlebars slightly turned right since the seat is kind of high for me.

The seat on the fizzer's just a tad high for me too -- I can put the balls of my feet down all the way, but my heels are up a little, so I thought I could stop the same way I do on my bicycle. Wrong! The momentum from the 470 lbs. of bike to the right was too much for me and it started tipping. Fortunately, I was able to cushion the fall so all I had were a couple of scratches on the decal, but I still felt incredibly stupid.

 

[Kspalla]

Well mine was at my house the second week i had her, was putting the bike away after a short ride and had just gotten the front half through the double doors on the shed when i realized i don't have enough inertia to get the back tire up the two inch lip at the entrance... the bike started rolling backward and i lost my balance and it started to fall away and although im a fairly strong guy the situation bested me. The resulting out come was it hit the frame of the shed and scuffed the seat, cracked the rear seat faring, bruised my ego and i almost lost my religion.


Two weeks new!!!!!
and im thinking :banghead:
Ruined my day

Lesson learned: This bike is heavy, when moving it, while not riding, keep a death grip on it and pay attention to the surroundings

 

[Detrich]

Yep. 475 lbs is a lot of weight...