Flippineck - Dropped it again! - Page 2

**NedLudd** · 23 Sep 07, 01:12 PM

Tangentially (as this would be radical solution...), I knew someone who had a sidecar. Once, after dropping the sidecar off for a paint job, he pulled up at the lights. And slowly toppled over. Because of course on that bike he'd never previously put a foot down.

**Steve GD** · 23 Sep 07, 02:23 PM

Thanks for all the advice and guidance, folks. (And for the ribbing too!!). I'm slowly coming to an understanding of why I'm dropping the darn thing and I may take up Ollie's kind offer of further training to help me correct my faults.
I note with interest that no one has chosen to offer advice on how to minimise the embarrassment , if we leave aside the obvious, "Don't be such a twipping flirp as to drop it in the first place." Which confirms my belief there is no real way to do it.
Thanks again!

**Steve GD** · 23 Sep 07, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NedLudd

Tangentially (as this would be radical solution...), I knew someone who had a sidecar. Once, after dropping the sidecar off for a paint job, he pulled up at the lights. And slowly toppled over. Because of course on that bike he'd never previously put a foot down.

Day before yesterday on the A45 coming up to a roundabout in the car, there was a queue ahead waiting for traffic already ion the roundabout. In the queue were 2 bikes, one of which was one of these Gilera 500 3wheeler jobbies. I'm guessing the rider had not had it long cos he lifted a foot off the peg to put it down when he had to stop. Oh how I laughed!

**mcr998** · 23 Sep 07, 03:50 PM

Tough luck Steve,

I've just recently taken to hitting the lock stops in mid-turn myself. Still haven't worked out why yet.

As for slow speed U-turms, even after 20 years I still can't do one feet up. It my look babyish, but I'll paddle every time in preferance to dropping the bike.

**Ollie** · 23 Sep 07, 04:22 PM

i can actually u turn my 996, i am impressed! lol

**LAP13** · 23 Sep 07, 04:40 PM

Ah, only twice?!!

I dropped every one of my instructors bikes (3 of) at least once - Ended up offering to pay for levers after I had broken the first 5...

Same problem, I had a mental block with U's and as I knew I couldn't put my foot down on the test, got into the habit of snatching that front brake. (Doing it on the middle of a roundabout, first time out on a CBR500 is bad, then getting back to the car park and doing it on a U turn 30 mins later is embarrassing)

As has been suggested, find a nice big empty car park or industrial estate and practice clutch control, remember that the slower you are going, the less momentum you have and that's what keeps the bike upright. It's when the bike grinds to a halt (or stops suddenly) that it will go over. If in doubt, whack ya foot down as there is noone watching you on your test now!

**Rudolph Hart** · 23 Sep 07, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swannymere

Find a nice empty industrial estate and practice, practice, practice.

Good tip from Swannymere. Will help you to familiarise yourself with the bike and to understand what it can & can't do.

If it happens again & to prevent the embarrassment from a 'drop' have a look at this

:

Fisher Outdoor Leisure Limited: STP001: PUSH Universal Stabilisers (for 12-20inch Wheels) Boxed

**Mini Mo** · 23 Sep 07, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkST

What's a DAS style u-turn ?

A u-turn in a road's width. Have got it off pat on the ST now... what with all the getting lost I did this summer

**Steve GD** · 23 Sep 07, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudolph Hart

Good tip from Swannymere. Will help you to familiarise yourself with the bike and to understand what it can & can't do.

If it happens again & to prevent the embarrassment from a 'drop' have a look at this

:

Fisher Outdoor Leisure Limited: STP001: PUSH Universal Stabilisers (for 12-20inch Wheels) Boxed

Top product, ROF, thanks for the link.

**Paivi** · 23 Sep 07, 09:05 PM

Have you thought about valet parking?

**Kes** · 23 Sep 07, 11:04 PM

Couple of points:

1. I can really sympathise with you on this one, but the feet down paddling thing? it may not look that cool' but it always works. I learnt this the hard way, (but at least it wasn't my bike):

2. Thankfully, I've never dropped my Duke in this fashion, but I'm reminded of a similar event which happened to me last year when I was persuaded to test ride a triumph Rocket III. As I got back to the bike shop, I did a tight left hand turn into the parking bay and just before I stopped I hit the front brake a bit hard. Let me tell you now, that one of those things only needs to be half a degree off upright and it's going over. In a hilarious act of misplaced belief in my own strength, I then made matters worse by trying to pick the thing up on my own....I must have looked such a tw*t...talking of which:

3. I find the best way to deal with embrassment (and believe me. I'm no stranger to it) is to make light of the situation. In this case you might have said to the helpful Harley rider (there's an oxymoron if ever I heard one) as he was picking the bike up off of your foot: "What are you doin! I was just about to get my knee down at five miles an hour"

Hope this helps.

K

**Steve GD** · 24 Sep 07, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kes

Couple of points:

1. I can really sympathise with you on this one, but the feet down paddling thing? it may not look that cool' but it always works. I learnt this the hard way, (but at least it wasn't my bike):

2. Thankfully, I've never dropped my Duke in this fashion, but I'm reminded of a similar event which happened to me last year when I was persuaded to test ride a triumph Rocket III. As I got back to the bike shop, I did a tight left hand turn into the parking bay and just before I stopped I hit the front brake a bit hard. Let me tell you now, that one of those things only needs to be half a degree off upright and it's going over. In a hilarious act of misplaced belief in my own strength, I then made matters worse by trying to pick the thing up on my own....I must have looked such a tw*t...talking of which:

3. I find the best way to deal with embrassment (and believe me. I'm no stranger to it) is to make light of the situation. In this case you might have said to the helpful Harley rider (there's an oxymoron if ever I heard one) as he was picking the bike up off of your foot: "What are you doin! I was just about to get my knee down at five miles an hour"

Hope this helps.

K

Thanks for the advice , Kes, and I wish I had had the presence of mind to say that to the very helpful HD rider.
Dropped a Rocket! Respect.