| Author | Message | ||
     Wyckedflesh |
It was such a nice morning. I finished putting the stock tailsection back together after having it apart to get a custom subframe designed to work with some spare bodywork I picked up. A quick wipe down to get rid of the finger prints and a quick ride to make sure everythign was bolted down snug. Set the bike in place and left it idling, hooked the ramp on the tailget and set the tiedown to keep it tight. Set up the small step set-up that lets me walk the bike up the ramp and all was looking golden. Line the bike up, and shift into first. Just enough throttle and clutch to get the bike going up the ramp on its own. Step up onto the side step, the front wheel hits the tailgate when it happened. I don't know how or why or what god's cheerios I pissed in but it did. The ramp shifted sidways just enough the tang on my side slipped off the tailgate. In an instant of utter horror I realised my pride and joy, hung in the air by the front wheel only. The back wheel hit and since the bike was still in first gear, falling as it had the throttle cracked wide open before I had a chance to let go. The sounds of the tailsection mangling snapped me fully alert. Thumb hit kill switch (THANK YOU MSF DRILLS!)as I tried to shift the weight of the bike as it tumbled backwards I was able to bring it back down on both wheels. A quick survey of the damage revealed the horror. The tail section was TOAST. Some nicks in the swingarm paint, but I managed to save the rest. I had visions for a second of the bike coming down and crushing the airbox and cover as well but like I said I had managed to shift weight and pulled the bike down sideways onto its wheels...I should have known the bike didn't want to go with me this weekend when I had put it up on its lift yesurday its slipped off and managed to land on the new rearset I had put on. It only bent the shift lever up and I straightened that, it isn't pretty but it still worked...now...now I get to spend the next several days trying to figure out how the hell it happened...and really dig in to the project of a custom tail section... | ||
| M1combat |
Sorry to hear that. | ||
| Reepicheep |
YUCK wyked... sorry to hear that. I had my own little experience like that, but more humiliating then damaging. I was on vacation (Bethany Beach DE, down near OCBueller) and was loading the bike on a borrowed trailer at about 6 am. It must have been on a drop or an incline or something, because (unlike the 3 or so other times I rolled the bike right up with no problem) the exhaust hung on the lip between the drop down tailgate / ramp and the trailer, right when my arms were fully extended. Bike hung when I expected it to roll nicely up into the trailer, and I lacked the leverage to hold it up. Bike SLOWLY sinks over to right side, I clamber over and wedge my knee under the bike to keep it from flopping. It never goes fully down, but does get the brake toe peg down far enough to wedge itself in the open mesh of the trailer. So there I sit, in a vacation community at 6 in the morning with not a soul to be seen. I am wedged beneath a motorcycle half on a trailer, can't lift it upright while toe peg is in mesh, cant get my leg out and let it fall either. There I sit, laughing. Eventually, after realizing there is no kind jogger that will come to my rescue, I manage to work the bike left far enough to get the toe peg out of the mesh, and can then wrestle the bike back upright. Wish I had a video  I feel your pain! | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Ah Bethany I know it well...Did you guys go to DelMarVa bike week 2003? | ||
| Buckinfubba |
man that hurts just reading it | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Does this mean you either A) aren't at work anymore today or B) you didn't get my voice message Brian? | ||
| Metalstorm |
 I'm very sorry to hear that. I can't imagine the horror. I'm glad that you're ok however and the bike can be fixed. | ||
| Ocbueller |
Ah, I know your pain, both mentally and physically. Never did quite get the hang of riding or walking a bike up a single plank. Dropped my KLR once, dented the tank, overextended my knee and really bruised my ego. Luckily nobody was watching, it wasn't at all graceful. Most motocrossers can do it with their eyes closed. I now try to use a very wide ramp or at least more than one plank. Delmarva Bike Week was actually pretty good this year and seems to be getting better as it grows. SteveH |
