Must've hit oil or diesel on the road. Don' beat yourself, can't be blamed for that.

 

Yup, been there, done that. Didn't even have oil to blame. Thats why I got a crash guard for mine. Not the clean sportster look, but WAY less damage when/if you drop it.

 

Wow, glad to hear your ok. I have done similar 2 times but in the grass and dirt. Put my left foot down in a hole parking in a field and over she went. Wasn’t an uncontrolled drop but it went down nonetheless. That was my 03 Heritage...no damage. The second time we were at Full Throttle Saloon outside of Sturgis and trying to park in a dustbowl at night. The parking lot was full so we were in a dirt field and I was on an incline sideways. My foot slipped on the dirt and over she went...bike and the wife. It didn’t go all the way down...crash bar and floorboard stopped it. It was controlled too and no damage to the bike (2012 Streetglide) or the wife. My ego was bruised. I damn near got a hernia lifting it up lol...sideways on the hill against gravity. Stuff happens...

 

​​​​​​​Have you run them down to the carcass?

 

Funny you mention that, because on my way to work, at a different intersection, I stopped, put my feet down, and they began sliding as if the ground was ice. That one confused me for a few seconds.

 

Glad you are okay

Are you using the rear brake only, front brake only or both brakes when under 20MPH coming to a planned stop?

 

In a straight line with the bike upright to a stop line either brake but mostly the front ought not to cause the bike to go down unless there was something on the road. This is of course with the motorcycle properly serviced.

I guess jamming on the rear only could cause a slide.

 

I used a combination of front and rear brakes in a straight line. My tires are close to the wear bar, so I cannot imagine that helping. Otherwise, the road I was on isn't particularly well maintained and has an accident almost daily, so I wouldn't be surprised if I slid on a combination of gravel and oil.
Now to replace the handlebars and hop back on.

 

Close to but not below should still offer safe traction. The whole reason for them being there.

I have been reading Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough.

It was written a long time ago now but the road hazards you meet now will be very much the same as the ones he writes about; how to spot them and how to deal with them.

 

Eliminated the offset clevis and installed foot boards