Almost dumped her!!
#11
04-20-2012, 12:05 AM
Road Captain
I agree - it's not if it's when it's going to happen it's when! - I had a hell of a time with the side stand - almost dropped it twice & did drop it once - I bought the side stand extension & it took care of the problem - best mod I have made to the bike for me.
#12
04-20-2012, 04:27 AM
#14
04-20-2012, 05:54 AM
Advanced
#15
04-20-2012, 06:17 AM
I have to be honest. I hate, at the moment these things happen, but, in the long run I learn to appreciate them. It's kind of like a permanant wake up call how quickly crap can happen. It never leaves your mind and in my opinion, makes you a better rider, one that anticipates all of the possibilities. I have two that I will share (many more that I keep in my mind). First one is I'm riding my Honda, brand new bike, to get a hair cut. (i'm 20 yrs old I think) Turn into the barbers parking lot, doing all of 10 mph and all of a sudden the bike drops. Come to find out, the just laid new gravel the day before. I knew it was a gravel lot, didn't have any idea how slick new gravel was. The second was my brother and I were driving on back country roads that we weren't familiar with. Came to a 90 degree curve that wasn't marked with a sign. Went straight through the curve and stopped in the grass. If a car had been coming the other direction....well, you get the point. Being 46 yrs old now, I find myself looking at what the drivers around me are doing, anticipating their mistakes. Just tonight, I came up on an on ramp that in often congested. I was in the fast lane and had a cager in the merge lane. He was on his cell phone and new he wasn't ready for the oncoming traffic. I let off and sure enough, he jerked his wheel left at the last minute. You have to be a totally defensive driver on a a bike
#16
04-20-2012, 06:20 AM
Right on Mark, the shoes I had on were very similar to tennis shoes and very low profile.
#17
04-20-2012, 07:05 AM
#18
04-20-2012, 01:31 PM
We got to ride about 200 miles yesterday afternoon and stopped after a few hours for a bite to eat. The streetside parking spot had a slight slope to it & there was sand out about 2 ft from the curb, as I soon found out... My left foot slid out about a foot & I was on the very edge of keeping us up and considering the last resort of having to try to lay it down gently.
All of a sudden the bike felt lighter & I was able to right it. Talking to the wife about it, she said her foot wouldn't reach the ground but she did lean as far as she could the opposite way. Her fast thinking kept us upright.
All of a sudden the bike felt lighter & I was able to right it. Talking to the wife about it, she said her foot wouldn't reach the ground but she did lean as far as she could the opposite way. Her fast thinking kept us upright.
#19
04-20-2012, 01:50 PM
Intermediate
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Eastern, NC
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Guilty! I bought an 82 FLH, first day bringing it home, pulled into the driveway, then onto the yard, and went to put my right foot down. The slope of the yard was a lot higher on the left side of the bike. I went over on the right side just as the wife, and in-laws, and friends came out the door. Hurts more when people are watching. Hasn't' happened since.
#20
04-20-2012, 01:52 PM
You have to watch stopping at toll booths on parkways. Hot cars on the highway drop tons of oil right where you put your feet down at the tolls. Watched a friend go down that way. This may not be as much of an issue these days with Easypass. Same thing happens at busy intersections, particularly when people are running air conditions in their cages and water collects on the road on top of the slick oil.