i finally did it, dropped Suzy

So embarrassed right now, and slightly upset. I parked in Coles, put stand down and as I got off, the damn thing flicked up, and over she went, knocking a little Bug scooter over. So basically I've laid it over but broke off mirror, scratched tiny bit of fairing and engine casing. God, wish I'd stayed home.

As long as you didnt injure yourself SS. Busted bits can be replaced. Put it down to experience and a shyt side stand. I dropped mine off the side stand while adjusting the crappy headlight. The look on the kids faces took the embarrasment out of what had just happened. The little buggers were picking up bits of busted globe and indicator hoping I could "stick it" back together again!!

Thanx SB, i needed a laugh lol...
Im aching, cant imagine how it would feel to fall off that thing at high speed, and survive. Luckily the chiropractor can see me in 3 hours time.
I had a rant at husband, its all his fault. He made me buy a big bike. I told him he can take both my bikes back to Adelaide after the weekend, and trade them all in on the 2012 Triumph Tiger 1050 he wants. I think hes seriously thinking about it now... Of course, this had to happen before the Black Dog Ride that ive registered to do. grrr

I can empathise with you SS. I've had mine roll off the side stand on the farm due to uneven ground, which broke the clutch lever and indicator. Then I crashed it on a muddy dirt road (at very low speed) breaking some of the fairing, RHS indicator and adding lots of scratches all over. Oddly, I can't remember the actual fall and whether it landed on me but I was able to get up and pick it back up - quite a feat in the mud I can tell you. I wouldn't want a high speed drop with a 250kg monster on top of me and if there is one single thing that leads me to sell for another bike it will be a fear of the weight of the Bandit (so i won't be buying a ZX-14, FJR, Goldwing, etc). It is that reason that I recently noticed how light the new MV Augusta 800 Brutale was (65kg lighter than the Bandit), not that I can afford one. But I hear you when you start talking about the Tiger.

I always double check the stand and leave the bike in gear, because once the heavy lump starts to fall there's no coming back

Hard luck Suzy, it's what insurance is for. If you wanted a light bike you'd be riding a trail bike right

Bad luck mate but you have joined the club.
Mine rolled off at about 4 weeks old but I caught it before it landed but it took a couple of months for my left elbow to come good.
They're heavy after the tipping point.

Your bike is fixable. Don't stress. I dont think it's a design fault either. Maybe too much haste.

When I had my GS500F I was approaching some roadworks on a bend. as i stopped at the red signal light and put both feet down I realized there was more camber on the road than I first thought. As the bike went right I threw my weight left. I saved the bike but threw my back out. It was an uncomfortable ride home after that. The 500's about 60kgs lighter than the bandit, I don't reckon I could save the bandit in the same circumstance. If she's going down shes going down that's all there is to it.

Thats why I added the ugly knobs......

Bummer. Time and $'s will fix everything. Now every time you park you will be so careful, it will never happen again. You'll be right for the 'Black Dog'. It's all a learning ( or should I say "leaning" ) curve.

I wish someone had warned me about heavy bikes and stands, nearly dropped the bike when the side stand flicked up but managed to hold it.

Someone should have told me never put it on the centre stand when the ground leans to the side, I should have realised when the bike tipped away from me when putting it on the stand, when I took it off it just pulled me over on top of it.

Another useful tip, don't move a 200+kg bike with the side stand down if you are only wearing thongs,


I always double check the side stand now, won't happen again (touch wood).


Short version, it happens to the best of us, learn from it and don't let it bother you too much.

Bugger SS not good but you'll bounce back - no pun intended.

Something to make you giggle - when I was a young fella I pulled my GSX1100F up to a group of girls feeling rather cool. That was until I realised the funny feeling I had in my head was not because of the cute girls, but rather, I forgot to put my feet down when I stopped and was falling sideways...

Have owned a full face helmet ever since

SuzySuzuki wrote:Thanx SB, i needed a laugh lol...
Im aching, cant imagine how it would feel to fall off that thing at high speed, and survive.

I can honestly say that it isn't much fun.

and that man speaks from experience!!

Bugger SS, unfortunately it happens. I saved mine from having a lay down a while back

As you can see Suzy you are not the only one to do this. Mine was in the garage when it laid down with me under it. I still don't know how i managed to get it back up. You must gain extra strength when you're angry. So from then on, after kicking the stand out i always leave my foot behind it as it touches down to the ground so it can't pop back up.

I feel your pain. My bike decided to do the same trick on Friday morning.

I wheeled it out of the shed, put the side stand down like I always do & went to put on my helmet ................... then crash, the dam thing went arse up on the pavers.

Friggin heavy to get back up again. I am reasonably vigliant about it rolling off stands but this one caught me left field big time.

Broke the clutch lever, punched in the indicator & scratched the fairing & crank case cover. Very P'd off at myself.

But if that's the worst that I do to it I can live with this one! Geez there must be plastic for miles if you put them down the road.

New lever & a bit of touch spray paint from the fix it man & it will be like new again.

I'm always reluctant to comment on these type of posts for fear of bringing myself some bad luck ... I need a big lump of wood to hang onto.
It does happen, happened to me on my blue bandit S when I forgot about a disc lock, fortunately that was the last time I dropped a bike. Since then I had the silver GSX for 18 months and 44000 kms and never laid it down mostly to having had the blue one and was used to that type of bike and had learnt how to handle it while moving it around.

The BMW has not been dropped either (wheres that lump of wood) and every time I want to go for a ride I need to move the bike around before throwing my leg over it. The BMW side stand is so much worse than the bandit but it does give an audible indication that it is down but I always look at it before setting the bikes weight onto it (whether there be concrete, tar or dirt underneath)

A few things to remember are;
1. always leave it in 1st gear and then roll forward until the engine stops it from going further forward (whether on flat ground or not, its a matter of habit)

2. whats the ground below doing, whats the camber of the road, would I be better of parking 90 degrees to the curb, or parking elsewhere. Is there gravel about that can make your foot go from under you when getting off or getting on

3. dirt, is there a chance of it consuming your side stand, or as above gravel that your foot can slip on.

4. stupid disc locks

5. yes it is embarrassing when it falls over but embarrassment is always a great learning curve, bet it won't happen again.

Hi Suzy

I'm only new here, but it looks like its a common thing.
On one of my very early rides, I had my brute of a 14 year old son on the back for his 1st ride.
On our return home we started slowly up my drive ( Steep) & lost balance. He felt it going & jumped off & I was left holding the baby.
The engine cowling just kissed the concrete whilst I managed to stop it going completely down, thereby saving Indicator , Clutch, Fairing.
All the while the wife is up on the deck laughing. Obviously funny from where she was standing...

You live & learn.
The young fella now hops off down the bottom of the hill & I make sure no one is watching when I muck up!!!

If it makes you feel better, I think lots of people have a story like yours. Mine goes like this...
40 odd minute ride home from a night shift. About 5am in the middle of winter and pouring rain. Of course it wasn't raining when I went to work, so I didn't take any wet weather gear. I thought I'd struck it lucky when I didn't get any lights on the way home, and didn't have to stop once until I got there. Unfortunately by the time I got home my legs had cramped pretty bad, and all I could do was sit there on the bike while it fell over on the driveway. I only tell this story secure in the anonymity of the Internet! So glad no one saw it happening!

Hmp amateurs is all I can say.

You're not a pro until you have dropped the bike twice. . . like I have

Both times in the driveway which seems to be a common theme from previous posts.

One of my mature Harley riding mates was on a ride with several of us. We got to a point where we stopped, but he stopped on a slope sideways and tried to put his foot down on the lower side. Down he went in slow motion. I got off my bike, looked at him and said, "WTF are you doing" ? Then lifted the big pig of a bike up off him. His pride was hurt big time. Have asked him several times to come for another ride with us but he has declined. See. Harley riders have feelings too.

Well, "Touch Wood now" - I came very close to dropping mine. Same story, in the driveway at home. We live on a bit of a slope, side stand kicked "down" and I felt the bike start to move forward. I was just damned lucky enough to have my hand on the brake lever and just grabbed it. The stand had not moved far enough to flick up, and it just stopped. I was able to grab it and lean it back up and the stand flicked up! (but by that time I had a decent enough hold to straighten it up).

As I say, I am just bloody lucky.

Thanks for the advice from all though. One of the big advantages in being in a forum like this

stevemcc wrote:Well, "Touch Wood now" - I came very close to dropping mine.

Parking at work today, Bird munching on something where I normally park.
Ride up, Bird scatters.
Put foot down and it slides out under me.......
WTF....
Bananna...... Lucky to hold her upright.... Scared the brown stuff out of me......

My wife had brought her plants/flowers into the garage to get them out of an evening frost (Canada).
It left me just enough room to get the bike in. I got off and as I walked one way it rolled the other. I was left trying to stop it by holding nothing but rear fender. Every part that was to hit the ground landed in the soil of one of her planters! Not a scratch! She bares a few age marks and battle scars now but so do I and she still loves me! (The bike I mean) LOL
Glad you are ok.

I did the same a month or 2 ago. $700 bucks for a clutch, fairing, engine cover and mirror (about half was the fairing though). NOT HAPPY. It happens

I nearly dropped mine on the way home from picking up the new GSX 1250FA. I called in to see my son at his work and parked it on the side stand, went in to have a talk and for him to see the new bike, and when we came out to see it about 10 minutes later, the side stand had sunk about an inch and a half into the bitumen, phew that was lucky and it only had about 12 km on the speedoat thetime.
Regards
Paul