My point is saying that dropping a motorcycle is actually a pretty common occurrence. A lot of people out there assume that dropping a motorcycle is detrimental to the vehicle and that it will never be the same.
That is simply not the case. My father-in-law has a saying that I think holds true. Most of the damage is cosmetic which can be easily be fixed without having to worry about the function of the motorcycle. You can find almost anything online and reinstall yourself such as a new exhaust pipes and new handlebars. This is much cheaper and will teach you a new skill at the same time. Issues such as a dented tank or scratched crankcase can also be fixed by yourself.
Click here to see my article on how to fix and repaint a motorcycle gas tank. With a little bit of bondo and some patience, you can get a gas tank looking as good as new.
Luckily there are some signs you can look for when you look at the motorcycle that can tell you whether it was simply dropped in place or if it was in a more serious accident.
I know I mentioned that a simple drop of a motorcycle can result in various types of scratches. If a motorcycle was in a more serious drop or slide, one of the obvious signs of that will be severe scratches on various parts of the motorcycle that are consistent with each other.
A simple drop will not make such harsh scratches on a motorcycle like that. Another sign that a motorcycle was in a more serious case than a simple drop is if either or both of the wheels wobble. The front wheel should always be perpendicular to the handlebars. Any wobble may indicate a hard collision by either the motorcycle running in to something or someone rear-ended the motorcycle. Before my KZ was rebuilt, I attempted to reach across my motorcycle with my right hand, to adjust the choke on the left side, while holding in the clutch with my left hand.
So, I reached out to my motorcycle friends to gather up some stories of their riding mistakes. Some are silly, even entertaining — while others make my heart ache in sympathy. A lot of them, though, like the new rider who got in touch with me, had to do with dropping or nearly dropping their bikes.
Some of them happened at a stand-still…. This summer I was moving my bike around in the garage and took it back too far. There is about a half inch drop into the street and instead of turning it on and clutching in I tried to push it. Over we toppled! Had to replace the shifter. So, what happened a couple of times is that I parked my bike at a spot slightly downhill and then was not able to back out of the parking spot and had to get someone dragging me out… when I finally learned that, I thought I am being smart parking backwards, overlooked the curb in all proudness, got stuck and dropped my almost brand new bike….
I made the mistake of trying to slowly do a u-turn on a steep hill. But I was determined not to get a scratch on my bike so I very carefully laid on the ground and set it on top of me. My friend came running to pick it up off me. Terribly embarrassing to do right in front of experienced riders. But, I was successful in not getting a single scratch on my baby!
I was to follow him to our destination — and as he turned around, I tried to turn around on the hill also, not thinking it would even be a thing to get off the bike and walk it. I was a mess, and certain I had bit off more than I could chew. Day two and I had already caused so much damage to my bike. Through this and a few other experiences … I have learned how to better predict places I should not get myself into — and how to handle situations where I have.
It takes time and mistakes to be more one with your bike… If you grew a new arm tomorrow, it would take time to learn to use it. Remember these experiences and grow from them. We all do. I dropped my bike in a parking lot. And at a red light. And in my driveway. Take it easy at first when temps are low! Dropped 2 bikes this way. Their design takes weight distribution into account for best handling under normal operating conditions. Be honest with yourself about your interest in riding.
Set yourself up for success by following the tips above. Motorcycling is challenging, demanding, and so exhilarating! Whatever happens and what you learn about yourself on a motorcycle, both strengths and challenges, carry over into other parts of your life. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. Keep your head high and your eyes up. A lifetime of adventure awaits! I had to get a long tube of steel and with help, pry it back up thru the front roll bar.
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