Oh lifes little embarassing moments

So over the weekend, I'm having a nice ride, it's a beautiful day, no cagers actively trying to kill me, all is going well. Then I come to a stop sign, slow down, coming up to the intersection, oh crap coming a little hot (not so much that one would panic, but noticeable), Ok no problem, just brake a little more. Wait I said a little more, not grab the front brake like you're falling to your doom (which I guess is what the part of the brain that controls the hand reflexes must have heard) and I clamp down to hard on the front brake.

Now needless to say I'm bucked a little forward, not bad, but enough to be almost up on the tank. The bike comes to an abrupt stop and I'm not in a good position to place my leg on the ground. So the bike stops, the leg goes down, oh holy hell I cant hold the bike in this position so I set the bike down and step over the bike and curse my luck.

Just as I'm picking the bike back up, I start hear "Hey Mister" coming from about four different directions, just as I get the bike upright I have the first of five people or groups of people coming over to see if I'm alright or if I need some help.

So two things happen in my brain at once, first is I don't want anyone coming over and checking on me, I'm embarrassed and fine and just want them to go about their business. Right after that I started thinking that hey, you had five people or groups of people come over to see if you were okay and if they could offer help. So once my embarrassment subsided I realized that these people could have walked by laughing or smirking and commenting on my stellar riding skills (which they may have as they walked away), but instead they came over to see if I was okay, kinda gives one a re-newed hope for humans.

So I was thoroughly embarrassed and a little encouraged by what happen the other day, and now I've got another story to tell.

So anyone have an embarrassing motorcycle related incident (or not) that you would like to share?

 

I Don't know if you read about my wreck at all.... But I wimped out and grabbed my front brake around a turn. I could have stuck it but I panicked. Literally had I waited another foot I would have been fine. Well it straightened me up straight into a rock bed. I went down at around 20-35mph. Bike into the rocks me onto the road. Ended up with stitches in my knee and some slight nerve damage on my left foot. Bike was totaled but I bought it back and road it to work today. Its my daily rider.


The kicker..... I was in my girl friends neighborhood, less than a 1/8th of a mile from her house, she was in her car behind me, and her mom had to cut my pants off of me with my knife. LOL!!!

 

dang, how did the bike fair?

 

LOL, do I ever and yep, I'm not able to live it down due to the wonderful friends I have!!

Out for a ride one Wed night (last Oct, our spring) with a group of friends, had a great ride and we stopped at the pub for drinks and chips. Parked on the pavement and left the bike in gear.... yep you guessed it, came out and tried to start the bike, jumped forward and landed on my leg..... the 3 other guys I was with when they asked how I was, then proceeded to laugh heartily! Everytime I see them they always say "Make sure the bike is in neutral"

Downside is that a week later I found out I had a "non displaced, lateral tibial plateau fracture" due to the bike falling on me.

 

That right there is why no one should bypass the kickstand switch.

Dave F

 

Definitely would have made life easier, amazing what you learn!

 

x2. precisely.

 

O.K.--I'll play. Once I tried to ride off on my XS650 with the security chain still locked around the rear wheel. Really didn't work out too well.

 

My XS doesn't have one. I'm pretty used to starting with the clutch pulled.

 

I think you guys mean the clutch safety switch. Kickstand safety system can be perfectly functional and if the kickstand is up and the clutch switch is disabled, then it can start in gear with the clutch out. Unless you are saying the stand was down when you started it, then I guess...

Anyway, the other day I got it into my head to try the sidestand trick. You know, pivoting the bike 180 degrees on the kickstand? Uh, yeah, so now I need to weld the frame where the stand mounts. Until then I'm using the center stand everywhere. I can heartily recommend not to try that one

 

sidestand trick?

 

?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V7dkEedgt8

haha jk, i think you must mean this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEQASq8ersA

 

Yeah, the second one Turns out the mounts weren't meant to support the whole 500 pounds of the bike. I'll try that first trick once I fix my side stand

 

dragsta,

I use the bottom heel of my foot on the ball to put the kickstand down.

Gary

 

This makes me feel better. I went to a local old Japanese bike meeting for the first time. Well I rode off with the side stand down (I know side stand safety switch never did work) but I did not notice until I tried to left. I did not turn left I just kicked it up and rode for a while as i regained my breath and blood flow to my brain. Really embarrassing have not been back since.

 

I was 15 and riding my XL200 in town but out in 'the woods' when I came across a cute girl and two dudes fishing in a small pond which had a fairly steep bank all the way around. Decided I'd stop and be the 'cool' guy with his bike. Didn't realize as I stopped just how steep the bank was and before I could lean left gravity took over and we both fell right down the 45 degree bank and almost slid into the water. Not so 'cool' after all.

 

Bikes and booze don't mix.
Went to a party in the previous Century on my 77 KH 400. Being the dick that I was back then figured I'd park the bike on the sidewalk at the bottom of the front steps and went in and partied.
Fast forward, party ends and people are leaving so I had to show off and show how "cool" I was.
Ran down the steps and with a mighty "Yeehaw"!! any Rebel would have been proud of, launched myself off the bottom step like a cowboy running and jumping on a horse.
Well I landed squarely on the seat but my momentum kept me going so that the bike tipped to the right and pinned my leg to the lawn.
Two guys lifted the bike off me amid cheers and applause.
So I did the sensible thing, gave my keys to a friend, went back in the house and slept it off.
The bike was fine and my leg was bruised and I ended up with a great story to tell.
THE END.