Drop Log: Year One
So, I’ve decided to keep a record of all my stupid bike drops. There are all sorts of ways to drop your motorcycle. Some folks almost never do, and then there are those like me, that do it all the time. I’ve decided to keep my sense of humor about it, and post them.
Bike: Buell Blast
Drop #1 I was being a good little noobie, and doing my parking lot practice. I’d felt like I just, finally, nailed my figure 8, and hopped off the bike to move my cones and do it again. I was only going to be off the bike for a minute, so I was going to leave it running. Put down the kick stand, swung my leg off and dropped the clutch. Would have been great, but I’d neglected to put the bike in neutral. Drove it right off the kick stand and onto the ground. Woo Hoo! Got my first one out of the way. Left side drop.
Drop #2 I’d been riding for about a month, but was still struggling with the clutch. The Blast had a lot of low end torque and it scared me a little. I stopped at an intersection and got ready to turn left. Lefts also bother me for some reason. And to add to the stress, I was headed slightly uphill. I stalled, and stalled and stalled. The last stall, I lost it to the left. I tried to save it, but no dice, hurt my arm and fell down. OK, this one really bothered me. Bike wouldn’t start, front turning signal broken. Eventually the bike started up again, but I was wondering if I was cut out to be a rider. I thought briefly about just loading the bike up on the truck, and heading home with my tail between my legs. But instead I want back to camp, and built the fire for the evening and waited for everyone else to ride back in. It was the smart move. They had me talk it through, and found my error. A common one it turns out. The bike starts much easier in first gear than second. Double check to make sure I’m in first, and my stalling on starts magically disappeared. I’m glad I stuck with it and asked for the help.
Drop #3 It had been a good summer. I was getting comfortable with riding and had learned a lot. Just a little too comfortable as it happened. I stopped at an orchard to pick some early season apples. I’d parked sideways in the grass on a hillside. I loaded up the apples in my tail bag and hopped on the bike. I gotten so casual, I used the momentum from mounting to swing the bike upright. Which would have been fine, but when my right leg looked for the ground, it wasn’t there. The more I hunted the worse it got until it went all the way over. Doh!
Drop #4 So after a long season, I’d gotten very lazy in my techniques. I was making a u-turn. I had a wide road with shoulders on both side. Across the road was a driveway for extra room if I needed it. Now the Blast didn’t need any of this, but I hadn’t practised in months. So I make this wide turn, run onto the shoulder and into the driveway, but I’m suddenly running out of room because the entrance to the driveway is actually a bridge over the stream running along the side of the road. I either need to crank it back on the road or stop, ’cause I’m headed into the stream. Stab on the brakes, bike is still leaned over to the left, so straight to the ground. I stood there and laughed. How did I screw up? Let me count the ways. But if I’d just turned my head and looked where I wanted to go all would have been fine. And really, parking lot practise is probably a good idea.
So a grand total of four drops for the season, three to the left and one to the right. Damage done, two turning signals (same one twice), and a few scratches. Nothing to make me quit riding. I was really looking forward to the next year.
