bike dropping precautions?

[ct20b drifter]

oooh, my 1st post! hehe, ok i'm new here and i'm new to bikes period. i've heard the gs500 is a great starter bike so here i am. i've read around and learnt a whole lot. my question specificaly about this bike is: what can i do to minimize damage when i drop the bike? also how much of a burden is it to pick it up once it's down? does this bike require a cherry picker to bring it back up?(1/2 joking)

thanx for any info, thanx =)

[Cal Price]

After I dropped mine I fitted these....


And here is a link to some good advice about lifting, the trick is to avoid dropping, most new "drops" are 0mph or very close to it often when using the centrestand. There is a lot of advice about that on this forum, it's pretty much a confidence issue. I stand to the left of the bike, face her up a slight incline if you have one handy, keep the side stand down so you can pull her towards you if things start to go wrong. Left hand on left bar, right foot on centrestand, right hand on the bar just under the plastic, use the stud as a guide it normally "splits" the fingers but wherever you are comfortable then push down the right foot whilst lifting with right hand, make sure bike is upright by jiggling to make sure both feet of the stand are in contact with the ground then go for it, the main lifting force is from the downward movement of your weight on the right foot assisted by lifting with your right hand. This is a confidence thing, it's not difficult but when doing it for the first time try and get a M8 to stand on the other side of the bike also if you have to do it alone try and do it with the fuel tank low, a full tank can affect the centre of gravity quite a lot. I am not a big guy and I can do it comfortably with full tank but it did take a while to find the confidence after a drop at the outset.

http://www.motorcyclesafety.state.mn.us/pages/tips_pages/tips_lift.html
Good Luck and Welcome........

[Pam G]

If the bike is dropped while running, hit the kill switch as soon as possible so there will be no engine damage.  If the bike falls on the right side, put the sidestand down so it doesn't fall over on the left side when you put it upright.
I'm a 5"3" female & don't have a whole lot of upper body strength, but I can still get the GS500 uprighted without too much problem.  I've had to do it more than a few times!

Refer to:  http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html

[Eklipse]

I've done a couple "0 mph" drops. You might get a scratch or two on your mirrors/turn signals. And I had a crash, a while ago. Thank you cagers. I went down at about 50mph topside, you can see the damage to my bike on my page (the scratches on the fairing/dents in the tank). I don't know how far we slid, I was unconcious; probably about 20 or 30 feet.

It's not too hard to pick up, but it's no joke either so lift with your legs and don't strain your back. I can't see anyone who's qualified to ride the GS not able to pick it up.

[TOMIMOTO]

Hey good to see you dropped by CT20B. You'll realize that this place is just as good as the MR2OC. It has less rules but is still not out of control.

[ct20b drifter]

Hey good to see you dropped by CT20B. You'll realize that this place is just as good as the MR2OC. It has less rules but is still not out of control.

yeah, it's a helpful site, thanx for the link

[Daniely]

I dropped my CBR on sunday, no protection (no fairings or sliders I mean). Its a might bit heavier than the GS, but its still no problem lifting it up. Course im 6'2" and 220 lbs, so I kinda have an advantage. But still, no damage to my bike, and no damage to me (course i wasnt on the bike when it happened but tahts another story entirely). Im ordering a set of frame sliders today, so I dont have to bend my rearset back into place again next time this happens, lol.

[callmelenny]

Lots of good advice, I'll add a couple things I do.

1. Always leave the sidestand down when pushing the bike around. If the bike falls toward you, it will catch it. (I know that seems obvious   )

2. Practice using the centerstand on a nice flat surface til you get the hang of it.

3. I park my bike in the garage next to a bunch of cardboard boxes and rubbermaid containers. If it goes over that way, I've got a nice cushion. In general, look where your bike MIGHT fall when you park it.

4. Never underestimate idiots :x  I had an old bike turned over by the neighborhood kids playing motorcycle. My current GS was bumped by a car in a parking lot and overturned.

Park defensively.