lots of us have done this, I did it very early with a new bike and was advised on the UK website that I would feel a lot better if I replaced the emblem (which is the most purchased suzuki part) and I did despite paying for it!
safety wise, make sure the mirrors are good and the levers are OK, sometimes the ball-end breaks and there is a temptation to carry on like that but if you even suspect damage, replace them especially the brake lever. That ball is not there to stop your hand slipping, it is there to stop the lever puncturing something, possibly you! There are plenty of aftermarked "clone" levers to be had cheaper the the origional, pays your money, makes your choice.

Quote from: ollie357Yeah, it happens. To everyone eventually. Sometimes several times. :mrgreen:

How'd you burn a "hole almost to the bone" on the exhaust? Not to rag on you but it sounds like ya got mighty slow reflexes.  
Did you get pinned under it?

I was so mad that I dropped the bike, I didnt even really feel it till after I had gotten the bike up and seen that it wasnt damaged to bad.  Then I was like, what the heck is hurting my leg?  looked down and the skin was sizzling and bubbling off.....very gross looking

(my first post)

I dropped Gus the first day I got him.  The previous owner delivered him, so I went for my first ride.  After 10 miles, I went to a gas station, put my 0.63 gallons in and went on my way.  On the way out of the gas station, I tried to turn right from a stop, leaned Gus too much and in real slow motion, he fell on me.  Luckily my leg was there to pad the fall.  I guess that's what legs are for.  Bad parking jobs led to the the next two drops somewhere around the 1 year mark.

Great site.

Some advice that I've learned the hard way over the past 35 years.  

When you extend the sidestand roll the bike back an inch or two to make sure it is fully extended. Turn off the motor.  Then shift into first and move the bike until it doesn't move.  That acts like a parking brake,

When placing the bike on the centerstand (which is much more stable) the key is to exert pressure on the foot lever as you leverage the bike backwards.  Don't try to pick to pick the bike up,  Grab the closest handlebar and some part of the middle of the rear of the bike and push your the centerstand hard with your foot.  Keep practicing till it becomes easy.

When picking up a downed bike, approach the it wiht your back to the bike.  Bend down from the knees and keeyour back straight.  Grab  the lowest handlebar and with the other hand grab something low on the bakc of the bike and then straigten up.  The bike comes right up and then straighten the front wheel and let it go while turning to face the bike.  Get on and ride away.  You should practice this by gently placing the bike down on grass,  Once you've done it, you'll see how easy it can be,

This worked for me when I was on my 900F, a very topheavy bike.  I was riding up a hill on a backroad in the mountains of North Carolina and came to a bend in the road with a pack of drooling crazy eyed dogs 30 feet ahead of me.  They owned that road and I decided to do a u-turn and dropped it.  The slope of the road and gravity were against me and the dogs were slowly coming my way growling like the Hounds from Hell.  Somehow I kept my composure and picked up the bike and got my butt outathere.

Join the club.

Last week I did just what neonyello did.
Stopped at an intersection, waited for my turn, then in front of four cagers, leaned before engaging the clutch and the bike just dropped at my feet.
:dunno:

Second drop this season. :lol:

Just to resurrect an old thread...

I dropped my bike yesterday, don't even know what happened, just came out of the driveway, stopped and fell over. The bike's laying on its right, still running, and I'm standing there thinkin', "What happened?". Turn it off and pick it up. Start it again and go to work out. Rides fine. Feels a bit tighter, like it can turn quicker.

So, I figure the bike wasn't warm enough and I hadn't gotten my head into gear yet. As I was riding, I'm thinkin', "Drop Mule".

Edit: Now that I think of it more, I didn't have enough revs, and too much clutch engaged, so I kinda bogged it. Chalk another one up to rider error.

Having had it tip over once on the right and on the left, I have proof that Gravity Sucks!!.  

Live and learn...  

The first drop the GS had happened while practicing the msf figure-8 u-turns... the bike sputtered  in the middle of my lean and the GS just hit the ground...the brake pedal hit my feet notchin a pretty pinch in my Catterpillar boot (removed it immediately to see if have bloody toes :mrgreen: )...being a new skinny owner of > 50cc motorcycle, i was worried i that i cant picked it up..i guess adrenalin took over and i pushed the GS upright...i dont think i can do it again, though ... i dont mind dropping the GS again as long as no one see me  

(first post)
My first (and thankfully) only drop occured at a gas station. I had just tanked up and climbed aboard my bike only to see that a motorcyclist behind me was having time starting his bike. For whatever reason I felt obliged by some mystical "bikers code" to at least see what was wrong and offer my assistance. So I dismount and head over to help him. While I'm talking to him and stops me and says "Man your bike just fell over". I turned to see my GS laying on its left side at the base of the fuel pump.

Apparently I failed to fully extend the side stand causing the bike to tip over. Thankfully the GS is pretty sturdy so the only thing I had to replace was the left mirror and a balancer set for the left handlebar. Meanwhile whatever problem the biker I went to help was having suddenly "cured" itself and after I lifted my bike he was off and away. Oh well..

I dunno guys.. i think riding a dirt bike for years and years helps a lot.

Ive dropped dirtbikes many times, but usually because i can, and because i would break something if i hadnt gotten off "during that crazy hillclimb" or whatever.. (broke my ankle two years ago anyways...)

BUT

Ive never dropped my streetbike. Funny thing is, it wouldnt matter if i did...it would blend.

Ive gotten tailhappy a few times around turns.........

I drove through snow and ice moving it around the last few weeks...

I have no oil in my forks...  (fork seals on teh way)...

I dunno i guess i cant relate.

Ride a dirtbike.... the best defense against being a newb to riding. I would be scared shitless if i started out on the street now that i think about it!!!

well to add to an old thread..

I've dropped it probably about 4-5 times in the two years i've had it... only once while riding though

first time I let a friend sit on it after ten minutes of him saying "I promise I wont drop it"... he gets on, I turn around for two seconds all I hear is "sorry danny!" and then crash he falls over.. lol he said sorry as he was slipping BEFORE the bike even touched the ground.. that was about three months after I had the bike, in the three weeks folowing that I dropped it twice, once putting the kickstand in an inclined driveway, I tried to catch it but it was too heavy so I let it down gently. The next one I was fooling around in gravel spinning the rear and then I went to stop and locked the rear whipping it a bit, when I put my foot down I transfered the weight of the bike too hard and couldnt hold it.. d'oh!  :lol:

welcome to the club

Welcome, Vince!

Chalk another one up to rider error (I'm refering to me).

Being dumped totally sucks!

I dropped mine only twice. First time I could have kicked my own ass so hard ... It was in the dealership, 10 minutes after I had just purchased my Brand NEW 2004 F . I was embarrased. Oh well, I have only a tiny scratch on the right hand side and I'm probably the only one who'd notice it... The second time was because of gravel about 2 weeks following - luckily that time it fell on softer ground  

... It's funny because the guy who sold me my bike had this thing where he never watched a customer drive away... Superstitions or something so it went un noticed...  

But man was that a proverbial kick in the nuts.

JG

To keep this going:

In my two years riding, I owned a scooter, a CB250 and now my '98 GS.  

I've been lucky in that I've only dropped once, which was unfortunately the GS.  I was going along the interstate and it started sputtering and jerking.  I pulled in the clutch and pulled off onto the shoulder.  Then I put down the sidestand and got off to take a look from the right side.  Then I heard the traffic buzz by and freaked out a little, so I started walking the bike from the right side to get her farther away from the traffic, probably pushing the stand back up, and she started leaning left.  And once she started I couldn't stop her, so down she went left while I'm standing on the right doing my best to slow her, and probably taking years off my lower back in the process.  By then I'm totally freaked and somehow got on the left and popped her right back up rather quickly.  Must have been adrenaline since I hadn't really read how to do it.

I was already paranoid because a year before, on my CB250 with the wife following in a car, I stopped to talk to her and leaned toward her car window, and the bike started falling, but I managed to notice quickly and stop it.  Even that little 300lb bike wanted to dive sideways HARD.  I'd like to think it taught me something.

I helped a younger kid purchase a used, but minty, GZ250 recently, and he's dropped it about four times, once with me witnessing it.  These bikes can take a lot, but it still breaks my heart to see it.  Glad to have a forum like this to help realize it's just part of life, like that first scratch you put on your folks' car when you're a kid.  Still stinks, but not worth leaping off a bridge after.

FWIW,
Mike D.