Alas, I dropped my bike. After five months and only 1300 miles of riding my pristine, secondly-owned 2005 gs500f, through many newbie hours of figure 8's, swerves, weaves, hard braking practice sessions from 40-50 mph, even some emergency maneuvers to avoid tailgating cagers aimed at my tailpipe as I stopped for yellow-red lights, I dropped it in my parking lot Sunday morning pushing it off the center stand. It was parked on a slight incline sloping towards the front and right of the bike, and like an idiot I didn't sit down on it first. After a few failed attempts to lightly push it off, I pushed hard and the bike ever so slowly dropped towards the right. I did my very weak best to hold it up despite not having any lower-body leverage with my legs as it fell away from me. I woke neighbors up at 7 am with my incomprehensible expletives, I was so pissed off at myself, I must've sounded like an addict whose fix fell through. I ran around to the other side of the bike full of adrenaline, only to struggle picking it up on my own. Somehow my brain kicked in and I remembered GSTwins posts and motorcycle book chapters about proper technique on lifting bikes. Frankly, I don't even remember how I propped it up, it's all a blur! I do know that I was so angry I didn't think I was going to get my head in gear to ride. After 10 minutes of pacing and calming down, I managed to take the bike out for a couple hours.

I definitely learned my lesson - this was the first and last time I took a bike off the center stand without sitting down first. Luckily I was able to hold on for as long as I did so it didn't fall too hard; it fell on some weeds and a rusty bed frame, Brooklyn's urban detritus. Now the exhaust pipe, lower fairing, engine crankcase (?), right handlebar grip bolt (whatever screws on at the end), and right mirror are lightly scratched. Being the neurotic that I am, it's kind of driving me crazy, but I'm definitely glad the bike wasn't new. If anyone else wants to vent about idiotically dropped bikes, or has any suggestions on how to do some light cosmetic touch-ups to the bike, I'll appreciate it.

- G

I too am a newbie with less than 200 miles on my 90 GS. I haven't dropped it yet, but I had a near fall last a couple weeks ago. I had just got back from my commute to school and I drove into the shed in my back driveway. I put the kick stand down and take my hands off the wheel...stupid me forgot to put it in neutral and the bike jumps forward slightly as the engine stalls. This throws the kick stand back and the weight of the bike pushes me over into my homemade beer pong table. Like for me that thing is sturdy and it (with help of my arm pried between it and the bike) keep my bike from falling. I tore a little skin off my arm and it was slightly bruised for a week, but I'll take that over a banged up bike anyday. I wouldn't have been too upset anyway. My bikes a 90 and it's been dropped before. Just would have been pissed if it bent my new handlebars. Well it would have been bad if it fell on me too I guess.

-Rafe-

I dare say dropping the bike is something which every experienced rider has been through.  I like to refer to it as "vocabulary practice."  I also try not to do it in the same way twice!

My most recent was at the end of a weekend in which I put 800 miles on the bike.  I was five miles from home and it had just gotten dark.  My helmet screen was covered with bugs from the increased insect activity at dusk.  The stretch of road I just finished offered no opportunity to clean the screen and I was close to home.  I came up to an intersection 3 turns from home and was behind a car.  I didn't think of all the possibilities (fatigue, dark, and tired -- a bad combination) and slid on the gravel in the middle of the road.  I couldn't let up on the brake because of the car in front of me and laid it over at about 3 mph.  I jumped off and landed on my feet but the bike hit the ground.  Broke the clutch lever ball off and nuked the mounting tabs on my F-16 windshield.  So last weekend I replaced the clutch lever and made some new mounting tabs from sheet aluminum and the windshield is as strong as ever.

I always try to learn from mistakes -- like I said, don't do it the same way twice!  Be creative.

I'm also a newbe, didn't drop it, but had a very scary close call. (and I wasn't even riding)

All I was doing, was moving the bike from my driveway area back to where I park it.  I had just finished working on it, so everything is cleaned up and I go to move it.  I had to maneuver  it between a wall and my truck.  I had about 2 and a half feet to work with.  Also, I couldn't turn the bike around, so i had to back it through this area.  All was going fine, until about half way through, the rear wheel starts to get closer to the wall, and I couldn't bring the handlebars up anymore than they already were or they'd be hitting the wall.  So the bike starts to lean.  Luckily, I was walking it back with me between the bike and my truck.  So as the bike starts to lean, I am trying to hold up all the weight so it doesn't hit into my truck, while having to push it back forward so I can get out of that mess.
I don't think I did a really good job explaining it, but I was pretty close to having a huge dent in the door of my truck.

Don't worry about it, Pandy drops hers every second day and it doesn't worry her in the least.

Get a set of case guards on it, they work a treat, trust me I know. 

1st lesson always throw your body under the bike- your body heals itself the bike doesn't! just kidding, i've rear a lot of people dropping the bike because they didnt sit on the bike when taking it off the centerstand, its pretty hard to drop it if you are straddling it. im surprised a right side drop put marks on the fairing, it didn't for me  as for fixing it- bar end, use black paint; exhaust, your out of luck; engine cover, buy a new one for about 30 bucks; Fairing, touch up paint or ebay.

Ahh, the centerstand thing got you.  I took mine off, they're EVIL!   

I would leave the fairings alone for now.  If you repair them now, you will be thinking about them every time you make a U-turn, slow turn from a stop, or take your bike off the centerstand.  Let a couple thousand miles pass under the wheels.  Once your skills have improved a little, then fix 'em up. 

That's my suggestion anyway.  I found that dropping my bike was almost liberating.  I stopped worrying about dropping it, which allowed me to concentrate on my low-speed manuvers.

Quote1st lesson always throw your body under the bike- your body heals itself the bike doesn't!

Been there, done that, crawled out from under the GS.  Did I mention that the noon-hour crowd at the local cafe had a front row seat?  A few weeks after I started riding I managed to park on a big rock out in front of the cafe.  The rock increased the seat height about 3".  Rather than rolling on the gas and moving forward, I panicked.  Next thing I know I'm cushioning the fall of the GS as 50 or so people watch out the window.

I crawled out from under it, looked straight into the window and shrugged.

my first drop happened about a month after i got my bike. my lil bro and i had just put about 300 miles on our bike over the weekend and we had just rolled into town. i was running on reserve trying to make it to the nearest gas station, alas, i ran out about a mile away. lil bro rode on and filled up while i pushed...105 degrees full gear. i got to the station and went to put the kickstand down and the bike got over centered and i just couldnt maintain...so it fell with me holdin it and a crowd of onlookers....i felt like i could sit on a penny and swing my feet. fortunately no scratches.just bruised ego.

I recall having dropped my old EX500 when I had it once, just checking the oil.  I dont know but to me, the GS500 feels much lighter, like its a 350 pound fully loaded bike, compared to the EX which is more like 400 fully loaded.  it may be me, but this bike is actually easier to lift if dropped.

I'm not the only one that has a good vocabulary for this eh ?

Now, promptly go outside and toss it over on the other side so you can get over it.

It's not really a big deal. Some case guards will save you from low speed stuff. Good investment.

Oh, and I dropped mine on both sides within 20 minutes. No biggie. Just felt like a complete ass for a while.

Quote from: gaspy on October 23, 2007, 01:49:50 PM
Somehow my brain kicked in and I remembered GSTwins posts and motorcycle book chapters about proper technique on lifting bikes. Frankly, I don't even remember how I propped it up, it's all a blur!

What is the proper technique to lift a bike?

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

If those ladies can pick up monster beemers, the gs is a cake walk





Cool eh ?

Those ladies were pretty beefy though...haha. Still I wouldn't think picking up the GS would be too hard.

I dropped my SV pulling it into my storage unit a few days after I got it so I know how you feel. I was so mad at myself.  Luckly I was going under 5 mph and the frame slider took the most of it.  Only other damage is a few small dents on the exhaust that a barely noticable. The worst part about the dents is that they make me mad all over again everytime I see them.

Hey!! I think I saw her this weekend. Skirt and riding boots, not hard to miss, walking through the paddock. Just dropped mine Sunday evening after returning from the AHRMA weekend at Barber's in Birmingham. I had no trouble the whole time I was gone. Google maps says it's 371 miles so I was tired of fighting headwind, it's 9:30PM, and has been getting cooler the whole way. Anyway out of habit when I pull into my carport I raised my right foot to get off but no dice. I had forgotten the BIG canvas military pilot bag on behind me, not to mention the Nonfango hard bags. Some real extra weight.  My foot got hung up and down we went. As it got close enough to the floor I just stepped off. Luckily that big hard bag was all that touched the floor. Made it easier to pick back up too, just roll it like a turtle on it's back until the wheels both touch. In the mean time I took off the other hard bag , tank bag, and HUGE "tail" bag to make it lighter. Last week after working on the bike I too was standing next to it and took it off the center stand. I do it all the time that way but not usually with the side stand down too!!! You can guess how that worked. Suspension loads down until the side stand hits and it falls away from me. DDHHOOOO!!! (about as bad as my language gets). It didn't go far before resting against our chest freezer. Bent the mirror stalk just a little but I am the only one who can tell. Who put that stand down anyway?

Don't feel bad... I dropped mine because I forgot to put the kickstand down, twice.

Quote from: ohgood on October 24, 2007, 08:43:39 AM
If those ladies can pick up monster beemers, the gs is a cake walk

Yeah, but they cheat.   

No really - have you tried this with the GS?  It lays down too close to the ground for my 45-year-old knees.  Maybe if I always had monster-thick saddlebags on the bike like Skert does at her demos, I could use this method too. 

I've dropped mine about 2 weeks ago in a garage making a u turn. I used to ride a bicycle a lot when I was younger and it just happened... I squized the front brake and it just felt down (as you know in bicycle the rear brake is on the RHS so it was like a habit). I felt like an idiot but I managed to lift my sweetie quickly (I weight only 150 pounds).
RHS handlebar, mirror, and engine case are scratched (very little) but I don't care that much. I was laughing 3 minutes after it happened.
I was told it was going to happen and it did.
no big deal.

question to gaspy: I see in your description that you live in brooklyn. are you interested in riding together?? I'm queens (maspeth) couple of miles away.
We could set up a meeting for Saturday or Sunday.
let me know

so I was cruising trough Belgium ardennes in Europe,.

suzuki fully packed, sadlebags etc. the roads and specially the crossings run a bit weird somethimes.
close to one of these crossings I had to make a full stop.
wich means I had to put my right foot down, since I was concentrating on the crossing ( the road went up a in a bent a bit ) I wasnt paying attention to the ditch on my right only when I was supposed  to feel earth, there was  empty space for the the next  app. meter.
I kept falling to the right untill helmet first down under.
bike fell on top of me, miraculously I did'nt got hurt because of the shape of the ditch but the bike was with wheels up on top of me, gasoline started to leak on my chest. ( this is not funny )
My Friend who was driving in front of me on his honda saw the whole thing happen and helpt me out of my compromising situation. little damage  was done to the bike the saddlebags took most of the fall, just the usual bent mirrors and turnsignals.
we had some good lauchs over a couple of trapist beers that night ,...

now thats what I call dropping your bike,...