Picked up my 696 yesterday. WhooHoo! I was pretty nervous about the whole thing because I can't get on the freeway until after the break-in period so had to take side streets. The ride was spectacular! Love the handling and pick up. As soon as I get it home (about 15 miles from the dealership) and park it happens....DROPPED IT!!!
Pulling in to my back yard, that has a short incline through the gate, I have to make a sharp right turn once inside. Got it stopped at the top of it, put my foot down and didn't find the ground fast enough. Not used to the top heavy machine, it followed the laws of gravity right to the ground. UGH...I was frantic to find a neighbor to help me pull my baby back up. 10 minutes later I finally found someone. I was kicking myself in the arse while I inspected the damage. Luckily the only casualty was the right hand mirror which I could not see anything out of the whole ride home anyway. I started her up for a while to see if anything was leaking out...nothing. She fell in some pretty well rained on dirt.
Haven't gotten to ride her since, should I be worried about anything else other than bent handle bars and pegs? Still kicking myself in the rear.
Cheers
Well that really sucks. You may want to check the bars over and the levers just to be sure. Sounds like you may be okay because of the soft dirt. Don't feel bad about it because almost everyone on here has dropped their ride at one time or another. Welcome to the forum. This is a great place to hang out and talk about whatever there is to talk about. [thumbsup]
Have someone help you lay it down and practice picking it up. You shouldn't need someone to help. You just need to grab the subframe and the frame itself, and lift with your legs. you can also grab the bike by the bars from the front and lift with your legs.
Aside from that, dont be ashamed. I dropped my bike about....9 times in the last 2 1/2 years. 2 of those times i was moving. :P it happens.
aside from bent bars and levers, you shouldnt need to worry about anything considering it was just a drop.
My bike has all 4 levers bent. (clutch, brake, brake, shifter) lol
Quote from: He Man on December 27, 2008, 05:42:55 PM
Have someone help you lay it down and practice picking it up. You shouldn't need someone to help. You just need to grab the subframe and the frame itself, and lift with your legs. you can also grab the bike by the bars from the front and lift with your legs.
If they're big enough ;)
Yep, almost all of us have been there. Some of us multiple times. [cheeky]
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=3151.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=3151.0)
Frame sliders are a good idea while you get used to handling your bike. [thumbsup]
Quote from: MrIncredible on December 27, 2008, 05:46:39 PM
If they're big enough ;)
Oh come on!
I saw a 5'3" girl pick up a gold wing!
besides most ladies have stronger legs then men!
Quote from: He Man on December 27, 2008, 06:24:39 PM
Oh come on!
I saw a 5'3" girl pick up a gold wing!
besides most ladies have stronger legs then men!
I believe this was covered in the first thread about this. Goldwings have a different center of gravity than a monster.
I was a college level athlete and cannot pick up my bike. Congrats on being able to pick up your own bike but some of us cannot.
Most of us have dropped a bike. The rest are probably lying.
Quote from: JBubble on December 27, 2008, 06:29:29 PM
. . . I was a college level athlete and cannot pick up my bike. Congrats on being able to pick up your own bike but some of us cannot.
No way! Really?
;D
Quote from: JohnnyDucati on December 27, 2008, 06:45:00 PM
No way! Really?
;D
[cheeky]
Good thing you insisted on following me all the way home man!
Hard-wired that way. Had to help! :)
Happened to me after many laps on a track day,did quite a few out there,but as soon as i get back in the paddock and put the side stand out my bike fell on the other side.:-( guess all that leg work on the track tired it out and just couldn't stop the bike from falling.Damage? scratch the right peg,bent the rear brakes a bit,and broke the front brakes handle.
Don't feel bad.
I can't pick up my bike. I can't even pick up my daughter's Ninja 250. I watched that video of the small lady in the short skirt pick up a big bike, but it had side bags that leaned the bike upward. I would have been impressed if the bike was all the way down.
Why couldn't you pick it up? Did you try even? Man, I feel sorry that you dumped your bike first ride home but man get a smaller bike or something you can handle.
I got caught loading my monster in a Toyota Tundra by myself and got stuck halfway pushing it in. I had to brave it out, hold the bike while I climbed into the bed, and adrenaline pulled it in.
Hate to sound ruff but there always aren't gonna be people around to help.
Good luck with the bike.
Sorry to hear about your drop. That sucks, but it's sometimes just an unfortunate part of the learning process. Almost everyone has dropped their bike at one point or another. Even super experienced riders sometimes have a mishap.
BTW, most people can pick up a bike themselves if they use the proper technique. You can't just manhandle a bike back onto its wheels. You'll throw out your back or rip your arms out of their sockets. Below is a how-To vid. It's not about strength, but about technique. It's worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPjYweKeiLk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPjYweKeiLk)
I'm not sure why the woman in the vid couldn't pick up the bike. It's like she didn't even try. She should be able to do it.
I've had to pick up my 696. IMHO you should be able to pick it up by yourself.
Check your levers, they may have bent slightly.
count your blessings that you
1. dropped it at low speeds
2. dropped it on soft wet dirt and not concrete
3. you have a plastic tank, so no dent
4. learned to watch your footing from now on
5. sustained minimal damage to the bike so it won't be expensive at all.
6. now goto the howto section and read up on the proper way to pick up a motorcycle so that you can do it on your own next time, its a leverage game not a strength test, if you do it correctly you don't need much upper body strength its all legs pushing back not up even.
7. learned that its "just a bike", its meant to be ridden and used, not kept in museum quality condition.
don't worry ride it and enjoy it. you are sure to get chips here and there from rocks and such so even if you didnt' drop it it would have been "damaged' in some way sooner or later.
good luck and have fun.
Thanks for the condolences. I have been riding for almost a year and 6000 miles on a Suzuki Boulevard S40 which is a totally different species (mostly used for commuting). The center of gravity is so much lower and I can whip that bike around like nothing. I've watched the video with the women on youtube picking up the big cruiser even before I got my license. Tried it...did not happen! Guess I need to work on my legs. I am 5'3" and 120lbs, I even had them lower the front and rear suspension before I brought it home but I was still tippy toe-ing.
Lesson learned...invest in lower seat. Love my Duc!!!
Quote from: Cuky_Monster on December 27, 2008, 08:17:25 PM
Thanks for the condolences. I have been riding for almost a year and 6000 miles on a Suzuki Boulevard S40 which is a totally different species (mostly used for commuting). The center of gravity is so much lower and I can whip that bike around like nothing. I've watched the video with the women on youtube picking up the big cruiser even before I got my license. Tried it...did not happen! Guess I need to work on my legs. I am 5'3" and 120lbs, I even had them lower the front and rear suspension before I brought it home but I was still tippy toe-ing.
Lesson learned...invest in lower seat. Love my Duc!!!
Cuky, just sent you a PM. Don't worry about it. I'm about your size and I can't pick up my bike either even though I apparently "should" be able to. Whatever. [roll]
Here's some short rider FAQs for you: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=1853.0
I'm an inch shorter than you and am tip toeing as well. I got a shallow seat from Ducati, many others have custom shaved their seats too. My shallow seat helps me because its narrower which lets me touch the ground more with my short legs. Also, make sure that the rear sag is set for your weight. Whoever did your suspension might have done that for you already.
I don't have my bike lowered other than having a shallow seat. Its just gonna take some experience for you. If you're a chick (I suspect you are judging by the height and weight but please forgive me if I'm wrong), come on over to the Women's section and say hi. Theres several of us that have experience with being midgets. [thumbsup]
women, stop whining about having short legs [laugh]
as a short guy, you probably have longer legs than i do as a guy even though i may be taller than you overall, your feet probably touch more than mine.
yes you are correct it does take some getting used to, but its something you just learn after a while.
Who's whining??
Quote from: Spidey on December 27, 2008, 07:30:32 PM
I'm not sure why the woman in the vid couldn't pick up the bike. It's like she didn't even try. She should be able to do it.
I could give you a couple of reason's, but maybe they just wanted to show the 2 person lift. ;)
Ziiiiiiiiing.
29 inch inseam riding an s4rs with a jacked up ass. wife has 33 inch inseam and rides a 620 (although she's 3 inches shorter than me...unfair). She weighs 116 and can pick up her bike after we went over technique. She has dropped that one several times at parking lot speeds or stopped.
they will fall over at slow/stopped speeds.
We've all done it with one bike or another.
Go take a track class...people won't give you crap in he parking lot wheeling the bike around when your knee pucks are all bevelled and your tires are shredded to their edges. Besides...it's fun.
Enjoy the ride.
;D
I think she was using her arms to lift the bike up instead of her legs doing the work,just MHO :-)
it sure does look that way. like she was trying to pick it up, not "walk it up".
Im only 5'-6", 135lbs avg with a 32 inch inseam. 140 on a full stomach and i can pick up a monster (as long as its not wedge between a jeep) easily, simply by man handling it. But even then its all in the legs and what part of the bike you use to leverage , it certainly is about technique first, then muscle.
Quote from: sbrguy on December 27, 2008, 08:40:34 PM
women, stop whining about having short legs [laugh]
as a short guy, you probably have longer legs than i do as a guy even though i may be taller than you overall, your feet probably touch more than mine.
I'm a woman with short legs (5'4", 28" inseam, about 102 lbs), so :P [cheeky]
And all those of you who say everyone should always be able to pick up the bike, keep in mind that besides weight/strength, often the bike does not end up on a nice flat surface with good traction like the one in the video. That ground looks like it would be great to push off of. The bike is often dropped because the ground is slippery and/or sloped, both of which may make it more challenging.
sometimes the proper technique is to look around for help.
Quote from: somegirl on December 28, 2008, 06:58:59 AM
I'm a woman with short legs (5'4", 28" inseam, about 102 lbs), so :P [cheeky]
And all those of you who say everyone should always be able to pick up the bike, keep in mind that besides weight/strength, often the bike does not end up on a nice flat surface with good traction like the one in the video. That ground looks like it would be great to push off of. The bike is often dropped because the ground is slippery and/or sloped, both of which may make it more challenging.
Thank you somegirl. I have a 27" inseam and am the size of the OP.
Quote from: Statler on December 28, 2008, 07:24:05 AM
sometimes the proper technique is to look around for help.
Bingo. I've found that guys seem more than willing to help an embarrassed girl in moto gear.
When I ride with anybody, I ask before hand and make sure they're ok with the possibility before subjecting them to it.
Quote from: somegirl on December 28, 2008, 06:58:59 AM
I'm a woman with short legs (5'4", 28" inseam, about 102 lbs), so :P [cheeky]
And all those of you who say everyone should always be able to pick up the bike, keep in mind that besides weight/strength, often the bike does not end up on a nice flat surface with good traction like the one in the video. That ground looks like it would be great to push off of. The bike is often dropped because the ground is slippery and/or sloped, both of which may make it more challenging.
Absolutely. I'm 5'9" and 150#'s. I was able to pick up my old Virago 1100 (had to be 600 lbs.) thanks to the low center of gravity, but had trouble once getting my my sv650 off the ground because it was at the edge of the road - there was gravel and a slope.
Anyway, again, congrats and condolences Cuky, and thanks for posting that vid Spidey.
Quote from: JBubble on December 28, 2008, 07:28:58 AM
Bingo. I've found that guys seem more than willing to help an embarrassed girl in moto gear.
Uh, yeah ;D. We're guys, we'll help a damsel in distress with just about anything.
Quote from: swampduc on December 28, 2008, 07:34:49 AM
Uh, yeah ;D. We're guys, we'll help a damsel in distress with just about anything.
We know. ;) [thumbsup] [clap]
Quote from: somegirl on December 28, 2008, 07:37:58 AM
We know. ;) [thumbsup] [clap]
And we love you for it. [thumbsup]
Thanks for all of the encouraging comments and suggestions.
The first thing I did when it fell over was try what I had seen in the video but it was not on level ground and did not have the best traction. I couldn't even get the wheels to touch the ground. Today I am going to pull it out (with some help of course) and set it down in the alley to see if I can pick it up that way.
I am counting my blessings that nothing major is broken, just a mirror.
BTW, I am 5'3" with a 27" inseam
Thanks guys.
Quote from: Cuky_Monster on December 28, 2008, 08:00:46 AM
Thanks for all of the encouraging comments and suggestions.
The first thing I did when it fell over was try what I had seen in the video but it was not on level ground and did not have the best traction. I couldn't even get the wheels to touch the ground. Today I am going to pull it out (with some help of course) and set it down in the alley to see if I can pick it up that way.
I am counting my blessings that nothing major is broken, just a mirror.
BTW, I am 5'3" with a 27" inseam
Thanks guys.
At least you tried and that counts for allot. That's cool that you're willing to go over it and if you were near me I'd help you out too. Stay cool and keep the rubber side down!
Best of luck and welcome to the 2 wheel world! [thumbsup]
Quote from: somegirl on December 28, 2008, 06:58:59 AM
And all those of you who say everyone should always be able to pick up the bike, keep in mind that besides weight/strength, often the bike does not end up on a nice flat surface with good traction like the one in the video. That ground looks like it would be great to push off of. The bike is often dropped because the ground is slippery and/or sloped, both of which may make it more challenging.
That is a really good point - mine ended up in a ditch and I am not sure I would have been able to do it alone, because it put me so much lower than where the bike needed to end up. I didn't have to try because a nice bicyclist rode up and helped me. As a cyclist myself, I thought that was very cool. He was apparently a moto rider as well.