Ducati Monster Forum

Well, I haven't been riding that long. Not really used to wearing a helmet etc.

I pull up to my apartment building and press the button to open the gate. I'm waiting for the gate to open, helmet still on. I turn my head and spit.

Gross.

Just curious, anyone as stupid as me?

ive done that more than once. i do it in my sleep too. perhaps ill be dreaming that im chewing gum right when i wake up and decide to spit it out and actually spit lol

I think we had a thread like this last year . . . Or maybe that was TOB.
Anyway, I'll take "Forgot to put the kickstand down for 200", Alex.

Is this the one?  128 ways to drop your bike (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=3151.0)

How about putting the helmet on and getting half way home before realizing that you forgot to buckle it. And overcompensating when in turn and front wheel hits a rock.

I have a feeling most of these posts will have SOMETHING to do with either the kill switch or the kick stand.

I hit the kill switch by accident once when making a tight turn in a parking lot.  Not on my current bike, but you can guess what the result was.  The bike stopped moving forward and gravity suddenly got a lot stronger.

At a grocery store partking, getting ready to leave.  Flipped the kickstand up but didn't realize it didn't go all the way up.  The kickstand came down on itself.  Anyway, this was what happened next.

1. turn key
2. start bike
3. shift to first
4. engine dies
5. go back to step 1 and repeat 5 times
6. end procedure; feeling like an IDIOT!

Does seem like a lot of kickstand/kill switch stuff. Haven't anything like that so far, but my kickstand sneers at me all the time "I'll catch you out someday!"

Edit: I have also tooted my horn at people instead of canceled my blinker on more than more occasion.

Not really a newbie thing but it is definitely a dumb thing: After having reverse shift on my 2 previous bikes, I decided to just keep the monster standard 1down/5 up. Rode the monster for a good 10k miles before changing it to reverse shift. First ride out, five minutes in, pull a second gear wheelie and click the gear shift lever up to change to third... but instead end up in first and come slamming down, bouncing off the limiter.. embarrassing and felt sorry for my monster  :'(

Commit to a turn or don't turn at all. I was riding down a street one afternoon and saw an alternate street I could turn on. I thought about the right turn for a sec and hessitated.  In the process I grabbed the front and rear brake too hard and also locked up the rear. I slid a bit ultimately missing the street all together. It scared me a bit. Either you turn when you are supposed to or don't do it. 

How about asking where the hell the rear seat was on my s$rs? I didn't know the seat cowl was removable as my dealer never mentioned it.

I bet everyone did that at least once.  :)

+1

and +1  on the horn tooting instead of the blinker cancel...

Swapped my bike to a reverse shift pattern and tried to start off in 6th gear at 2 consecutive stoplights.  It is one thing to stall at a light, but to stall at a light and then have to go all the way through the gearbox to get started.  Pretty embarassing.

After a brief ride, we pull over and start chit chatting.  One of the riders had HID light and we start comparing the light output.  Now it is my turn to turn on the high beam on mine, and I fiddle with it and notice it is not working and could not believe it.  Then someone pointed out I was fiddling with the engine switch button on the right side.  Ouch     [bang]

they're all so [laugh] while also being  [bang]

Pulling the rearsets off my s2r1k, I  damn near dropped the bike on me loosening the left side before I realized the kickstand was coming loose too.

I was just learning to ride my first motorcycle and had just gotten confident enough to go out on some of the "main" roads.  come to a four-way stop and stall out on take-off.  try to restart, nothin.  try again and again, nothin.  I had to push myself out of the way so traffic could continue, until about 45 seconds later when I realized I'd hit the kill switch.  Don't ask me how, but I did.  Nothing kills the confidence of a new rider like embarrassing yourself at a busy intersection. [laugh]

Parked my bike sideways on a slope. With the kickstand on the uphill side. Even stopped to look at it and thought, " Oh, that'll be fine." Next thing you know, BANG! in front of my then-girlfriend and a Harley rider. WTF.

I was parking on a steep downhill in Boston. I was intending to pull between two cars that had a sizable gap in between them, and park. I pulled in, went to pull the bike backwards to adjust it proper.....and no. Can't back up. Hrmm.

Maybe if we cut it hard and go forward? Nope, now just too close to the car in front.

 I'm facing downhill, can't put the kickstand down.

Can't jump onto the sidewalk.

I think I've just trapped myself! make the beast with two backs!



Finally get annoyed, and using every ounce on my strength, heave the bike backwards, grab the front brake. Whew! Got me two inches! Repeat for about ten minutes, exit spot, park on the flat. Better.

My question is would your instincts have led you to roll out of the way, or lay flat to save the bike from hitting the concrete. 

I found the false neutral and did not pull in the clutch when I started my bike.  Thank goodness Rule 62 was there to catch the bike otherwise it would have ended up in the Dunlop trailer...

I do this with alarming regularity.

I also have ridden off with the kickstand down on my 900SS a ton, it's light doesn't work ~

JM

My Multi would turn on, but the damn engine wouldn't turn over.. Great.. Dead/dying Battery.. Tear down the left side of the multi (where the battery is buried) pull out battery, check leads, scratch head.. 45 mins. later... Yup.. It was the kill switch..

Overflowed the gas tank. Ouch!
I'm a creature of habit go to the same gas station, same pump, etc. Thing always clicks off way before the tank is full so this day I'm watching the counter on the pump not the nozzle in my tank. I'm thinking "Wow, this is taking more than ussual for the milage..." when I feel something cold and wet on my loins! Look down and it's gushing out of my tank. Homer Simpson "DOH"! Pumped over half a gallon on my bike and the ground. Wiped it off best I could with a rag I carry and straight home to disassemble and clean the crap out of it. What a mess!

Very embarassing, felt like a total dumbass. It's a mistake you only make once (I hope).

i wear glasses...i wear a helmet...imagine the fun times when you forget to take off said glasses before putting helmet on...thought i broke my nose..and i have not done that again

With my monster 695 i was stopped at a light and chatting with a harley rider.  I had killed the engine so i could hear him better when the light went i green i thumbed the starter and it would not start.  Him and his buddies pulled away while i kept hitting the starter and flipping the key on and off.  FInally i realized i had the kill switch off still.......


On my 1098 i just got out of the gym while standing next to the bike i put the key in and thumbed the starter the second i did the bike lurched forward without me on it!  The neutral light was green but it was a false neutral i managed to grab the clutch and pull it in at the last possible second and catch it before it hit the curb or fell over.  I always pull in my clutch when starting the bike now  [laugh]

On the bmw 1100GS, which I don't own anymore, I was topping off the oil and forgot to put the cap back on. I started her up and took off. Luckily I looked down after only a couple of miles! But oil was all over the cylinders and my leathers... 

I TOTALLY FEEL YOUR PAIN!  I've been wearing glasses since I was 6.

+1 and +1
Done them both.

Yep, I ruined a nice jeans that way   :'(  I was wondering why my leg was feeling warm and opps I had forgotten to put cap on.  Walked back with a buddy of mine about 1/2 mile with flash light and found the cap   ;D

LOL...wow, you're lucky you found the cap!
since the cylinder's on the boxer engine on bmw's stick out, i usually just place the cap right on the cylinder. luckily it was still there when i stopped  :o

When I first got my bike I was so excited to wave to other riders I beeped my horn trying to give the cool 2 finger wave back. My wife was on the back and laughed so hard she almost fell off.

went out to eat the other night and my roommates decided it would be funny to move the bike to where everyone was parked.  somehow they hit the shifter enough to trigger the neutral switch but not put it into gear.  when i got on the bike it wouldnt start, and i checked everything.  messed with the wires from the right side switch (different bar switches), pushed it back and forth to make sure it was in neutral, then i pulled the seat and looked at the gauges (04 with just the board under the seat) and all the lights were coming on but the neutral light.  shifted it into gear and back to neutral and it started up just fine.

felt like a tool because everyone was right there and several people we didnt know saw me messing with it and being zebra striped, its pretty obvious who i am next time im seen out in town.

Not even a newbie thing... just dumb....

Sunday... last 5 miles of a 12 hour day on my 848...  my right hand was cramping up ... so I reach over with my right to hold the throttle... I hit the kill switch while moving the hand over.... and am trying to figure out why the throttle isnt working when I use my left hand... then I realize it and have the wrong hand on the throttle and am trying to swap back and restart it... all with out dumping it....

I just remembered thinking... "I see those Goldwing guys doing it all the time..."  [bang]

Put on all my gear on a chilly winter morning.  Wheel the bike out, warm her up, then realize I don't want to go riding.

This happens during the summer time, too.  It's just too hot to be an enjoyable ride.   [bang]

After a few years of riding bikes, I find it rather boring riding alone.

Oh man, what a moron.

So I've been having some electrical problems as of late which I'm on the way to fixing. I've been riding around the block a few times trying to recreate the battery drain that has been causing me so much grief. I haven't wanted to go further than I care to push the bike if the battery dies again. A few miles then onto the multimeter, a few more and so on. Getting good readings. 13.5v off, 13.9v on, 14-ish with some revs.
I just got back from a pretty spirited bit of freeway driving and pulled back into my parking lot. I turn the bars left and rotate the key all the way anticlockwise and pull it out and put it in my pocket. The lights stay on. Hmm, never noticed that before...

I wished I'd known that there is a key position further than LOCK. I am hoping that this is my problem and that all it's going to have cost me is a bit of basic battery maintenance kit that I should own anyway. Perhaps in a couple of days I'll find out I'm wrong and I'll need a new alternator or RR. But for now I'm giddy with happiness and embarrassment!

^^^ [laugh]
You are far from the only one to have had trouble with that "feature."

Very true i always double check the lights when i use the steering lock   [laugh]

#1. Last year I stopped by a bar and grill for some lunch at a place that has outdoor seating by the parking lot. Well when I went to leave there were a bunch of people checking out my bike, so I get on and have my helmet on the tank while I start the bike to warm it up and at that point I found out that with the kickstand down and in false neutral the bike will move. It lunged forward about 4 feet and Im fumbling to grab the handlebars in case it started and took off, man I put my helmet on as fast as I could and got out of there  I felt like such an ass. 

#2. I rode to Alabama and stopped at a hotel, locked my bars and went in to shower came out to get some food and see my lights on. I knew the keys were not in it so Im figuring some make the beast with two backser tried to steal my bike so I run back into the hotel get my keys start it up to make sure its alright shut it down and everythings fine. When I got home I did a search on this site and found out about the lights on lock great idea someone had.  Live and learn I guess.

A hot girl pulls up net to me on her bike while I was at a light. She honks the horn twice and waves. I in turn hit the start switch twice and then look down to see why my horn does not work. She laughs very loud and takes off. I thought that I had blown a chance for an introduction, but I ran into her at a bike night a week or so later. She thought that I was joking the whole time and thanked me for the great laugh. I played along.  [thumbsup]

and . . . . . ?

I just remembered a couple - not sure if is newbie instead

-- I step out of my apartment and got my gear on and am about to step on the bike.  There was a Mom and her young son like around 5 watching the bike.  She is like, "look at the bike to her son" and now they have stopped and are watching me and waiting for me to start her and head off.  I wave and get on the bike and try , start the bike.  Bike is dead !  Battery is dead !   I was kind of disappointed that I did not put on a show...   ( ok, lame story)

-- does looking at some girls on the road while riding in a slow traffic downtown and then almost hitting the car in front but avoid by swerving to the middle turning lane count?  I learned quickly to never do that again.

  Since this is almost a year ago, I am at a point that I can admit this.  Finished changing the belts on the 748 and I am placing the tank back in place.    While out for a test ride on the highway I am approaching my exit, roll off the throttle and it sticks at 65 mph.  I roll back on the throttle and roll off, still stuck at 65 mph.  I hit the kill switch, pull over, try to restart and RPM's peg high.  Call the wife to pick me up in the truck.  After investigation I found that the rag I used to keep from scratching the tank or frame had fallen into the airbox and jammed the throttle body in position.   
[bang] [bang] [bang]  Hopefully now someone will learn from my mistake.  Count your rags!!

This one occurred last fall. I was cruising down a backroad and came up on some RR tracks, well they were a bit rougher and dropped on the otherside quicker than I had thought. I slowed down to about 40 and when I hit them the bike left the ground a good 8" which wasn't to bad because I stuck the landing but my seat came unlatched and bounced crossways on me. My first thought was holy crap I just snapped my bike in half! So I rode bowlegged off to the shoulder to assess the situation and just reattached the seat and to make a mental note of those particular set of tracks. I will admit if I saw someone do the same thing I would have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard but lucky for my pride there were no witnesses.

Riding on busy road
BMW dies
Thumb starter, bike turns over
No ignition
Push bike to side road (happened to be downhill)
Attempt bump start mid hill
Lets just say that a carbureted bike will not run unless you actually turn on the fuel to the carbs :)


The most memorable one from when I first got the Duc was thinking that wet gravel was more than enough to support the kick stand, followed a few weeks later by the thought that 100 degree, full sun asphault was enough as well.  Wrong on both counts  [bang]

Commuted on a friend's Ninja 250 today while we are working on my Duc.  Drive it about 30-40 miles, park it, go to my appointment. 

Come out, intending to take it to the gas station half a block away, then head down to my office.

Bike wouldn't start.  It had also been hard to start in the morning (after sitting for a month) so I figured something must be wrong with it.  Call up MrI, he comes by, takes one look, flips the fuel to Reserve, and it starts right up.

Guess I've gotten too used to having a fuel light. :-[

And I'm sure Mr. I let it slide completely, huh?  ;D

I was the picture of helpfulness. I merely reminded the poor dear girl that motorcycles, do indeed, need gas to run, then went about my merry way.

I usually never lock the bars as this "feature" has left me high and dry more than once.  I really don't understand the significance of it.

as for noob mistake? Gassing up, spilled gas all over my tank after stupidly letting it overfill. Also got some in my mouth as it erupted like a volcano.

Non-Duc Specific
Age 15: Working on my buddys Honda dirtbike - something to do with the throttle. After several hours of what I would call "discovery", I decide I have fixed said problem and it's time for a test ride. This is in the city of Boston in winter. As I mount said vehicle (helmetless) my friend informs me there is no front brake. "Oh. OK." I reply, completely unfazed due to a psychological condition known as ignorance is bliss. My ride through the hills (no dales) was puntuated by as many moments of me leaning over the tank waiting for the throttle to "kick in" as there were whisky throttle moments. These were followed by what I would call "snow-plowing", some slides on the ice and car bumper bumps. I returned the bike to my friend red faced from the cold, teary eyed from the speed and declared, "I think we're going to need that brake."

Duc Specific:
Day freakin one of ownership. I park at the park to watch my son's football game. After several hours of parental bliss I return to find the key is still in the ignition! My embarassment was only hightened by the fact that my ex-wife noticed before I did. This was followed by a discussion of why can't you give me more money if you can afford a motorcycle (though I gave her the house free and clear... Oh wait that's another forum)
Day freakin two of ownership. Return to bike after a long hard day of thankless working in the salt mines. OK it  was a cubicle. Boy that's a good lookin bike. Funny, I don't remember leaving the light on...

I heard about a rider here who stuck his finger while working on his bike chain and had to obviously go to emergency hospital.  What possesses anyone to do that is beyond me.

I saw him a few weeks later with bandaged fingers.  Didn't want to ask him for more details as it probably was embarrassing enough for him already.

I'll give it some thought, but most of the dumb n00b things I've done HAVE resulted in crashes.

Rode down Lombard Street (aka the crookedest street in the world) in San Francisco on my M696.  I thought it would be fun, but it wasn't.  All I did was ride the front brake with both legs fully extended so I wouldn't drop it on the steep descent in the curves.  It was a great view, but the road was crowded with cars.  I made it out safely, but it wasn't worth the trouble.

I was on Lombard heading towards the bridge when I stop up front at a light. I pop the bike into neutral and sit up relaxed while looking around. The bike pops into first and lunges forward and I nearly fall off the back. I dive to catch the bike, but not without struggling for a good 20 seconds trying to keep from tipping over. The driver next to me just stares at me with a gaping mouth and cross traffic comes thru very slowly watching me do the struggle dance. Deep breath as I get the bike back up, flustered and ride off like a bat out of hell.

my first mod was to disable the suicide kick stand and the kill switch.

Guess what i did first time i went to ride off when there was anyone there to witness it?

yep rode off with the stand down.

went to a buddys house who has a briggs & stratton mini bike.

I asked him if it runs, he says "make the beast with two backs yeah"

so I start that sucker up and get on it to take it for a ride around the block, failing to ask if every thing works I crank on it. takes off faster then I expected and even gets the front wheel up off the ground a bit ;D [evil].. as I come to the stop sign, it becomes very apparent that the brakes suck serious, might as well not even be there ass.  :o

didn't crash, or even go into the intersection, but I sure toasted the shit out of a brand new pair of shoes. I rode back at about 2 mph... sat on the porch and  [drink] [drink]

I'd have to say ,stopped at a light waiting for the light to turn green,showing off a little bit when i released the clutch it stalled on me.Quite embarrassing.

I was on a brand new 1982 GPz550 doing slow figure 8's in the parking lot at work, when my right foot scraped on the ground and was pulled off the footpeg. I ended up running over my own foot but didn't dump it. I wasn't a newbie either, with about 15 years of riding experience.

I had a mini bike like that when I was a kid.  I went through a lot of duct tape on that pair of chuck's.

My mistakes always end in crashes.

the most frustrating one i've done on several occasions is parking or somehow ending up facing downhill needing to backup. my ducati is pretty light and it's not a big deal, but i've done it on some much larger bikes that aren't so forgiving.   

dumbest thing i did was twist the throttle hard on my old 900 at a stop light and ended up busting my ...... on the tank when the front end came up hard. the car and bike next to me... didn't even look, just sped off and stopped at the next gas station.. .shaking

Just had this one yesterday.  Get on the bike to head to bike night and check the trip meter.  107.  Better fill up.

Better yet, I should probably just reset my trip meter every time I get gas that way I don't have to get the pump ready, unlock my fuel cap, and squirt in a whole $.55 worth of gas. 

Back in '93 I was riding my Kawi KZ750Ltd in Albuquerque on a side street that intersected a couple of one way streets.  The first street ran west and the second ran east (or visa-versa as it's been 16 years now).

Get to the first street and look to my left.  No traffic so I ride through it. 

Get to the second street and the traffic is coming from the left.  Oh....My....God!!!!  I had just ridden through a one-way street without even looking the way traffic was coming.  AT ALL!  I turned around and rode back to my apartment and had a beer & chilled out for the remainder of the night.

Now?  I look at every street either going into or coming out of an intersection, even if they're not supposed to be coming that way (and have had a couple of times where they were...)

Two come to mind:

The Monster has the sidestand ignition interlock on it -- in the year plus I've had the ST2 as well I always assumed it did too. Chatting with a friend the other day when I was helmeting up & starting the ST, I was distracted and forgot the sidestand & discovered it only when the rear tire lifted off the ground on the first left turn.  :o

Second, I took the ST off to run a series of errands, including picking something up at a gated neighborhood in our very hilly mountain town. Got directions, including the keypad code to open the front gate. Chatted longer than I should have at the fellow's house & was cutting it mighty close for my next appointment. Headed out and discovered that the exit gate was at the bottom of a very steep hill, and there isn't enough steel in my bike to trigger the magnetic sensors to open it. So steep that I couldn't even park the bike on the side or center stand, so I couldn't go forward, backward, or do anything but stand there with the bike, waiting twenty minutes or more until a car drove up behind me and triggered the gate.

(and of course all the standard kill switch, sidestand switch & "parking light" ignition bumbles, at least once each...)

First bike was a Kawasaki KLR250 (Kick Start) I was sitting at a busy set of traffic lights, I need to scratch an itch on my left leg, not thinking I just take my hand off the handlebars, letting out the clutch and stalling the bike. Shit!
Normally the bike would start with one or 2 kicks, but not today, being the middle of summer, and the middle of a very hot day, pregnant dog of a bike would not start, kicked it, and kicked it for all I was worth, nothing.
Finally get the shit's with trying, just before the light turns green, I get off and push the bike to the side of the road.

Now before I pierce a hole in the bottom of the tank and let the friggin thing burn in it's own Gasoline fire  [evil]
I give it another kick.......
The bastard starts

Mental note to self: If it doesn't have an electric leg, don't buy it  ;D

Reminds me of another -- used to own a Yamaha XT350 (kinda sad I sold it) that was the only kickstart bike I've owned. Especially in the beginning I'd forget to tuck the kick lever back in after starting the bike at least a third of the time; one time I snagged something on my right leg on the lever while dismounting, lost my balance, toppled over in slow motion & pulled the bike down on top of my other leg. Fortunately, it's a light bike...

Up in Keen, NH, I saw a squid on a R6 kick his leg out to signal a turn in front of a car that was inches away from him.   [bang]

Hmmm. Even here in Cow Hampshire it's supposed to be hand signals, not leg signals if one doesn't have them new-fangled electrical blinkers.

Keene is very squidly in general.

Fixed.   ;)

Happened the other day while on a ride, with my woman on back no less. Coming back from a nice ride, and I said "uh oh"... my shoe lace loop gets caught on the clutch slave bleeder screw. Luckly I was able to yank my boot away and dislodge it. Got into the parking lot, and she says "uh, can I tie your shoe??"

Last night I went out for a ride and less then a mile from my house my wallet fell out of my jacket pocket. I didn't know I had lost it until I got home and saw a note on my door teling me to come to the local pizza shop for my wallet. It turns out the delivery guy saw the wallet fall from my pocket and turned around to pick it up. Hell of a nice guy. I had $300 cash plus credit cards ect. He refused to take any money as a reward so I left $50 in the tip jar. 

Wallet goes in the tank bag every time but for last nigt..

The dumbest thing I've done on the bike (riding wise) was when was watching a woman texting next to me and I almost hit the car in front of me... almost another texting related crash...  [laugh]

Mike

OK, I know 3 posts in this thread indicate a severe problem or cry for help, but here's what just happened...

I changed the oil in the Monster yesterday, and popped off the spark plug leads to crank the motor a few times without firing to pump the new oil throughout the system (totally unnecessary, I'm sure, but an old habit).

And today I spent ten minutes cranking & fussing over it this afternoon, pulled the fuse to the light so the started would get more juice, wondering why it wouldn't start, was about to attempt to roll start it before I remembered. Oh, yeah, sparkplug leads...