Mr. Max takes a fall - by himself

[desert_max]

I feel pretty stupid. I have had lots of bikes, but I have never had one fall off the stand.

Here's how it went: Started bike, had it idling on the sidestand (like always) while I geared up. I hear a crash and then silence. I see GASOLINE GUSHING!!! Bike rolled off the stand and fell onto a plastic chainsaw gas container. Freaked me out.

Damage? Yep. Scraped bar-end mirror (Sharpied and sorta OK). Broke off rear turn signal lens. I believe a little superglue and that'll be fine. Bent gear selector. Guess I'll gently bend it back and hope it doesn't break. Scuffed the underside of the peg. Interestingly, the crash bar seems not to have a scratch. Not sure how that happened, but what the hey.

Moral? Make sure she's rock solid with the stand all the way forward. Every single time. I've probably gone through that ritual a few thousand times, but that's the first time I've had one fall. It is not a comforting feeling. The gushing gasoline just added to the drama.

I need a beer.

 

[kaboom]

YIKES!!!!!!

Glad that didn't turn out worse.....

 

[nd4topspd]

just reading this makes me feel sick lol sorry to here it happened. Knock on wood my bike has never fell over on me. Carzy how much damage can happen when u aren't even movin :-(

 

[2fear]

Damn, that sucks man! :damn angry:

 

[jedi-]

Been there, done that. It sux, I was a complete mess when it happened to me, couldn't actually believe it and thought I was dreaming.

However, when I recomposed myself I vowed to make it right so I ordered everything that was damaged plus everything that I had plans for anyway.
Turned a negative experience into a positive one:eusa_dance:

Only thing is, it does cost $$$$$ to do:bang head:

 

[GREEN light BLITZ]

I feel your pain, when my step dad had a Max to match mine he left it on the center stand in the driveway... I backed into it with my Nova EVER so slightly and thus the adventure began.
The bike gently rolled off the stand and then rolled all on it's own down my 4 car long driveway and then right into the screen door. Before I even had the car in park he FLEW out of the house to access the damage.
The moral:a Nova on race slicks with a stink bugged rear end will not even NOTICE if a bike is behind it. Reverse fail!

 

[Jdk203]

My best friend and I were out with a small group for a ride a couple years ago when he totally forgot to put his side stand down when we came to a stop. I was embarrassed for him even. Not to mention it was a gravel lot and took three of us to get it up because getting your footing to do it alone was near impossible.

 

[Redbone]

I had Redbone roll forward, luckily I was standing right next to it. I was able to get my arm under the handlebar and left had on something on the side (cannot remember as it was 2 years ago) then made the save. It had fallen about half way over and it was like a squat like lifting motion. It happened so fast that none of the other 3 riders even saw it happen.
I have since learned to pick my parking spots better and on amything less than perfectly level the bike stays in gear.

 

[tothemax93]

My cousin had a KZ 1000 back in the eighties. He had to talk to his mom about something, so he went to where she worked, at a high school. He pulls up at lunch time, so there is 30 or 40 kids outside watching him. He was all cool with his mirrored sunglasses and leather on. So he gets off the bike, forgets to put the kick stand down, and the bike drops over in front of the crowd. He got the bike up and got out of there ASAP. I guess he forgot to talk to his mom.:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

 

[1967vmax]

At least like me you didnt have anyone witness, I got a good 1 wayyyyyyy back in 1994 i had a vfr1000r interceptor, just pulled out from the local sheetz and my ball cap was tucked in the seat, decided to pull a wheelie and my hat blew off so being Joe cool i do a u turn and came back for it to try to scoop it up and lost my balance and down i went in the middle of and 4 lane intersection oHHHH how imbarissing that was. I swear i could hear people laughing at sheetz, i picked my bike and my pride off the street that day.

 

[FREERIDER]

Ive dropped a few bikes, mostly when I was drunk though. I had a bad habit of riding to the bar for a while there.

 

[Maverick313]

I have forgot to put the kick stand down numerous times, but never dropped it. I ride motocross more than I ride the max and I'm in the habit of stepping off the bike and looking for my triangle or stand.

I had a local race at my favorite track and I had just won my moto. I pull back into the pitts right up next to my bike stand and my right peg knocks it over. I put foot out at the same time and put it right into the bike stand and it doesn't work out well, I take tumble onto the ground, right in front of everybody in the pitts. I stood back up and did the only thing you can do after that show, I took a bow for the audience and got some cheers.

:clapping:

 

[KJShover]

There was a kid the other day that went down while stopping at an intersection. Like the kids today he was wearing his baggy pants half way off his ass, and when he went to put his foot down, the cuffs got hung up on his footpeg preventing him from putting his foot down and over he went.:rofl_200:

 

[98Redlne]

KJ....that is vaguely similar to the first time I rode my mountian bike with clipless pedals.

Cam to a nice smooth stop and couldn't get either foot off the pedals. Fell over right there, looking like an idiot in front of everyone in the parking lot.

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Dropped mine over while cleaning it! Had it in neutral with kick stand down, and turned the bars to clean a different area, and BAM, the kickstand folded up. I had ahold of the right grip, but could not overcome the weight. So it ever so lightly got lowered to the ground with me in tow. Still bent the shifter, clutch lever and scuffed the left mirror....I was pissed!

 

[gamorg02]

ya mine fell last november, something was on the bottom of my shoe, and was trying to put it in the CS. at the peak moment my foot slipped and it went down on its right side ever so slightly with me still holding on. broke my brake lever, hand guard mount and basically destroyed my mirror. luckily i know better than to not keep spares of all those things.,

 

[4gasem]

Mine came off the center stand in '07 when I had the FUCKING REAR WHEEL OFF!!! Talk about a bitch... I lifted the sumbitch off the ground myself and got it back on the stand. Moral of the story... Make sure you tie the stand so it can't roll forward. The only thing damaged was the drain bolt on the bottom of the pumpkin got scratched. Phew.... THAT was lucky...

Chris

 

[Thevmaxrider]

My "falling off the stand experience" was a DOUBLE whammy! Was in paying for gas when I looked out just in time to see Toxic roll forward off the stand and fall on it's left side. I rush out, pick it up, and then slip and I pushed Toxic onto its RIGHT side!! :bang head::bang head::bang head: Crushed the exhaust can, broke clutch lever, bent case guard on the left side, broke of a brand new bar end mirror, bent front brake lever..... well you get the picture. $1,000 in repairs/upgrades later Toxic was better than ever.....

 

[Nicki66]

I have not had this experience of it falling over by itself, but since reading this thread I have really made sure how I park now.
I did have my dumbass moment though. It was two days after I had crashed and I was washing her in the driveway to get the bearshit and 2 days of rain riding road grime off before the insurance adjuster showed up. I took her off the c-stand while standing along side and it started tipping away from me and there was nothing I could do. The only additional damage was to the brake lever. Insurance covered that too.

 

[desert_max]

I'm pretty happy (in a sadistic sort of way) to see that my little thread here and the circumstances that prompted it are shared. Misery loves company. I had an '71 Triumph Bonneville stand sink into the dirt and the bike fell onto the outside of my right knee the instant I let go of it. Hurt like a sumbitch. I limped for a month after that one.

For now, my gear shifter is bent back into shape and the mirror scuff is blacked out. The rear turn signal lens is glued back into place and only a small chunk is missing as a reminder of what "could have been".

All in all, I was extremely lucky. I pity poor Toxic and his $1000 fall(s).

Careful with those stands, guys. Assume nothing and keep in mind that a bike in neutral WILL roll - and when you least expect it.