Tip over in the Driveway :(

[Chief Gunner]

So I was getting ready to ride to work yesterday morning, fired up the beast and rolled it out of the garage to the driveway. As I turned to walk back inside....it tipped over :damn angry:

The Damage total was; Bent handlebars, broken clutch lever, damaged ISO grip, bent shift lever, bent shift lever bracket and adjusting rod and the foot rest bracket was tweaked. The outer Stator cover is dented and cracked too.

I was able to straighten the foot rest bracket with some careful application of leverage and my big ass pipe wrench, the shift lever and bracket are done though.

The upside of it is that I have another new stator cover and I was going to replace the handlebars anyway.

After a few hours of shopping around on the web I came in at just about $300 bucks for everything I need to fix it and even scored a couple of cool small add on's.

My wife reminded me about my buddy Jim's 2011 Fat Boy Low that tipped over in my garage last year and that it cost him nearly 2K to fix it, she told me not to feel so bad..

She's right, I guess I can't complain too much, owning a VMax has it's advantages , They are allot cheaper to mod and buy parts for than some other bikes out there.:biglaugh:

 

[dannymax]

Man, that really sux, sorry to hear this! These things roll off the side stand sooooo easy!

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Been there. Sucks. Mine tipped when I was waxing it. I had it in neutral, and turned the handlebars to polish the steering neck....before I knew it, the kickstand folded! I had my hand on the grip, but the weight of the bike was already gaining momentum, and I could only slow down the inevitable. Bent the shifter and scuffed the mirror. Now I always polish it in gear....lesson learned!

 

[Chief Gunner]

Man, that really sux, sorry to hear this! These things roll off the side stand sooooo easy!

I guess I'm lucky, had it for 5 years and this was the 1st &hopoefully the last time this shit will happen. I used the opportunity to get the black drag bars I wanted and I snuck in a couple of little addd on's like these covers for the cylinder coolant drains...

I forgot to order risers for the drag bars so I'll have to get them ordered today....I know, it's bad to use a mishap as an excuse to keep on adding and modding but it could be worse, I don't cheat on my wife...LMAO

 

[ninjaneer]

ugh that sucks, but it could be worse, right?.

...like these covers for the cylinder coolant drains...

wherer ya getting them from?

...I forgot to order risers for the drag bars

wherer ya getting them from? how high?

Man, that really sux, sorry to hear this! These things roll off the side stand sooooo easy!

dannymax, wasn't it you that find his max "sleeping" in the garage one "next morning"?

 

[texas-ss-tornado]

I have an odd single "ISO" grip laying around (Kuryakyn #6241), although I don't remember if it's the left hand or throttle side. I assume it fell to the left, correct? Let me know, if you need it, I'll send it on for the cost of shipping!

 

[CaptainKyle]

That sucks ! But it could have been worse. I am sure I can fix your shift lever if its just bent. I have fixed some pretty bad ones.

 

[Miles Long]

I feel your pain, Chief. My bike goes tits-up at least once a year, for various reasons - wet tree roots in campsites, wheel ruts on dirt roads, forgetting to put the sidestand out, etc. - but the only thing that's ever broken has been a rear turn signal lens.
I really don't like the looks of engine guards or roll bars on any bike, but the harsh reality is that tip-overs happen, especially with heavy machines and small riders, and carelessness(see above) I have learned to leave the bike in gear if it's not running, and avoid wide-cuffed pants that may catch on footpegs.
My very first modification on my bike was an external 1" square tubing frame, that bolts to the stock. This was added to eliminate the high-speed wobble, but has also served as a mounting surface for front and rear OEM engine guards. The rears prevent the pipes from hitting the ground. The fronts now also make great foot rests, because they are now 2" wider than they would be if bolted directly on the frame.
For touring, I add roll bar extensions to the fronts, Yes, butt-ugly for sure.
But when the bike tips, these hit the sod first - the bar ends or fairing don't touch at all. I also put on custom, shorter levers, wider on the blade (like the Harley style)
Cheers!

 

[Chief Gunner]

Feeling better knowing I'm not the only one that has had this happen. .

Ninjaneer; I got the black drag bars (7/8" diameter, 27.5" wide with a 3/4" pull back) and the drain covers at pythonmotorsports. UFO makes an adjustable 2" riser I want for $125.

Texas-SS-Tornado; Thanks for the offer on the ISO Grip; I already ordered a new set. The last time I bought them they were $75, I picked up a set for $50 last night so I'm good.

Prior experience with my other bikes made me concerned about the forks and triple tree after laydowns so I loosened the triple clamps, re-set the forks and checked the freeplay and adjusted the steering stem. I torqued everthing back to specs when I was done. It looks straight and feels good for now but I'll be very careful when I test ride it after I get it all back together.

I stripped the bike down a bit this morning and found a couple of other minor things while prepping for the install of the SAMCO (Red) silicone hose kit that came in yesterday.

My left side radiator shroud is jacked up (the plastic busted on the top screw fastning hole but the radiator is fine). My tailpipe is scratched and dented at the tip too. I plan on a complete UFO exhaust later this year anyway so screw it.

I hate thsoe plastic radiator shrouds!! So it looks like I'll be getting one of those SS metal radiator covers with the side shrouds but I can't decide on which one I want. I do know I'll get it powder coated red when I get it .

 

[FootNote]

I hate thsoe plastic radiator shrouds!! So it looks like I'll be getting one of those SS metal radiator covers with the side shrouds but I can't decide on which one I want. I do know I'll get it powder coated red when I get it .

I am planning on the same thing.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Yep,

Happened to me too, the first month I owned it.
Fell over about 3 minutes after walking away from it.
I had failed ot fully deploy the stand, it was kind of centered or balanced on it I think.


All in all tho you came out better than it could have been.

 

[ninjaneer]

crazy thing is that after reading about your mishap, i almost laid down my max this morning, too. i was backing out of the garage when my right foot slipped forward on something (i think it was some plastic wrap). the bike revved pretty nicely though, as i freaked out pulling on the throttle grip trying to buy some time to get my foot back underneath me. when the nerves settled down, I reminisced of this thread grateful that i didn't have something detrimental to post.

i've always felt uncomfortable with the stock stand. Greivances aside, what do y'all think of UFO's kickstand? I want to like it, but at $230, it is very difficult to justify.

 

[gamorg02]

i think thats ugly as hell! no offense ninja!

 

[sdt354]

Sorry to hear this. I guess I was lucky to just ruin the windshild when I took a dunp in the shed.
Steve

 

[ninjaneer]

i think thats ugly as hell! no offense ninja!

none taken, i had the same reaction. that long "thingy" that sticks out of the stand's foot gave me an uneasy feeling cosmetically speaking. it hides well i suppose when tucked in underway, but sure is fugly when the stand is down. i guess with my original post i was trying to broker heavier-dutied alternatives out of y'all. anyone?

 

[gamorg02]

understood. honestly ithink the stock one blends in nicely p/c black!

 

[Redbone]

Redbone is lowered 2" at the forks while the rear shocks are the stock height of 13", and since I didn't think to purchase a lowered kickstand
I used a little trick to make sure RB didn't tip over. I filed a bit off the sidestand stop so that the sidestand pivots further forward in it's down position. Sure it stands a little more straight up than stock but it takes more for it to fall off of the sidestand now(IMO). Knocking on wood now just in case I may have jinxed myself this next riding season!:bang head:

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Redbone is lowered 2" at the forks while the rear shocks are the stock height of 13", and since I didn't think to purchase a lowered kickstand
I used a little trick to make sure RB didn't tip over. I filed a bit off the sidestand stop so that the sidestand pivots further forward in it's down position. Sure it stands a little more straight up than stock but it takes more for it to fall off of the sidestand now(IMO). Knocking on wood now just in case I may have jinxed myself this next riding season!:bang head:

When I lowered mine, which it no longer is, I thought about doing that as well. Ended up heating the side stand to redhot in the middle and bending with a little "kick" out.

I did exactly your method on my XR650 when I lowered it tho.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

none taken, i had the same reaction. that long "thingy" that sticks out of the stand's foot gave me an uneasy feeling cosmetically speaking. it hides well i suppose when tucked in underway, but sure is fugly when the stand is down. i guess with my original post i was trying to broker heavier-dutied alternatives out of y'all. anyone?

I think it looks kinda tough like a Ford 1 ton with grill guards and side bars etc.....

Oops, nevermind, I thought this was in reference to Miles longs rear crash bars......

 

[PATMAX]

After my "Humpty Dumpty" post two weeks ago, I feel better knowing I'm in a long line of other before me. With the exception of dirt bikes, I haven't dropped my street bike in Thirty two years of riding. I've swallowed my pride and will ask for help from here on out. I got off lighter than you! I can't think of a better reason to do a little winter cleaning and modding so have at and get a better bike when it's all said and done! Dropping a bike can be a "good" thing I guess!


When in doubt...Gas it !!!