Modern Vespa

Reading GoPam's unfortuneate "dropping", have most folks dropped their MP3?

most likely most will, sooner or later get "surprised" by the weight of the MP3's front end. If you're not ready for it, it can be quite unwieldy.

i.e., I've dropped mine 4 times.

first time coming out of the driveway. Rolling backwards downhill. Turning left at the end of it threw it on its right side.

again on a decline while in traffic. Had to make a right turn and hit the front brakes too hard preparing for a slow maneuver turning right. Bike fell on its right side. Adrenaline hits and I pulled the thing up.

third in a parking lot showing the thing off. Unlocked the front end while standing on the left side of the bike. Bike fell on its right hand side. Buddy helps me get it upright again.

4th time in a parking lock on a slow left turn. Car coming surprised me and again I hit the front brakes too hard in a slow turn. Fell on its left hand side.

etc., etc. ad infinitum ad nauseum

yikes

I haven't mentioned it before because I was so mad/embarrassed that I didn't want to bring it up.

I went to visit at a house I had never been before. When I got there and looked up the steep driveway I debated on whether or not to drive up or park at the bottom. Stupidity won out and up I drove. I thought I could get up to the top turn and park with the nose down. When I reached the top I discovered it also dropped off to the right a bit. I stopped at the top facing upward with the bike turned slightly to the left, parked with the brake on and engaged the front wheels.

After I visited for a while I came back out and just stood there trying to figure out my next move. I honestly did not know what those two front wheels would do when I unlocked them. The left was lower than the right so I thought maybe I should try to back it down. Then I realized that if I tried that maybe it would tip over to the right. Then I looked again and said to myself to try and push it a little further up the hill then turn it left and down the hill. The more I thought about this the more I convinced myself that it wouldn't work either because the wheels were locked so uneven.

So I stood over the bike, a foot on each side straddling the bike and unlocked the front wheels. It was like something hit it from the right side and over it went to the left. Now at this point I could have simply let it fall. But no, I had to hang onto the handlebars and gently lay it over so it wouldn't get hurt. As it went over I heard a bunch of popping sounds in my left leg. Now with the bike on the ground and me lying beside it because my leg hurt so bad I was really in a pickle.

After several minutes I was able to crawl back up to the door of the house and got the young man who lives there to help me right the bike. We did that and also straightened it out so I could walk it back down the driveway. By now the pain was so bad, almost unbearable, but I made it home.

The next day the Dr. told me that I did major soft tissue trauma to the left hamstring. He didn't think it was torn loose but a major tear nevertheless. Lots of rest and physical therapy got me back on my bike a month later. I think it will probably be at least 6 months before I'm all healed.

I've thought about this situation a thousand times and wondered what I could have done differently. The first would have never gone up the driveway in the first place. The second is once I found myself in the position I should have gone back into the house to ask for help right away. That MP3 400 is heavy and does not like to be moved on hills when the wheels are locked at two different levels. It was a pretty scary lesson!

Oh, and the bike has just a few scratches on the left fairing, barely noticeable.

Not dropped yet. The tilt-lock has helped a few times though, I do admit.

How to look a complete idiot #1

So, there I was outside Bar Italia a 'tres trendy' coffee stop in the heart of Soho on my Rhinestone studded, betasseled, black wonder, posing like there is no tomorrow. I had arrived with the sound system playing appropriate music and stopped the engine on the stop button to allow the sounds to finish at an appropriate moment. There were fifty or so people there gazing at me lounging on my oh so cool machine

I nestled into a more comfortable position sideways to await the delivery of the finest and most expensive cappuccino in London. I had left the ignition on for the sound system. Even the odd camera had been produced to record my superb presence. I nudged the lock button. The Scoot oh so slowly and quite majestically toppled over with me on it. Legs in the air, coffee everywhere. Severely bruised ego and slightly bruised back. It was a weekend in dock sorting the bodywork out.

A subnote is that some of the bodywork is quite reasonable to replace.

Posers beware!

ALWAYS TURN THE IGNITION OFF!


How to look a complete idiot #2

So, hit a speed bump way too fast, the i-pod popped off its mounting into the road. Stopped with squeal of brakes, locked suspension and ran back to retrieve i-pod.

Turned round to watch scoot gently and slowly roll forward down the camber on the road, and into a small pothole and tip ever so slowly over taking out the windscreen.
Two days in the garage replacing wings and things and putting new rhinestones on.

ALWAYS PUT THE HANDBRAKE ON! sorry to shout, but I need reminding.

Replaced full size screen with the short standard one. It is a horrible thing, the standard screen. I couldn't wait to get my full screen back, Si (a large screen aficionado on the U.K. site)and I know that the full screen is by far the most civilizing thing available.

The replacement scoot, following the theft and trashing of the first one has not been over yet, but it is surely just a matter of time.

Fondest
Fay

there is nobody I have ever met in 40+ years who has never dropped a m/c at one time or another, be it in a driveway forggeting to put a kickstand down, at a stop light forgetting to put a foot down, ( neither was me but a friend whom I have laughed with over those) or somehitng else. while most will take the leason learned and never happen again some will not.
so to me there is only 1 group those who ride.

Managed to drop my Fuoco on Saturday trying to do a U-turn on gravel and broken bricks and a downward slant. The bike went over gently but I have still managed to crack my rib (according to my doc - an age thing).

JimC tried to help me stand up and my foot slipped in the process and I landed on my knee which is now decorated in beautiful shades of blue. Only one panel scratched - could be a job to replace as it is one with the red, white, green and gold stripes on.

I'm guessing the height and width of the saddle on the MP3 also helps make correcting the pre-drop bike position a lot harder than a regular motorbike where the rider basically sits over the bike with knees gripping the tank instead of on it like an armchair, and probably adds to the "surprise" factor especially if rider has previous experience with a motorbike of similar size.

I think the seat position of the mp3 actually helps catch it, but the weight of the front end makes it a bit harder to stop. I mean, whenever I've come close, the fact that my feet are sitting right by the pavement made it possible.

BTW, I'm in a special "third group" of riders. I've seen my bike dropped twice by others, but I've never dropped it. Does that put me in the dropped or not dropped category?

My Brother in Law is currently in the middle of a trip with his BMW from Columbus, Ohio to Colorado, Utah and New Mexico and back. Two days ago, he dropped his bike at a rest area.. said he ended up jumping out of the way and falling into a roll on the ground.. very dramatic but no harm done.. said he felt very stupid and a few scratches to remember his moment of thoughtlessness.. so it does happen..

My husband told me that the day I picked up my bike - I said I'll have a heart attack if I drop something I just wrote a frickin $9000 check for and he said don't worry, you will, everyone does. Haven't yet, but I thought it was happening yesterday on my way back from Panama City in the worst rainstorm I have ever been in my whole life - that would have TRULY sucked. I'm glad I could put off dropping it until a more convenient time

Second week of owning, confident now with stopping, and locking the front up. Stepped off in garage, taking off helmet to then notice out of my side vision the scoot was rolling backwards out of the garage. It got about four feet before I grabed it. Do you know it "ROLLS", so quietly!

I'm in for it now....only time I have ever had to pick up a bike was from my 2 proper crashes, one where a car T-boned me (20 years ago) and the other going down in gravel on a corner out in the country (12 years ago). Last 4 bikes and nearly 100,000km of commuting, trackdays and fast twisty roads without a scratch on the bikes.

Guess I will drop one of them tomorrow after saying this.

//Dennis.

What a great forum, I feel much better knowing I'm not alone. Thanks...

I am in the dropped group. I also was on a steep driveway - mine and blew it.

Jimc I would be afraid of using the tilt lock on my way down. I completely trust that you know what you are doing and so it must work. Also I am not experienced enough to get all the things you need to do at one time when you go down. I did manage the kill switch right fast enough though.

It is good to know that there are others - even with experience - who have dropped their bikes.

Welcome to Bike Droppers Anonymous

It's amazing to me that this thread and the other related ones get so much positive response. Most other "proper" motorcycle forums would probably say that bike dropping is a myth and it doesn't exist

you have already qualified as dropping one at some point in your life whether it was your fault or another.
hope you can continue your current steak of 12+ years without any futher a-do.

The foolish category. See other current thread about letting someone else ride your MP3.

I seem to be reading most of the drops related here are to do with forgetting to put on the park brake on, doing slow speed maneuvers, getting the bike on or off the stand, not putting feet down, parking, etc. I don't really class these as the same as having a crash, i.e. Dropping the bike vs crashing the bike, you can hear it when people write about an incident and describe a crash or a drop, but each to their own.

I am not saying I don't make mistakes, I know I have learnt from mine over the years and continue learning every day. I hope everyone is able to learn from their mistakes and keep yourselves and machines upright.

BTW: got thru the day without dropping it again.

I'm foolish only too. Just once!

+1
Also I can physically manage the bike.

I've dropped every bike/scoot I've ever owned except (ironically) for the largest one, a 675-pound Honda. Probably didn't own it long enough.

This is not a "my dog is bigger than your dog" story, but try this for embarrassment:

Drop a shiny new MP3 in front of dozens of college students young enough to be your kids or grandkids.

At least a couple helped me pick it up.

Dropped mine once a few months back...posted about it then...simply did not ensure the suspsension lock was on and stepped off. It fell over partially against a low brick wall away from me which was good cause I had my back to it and was reaching for my helmet strap. Couple of coworkers had a good laugh.

I still find it amazing that it actually stayed upright long enough for me to dismount and actually start taking off my helmet before it went over.

I also believe that I have dropped every bike I have had either directly or through lack of diligence...setting it on the kickstand on hot asphalt and the like.

I've done a drop & catch when I had parked and thought I hit the tilt lock. Swung my leg through and it came towards me as I was getting off. Grabbed the luggage rail in my right hand w/ the bike behind me, got it before it hit the ground so no damage. Was luck the bike didn't fall away from me.

Since that incident I always give it a "wiggle" to make sure the lock is on before hopping off.

I do that "wiggle" thing on my motorbike when I put her side stand down but before I get off the bike totally, just to make sure the side stand is sturdy she wouldn't topple after I got off the bike.

Never have, but I suspect that only puts me in the "those who will" category per the OP here... I conscientiously park her the same way every time, always on the hard stand, after a specific procedure of shutdown. One of these days thru human frailty I'll likely miss one of those steps... <sigh>

Two rules of life: a) shit happens, and b) ain't shit you can do about it. If and when that particular shit occurs I'll deal with it.

I wish that Piaggio took an idea from Saturn. Those plastic doors and fenders would bounce back from any hit or ding. I haven't been hurt yet from a fall, so I am very thankful for that period!

Yes, I have - several times, all at slow speed or stopping, my fault or road surface problems. Moving bikes are gyroscopes. Slow or stopped ones are heavy chunks of metal. There is no shame in it in my book.

Had the 500 up on the center stand with the suspension unlocked. Damned if I didn't take it off the center stand only to watch it start to drop to the right. It was such a senior moment (I'm only 28!). Luckily I was able to keep it from tipping completely. No harm, no foul.

That being said, my first motorcycle I dropped at least three times. All of them ending my riding season. The last one kept me off a bike for nearly 5 years. But I didn't drop it as much as I played chicken with a road sign.

What are the steps that you go through each time you park it?

I seem to always shake my bike just after I hit the lock. I never trust those things.

Never really enumerated them in type, Loretta and I just do them by rote. OCD/ADHD and all that. But this is a good head exercise...

When I come to a stop I keep the rear brake on, flip my faceshield up, ensure she's level (not tilted), set the tilt lock and after hearing the beep I hit the kill switch. A shake tells me the tilt lock is indeed set, then I turn the key off and while I am still sitting and my feet are still flat on the ground I let my rider dismount (ride two up nearly as often as alone). I dismount myself and still with the brake as needed I roll her to where she'll be parked, set the hardstand, release the rear brake and twist the handlebars left and then set the parking brake - finally twisting the key to lock position and removing it. Off with helmet and stuff. After that its a question of whether I need to put the cool ass on the seat, twist the shock preloads back for the next ride, etc. Yes, I do this every time ~

Crikey, don't you???

Caveat: of course now that I've thought these thru I'll eff up fer sure.

Stop, lock, wiggle, turn off ignition, set parking brake, lock wheels to the left, dismount. Not always in that exact order.

Never use the kill switch and only use the centerstand if she will be sitting for a few days (which she hardly ever is. ) or if I am changing the rear tire.

I just went out into the garage and pushed mine over just to get it over with.

That is what I need to do - reading threads like this makes the voices in my head whisper mean things. . . . .

Funny...really funny. I laughed until my drink shot out my nose.

Stickyfrog says "(I) Never use the kill switch..." but Bravo 2 4 always does. Is there a preference to use or not use the kill switch or is the important thing just to do one or the other consistently?

It's more about consistency. You want to use the kill switch so that it becomes automatic in your head when you need to turn it off in an emergency.

I was using it 100%, but after reading too many posts about the kill switch dying, I decided not to use it anymore.

Hmm.. Pillion passengers on an MP3. This is where they shine. Come to a stop, tilt-lock on, key off, rider gets off, passenger can now disembark. Reverse order for getting on - none of this getting them to swing leg up and over. Bloody brilliant.

Can you give us some advice on picking back it up? Things like with your back to it, and / or was the tilt lock engaged?