Zero Speed Drop Phenomena

[fossil]

I've never dropped my RT but I've...

- Replaced both bar ends

- Refinished the right mirror housing twice

- Replaced the right mirror housing

- Replaced one system case cover

- Replaced the both engine guards twice

...because the danged pavement keeps leeping up and hitting the left or right side of the bike.

 

Gaaahh haw haw haw haaaaw!!! That's funny. Thanks for your sense of humor on this although I didn't think is was a damn bit funny at the times (plural). So when your buying a beemer that has reportedly never been dropped you might be looking at a zero miles bike. What your suppose to do is simply take off your gloves and helmet, lay it on the bike and walk away like that's what you intended to do. Great therapy guys R

[ghaverkamp]

It happened to me several weeks ago. I was leaving the garage at work, which entails a very steep, right-hand turn. I was probably not paying as much attention as I should have, and the car driver in front of me stopped when I didn't expect it. I stopped, put my foot down, and I swear there was no pavement to be found. Bike goes over. Fortunately, I thought, it went down on the side that it landed on when I got hit by the tow truck a couple months ago.

 

Well, as it happens, picking the bike up when it is not on level ground but is in fact going downhill is tough. I finally got to try the trick of backing into it to get it up. I was very successful. But I missed a step.

 

Yes. I forgot to put the sidestand down before lifting. So, with one hand on the brake to keep the bike from rolling away from me down this steep incline, I feverishly reached over, trying to put down the sidestand. I just about had it, when I felt the bike going the other way. I couldn't keep it up, and down it went on the left side. Fortunately, it went down slowly, and that side was slightly dinged up as the side that actually hit the tow truck.

 

I ran around to the other side (the uphill side), lifted it, but the sidestand down, and tried to get out of there. The garage where I park is at the loading dock for the building complex, and a truck driver had just noticed I was back there having difficulty as he was trying to back out. I didn't really want to discuss my stupidity.

 

Of course, the funniest had to be when I forgot to put the sidestand down when parking my bike to go into the DMV... right in front of the examiner immediately after I passed the DMV skills test.

[Steve W.]

Last Saturday I went to the "open house" at the local BMW stealer. They had little demo rides set up with a leader guy and about 5 bikes in tow. So, I was last in the group on a new KGT. We stopped at a light on slight incline and the leader turned right on red with most of the group. Well there was some guy in front of me on a new RRT, and he dropped it right in the intersection. I started to dismount and help him, but before I could get parked he had jerked the bike up. He almost went too far over and had to struggle to keep it up right. I am sure he felt really bad. When we returned to the dealer I didn't hear any thing about it. I don't know if he told them about the incident. I looked the bike over and the bag, grip, and head were scrached up pretty good. So watch out if you ever buy a demo bike.

Cheers

Steve

[pbharvey]

My bike fell over when I was washing it. (It was on a slight incline, I had the wheel turned to the right, and it was windy)Got an estimate of $3000 to make everything right. I got the big stuff fixed, $300 worth, and live with a few scratches. I'm much more relaxed now that my bike isn't perfect.

[AlanBrown]

On a slightly related train of thought, I just came home today from a 2 week vacation in Cape Town. I had left my RT with the cover on (weather had been pretty foul at the time), on the centre stand, but on soft grassy ground. I have no idea when during the two weeks it happened, but I guess that a combination of wind on the covered bike, together with a slowly sinking stand, did it.

 

Anyway, I got it up OK using the "back in" method. Only problem was a popped mirror.

However, on startup, the engine was blowing a lot of blue smoke. I only ran it about 30 seconds, enough to get it on firm ground to check for damage I hadn't already spotted, but the smoke was still a little blue when I shut it down. Assuming the worst, i.e. that the bike has been lying on its side for nearly TWO WEEKS, could the oil have somehow found its way to somewhere it shouldn't have reached? Or is it likely that the smoke will clear up? I have not riden it since I picked it up this afternoon.

[E30TECH]

the oil have somehow found its way to somewhere it shouldn't have reached? Or is it likely that the smoke will clear up? I have not riden it since I picked it up this afternoon.

I would consider that normal. If the bike has been up for several hours now, the oil may have drained back. If it still smokes when you restart, I'd let it run until the oil is burned. Once it clears up, and the engine has cooled, I would have a look at the spark plugs.

 

I expected this to happen when I dropped my bike at 0 MPH and the bike was on its side for a few minutes. I started it and to my surprise, no smoke.

[Neil Jones]

These new bikes are designed to be laid over for up to 4 minutes with no blue smoke. apparently you beat the clock.

[Keith S]

These new bikes are designed to be laid over for up to 4 minutes with no blue smoke. apparently you beat the clock.

 

Neil

Where do you guys learn this stuff? There always seems to be somebody that has these gems of knowledge. When I dropped mine that was a concern of mine. But with the adrenalin flowing the bike was only down for 1 or 2 minutes.

 

Keith

[NoHeat]

You have 700+ pounds balanced on two contact patches each the size of a quarter.

 

That works out to a tire pressure of 488+ psi.

 

Sorry for the hijack.