She dropped it again!!

[Scrapdog2grand]

It happens, my wife made a u turn on a nice wide road yesterday at very slow speed so we can park in the shade, took it wide, hit the brake, and slid a little, and dropped it again. it was half on the road and the front wheel was off the road, on a slight decline, so it actually just sat on the left side of the frame, not a scratch or ding. but she did alright and immediatly hit the kill switch, and tried to pick it up, which she couldnt do.
Dont know what she did, look like the front tire slid over a foot on a paved surface, and another foot in the dirt.

Better than the last time, when I spent the morning putting on her fog lights, and we get ready to go out for a ride, she went to put it on the sidestand, so I could run in the house for a minute, and forgot the sidestand wasnt down. dinged and scratched her new light bar. her ego was pretty hurt that time too.

[Mace]

This video demonstrates how to pick up a heavy bike. Maybe it would help if she drops it when you're not around.

How to pick up your motorcycle - YouTube

How to pick up your motorcycle - YouTube

[CrazyDave]

edit..removed

[Scrapdog2grand]

Originally Posted by Mace

This video demonstrates how to pick up a heavy bike. Maybe it would help if she drops it when you're not around.

Very nice.

[Scrapdog2grand]

Originally Posted by CrazyDave

I have my own ideas but I think this time I think I will take the wise path and let YOU tell me.. what ( no, riding without gear doesn't count ) in your opinion would be some clear indications that perhaps some folks shouldn't keep on riding?

Yup Dave, first time happend early last year, once beyond 15 deg she cant hold it up. Immediatly thought, take her back out to the parking lot for low speed turns, and this may be a yearly tradition.

[CrazyDave]

Originally Posted by Scrapdog2grand

Yup Dave, first time happend early last year, once beyond 15 deg she cant hold it up. Immediatly thought, take her back out to the parking lot for low speed turns, and this may be a yearly tradition.

Actually I had that in mind for another post.. got caught in yours, so I decided to wait a bit..

[Amos Iron Wolf]

Based on the front slide sounds like she hit the front brake during the turn, then grabbed it tighter when it started to slide.

Also sounds like in a slow, tight turn the front is flopping in and she can't hold it. I've found after a certain point on tight, really slow turns the head of the bike wants to fold in and follow gravity. Besides trail braking, I've found that doing something akin to countersteer keeps the bike from folding in on itself and dumping. As she is making the turn, and looking where she is going, not where she is at, push a little against the grip on the turn side or pull a little on the outside grip, just like counter steering at higher speeds. Except in this case it doesn't lean the bike more into the turn, but resists gravity and the tendency for the front end to fall into the turn and fold the bike for a dump.

Remind her to counter balance some if she isn't. But from the front skid, it sounds like a locked front brake.

[shadowmaker07]

I'm just now starting to make U turns from my parking space in front of my home with no driveway when I don't want to go all the way around the block.
What I do is just go very easy on the throttle, am likely "riding" clutch since I mostly keep it in and I also keep my feet fairly planted on the ground and sliding along the pavement thru the whole turn because despite knowing how to pick one up, I quite simply CANNOT PERIOD.

[hunnus2000]

Here's a great exercise for the parking lot - Start at one side of the parking lot and you walk normally across the lot while she rides next to you. This forces her to stay in the friction zone and use the rear brake at slow speeds.
This is basically Riding 101 but so many riders get into the bad habit of grabbing too much front brake at the wrong time.

[Fat Kid]

I have only few words to say learn to use Clutch! That's the best thing on inclines, slow motions.

And i applause to your wife's bravery and your patience!

Fat Kid and his Shadow onthego