So today I was making a slow U-turn and I guess a rock caused my rear wheel to slip out from under me and next thing you know I'm on the ground. I get up and lift the bike up and move it off the road.



Luckily I was going about 3 MPH, and was wearing jeans (which ripped) and a jacket with elbow armor.


Damage on me: Scraped on left elbow, and scrape on left knee.


Damage on the bike (2010 Iron 883): Left foot peg is slightly bent.




I'm a new rider (less than a month) so now am I a member of the "club".


I always heard that it's not IF you go down, it's WHEN. I believe it now.

 

Bummer. Lucky its only a couple band aids and a new peg. Welcome to the club and good luck healing.

 

Not that it matters, but I doubt a rock caused it......
Jump back on it and keep going. It likely won't be the last time you ever drop one.

 

The reason I think it was a rock is because there was a guy in a truck behind me, and that is what he says he saw.....I saw no rock.


Also a question.


I was putting the cover on my bike and I touched the shifter pedal and it shifted a gear without me holding the clutch in (the bike is off). Is this supposed to be able to happen? Iv'e never tried to move the shifter without holding the clutch in, so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be able to move or not.

 

Sorry to hear about your drop.

You can shift without holding the clutch in, so no worries there.

There are some people that are able to time their shifts so they can shift with out pulling in the clutch. Wouldn't recommend it, but its possible.

 

You can shift it all day with the bike off and the clutch engaged (lever out).
Watch out for using the front brake during slow speed maneuvers with the bike leaning over.
Poop happens.

 

That was my thought when he said he was kinda new. Did you use front brake in a slow turn? That will cause you to fall in a hurry.

 

My best friend who's on my plate now only had two things to say about this. Never go too slow and know how to roll. It also helps to only use back brake in slow sharp turns. When I first got back into Harley's after many years off I did a lot of slow turns in my dead end court to get my skill level back up. You do need some speed in turns since a v-twin can get jerky even in low at 3mph. If I was doing 3 I would have been on the throttle slightly, on the rear brake and with the clutch feathered. It happens. My lower primary and frame has some good road rash and the other side has scrapes on the exhaust and a crack in the chrome on my new billot brake lever. I did the right. My friend did the left. The best thing is as long as you do not get hurt it's not so bad the second time.

 

Glad ur ok, and the bike is not hurt. The slow turns can be tricky for shure, practice is all that helps hang in there!

 

have you taken the rider saftey course?