A painful lesson learned
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 240
From: On 2 rails...
Sitting on the bike whilst it idles would have prevented it from falling over..
Last edited by bobg03; Nov 29, 2013 at 09:04 AM.
Sloping driveway here too. Not so long ago I parked on the slope next to my car, to let the tires cool down so I could add air. My compressor plugs into the cigarette lighter in the car. I put the bike into gear and my brain said ok the kickstand is down. Got off the bike and crash. Fortunately the car was on the right of the bike not the kickstand side. Crash bars and bags saved the bike.
My lesson was that I could not pick up a Heritage lying on it's side on a steep slope. I had to call my 70 yo neighbor to come help.
Sorry to hear about your lesson. Wise men learn from other people's lessons!
My lesson was that I could not pick up a Heritage lying on it's side on a steep slope. I had to call my 70 yo neighbor to come help.
Sorry to hear about your lesson. Wise men learn from other people's lessons!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 614
Likes: 79
From: Virginia
I'm sharing this story in the hope it can prevent it from happening to you.
Yesterday, in preparation for winter storage, I washed my 2012 Street Glide. After washing it, I started the engine to drive it into my garage. My driveway has a bit of a slope to it. I turned my back on the bike while it was idling to go into the garage to move the hose out of the way. I heard something scraping on the driveway and turned to see my beautiful bike rolling down my driveway backwards, dragging the kickstand. I ran for it but couldn't get to her in time. Her bars turned and she went *** end into the rear fender of my wife's car!!!! Of course, after hitting the car, she fell over onto her side.
I should add the my ashpalt driveway was recently sealed and has been quite slippery. This, combined with the water on the driveway, substantial winds (was a windy day) and the vibration of the engine idling caused the stand to lose grip and away she went.
So, don't idle your bike on a sloped ashphat driveway unless you're sitting on it!!
Yesterday, in preparation for winter storage, I washed my 2012 Street Glide. After washing it, I started the engine to drive it into my garage. My driveway has a bit of a slope to it. I turned my back on the bike while it was idling to go into the garage to move the hose out of the way. I heard something scraping on the driveway and turned to see my beautiful bike rolling down my driveway backwards, dragging the kickstand. I ran for it but couldn't get to her in time. Her bars turned and she went *** end into the rear fender of my wife's car!!!! Of course, after hitting the car, she fell over onto her side.
I should add the my ashpalt driveway was recently sealed and has been quite slippery. This, combined with the water on the driveway, substantial winds (was a windy day) and the vibration of the engine idling caused the stand to lose grip and away she went.
So, don't idle your bike on a sloped ashphat driveway unless you're sitting on it!!
Not to one up you but, last year I finally talked the wife into a FatBob Lo. She'd had it for < a month when one afternoon we were going out for a ride. I pulled her bike out of the garage and had it in the driveway. Our drive is concrete and sloped down to the street. I had the bike sitting in the driveway, just a bit on the down slope. I'm in the house getting ready to go, and I glanced out of the window and the bike is laying on it's side in at the bottom of the driveway. $2000 later, it's fixed. When we took it to the shop, I made sure to tell them it was me that screwed up! My wife was worried they'd think, girls's bike, girl dropped it. She's been riding since 1994 with no incidents!
Been in this house for 25 years and many, many bikes in the driveway with no problem. Very expensive lesson learned.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,815
Likes: 44
From: Keizer, Oregon
I had that happen to my bike as well. No other vehicles involved but bike idling on sloped driveway while I step into the garage to grab the backrest for my daughter (she asked if she could go with me as I was backing out of the garage.) Bike made it down the driveway backwards scraping on the kickstand until it go to the street and flopped over on the right side. I was super pissed at myself. Dimpled the bottom part of the bottom stock pipe(thank goodness it wasn't my V&H) and f'd up my handle bars (replaced them).
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,142
Likes: 124
Hope the damage is minimal.That'll knock the "stupid" out of you !!
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