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Just WHAT touches down(?)

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Fittysom'n

Fittysom'n

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So I've got this brand new Bandit 1250S, and it's gonna drop someday....

* Can anybody post pictures or tell me WHERE & what touches down in a parking lot drop?

* What kind of sliders and where located on the bike are they the most effective?

* How about roll bars, cage, "nerf bars" etc., how well do THEY work?

* Where exactly on the fairing does plastic meet with parking lot?

* Pictures or experience with a drop of a fully dressed out Bandit with bags would be appreciated too.

Thanks in advance,
-= PAT =-
 
The most bothersome part is that 37.42 seconds after you complete your research and place your order for parts, you will walk out to the garage, trip, bump your bike (left in neutral) and watch in horror as it falls over onto your wife's car...
 
or.....

balance your pretty black & yellow FZ1 on a (cheap) motorcycle jack, after removing BOTH front & rear wheels.... thinking you took enough steps to secure your bike.

When upon returning from Cycle Gear with some newly shod wheels, you find your black & yellow looking like road kill...., on the garage floor...., on it's side...., concluding that your hydraulic jack oozed outa position...., with your bike supported only by it's (once unscathed) Holeshot muffler.

As a side note,
it's amazing how little a bike weighs without it's tires & wheels.
 
Mine rolled forward while I was getting off it allowing the kickstand to flip up. I fell with it into the side of my Toyota Tacoma pickup, denting the lower panel of the truck with my head still in my helmet. Only damage to the bike was a snapped off clutch lever ball, light scratch on the stator cover, small mark on the underside of the left rear footpeg and that was it. Mirror hinged in with no marks or damage, left front blinker bent up with no marks of damage at all. Bar end had a nick on it barely noticeable. The truck dent was the most costly thing of the whole ordeal. I would have been knocked silly or knocked out had I not still had my helmet and jacket on. It was one heavy bike to lift back up and I strangely developed a right inguinal hernia two months later which required surgery:doh: was it due to that lift maybe so not sure. Never dropped it on the right side......yet.
 
I have already learned NOT to trust the side-stand on my new 1250 ! ! !

I can only hope to remember to take EXTRA steps to assure that it's fully in position, and not to park ANYWHERE near a decline.

Worst side-stand EVER (save for those spring-loaded Jiffy stands of yesteryear).
 
Fittysom'n said:
I have already learned NOT to trust the side-stand on my new 1250 ! ! !

I can only hope to remember to take EXTRA steps to assure that it's fully in position, and not to park ANYWHERE near a decline.

Worst side-stand EVER (save for those spring-loaded Jiffy stands of yesteryear).
Click to expand...

I kick it forward several times now and still do not trust it. That moment is permanently cemented into my brain.
 
On the right side, the balance shaft cover takes the full brunt. Also the front-side of the exhaust will get scratched. A bit of the fairing will rub the ground if you drop it real good. Of course the mirror.

Worst of all is the two brake levers I've replaced.

Funny, never had a problem with the kickstand, but it did fall off the center stand when I had both tires off it.
 
Fittysom'n said:
I have already learned NOT to trust the side-stand on my new 1250 ! ! !

I can only hope to remember to take EXTRA steps to assure that it's fully in position, and not to park ANYWHERE near a decline.

Worst side-stand EVER (save for those spring-loaded Jiffy stands of yesteryear).
Click to expand...

he..... maybe they took the zrx stand since it is out of production:doh: most of us have learned to leave it in gear no matter where it sits, due to the "it was facin uphill with a headwind and still fell over by itself" drops:lol2:
 
Rexter said:
he.....most of us have learned to leave it in gear no matter where it sits, due to the "it was facin uphill with a headwind and still fell over by itself" drops:lol2:
Click to expand...

I have never parked ANY of my bikes in gear for over 38 years.....
I guess I've just been given reason to.
 
Yeah, my baby has fallen over too many times so I got 2 $14 cable hoists from Harbor Freight and lag screwed some 1' flatbar to the rafters in the garage and slid a pipe under the frame over the motor. Works like a charm.:thumb:
366496742_zYb5J-L.jpg
 
Here. And yeah I still got my stickers on.
 

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Thanks Hawk, that's the kinda stuff I wanna see! Looks like a Nerf bar coulda helped, up front anyway.....

And somebody makes some (expensive) levers they claim won't bend or break in a drop....
 
After 2 sidestand events I replaced a broken blinker with Proton flushmounts up front and short shaft LED rears. Also swapped out a broken lever for some short version Titax ones. And after repainting the side case twice I put on some Renntec engine guards. So it's now drop resistant but not drop proof if that's even possible. Some wheres I ran across CF pipe protectors. A slider mounted up high might help protect the fairing sides too.
P1000041.jpg
 
MtnTrx,

Now THOSE ugly things are indeed some major engine guards! And frankly, I think I'll be going to Twisted Throttle to see how much they want for 'em. Nerf bars look merely functional, but those Renntecs look utilitarian.....

And I believe I saw on eBay some sliders that mount on the swingarm where bike-stand spools are meant to go. Then I should buy some sexy little short levers in advance and anxiously wait for the day when they can be mounted up.... or not.

I'm a big fan of stock turn signal stocks though; I like the conspicuous nature of obvious signals set waaay off to the side of the headlamp and tail light. But I've ridden behind some really really BRIGHT LED signals...... I haven't decided what I might do with signals. Unfortunately I fear factory replacements might be cost prohibitive; I should check into 'em, and see if they are a "one fits all" signal (as both front & rear).

A strip of double stick rubber/vinyl trim in black, lining the edge of the fairing where it likely makes contact, could be done easily enough. But what would it look like?....

(gonna visit Twisted Throttle and see what they want for some Renntec engine guards)
 
UGLY? As they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :) I just put on a Powerbroze bellypan as well and it helped to blend in the bars somewhat. Got them at http://www.revsperformance.com/ although it took 2 months to get as he had no stock on them this spring.
D&G makes rear swing arm and front fork spindle mounted sliders. I'm probably going to add those items on for more crash protection.
I had some left over tank material that I cut for the tail body to keep saddlebag straps from rubbing. Something like that on the front fairing would work too.
Pegpaint3.jpg
 
You and I are seeing with the same 'eye', as I too find beauty in them. I installed some on a Bonneville I built in my living room last year:
http://www.triumphrat.net/photogallery/v/member/album789/FattRat-2004-RS/album1624/aao.jpg.html

And about that "tank material".... I WANT SOME! I recently put black duct tape exactly where you put your protective tank stuff, as I mounted some Chase Harper bags and also wanted to take steps to prevent abrasion between the matching surfaces.
 
Yeah, they are in fact Renntec engine guards. In black, they almost blend into the black engine and were not that conspicuous.

I bookmarked that page you sent me for the Gripster..... cool stuff!

What do y'all think about spools/sliders mounted on the swing arm? Will they offer any protection in a parking lot drop?
-------------------------------

I have since sold the Bonnie (I had a couple of 'em, they were THAT cool!). The hub design on those things tended to be responsible for spokes breaking, and Triumph wouldn't step up to the plate. Triumph now offers a lowered version of the Bonnie with forged wheels and tubeless tires.... AND fuel injection! I could be tempted, but already been there done that.
 
:doh: OK, I'm claiming the bike drop title now. Today a squall blew through. Bike was on the side stand in the driveway and I hear a crash. Go out and she's laying on the exhaust side! :eek2: {expletives deleted} Level surface and bars locked, in gear with a half cover on it. Engine guard and bar end fixable with a little sanding and paint. Yoshi can has shallow dent by the hanger strap about an inch long. No fixy. Modified signals were drop proof. Fairing side didn't touch. I'm just amazed that it blew upright and then highsided itself over in a gust of maybe only 25-30 mph. Next modification to sidestand by gringing off a little where the stop hits so stand is more forward and bike tilts more. I wondered if the center stand would be more blow over resistant? I didn't care to leave it outside to find out... :doh:
 
kp600 said:
Yeah, my baby has fallen over too many times so I got 2 $14 cable hoists from Harbor Freight and lag screwed some 1' flatbar to the rafters in the garage and slid a pipe under the frame over the motor. Works like a charm.:thumb:
366496742_zYb5J-L.jpg
Click to expand...

It looks like your invention has really limited how far you can ride you bike. :doh: :rofl:
 
Dammit..... and ouch.

I like your idea with regard to a side-stand mod, it needs some'n! I used to keep a bike under a VERY substantial bike cover, in fact it was a full dresser Yamaha 750 triple.... a heavy bike. It seemed to make little difference if I used the side stand or center stand; if a wind whiped up, that "very substantial" bike cover caught the wind and toppled the bike with ease. I had to park my bike between two buildings.... and very close to the building, otherwise the wind would find it's way to lift the bike and topple it again. I concluded that if there's wind, don't put a cover over your bike.

Bummer 'bout the Bandit.

Now.... contact Dale Walker and get a sexy black or blingy shiny silver Holeshot can to replace the Yosh'!
 
Fittysom'n said:
Dammit..... and ouch.

I like your idea with regard to a side-stand mod, it needs some'n! I used to keep a bike under a VERY substantial bike cover, in fact it was a full dresser Yamaha 750 triple.... a heavy bike. It seemed to make little difference if I used the side stand or center stand; if a wind whiped up, that "very substantial" bike cover caught the wind and toppled the bike with ease. I had to park my bike between two buildings.... and very close to the building, otherwise the wind would find it's way to lift the bike and topple it again. I concluded that if there's wind, don't put a cover over your bike.

Bummer 'bout the Bandit.

Now.... contact Dale Walker and get a sexy black or blingy shiny silver Holeshot can to replace the Yosh'!
Click to expand...

I had a cover on one of my bikes while parked outside years and it stareted blowing real hard and I came home to find my bike blown over which caused a lot of damage to it.
 
The laws of physics tell me that a bike is more stable in gear and on its sidestand than on a center stand. I'm no scientist, but first gear will keep it from rolling (easily) and three solid points (two tires and a sidestand) are better than two solid points and two tires barely on the ground.
That assumes the Bandit's sidestand is as strong as most, of course.
 
I've been on motorcycle discussion boards where side-stand -vs- center-stand has been discussed at great length. I've personally concluded that it depends on the bike. I've had a nice stable platform based on the triangular footprint with the side-stand at play, and then there is the Bandit's side-stand..... I ain't trusting it (and I have yet to remember putting the bike in gear when parking it.... gotta be a new habit of mine).
 
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