wilbur-t

Top Fuel
Joined
Mar 8, 2006
Messages
1,573
Location
Carthage N.C. U.S.A.
Puttering down my dirt road last night in the rain, 10-12 mph. The State boys had decided to drag all the gravel from the ditches [Along with rocks, sticks, and small boulders.] and deposit it in the middle of the road. I was riding near the edge to stay away from most of the mess, when I hit a spot of bare red clay. The rear end went around before I could blink. I just stepped off the bike as it went down and rested on it's side. I cut the engine, backed up to it, grabbed the handle bar and the back of the bike and picked it up with my legs. Only damage is a few scratches on the bottom of the left silencer, and my bruised male ego.:eek:
 
glad you are ok

good thing you were able to stay clear of it when it went over. I dropped mine just once, I was riding in a light rain and got home, pulled under the carport ( concrete floor ) and kicked the kickstand down, got off the bike to open up the garage door, and the bike just barley caught the back of my legs as i stepped away. I guess I didn't flip the stand all the way forward. It was haunting to see this beast laying on her side and running. I hit the kill switch, and headed to get the wife to help me stand her back up. Minor damage, bent and scraped left mirror, bent clutch lever, and bent the gearshift lever and it's linkage.
You can bet that now every time I get off the bike, my eyes focus on that kickstand, and make sure it is in position. 05 red rockets rule
 
I am sorry for you mishap Wilber-t but glad your ego was all that was bruised.The Rocket is one machine that can really get away from you before you know it and there is very little you can do but let Newton's law take effect.I seems that this phenomenon is not a matter of if,but when.I feel for Radimis who had a bit of damage that may have been minimized with the engine dresser bars but each to thier own.It's not a very distingueshed club to be a menber of but non the less as a member in good standing,welcome.:eek:
 
wilbur-t said:
Puttering down my dirt road last night in the rain, 10-12 mph. The State boys had decided to drag all the gravel from the ditches [Along with rocks, sticks, and small boulders.] and deposit it in the middle of the road. I was riding near the edge to stay away from most of the mess, when I hit a spot of bare red clay. The rear end went around before I could blink. I just stepped off the bike as it went down and rested on it's side. I cut the engine, backed up to it, grabbed the handle bar and the back of the bike and picked it up with my legs. Only damage is a few scratches on the bottom of the left silencer, and my bruised male ego.:eek:

Sorry to hear Wilbur.
Our house is now surrounded with ditch dirt and gravel as you described, trucked in by our county road and bridge department the last couple days. I'm stuck here at the moment as I wouldn't pretend to think I could successfully traverse my Rocket over same, especially after your mishap. Even our cars slide on this shiite.
Rain seems imminent soon and I hope I can get the Rocket to Kehde's on Sunday, but I'm prepared to take my 4X4.:(

Very pleased to hear the Rivco's did their job.:) No damage to the handlebars?:confused:
 
No damage to the handlebars?:confused:

No, in fact she never went all the way over, just rested on the rivco's and the silencer. [Highway pegs also helped.] handlebar never touched the ground.:D

I belatedly confessed such a fall-driven bruised male ego :mad: a few weeks ago, didn't I?. All my empathy, Wilbur. Sincerely. Jamie

Your honesty inspired me to come forward and tell on myself, Jamie.;)
 
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Confession

Ok, Ok already. Going up a 30 degree hill, turned left to go into a parking lot at a local tavern. Stopped to let a car exit so I was perpendicular to the hill and went down quick. Woman driving by got out of her car with a cell phone and asked if she could call one of my friends to help me. I said of course not, they all drive Harley's and are the last I would want to know I did this. Bent in my foot shifter, no other damage. Heavy MFB. Actually glad I did it there instead of Sturgis!!!:eek:
 
Hondax said:
Sorry to hear Wilbur.
Our house is now surrounded with ditch dirt and gravel as you described, trucked in by our county road and bridge department the last couple days. I'm stuck here at the moment as I wouldn't pretend to think I could successfully traverse my Rocket over same, especially after your mishap. Even our cars slide on this shiite.
Rain seems imminent soon and I hope I can get the Rocket to Kehde's on Sunday, but I'm prepared to take my 4X4.

Very pleased to hear the Rivco's did their job.:) No damage to the handlebars?:confused:

Hondax:

It seems that no matter what part of the country you live in, if you are in the sticks like us, you are on a dirt road (like Wilbur too). Are all road commissions the same boneheads?? I though it was just our road commission. The only grade the road before a rain storm, always mound the gravel in the middle with the blade and nail my mailbox at least twice every year. In the winter (something you don't have much of), they never plow our road and when they do, it has to have been drifted over for days and I mean 10 foot drifts. If I didn't have a big Lucknow blower on one of the tractors and my 350 Ford 4x4, I'd get cabin fever.:D

Lucky for me, I haven't dropped the R3 yet. I did drop the T100 in the shop and wound up on top of it in the process but it would be hard to drop now that it has a sidecar attached to it. I'll be putting the Rivco tip over bars on this winter (I hate "crash") it's so final sounding.:rolleyes:
 
Don't beat yourself up too bad over your bruised ego... When I was up to Baxter's it rained quite a bit and I ended up parking in the wet grass once. When I went to leave the Metzler spun like like it was totally frictionless, I had no traction whatsoever. I was simply lucky that I didn't drop it. I also had one hell of a time getting up a very slight incline and off of the grass. That Metzler does OK in the rain on the Hiway but it sucks if you have something other that hard pavement under it. Some of the problem may be due to the massive torque output... even at an idle. This thing isn't an offroad bike, is it...:eek:
 
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