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hey- I broke my cherry!

4K views 39 replies 25 participants last post by  The Vol-can 
#1 ·
That's right! It happened not a week after I got it. I dumped it while parking on a slight incline at work this morning. It didn't fall on me or anything. The sudden weight on my right leg just overwhelmed me. The damage isn't too obvious. It bent the rear brake in so that if I tried to brake, it got caught on the lower fairing. Elbow grease, and it works fine now.
 
#7 ·
thats what my concern is, over confidence....i got a 2004 ninja 500r for my first bike (i know people say not to buy new, but i think its helped me out)...been riding for 229 miles and my confidence has climbed leaps and bounds....so now i'm thinking my first dump is coming real soon, it sux but what can ya do? I try to be smart on the bike but with my confidence i knoe i'll be in a situation that i won't be able to handle...growing pains i guess.
 
#8 ·
I got to 989 miles before I dumped mine.

In traffic, stay back! When the lady in front of me slammed on her brakes for no reason in the middle of the freeway that would have been the only thing to avoid what happened. I wasn't on her ass, but I was to close to brake hard and control it without hitting her. I ended up locking the brake and low siding it because I ran out of room.
 
#9 ·
I dropped mine three times in the first month I had it. Like one of you said, at least I don't have to worry about keeping all looking new now. I'll fix it, but in time, just in case. This is only month no.3.

All seems to be ok now that we know eachother a little better *sigh* :)
 
#11 ·
I wouldn't call it dumping it, I would call that laying it down. I perfer to use the word dumping if you are actually riding the bike at the time, not stoped or hardly moving. I layed my bike down about 3 times in the first month I started riding, haven't done so since. Thank god!
 
#13 ·
fosta22 said:
thats what my concern is, over confidence....i got a 2004 ninja 500r for my first bike (i know people say not to buy new, but i think its helped me out)...been riding for 229 miles and my confidence has climbed leaps and bounds....so now i'm thinking my first dump is coming real soon, it sux but what can ya do? I try to be smart on the bike but with my confidence i knoe i'll be in a situation that i won't be able to handle...growing pains i guess.
Just be careful, it's all you can do. Nothing hurts more than seeing your new baby all messed up..... actually there is... your flesh all torn up to shreds.
 
#14 ·
I got my cherry poppin' out of the way early. Brand new bike with only 43 miles I hit an edge gap (edge of the road that drops off) because I was too afraid to lean the new bike and when I tried to get her back on the road at 5 to 10 mph the rear wheel spun and then caught and tossed me over the side in a psuedo-high side. I broke the right front turn signal, bent the right side handle bar insert, and scuffed up the fairing, mirror, and exhaust a little. It certainly taught me not to be afraid to lean the bike properly and broke me of my target fixation habit real quick!! Since I have dropped it once loading it into the shed on the same side, luckily it fell into some soft dirt and didn't hurt her at all, she just needed to be dusted off.
 
#17 ·
That happened to me on Highway 94 during rush hour.. I slammed on the front brake and quickly suarved out of the way and ended up right between two cars. Good thing I was used to California driving where you can drive between cars in Rush Hour :D

"Self Note" Always drive on the left side or Right side of a lane so in case of emergencies like suarving to avoid an object, particulary a rear end of a car"

ekinnee said:
I got to 989 miles before I dumped mine.

In traffic, stay back! When the lady in front of me slammed on her brakes for no reason in the middle of the freeway that would have been the only thing to avoid what happened. I wasn't on her ass, but I was to close to brake hard and control it without hitting her. I ended up locking the brake and low siding it because I ran out of room.
 
#19 ·
Still a virgin here too *knocking on wood*. About 1200 miles on the new bike and I've managed to stay rubber side down. My biggest fear is loosing the bike around a turn with it leaned, because I've had it leaned so far that I can't believe I haven't scraped - I've even tried pushing it a little to try to get it to scrape and it hasn't. Bike has a lot more to offer than I can handle yet I guess. Ordered new rubbers yesterday, hopefully they'll help :lol:
 
#20 ·
axledeep said:
Still a virgin here too *knocking on wood*. About 1200 miles on the new bike and I've managed to stay rubber side down. My biggest fear is loosing the bike around a turn with it leaned, because I've had it leaned so far that I can't believe I haven't scraped - I've even tried pushing it a little to try to get it to scrape and it hasn't. Bike has a lot more to offer than I can handle yet I guess. Ordered new rubbers yesterday, hopefully they'll help :lol:
LOL, same here with 1900 miles... I haven't leaned very much yet but I'm starting to gain confidence in turning now. I'm not really sure I want to try scraping anything yet.

Why did you order new tires? Hehe, other than stock tires usually suck... just curious...
 
#21 ·
Got a nail in rear. Tire still holds air fine, but has me worried. If I'm replacing the moped tire on the rear, I figure I might as well replace the one on the front too. Pirelli Sport Demons are going on - see other post for more.
 
#23 ·
axledeep said:
Got a nail in rear. Tire still holds air fine, but has me worried. If I'm replacing the moped tire on the rear, I figure I might as well replace the one on the front too. Pirelli Sport Demons are going on - see other post for more.
Ahhh, that's right I think I remember the thread about that. Nice choice on tires... I wish I could pick up a set like that too. I'm sure they'll work great... ;)

2000 miles and counting... :D
 
#24 ·
hey axledeep, just keep in mind that when you get that Ninja 500 down really low your foot and the bike's bottom chin fairing will scrape first before your pegs will. I've had it happen to me. If you want to scrape the pegs you have to remove the chin fairing, but if you feel the need to do that you are approaching the cornering limits of the bike anyway and need to either step up to a 600 if you want to start leaning that low or get some knee sliders so that you can keep a good contact patch but keep your speed up, or just go to a track school where you'll learn how to really lean. Honestly, it is a little crazy to lean that low on public streets. They are not nearly as clean, smooth, or obstruction free as a track is.
 
#25 ·
your foot and the bike's bottom chin fairing will scrape first before your pegs will
That's what I've heard before. Guess that'll be the first to rub then. There is a stretch of road I ride that has some very good pavement with very sharp turns, but that you have good visibility and wide shoulders through- this is the only road I'll lean the bike over far enough to question scraping.
 
#26 ·
I just got an 04 500r and havent dropped it; im hoping that my only wipeout was 6 years ago when i wasnt even old enough to drive a car.......got a little too brave and slid down the highway around 65.....after seeing all that blood i will never not wear gloves again. It would really blow making payments on a wrecked bike.
 
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