Well having read some of the other tales of woe on the boards I thought I would fill you in with my near disaster. I purchased my Speed Triple RS before Xmas from Pure Triumph in Wellingborough. The bike was an ex demo with less than 1500 miles on the clock. Owing to the weather I didn't even test ride it.....just trusted the dealer and having already had a test ride on an RS, I was sure the bike was what I wanted. Knowing I wasn't going to ride the bike until Spring showed up, I arranged with Pure Triumph for them to hold onto it and I would pick it up when the weather improved. Kindly they did this until the new stock was coming in when it had to come home. So, luckily, I was able to persuade a Plumber friend who has a big van to assist me collecting it. Now the friend is currently racing a Daytona, so he is constantly hauling bikes to meetings around the UK. Accordingly he had a stand thingy that the front wheel sits in and enough ratchet tie downs to secure several bikes or a couple of 50 Shades type partners...…….. So I thought I was in safe hands. Collection day comes around, we cleared out his van and off we went. Bike goes in. Wheel into rack system thingy. Ratchet straps secured. Off we go. When we get to drop off point, we open the doors and one of the ratchet has let off and the bike has been moving back and forth in the rear of the van...… Thankfully he drove with due consideration for the RS shaped cargo and amazingly the bike was not damaged at all. So truly my lucky day...… So my question: Has anyone trashed a bike before they had actually ridden it, or would I have been a First ? Being the diligent soul I am, I thoughtfully updated the Parking section in my hand book !! Have now ridden the bike as the weather is improving and all I can say is WOW !
Lucky escape and we all live and learn. Can't rival you on the potential for pre-ride damage but once damaged mine same day as collecting it. Bought a GasGas 250 trials bike. Collected it on a Sunday morning and followed the shop owner to the trial he was competing in. I thought I might as well enter with him with being there despite not riding this bike before. Competed and put it on the spine style motorcycle trailer to go home but didn't want to kill the fork seals so pulled down on ratchet straps but not too hard. Big mistake! Hit a bump on the way home at about 50 mph and one of the two ratchet straps unhitched itself. The remaining one fired it off the offside into the middle of the road. Luckily nothing was coming the other way but the noise emptied the nearby houses presenting them with a car in the middle of the road and a bike, they were running about asking where the injured rider was........ Top yokes got a graze and plastics mashed here and there. Bars bent and levers snapped so got off lightly really.
Trials bikes do seem to bounce quite well, but a learning curve for sure. How we have moved on.... from having problems securing Bungees , to problems with ratchet straps ! I still get both wrong !
Used to ride with a guy who saved up his hard-earned to buy a new Fireblade (this was before I knew him). First roundabout from the dealers, he lost it on a damp patch and did a fair old amount of damage. Some time after he got it back, it was stolen and never recovered. Swore he would not buy a new bike again.
I did see a Facebook post recently that said, "it is psychologically impossible for a bloke to tighten the last strap securing a load on a trailer without saying the words 'there, that's not going anywhere!'" Made me laugh, but it's probably true.
After my escapade I always strap the bikes on with 3 straps now. My thought process is this will provide some contingency; 2 will hold it even if 1 was to fail. Worked so far.
First ride out on my new GT250 in 1976 on my 17th birthday, flying around a bend, rode across a train level crossing on the lean, next thing I knew I was on my backside. Lesson learnt 1) do not lean whilst crossing railway lines. 2) Change those plastic Bridgestone tyres ASAP ( fitted Avon Roadrunners the following week)
What a close call! I've not managed anything bad myself (to date) but while I was waiting at Triumph for my bike to be serviced, a guy arrived to collect his new Ducati (Monster I think) from the dealer next door. He completed all of his pre-ride checks as part of the handover and pulled away. He successfully cleared the pavement and the first half of the carriageway, but continued at speed, across the road and into the opposite kerb. Fortunately, the kerb stopped further progress by causing him to drop the bike and break his leg. Total distance of first journey...about 20 feet.
Ok so I'll confess to one of my younger blunders, the year is 1987. Having only ridden relatively slow 125's up to passing my test slack habits start to form!!! Went to pick up my new to me Kawasaki Z 550 on the back of my mates C90. Both of us looked at it in awe, wow what a fine clean condition 4k miler, i had been lucky to find this one for the price. Naturally on the way home it needed testing out so on a dual carriageway I opened it up leaving my well impressed mate behind. Took it to about the ton and it was all in control. Mileage so far, about 5 miles from collection. A transit moved into the outside lane some 250 metres or so away so decided at this point to slow down and let my mate catch me up....... this is where it went pear shaped. Upon shutting the throttle and before applying the brakes my full face helmet rode up and promptly fully blocked my view ahead. Now doing 100 mph blindfolded catching a Transit up was not my idea of fun. Glancing down the inside of my helmet I could just make out the central reservation kerb. Right so if i keep it a couple of foot away thats one issue covered. What about the Transit, ah yes, so with the back brake locked solid and the front on as hard as I dare the bike pulled up Pheeeew! A quick look behind and all you could see was a tyre smoke cloud and out pops my mate thrashing his plaggi to death. What happened he asked, you blow the motor already? Nope it's a combination of tyre smoke and me shitting myself! Needless to say and with a lovely flat spot on the rear tyre I let the C90 lead the way and struggled to keep up for the rest of the journey. Lesson to note: Always fasten your chin strap securely and don't leave it a bit slack so you can just pull it under your chin to save 10 seconds.
God, when I think back to some of the antics we got up to, it’s a miracle that most of our teen riding group lived to see 20! We were so stupid, invincible, the best riders in the world! The inexperience of youth Now I spend all my time assessing potential safety issues in an attempt to stay alive!
You just reminded me of an inadvertent doughnut coming out of a T junction on a similarly shod 250 Yamaha in ‘73 that led to the same Avons. Those early Bridgestones were lethal in the wet and had the consistency of Tupperware. Fortunately no one saw my embarrassment.........
I also had an RD 250F. I remember the first time I got it into the power band ... it nearly pulled my arms off ! I thought “ how the hell do you ride one of these things “ A big jump up from a Honda SS50.. I did fall off the RD when a rabbit jumped up from behind a traffic island , crossed my path and distracted me out in the countryside one dark night... . Needless to say the bunny wasn’t insured..
