An Unfortunate Incident
The 2001 Kawasaki W650 still looks pretty despite an unfortunate fall in the driveway. Clearly a result of a misstep on my part though I am still a little perplexed at the chain of events. The bike was idling on the side stand, choke out for the initial start, and I was putting earplugs in, zipping up my KLIM jacket, and was pulling on my helmet when I saw the bike fall over, still running, and in a surreal pose that was a little shocking.
I had parked the bike at a place in the driveway that had a slight slope. I remember checking the stability because it seemed a little more upright than its normal lean on the kick stand. Probably because I had been rolling it around so the valve stems were in a position where I could check the tire pressure. With the tire pressures ok, I pulled the choke, started the bike, adjusted the RPMs, and started putting on my gear. Another morning in paradise as I got ready to ride to breakfast to meet a friend.
And then it happened.
Evidence of Something
Remarkably the fall did little damage to the Kawasaki W650. The asphalt on the brake lever was the worst. A tiny scuff on the front turn signal, an even smaller scuff on the throttle grip, and that was it. Making lemonade from lemons, I was easily able to pick the bike up without destroying my back. Maybe I’m not as old as I thought.
The motorcycle wouldn’t start though. Maybe the carbs were flooded. Hitting the starter button, even with the clutch pulled in caused the bike to lurch forward. There was no time for diagnosis so I pushed the bike in the garage and rode to breakfast on the Himalayan. One of the advantages of having multiple machines in the garage.
Still Runs Great, Still a Bonehead
The next morning I rolled the bike out into the driveway, made sure it was firmly leaning on the kickstand, moved the shifter through all the gears, pulled the choke and thumbed the starter. The engine responded with an instant, familiar rumble. And no lurching forward with the clutch in. Everything seemed normal. So a 20-mile test ride was in order.
My senses of touch and sound were on edge, listening and feeling for anything unusual. There was nothing except the familiar feel of this lovely motorcycle. The smoke from Canadian wildfires was beginning to roll in so I headed for home. The Air Quality Index climbed to 395 by the end of the day. A short time outside left my throat sore and eyes itchy. Remembering my supply of N95 masks made a walk with the dogs tolerable.
I hate being responsible for the first ever drop of the W650. It had managed a clean life for 51 thousand miles and 26 years of faithful service until my boneheaded move. Hopefully we can go the rest of the way upright.
I used to have a T-shirt with the word “Bonehead” on it. Maybe I need to wear it again.
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Hi Steve, I am also a recent bonehead. I had my Himalayan 411 on my HF lift, tied down with straps on handle bars. I removed the left strap and on my way around the back of the bike I got distracted by something else. Went back to left side of bike and started rolling it back down the lift ramp and all of a sudden it started leaning the opposite way. I couldn’t hold her up and down she went, half on the lift and the other half Partially upside down on the garage floor. Shit! Couldn’t lift her because the garage wall was right there, so I call my 6’3 280 friend to come help me. Well, damage is limited to right handlebar bent upwards. Bike rides fine just bent.
It’s sort of amazing at how a moment of inattention can lead to a drop. Glad you weren’t injured and that the damage was minimal. I’ve noticed that I have to pay attention more closely when moving the motorcycles and scooters around because I can’t rely on physical strength the way I once could. It’s hell to get old.
The fall off your motorcycle lift sounds like a nightmare. A friend brought his trailer yesterday to haul my W650 to the dealer. It was a single rail rig and tall. It was almost more than the two of us coul
Welcome to the club😉
I bet it is a big club…
Methinks you will fully recover from the shock!
Yeah, I have recovered. But I also know that I can’t act in the same way as I did just a few years ago. I must focus. One thing at a time.
The last time I dropped one I was in Colorado on an R90/6, moving at about 10 miles an hour. I was attempting a u-turn on an incredibly steep street. I got half way across two lanes and the steepness of the street brought the bike down onto me on my low side, the left. Of course that big beautiful cylinder head sticking out on the left side, saved the day. There was no damage except to my pride..
I almost dropped a BMW K1600 GTL in a similar situation. Luckily I twisted the throttle instead of trying to put my foot down to hold the beast up.
I’ve only ever been down while riding once. That was back in 2005 on a snowy road with my Vespa. And pride certainly rears its head. I jumped up and was relieved no one saw me. It was slow speed, less than 5 MPH and almost stopped but my leg slipped away and down I went.
I usually used the kickstand on my KLR650, but to properly clean and lubricate the drive chain I placed it on the center stand. Well, I tried to place it on the center stand. I was off the bike on its left side. Somehow I allowed the bike to lean away from me during the lifting mode and it started to fall on its right side. I tried to save it but I ended up going over with the bike. This took place on my concrete driveway.
The first thing I did after the fall was to look around to see if any neighbors saw me and the bike fall. To my relief, as best I could determine, none did.
The crash bars were scratched, and the right grip and bar were scuffed. When I went up on my toes during the fall, I wrecked several toe nails on both my feet. This all took place ten years ago, and my toenails have never fully recovered. If I had been wearing the steel-toed boots I normally wear when I am out riding, my toes would have been fine.
Lesson: ATGATT is a good idea (at least for me) even when just servicing the bike. Hah!
Those unexpected mishaps are humbling. Looking around to see if someone witnessed our failures is common I think. Sorry to hear that your toes paid a price. I wince at the thought of things happening to my feet. Neuropathy has them already tender and even the slightest insult is almost unbearable.
I have good gear and wear it. And have some even better stuff on the way.
We’ve all done it, Steve, whether we admit it to others or not. For instance, I was working on the TW200 this morning and had parked her too close to the closed garage door while doing so. Later, I was getting ready to take her out for a test ride and clicked the garage door open. Doh, the door hardware “caught” something on the TW and pushed her onto her right side with a loud crash.
I got her upright and everything seemed fine. Finished gearing up and found the throttle jammed, couldn’t turn it. The handguard, which had apparently taken the impact, had shifted and jammed the throttle in the process. A quick lever action with a large screwdriver and all was well.
So, shit happens. Glad the W650 is riding fine. I liked riding it .
Yeah, I suppose those mishaps are indications that we aren’t perfect in spite of what we might tell ourselves. Glad you got the TW moving without much trouble.
The W650 is in great shape though it suffered another misadventure at my hands. That will show up in a future post.
Those two-wheeled things. So unstable without the sidecar accessory…
Man, you’re still beating that drum. *GRIN*
I’ve just never warmed to that accessory. Seems too transformative to me.
I dropped my W650 in a parking lot once. It fell downhill so it was practically upside down. It took three of us to right it. I scratched the engine cover on the left side but it started right up. Annoying but not fatal. I was more careful after that.
So far I’ve not been challenged with a downhill drop. The worst for me was a drop in the snow where it was difficult to gain traction to lift up my Vespa.
Like you Jim, I learn and am more careful.