Dropped my bike today! :(

[rockNroll]

Originally Posted by Samer

Now you got me confused, all I see is a news story about "Ride to Work Day"

Perhaps this thread then

[Alex]

Yup, thx Rock. Don't know where I copied that other thread link from, must have had a temporary brain fault.

[SF-Dug]

This guy has a awesome series of helpful videos on youtube dealing with overall motorcycling maneuvers.

U-Turns

Link to original page on YouTube.

Leaning

Link to original page on YouTube.

There are more videos.

[CZroe]

I think the second vid failed to consider that left turns are wider than right turns on roads/in countries where you drive on the right, hence, more wear on the left side than the right.

[Majik]

Originally Posted by Samer

Now you got me confused, all I see is a news story about "Ride to Work Day"

Hmmm...all I see is the same story about riding to work. Am I supposed to look somewhere else on the website?

[Majik]

Nevermind...I got it...a little late, but I got it. Somehow, I missed some replies...my fault.

[Majik]

Thanks Dug for the vidoes! They are greatly appreciated!

[Majik]

The "Leaning" video is exactly what I needed to watch! That's my problem and it's why I dropped my bike...twice! I tense up when I start to make a turn and instead of leaning, I sit straight up. This is what I need to practice. I look forward to the MSF course because I know I will get excellent practice in with an instructor there to tell me what I may be doing wrong. Thanks again Dug! Thanks to ALL of you. I know I keep saying that, but I sincerely mean it. You all have been so helpful!

[shogun]

Connie,
I understand how bad it sucks to drop your new ride. I dropped my brand new bike on day two of having it. I was set to the MSF the next weekend but couldn't because I broke my hand when I dropped my bike. 8 weeks later I finally took the course. That was 4 yrs ago. I love riding now! don't give up. I know it sucks.
Next question for you all you talk about "Shim the carbs" How do you do that? My wife just got a new 09 Ninja 250. I don't like that it's not fuel injected and worry about it dying on her while she's learning it. She has taken the MSF course but is still learning. any help would be great.
and Connie keep at it!

[k1prototype]

Originally Posted by shogun

Next question for you all you talk about "Shim the carbs" How do you do that?

Here you go Matt:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showt...shimming+carbs

[CRXTrek]

Originally Posted by CZroe

I think the second vid failed to consider that left turns are wider than right turns on roads/in countries where you drive on the right, hence, more wear on the left side than the right.

My left turns are faster ... so even tire wear.

[Majik]

Thanks Matt for the encouragement. I'm gonna keep at it and keep on practicing!! I may have dropped my bike, but is hasn't in any way changed my mind about wanting to move forwards! I picked myself and my bike up and now I'm in practice mode again. The sun may go down, but this girl will always shine!

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by Majik

Thanks Matt for the encouragement. I'm gonna keep at it and keep on practicing!! I may have dropped my bike, but is hasn't in any way changed my mind about wanting to move forwards! I picked myself and my bike up and now I'm in practice mode again. The sun may go down, but this girl will always shine!

Why are you up so late?

[tonybhall]

Connie... another thing to make sure you're doing in your turns is that you look all the way through your turn. A lot of new riders are looking at the ground right in front of them. When you do that you can't see very far in front of you and it will make you nervous and tense during the turn. Look as far ahead into the curve as you can see. And don't just look with your eyes. Turn your head and look where you want to go. Then lean your bike in that direction. If you do it right, it will feel like the bike is going right where you are looking.

Learning this was the key to turns for me. Before I started turning my head and looking all the way through my turns, I didn't have the confidence to really lean into the turn and felt like I was fighting my bike to make the turn late.

Also, try to remember... Slow in, fast out. Do your breaking and downshifting before you get into the turn. Once you apex the turn, roll on the throttle and power through the turn as you straighten out.

Hope all that helps. Good luck with getting you bike fixed. Glad to hear you're ok.

[Ananda]

Originally Posted by shogun

Connie,
I understand how bad it sucks to drop your new ride. I dropped my brand new bike on day two of having it. I was set to the MSF the next weekend but couldn't because I broke my hand when I dropped my bike. 8 weeks later I finally took the course.

Wow, your story is so similar to mine! Except I dropped my ninja on my foot and was in a cast for a month. Getting into MSF after being put on "standby" was a pain!

[jorgecornet]

"this guy" is also a member thanks for posting my videos...i enjoy you guys making good use of them...have you guys been keeping up with my vlogs?

[bdavison]

Connie, It happens to all of us sooner or later.
Ive been riding for a long time and managed to drop mine yesterday. I had just finished oiling the chain, and went to take it off the spool stand...It got away from me and fell to the right. Luckily I had a huge cardboard box from my new plasma next to the bike, and it fell on the cardboard box, crushing the box so it didnt do any damage to the bike.
Whew...got lucky there.

Id highly recommend you get some frame sliders in the near future. You might also want to hit the gym, and work on some strength building. If ya get some muscles, it might make managing the bike a bit easier since you are a smaller rider. I wish ya the best on fixing your bike....and riding it.

[Daeldren]

If it makes you feel any better even professional racers drop bikes, its all part of the learning curve. I have noticed that compared to bikes like the buell blast our ninja's tend to have a slightly higher centre of gravity (which is great for high speed cornering, but slow speed takes a little more practice). Don't fret too much and just get back on her and ride.

[eddiekay]

Fixing the plastic depends on some basic stuff...like where it's carcked and if anythings missing. If you merely want to keep the lines smooth you can fashion a mending plate out of aluminum and fasten it to the inside of the cowl.. by simply "massaging" the piece into place...naturally...it has to be light, like trim coil used on houses...then just fasten it with pop rivents. It'll look like boiler plate but works and will last. Again...a lot depends on where the fracture is...another messy way is to buiild it up from the inside like a paper mache construction....plastic-net-plastic - net plastic building a bigger layer each time, this will not last as long as a mechanical bond (pop rivets) but will not show on the outside. It's messy and as with the rivets...the crack will still show. I've done both and the rivets are very quick and easy. Hope this helps...the rivet way...if you have the gun and a small piece of coil...costs nothing.

[subiegy2010]

Originally Posted by eddiekay

Fixing the plastic depends on some basic stuff...like where it's carcked and if anythings missing. If you merely want to keep the lines smooth you can fashion a mending plate out of aluminum and fasten it to the inside of the cowl.. by simply "massaging" the piece into place...naturally...it has to be light, like trim coil used on houses...then just fasten it with pop rivents. It'll look like boiler plate but works and will last. Again...a lot depends on where the fracture is...another messy way is to buiild it up from the inside like a paper mache construction....plastic-net-plastic - net plastic building a bigger layer each time, this will not last as long as a mechanical bond (pop rivets) but will not show on the outside. It's messy and as with the rivets...the crack will still show. I've done both and the rivets are very quick and easy. Hope this helps...the rivet way...if you have the gun and a small piece of coil...costs nothing.

I used a Bondo Bumper Repair Kit to fix my cracked fairing. I put some of the mesh included in the kit over the crack then liberally spread the epoxy over it, which dried into a very rigid thick black layer in less than an hour. I then used some touchup paint on the crack itself to fill it in. Everything worked out quite well and you can only see the crack if you know to look for it now. Much better than buying a new fairing for over $200!

[TX_2Fiddy]

Well since its been bumped...Have u taken your MSF course yet Majik? Wut did U decide to do bout the fairing and have U been riding again or bike put up for winter?

[bdavison]

Connie, there are little tabs that the keylock sits into.....in your drop, if it forced the handlebars to one side, it can smear or break off that tab....and then the lock doesnt work.

[Nickds7]

The lock probably doesn't work because the forks are probably twisted in the trees. I had the same problem.

I don't think sitting strait up is your problem. It could just be just that you are not using proper counter steering. Take the msf before you go out riding again, it will cure the problem. Good luck

[ally99]

Hey Connie. I can relate! I started riding on my "Lil' Ninj", and this past fall I bought a 650, my "Big Ninj". I LOVE LOVE LOVE the power of the Big Ninj, and boy is it FUN when going over 10 mph, but anything under 10 sucks. It's set much higher and heavier, and when going low speeds, I tense up pretty badly. And U-turns?!? I was tackling those suckers like you described, sitting straight up and not leaning at all. Then, yep, I dropped it. Knowing how much bigger, taller, heavier the bike was than me really screwed with my mind, and no matter how much I practiced, I couldn't get comfortable at low speeds on the 650. I'm in love with the bike at any other speed. My hubby doesn't want to lower it b/c we are heavily into mountain riding, and lowering it can really affect the suspension in corners. Sadly, the bike is too big for me, so until they make a bike the size of my Lil' Ninj w/ a bigger engine, the Lil' Ninj it is! I love my bike, so that's no problem (though I love it a little less when stuck behind a lot of slow traffic that I can't get around. :-) Anyway, I know the feeling. My hubby gave me some great advice when turning from a stop, and it has made me much more comfortable. Lean the bike up under you more when countersteering isn't in effect. Turn the handlebars the opposite way for a split second and then relax your arms and let the handlebars follow the bike into the turn. They will actually turn in the direction you want to go. This motion forces a countersteering effect, and the bike feels much more stable. For example, if you're at a stop sign and you want to turn right, these tight turns can be more difficult to pull off if you just try to sweep through it as a car would, keeping the bike straight up. Instead as soon as you start to move, turn to the left for a second, relax your arms, and and the handlebars will want to follow the leaned bike into the right turn. Remember to keep your eyes in the intended direction at all times, and don't look down. The bike will lean up under you and will REALLY tighten those turns. I wish I had a way to "show" you what I was talking about. Below is the best I could find. Notice the quick, smooth, relaxed "flick" immediately before the full turn in the first video. The 2nd shows how to lean the bike up under you for tighter turns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHo6kZc33Ks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DAV9Pe1fw0
I hope this helps a little. I can relate to everything you've said. Let me know if you have other questions that I can help you with! Ally

[dbotos]

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Body_plastics_repair_guide