Starting to think I should invest in a rollcage... :P

[lizardywizard]

I just always end up feeling so bad that my bike has to pay for my mistakes.

I laid her down a couple times the first few days I had her -- back before I'd taken any kind of course and didn't know how to even start a bike without stalling. These babies sure buck! ...and I was bucked right off. She hit the curb. Wasn't pretty.

I got crash bars installed after that. Thought I'd only have to deal with minor scuffs from then on, but she went down in the parking lot a few days back because I'm a dumbass who forgot to put down the kickstand... and the shifter got bent in, to the point where me and my housemate had to use a wrench to bend it back straight enough that I could ride her to the dealership.

Why not just replace the shifter? Well, when I stood her up, there was liquid. D: Never fun to see your baby bleeding out. It smelt like gasoline. Started fine, though, and she rode fine, so I'm not sure what it was and think maybe I was just being paranoid. Anyone have any ideas what it could be? She's still in the shop because they've got a massive backlog, so they haven't been able to check yet, and as well as missing her like crazy I'm worried. Just laying her down in a parking lot couldn't pierce the fuel tank or anything vital, right...?

Also, after trying (and failing) to stand her up on my own, I looked up techniques for uprighting a bike. Which mentioned that sportbikes are the hardest to pick up, and it helps if you have saddlebags on them because there's something between them and the ground. And I had this crazy thought... hey, saddlebags! As in, if I got some, maybe the next time I make some noob mistake and she goes down, they'll take some of the impact? Lol, I can't believe I'm suggesting using saddlebags as bike airbags, but I think I need them. :P

[akima]

Be careful dude. Crashing on the road shouldn't be taken lightly. You can really mess yourself up or die.

The 300 has enough power to ruin your life or make you very happy.

Don't worry about roll cages, crash bungs and saddle bags. Get yourself some expert training, expert advice and practise in a safe environment before going out on the road.

Take care,

-Akima

[toEleven]

Your bike paying for your mistakes is the best case scenario; it's much better than your body paying for them as well. I'm sure there are circumstances that could puncture a gas tank from a drop, but I wouldn't hazard a guess as to what damage you have without seeing it.

Akima has it right: invest in whatever training you need to avoid the mistakes. Crashing is not a self-fulfilling prophecy you want to make.

[CaliGrrl]

I know when I've dropped mine (hey, I learned to pay attention to which way the parking lot was sloping....) gas leaks out from the gas-cap.

Definitely get yourself some training. Will give you the confidence and skills to keep her upright.

I haven't figured out exactly how to pick mine up from the ground, either. I know the theory, I've watched videos, but when it comes down to actually doing it... I don't have the knack yet.

[lizardywizard]

Thanks everyone!

Between my first drop and now I took the MSF course (which sadly we had to back out of due to 110 degree weather and my friend getting heatstroke, so I never passed it). I also kinda struggle to learn in group settings so I was getting somewhat stressed out. I got a lot of skills and confidence from that though.

I also have an appointment booked with an ex-motorcycle cop in Temecula who does training, so I'll be doing that later this month.

Glad I'm not the only person who watched the videos and still can't quite manage it! It's harder than it looks.

[akima]

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

I also have an appointment booked with an ex-motorcycle cop in Temecula who does training, so I'll be doing that later this month.

Awesome!

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

I also kinda struggle to learn in group settings

Same here.

I learn best by watching and listening to experienced riders and then thinking about what they said and practising. There's a couple of youtube channels that helped me in my early days of riding:
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoadcraftNottingham/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/CaptCrashIdaho/videos

[CaliGrrl]

Private lessons will probably help you a lot.

[toEleven]

Socal Supermoto is kinda sorta close to you (1hr from Temecula, google tells me). Brian and co do group sessions, individual/private sessions, DMV licensing classes, etc.

Could be another viable option.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

....... I also kinda struggle to learn in group settings........It's harder than it looks.

Welcome, lizardywizard !!!

I would suggest to practice static balancing exercises by yourself.

Holding the front brake lever squeezed while doing so, eliminates the variable of a rolling bike.

You will need to learn to feel the bike and what inputs from you are correct.
It is a key tool for your future riding and can be developed with persistent practice.

The engine can be off and you can use some platforms as stand ups if your legs have a hard time reaching the surface of the road on time.

When you reach a point of confidence, you should make things more complicated by letting the bike roll some and experimenting with steering inputs.

Check these out:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121203

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=208528

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[cadd]

^ Awesome videos!!!

[Bigballsofpaint]

The bike itself should be fine. I dropped mine early on and bent the shifter (was able to bend it back with my hand) but there is an overflow hose on the tank. If you had a decent amount of fuel in the tank when it happened then it more than likely just came out of that hose when the bike was on its side. That's what mine was anyway.

But ya, definitely get more practice, its a scary place out there and you need to worried about other drivers, not yourself.

[lizardywizard]

Thanks everyone! Definitely gonna give those vids a watch and look at those threads. I'm actually pretty good with balance when riding, it was just a stupid mistake of not putting the kickstand down... I dropped her at first when I was much worse at balancing than I am and not realising how heavy she is (and she was bucking me off because I kept stalling)

I'm a little worried right now because the dealership called today and quoted an insane price... $5000 to get her back to showroom shape, which I'd rather not do just yet because I'd like to get out of the teething stages before I invest in all new bodywork, but it makes me wonder what just the ride ready estimate is gonna be. They said they wouldn't have an updated estimate from the technican till tomorrow since they're so busy.

They do owe me a new gas tank because it was slightly dented when I bought her, and they agreed to cover that at 600 miles, so if that's part of what they're worried about (it wasn't damaged in the fall, but it does have that dent) then it's on them. And if I don't get the bodywork/fairings replaced for now... it's gotta be less than that... right?

Man, I just want her back... been missing her all week.

[toEleven]

You'll know for sure if/when you get an itemized list, but buying OEM plastics generally requires the sale of one or more human organs. It's one of the reasons minor crashes often total bikes, from an insurance standpoint. Come to think of it, is your insurance involved?

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by toEleven

Come to think of it, is your insurance involved?

Not yet, nope. We're still figuring out what we want to do about it, and what they actually are asking pricewise.

I was thinking/hoping the OEM bodywork would be a big part of the price. The only thing that's really bad is the left lower fairing, which I could get for $100 $50 on the ebays (and I'm wondering if I should just go ahead and grab it). Everything else is just scratched up.

[CaliGrrl]

I'd say if all you have is scratches, don't fix it just yet. I bought mine with scratches and a couple patched spots/cracks in the farings, works just fine and doesn't even look all that bad. Wait until you're done with the teething stages (nice term, BTW), and then replace/repair whatever is broken.

[lizardywizard]

Yeah, that's what my thoughts were. She needs some other parts replaced (like the mashed-in shifter) but I'm only gonna get done what's essential for now.

Thanks.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

.......... I'm a little worried right now because the dealership called today and quoted an insane price... $5000 to get her back to showroom shape......

For that price, they should provide and install new roller cage and new saddle bags

You are welcome!

[akima]

Originally Posted by CaliGrrl

...Wait until you're done with the teething stages (nice term, BTW)...

I like that too!

[InvisiBill]

MSRP on a 2016 Ninja 300 starts at $4999. If they say it has $5000 worth of damage, take the insurance payout and buy back the "totalled" bike plus a new one.

Plastics are very expensive (the large upper fairing on the 500 is around $1,000), but essentially have no effect on how the bike operates. If you don't mind dealing with less than perfect cosmetics, don't worry about it. Especially if you don't have enough skill to keep from dropping the bike again.

[lizardywizard]

Okay, so looks like the revised quote for what she needs to be roadworthy, including the two hours they spent on the crash report, the one hour it will take to replace the necessary parts (as opposed to the 13 hours originally quoted, ahahaha), and the extra hour of work I want because I'm getting her suspension lowered, is closer to $670.

Which is a hell of a lot better. Whew.

Still, gotta tattoo on my forehead: always check the kickstand, always check the kickstand...

[Bigballsofpaint]

Dont feel too bad. I dropped mine in the first month because i forgot to put the kickstand down.

[GreenNinja]

Originally Posted by lizardywizard

Thanks everyone!

Between my first drop and now I took the MSF course (which sadly we had to back out of due to 110 degree weather and my friend getting heatstroke, so I never passed it). I also kinda struggle to learn in group settings so I was getting somewhat stressed out. I got a lot of skills and confidence from that though.

I also have an appointment booked with an ex-motorcycle cop in Temecula who does training, so I'll be doing that later this month.

Glad I'm not the only person who watched the videos and still can't quite manage it! It's harder than it looks.

When I first bought my bike, I had no idea how to start my bike either. I watched many videos and learned from that but a guy in my apartment complex saw me practicing and gave me some really good advice. He made me sit on the bike and press lever, press brake every time he called it out. He wanted me to build muscle memory over which is which. About 30 minutes later, I started the bike and would just sit on it and slowly release the clutch until the bike moved. Then I would press the clutch again. We did that for an hour while I slowly moved around the apartment. The point of that was to get an understanding of when the bike would start to move. Once again, it was another muscle memory technique because once you are on the real roads, you wont hear the engine.
As a person that was not able to take the MSF course due to it being booked the entire summer, don't be in a hurry to start riding. Take your time and get that muscle memory in. Every day after that I trained those techniques that I was taught until I could release the clutch at a point where it would not stall.
While I'm giving out advice, here is another important piece: wherever you look, your bike will go. Don't go staring at some HOT guy/girl because your bike will end turning that way - and crashing. Once you get your riding skills down, you will have to continuously watch out for other cars that don't see you.

[ZeroGravity360]

I dont know if it is because I rode bicycles, but the first thing I do when I stop is put the kickstand down. I also can balance pretty good at even 3 MPH, but thats going straight lol. I hope everything is better now?

[lizardywizard]

Originally Posted by ZeroGravity360

I dont know if it is because I rode bicycles, but the first thing I do when I stop is put the kickstand down. I also can balance pretty good at even 3 MPH, but thats going straight lol. I hope everything is better now?

Yeah, Hurricane's all better and I'm riding a lot better too thanks to my course with Dom.

Proof of the pudding is in the eating though - DMV test is tomorrow, gonna see how I do.

Funny, I've never had a bicycle with a kickstand! We always just leaned them against the wall... maybe if I'd had that I would've learned sooner...