Bet my back hurts tomorrow.

[El Diablo]

Don't tip the bike, don't tip the bike over.

Lesson learned - just because putting down the kick stand turned the bike off, don't assume it made it all the way down and didn't pop back up.

I was leaving my house today after going by at lunch time. I had driven my truck to work (drop off my son at school). I generally go home for lunch and swap out for my motorcycle. As I was driving down the driveway, I decided to stop and make sure my truck was locked. I pulled just barely passed the truck, stopped, put the kickstand down (I thought), and started to get off the bike. I am going to work out after work so I had my gym bag bungeed down on the little passenger seat.

Well, I as I start to get off, the bike starts to tip over. I hang on and do stop it's progress before it gets all the way to the ground. My mind is saying, just let it go and get out of the way but my body hangs on, turns the tide, and uprights the bike. My left hand mirror was askew as it had been pushing on my arm. The left foot peg is turned up and my gymbag is hanging on the side of the bike. It just caught the bumper of the truck and probably helped me a little. O_o

Bike is ok and I am ok but I am a little bit sore in my back between the shoulder blades, as well as my bi-ceps. I was grateful that it happened on the 300 pound GZ instead of a heavier bike.

[Sarris]

People say at 300 lbs. it's not heavy. I told them I agree, unless it's laying on your leg. I did the kickstand whoop-shit on my 900 lb. Harley once, and it took me and three other guys to get it upright. I know about the walk it up backwards method, but it was easier to enlist the aid of others, than to try it and possibly hurt myself.

It's a very common whoop-shit that we've all done. I feel your pain brother, hope you feel better soon.

:whistle: O_o :roll:

[Easy Rider]

It's a very common whoop-shit that we've all done.

No, you're wrong there. I've never done that......in front of two dozen people at a busy gas station......and then yelled OH, S**T! so that they all laughed......never. :biggrin: :haha2:

[alanmcorcoran]

Couple of things to add: Try not to point it downhill when you are putting down the stand. Also avoid slopes to the right or left. I leave mine in first gear also, so it won't roll, especially when I get back on it later. I also usually turn the front wheel all the way (to either direction, unless I'm going to lock it, then it only works to the left.)

One last driveway tip: I park a Suburban and a Camry in my driveway, at the extreme edges. I garage the bike. On the second or third day I had the GZ, I rolled it out between the two vehicles, fired it up, set out down the driveway and... nearly ran over two ladies and their yellow lab. They were just walking the dog on the sidewalk, I couldn't hear them or see them and it was just luck I wasn't going that fast. From now on, I duck walk it or roll it slowly out to the bottom of the drive, and "peek out" between the truck and the car before I cross the sidewalk. I don't actually start the bike until I am on the sidewalk, because I can hear little kids, dogs and whatnot better.

[Easy Rider]

I leave mine in first gear also, so it won't roll, especially when I get back on it later.

You might want to try parking in 2nd. I find it MUCH easier to find neutral that way, most of the time. :roll:

[alanmcorcoran]

Hey Easy,

I am sure I am not following best practices here, but I only use neutral if I gotta pick my nose or something and my throttle hand is busy. Other than being able to leave the bike running when you are not sitting on it, what is the purpose of neutral? I think I could do nearly everything I normally do on the bike without ever using it. Please set me straight.

[patrick_777]

This should probably be a new topic actually. I don't use neutral that often on the GZ, but I find myself using it a lot on the Ninja. The clutch on the Ninja is a lot tighter than the GZ and sitting at stoplights is kind of a pain in the hand.

[Easy Rider]

Hey Easy,

Other than being able to leave the bike running when you are not sitting on it, what is the purpose of neutral?

Topic morhp alert! :skull:

Picking your ..mmmm....nose...is as good a reason as any. :neener:

And I think the way the thing is designed, it helps with starting a LOT. :biggrin:

[Water Warrior 2]

The engine/starter will spin over a lot easier when in N. This is quite noticeable on the first start of the day when the engine and oil is cold. The clutch plates will tend to drag after sitting all night.

[Easy Rider]

The engine/starter will spin over a lot easier when in N. This is quite noticeable on the first start of the day when the engine and oil is cold. The clutch plates will tend to drag after sitting all night.

Are the bikes that different in Canada ?? MY '06 GZ 250 will not start after ignition off unless the transmission is in neutral......and the clutch is pulled in. Once started, it will RESTART by just pulling in the clutch regardless of the gear. I test this safety feautre almost every time I park it in gear !! :roll:

[alanmcorcoran]

Well the kickstand is involved, won't start if it's down, will it? I always start mine with the clutch pulled in and the kickstand up. And in first gear. Not sure what is considered "cold" with oil. It rarely gets below 45 where I live, and temperatures in the 70's to the 100's are common, but maybe I better start thinking about the neutral start.

Never really had any trouble starting it in gear, except for my little adventure with the tallights.

Sorry to highjack the topic, I can start this up somewhere else if it's an issue. I tend to be a flitter when it comes to time wastin' on the internets.

[Easy Rider]

Well the kickstand is involved, won't start if it's down, will it? I always start mine with the clutch pulled in and the kickstand up. And in first gear.

OK, this ain't right......on two counts: The kickstand should have NO bearing on a cold, first start; it should work stand up or stand down. AND it should NOT start unless it is in neutral......at least that's the way mine works. After it is running and you kill it, then it works differently: you can start it in gear if you pull the clutch in and the side stand is still up.

[alanmcorcoran]

Well, maybe they changed it. Mine's an 08. Here's my recollection:

If the kickstand is DOWN, you can start it in Neutral.
If the kickstand is UP, it don't have to be in Neutral.
If the kickstand is down, perhaps you can ONLY start in Neutral.

But, as I said, I always put the kickstand up first, and pull the clutch in before I start it...in first. As a newb, I generally defer to you more experienced riders, and, I am considering the cold start deal, but from where I sit, I think it's about equal to always start with the kickstand up and one's hand on the clutch vs the kickstand down and the bike in neutral. Plus, I think mine involves fewer steps each time, since I generally leave in in first when I shut it down and park it.

[Water Warrior 2]

Well, maybe they changed it. Mine's an 08. Here's my recollection:

If the kickstand is DOWN, you can start it in Neutral.
If the kickstand is UP, it don't have to be in Neutral.
If the kickstand is down, perhaps you can ONLY start in Neutral.

But, as I said, I always put the kickstand up first, and pull the clutch in before I start it...in first. As a newb, I generally defer to you more experienced riders, and, I am considering the cold start deal, but from where I sit, I think it's about equal to always start with the kickstand up and one's hand on the clutch vs the kickstand down and the bike in neutral. Plus, I think mine involves fewer steps each time, since I generally leave in in first when I shut it down and park it.

You got it Allan. The starter, sidestand and tranny have a safety interlock system. You can not ride away with the sidestand down. Putting the tranny in gear with the stand down will shut off the bike and also prevents the bike from starting in gear with the stand down.

[Easy Rider]

Well, maybe they changed it. Mine's an 08. Here's my recollection:


Crap. Senior moment. I hate it when that happens. :cry: :skull:

You are absolutely right. Could have SWORN that I tested it just before I sent that last (wrong) message. SIGH!! :??:

That's one for you, Alan!

Score: Seniors: 42
Rookies: 2
:crackup

[rusty rider]

And now back to the original post:

I dropped my GZ shortly after I got it. I had parked in front of my garage and sat it on the stand. I went into my garage to open the overhead garage door, and as my door was going up and the bike just coming into view. I watched it go down in slow motion. I had only had the bike for less than a week when this happened. I didn't have engine guards, and with Suzuki guards it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway. Clutch lever was scuffed on the very tip as well as the hand grip. The only other thing hurt was my pride for letting it happen. O_o

[deadman13]

I had an xj750 that I did this to. I was at the post office and about to go in, when my nice warm (hot) bike decided it wanted to lie down on my left leg. After hopping out real quick, getting a little gas peed on me, I got it up no problem. That's an ungodly tall bike, but it wasn't bad. Come to think of it, when I was hit on it a few months before I hopped right up and stood it up with a broken foot (didn't know it was broken till I got off the bike) then coasted down the hill since it wouldn't start with a busted plug. When I got off, left leg was fine, right foot was facing my ass. Not good...

[alanmcorcoran]

Senior moment.

Wrote the book on that.... too bad they put a crap cover on it or I mighta made more money...

http://www.postimage.org/aVk8Qei.gif (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVk8Qei)