Dropped it !!!!!

markus · 06-29-2009, 9:44 PM

Bought a 2003 919 a couple of weeks ago. Sweet matte black, very few km's on it... Love it.

So on Saturday, I take it for a spin, as it's the first dry day in a while. I take it on some super twisty narrow back roads through some hills. It carves up those roads like a demon! But I come around a turn, and there's a little tiny deer fawn in the middle of the road.... I lock both brakes by instinct, and slide sideways at it. Luckily it springs out of the way.... I think I would not have hit it anyway. I slow down a bit after this, feeling lucky.

I then go to watch a football game. I'm sitting in the stands and look over to where I parked the bike.... and my heart sinks. It's lying on its side.... I gather up my stuff and walk over to it... Advice, it's easiest to pick up up a bike by the handlebars, rather than by the tank or seat. I am super pissed of course, and start to look it over. It had never been dropped before. Luckily the reason it dropped was because I stupidly parked it on some soft gravel. But since it also fell on soft gravel, the softness, I think, absorbed some of the impact. The mirror was dirty and out of place, but no damage. The turn signal plastic had popped off, but it easily popped back on, no damage. The gas tank was ok, phew. BUT the clutch got bent back quite a bit; it's now in a half circle shape. And the side of the engine, the big circular part, got about ten pretty good scratches on it. I drove it home, cursing at myself. A bike never feels the same after it's been dropped. But lesson learned.

The good news is that I'm taking the opportunity to mod the clutch and brake lever. I felt I had to get something cool, to atone for my dumbassedness. I ordered a cool carbon-looking set.

And the engine... Don't know. Does anybody know what can be done? I know somebody who bikes and also has an autobody shop, so I'll get him to look. I'd feel much better if I can erase those scratches, or at least minimize them. If not I'll get over it.

So that's my sad story. Thanks for listening. I'll take any advice about the scratches.

WyoJames · 06-29-2009, 9:58 PM

If it makes you feel any better...if is an 03 that you just bought with non stock paint...then it's probably been dropped before...so you're not the first to drop it.

markus · 06-29-2009, 10:08 PM

No I am pretty sure it's the factory paint. It's the same colour as the black I see in 03 stock photos.

WyoJames · 06-29-2009, 10:13 PM

Well then way to ruin a perfectly good bike

Just remember, it could always be worse, you could have dented the tank, snapped the mirror, etc...
For the scratches in the metal, I would look to get some color matched filler. I used some stuff that worked pretty well that you mixed your own colors but I can't seem to find the kit, if I can dig it up I'll get the name for you

markus · 06-29-2009, 10:16 PM

I am hoping my autobody buddy will be able to fill em in for me. But sure, I'll take the name of what you used.

I agree. For a drop, I consider myself lucky.

spina220 · 06-29-2009, 10:33 PM

Not to rain on you 919 parade, but I thought this would make you feel better. So two months ago I cut the tip of my right thumb off at work, About a week into it I go to the garage because I decide I have to cut the grass. I then move the 954 over to the left and am trying to move my crf450 to the right, trip over the xr50, then into the crf450 the into my 110 mini moto, complete domino effect, all bikes and body laying on the garage floor, sacraficed some scratched plastics, a couple of levers and extreme pain to right thumb, but hey at least all are fixable.

markus · 06-29-2009, 10:38 PM

wow that must have been tough to see.

another good thing about my dropped bike is that nobody was around when i picked it up. if somebody had tried to help or said something, i am not sure what i would have done.... i was furious! i guess this shows how much i love the bike.

ghbzorro · 06-30-2009, 5:53 AM

I always carry a hockey puck in my riding jacket pocket. Works on gravel, grass and soft asphalt.

markus · 07-03-2009, 10:00 AM

Took it to the autobody place. Guy can mix some paint to match the engine colour (gun metal grey, kinda). Said it won't be 100%, but close, and it'll look way better than all the scratches. Dropping a bike sucks !

Sideshow bob · 07-03-2009, 3:09 PM

My sympathies.....

at least its not got a dear shapped dent tho

BigD56 · 07-07-2009, 10:55 PM

Thought I should share my mistake as well. I had my bike up at school for finals week last semester because a bike ride was the only thing that could keep me sane during finals. I had it parked in the lot over night when i should have put it in the storage room like I always do, but didn't have time. I woke up to about 60 mph wind gusts and looked out the window to see my bike lying on the pavement. Never been so angry with myself in my life. Scratched my tank, side cover and broke my brake lever. On that note, i recommend checking the forecast before leaving your 919 outside.

markus · 07-13-2009, 1:22 PM

Ordered a replacement engine cover and gasket today. Pretty cheap, 85$. Cheaper than getting it painted. So I have new clutch and brake levers on the way, and a new engine cover coming. I will feel much better about the "dropping mishap" after the evidence is gone. There is still a tiny scratch on the back of the bike just by the passenger seat, but you have to look pretty closely to see that one. This dropping fiasco really brought out my "pickiness". My wife thought I went nuts to think about it so much. But again, it just proves how much I like that 919 !

Edit.... Might break down and get frame sliders.