None Of Us Are Perfect

I had my first mishap of that kind in a long time the last time I took my old America out. It happens to all of us. Came back in the driveway after a run to the post office. There is lots of sand on everything here in the spring and early summer. Even my driveway. Tried to execute a low speed U turn in front of the garage so I could walk in backwards in to the garage. The front wheel washed out and down it went. Oh well.. ...J.D.

 

Oddly enough I was just idly reading through a downloaded copy of the Triumph Owners Manual for the Triumph Sprint before coming across this thread and I had not long read this amongst the 'Safety First' Foreword' warnings:

When parking the motorcycle, always remember the following: Engage first gear to help prevent the motorcycle from rolling off the stand.

Fortunately my own personal worst 'embarrassing moments' have happened when no-one was looking but my brother wasn't so lucky and his vanity caught him out twice in his short career on bikes (he went back to being a four wheeled speed freak). In the best (worst?) one he came into a shorefront car park where we were all hanging out and was so busy looking round to see who was watching him that he didn't see the car pulling out of a parking space. Locked his front brakes (Honda NC30), skidded sideways and lay down neatly on the ground beside the car. Not the impression he had been wanting to make.

 

I allus leave mine in gear when parked. Only takes a second to put into neutral when restarting.
We went to Le Mans a few years ago, and pulled up for a coffee at a roadside cafe in France. The lay by outside was on a slight slope. There was 12 bikes, all lined up, and mi mates wife who was t'last to park at top of t'lay by, forgot to put her sidestand down. I saw it start to topple, as I had pulled in just before her, and visualised a domino effect accident. Luckily, she had parked just far enough away for it to just catch my footpeg, and being in gear probably stopped mine from being pushed off my stand, and all t'bikes going down!! Close shave!!

 

Good to meet you Sir, and I hope the levers are useful.

I'm staying silent regarding old men in wet t-shirts

 

Haha I tried to look cool, as I lay there on the ground with the bike on my leg I casually closed one eye to see if the fuel tank had impacted the asphalt.