dropping your Tenere
 

For the third time today I dropped the bike. I was ready to go just distributing my weight and she started to fall, nothing I could and on her side she went. Broke the front brake hand lever and that cost �60.00! Also scratched the wind visor but at �120.00 I will learn to live with the scatch Lol.

Any others ever have this difficulty? Todays problem was due to wearing water proof trousers that where medium and not large so the crotch part refuses to allow me to spread my legs appart so I just couldn't save the bike from falling. Hell that truly annoys me as I know once it reaches a certain point of misbalance there is B A I can do and I know its going to fall. 31' inside leg yet cannot stop this happening. How do people with shorter legs get on lol.
soon fixed though and thank heavens I had full front crash bars fitted before it left the showroom, those babies have saved me a fortune!

Its proving to be an expensive learning curve is this.

You all keep safe.

Ryland.

Get better gear that fits and doesn't limit you, problem solved. Your legs aren't extremely short so that shouldn't be an issue?

I dropped my bike first trip I did from the dealer, thought I had the side stand out but it had flipped back. After that I had numerous flips and highsiders out in the forest, been sliding on the side along the tarmac once etc. The fist scratch hurts the most, after that you stop to care. This bike can take a few hits. =)

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7162/dscn1638sm.jpg

Try some "lowering bones" from Metal Mule, or a sidecar... :017:

Molgan's right! It sure can get a few scratches :spanking[1]: and you shouldn't worry about the break lever. Get a nice after market one. I am sure you'll even find a good visor cheaper than the Yam one..;)

Front brake lever: 24,5 euro at off the road
http://www.off-the-road.de/xt660z_te...hoer.html?&L=1

I also dropped it this week in the snow, no damage with the engine bars and handgards.

"Bop-'till-ya drop!"

You drive in the snow? Brave man. I fall of trying to get ON the bike. Imagine me in the snow.........No don't! Lol

Thanks for the contact. I will use them for further purchases.

Ryland

31" inside leg too, you just need to get into the habit of sliding your bumover the seat a bit and you can put one leg down foot flat on the floor with no problem...this also allows you to scoot it backwards when you need to manouvre in parking spaces etc.

That photo makes me feel ill, lol. I can't leave mine lying on the floor like that I start at once to lift the bike up. I have sent of for a truss, lol I notice the lack of any crash bars? They have saved me from even more expense. You should get some.

Stay well,

Ryland

I dropped (or crashed :tongue3: ) my bike more time than I can remember.
Examples:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_h_hIYKggHWM/S1...2/IMG_7657.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_R1memDPiqMU/Sx...0/IMGP0237.JPG


Only one time was expensive (Punctured side case, broken water pump, bent riser, various scuffs and a few pipes broken).
The other times were just scratches on those gray plastic thingies and the handle bar riser came a little loose a couple of times.
It's a rather resilient bike in as I see it. Kinda rubbery. In a good way. :-D

Yep. I can confirm - it's quite a good bike for crashing.
Hand guards might come handy as well, when it comes to dropping your bike. Few times it has saved my clutch and front brake handle.
Today's drop :D:
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/8...rip1402078.jpg

What awesome scenery to drop your bike in !

Tip to stop(ish) things breaking
 

In my old motocross/Enduro days, we used to (and I still do) loosen the bolts that hold the levers in place and also the handlebar mounts. Not much, but enough so you can move the levers with your hands and the bars with a stiff push.

You will need to carry the relevant spanners with you in case they become too loose with use but in the event of a crash the extra give often saves things from breaking.

Here here, good call Ray I do this also.:WellDone_OROQR1:

Out of interest, how did the panniers stand up to the impact?

I hope you guys and galls where not injured?

I need to explain my OP. I don't mean crash the bike I MEAN drop it! I drop the bike getting on and off it! Its not funny either, lol. I love the bike and once its underway we have a serious love affair. I find her rather 'female' though as she doesn't like the 'mounting' part but once under way! Mmmmm.

If this post is against any forum rules PLEASE delete. Family forum etc.

Well, as it hasn't stopped raining here in bloomin months and untill I can get dry weather experience she is in the garage sulking like me. Bike not my wife, lol.

Best to you all.

BTW I like those front fog lights on the Tenere as shown in the gallary, where did they come from?

Ryland

Amazingly good. Aluminum layer is slightly bended but plastic is all ok. However, it was a mud - on the rocky surface damages would be more severe.

IMHO if the bike can survive slide/crash then dropping it shouldn't be a big problem ;) First drop is most painful - then it's much more easier :).

I have a little tip for you about the getting on and off part, the "mount like a horse" thing. When you want to get on the bike, put one foot on the left peg and stand on it while you swing the leg over with the bike still standing on the side stand, reverse when getting off. You can see what I mean if you watch the video in my signature until the part when I climb off the bike at the end of the clip.

I do this all the time to avoid the awkward leg swing.

Nah, it's all about the comedy "hold one leg straight out in front of you, and hop towards the bike on the other leg, hoping that your foot is lifted high enough to clear the seat".

If it's good enough for Ewan and Charlie ;)


(joking aside, I quite often do what you said - I'm 6'4" but I've always got the top box on the bike, so it's still a bit awkward)

I too used to keep the clamp bolts only nipped up, but once wraparound handguards arrived I did them up properly. Also saved my fingers getting smashed on trees etc..

Good shout if you don't have wraparounds, but could be a tad risky if you find your front brake lever has slipped South when you need it most!!

:D works great until the side stand snaps .. that said I have only snapped a side stand on a KTM 640 and it went whilst I was kicking it... (using the kickstart ! not just a general beating)

31 inside leg now that would be a bonus try 27 and a bit hehe.

if you struggle with the height lower the bike a bit.

If I was off road all the time I would leave it standard but lowered its just easier for day to day stuff

Yeah, the horse mount worx well untill the stand pushes into the ground if terra firma is not so ferma, then you pin yourselve down under the bike, dont have any photo's, but ever since that happened i refuse to do the horse mount. Something that you can practice as well is to try to get on as you would get onto a bicycle. Put in gear while standing next to bike, little gas, get the bike going, stand up of course otherwise it will kill the bike when you put it in gear. Then when bike have little momentum, all you do is swing that leg over, and off you go.

The short leg syndrome is something we all get one day when driving offroad...camber to the one side, normally the wrong side from where you want to get off..attached is a friend of mine who recently discoverd his short leg syndrome.

I'm 'only' 6 foot with 32" inside leg and always swing my leg over the back. The trick is to have the bike on the sidestand, get your hands on both grips and lean forwards towards them. That will make it much easier to swing you leg up and over the back seat.

I also have my topbox always fitted but have certainly given it and the rear hand grabs a good kicking every now and then.

I'm not quite sure what I'd do if I had a large bag on the bak seat however, probaly mount from the side if I could.

I always do this with my R, and if youve a bag on the back you do the old get the right foot on the seat first, then put pull your self into the bike and let your leg slide over the seat.

So I'm not the only verticaly challenged person on here then, thats good to know.:SpinHappy_15XK8L:

Do people laugh at you too when youre at lights/junctions rocking from 1 foot to the other trying to stay upright?

Ha ha - now that I really want to see Ryland try! - I can just imagine the Youtube hits if it was video'd!

Seriously, the Tenere stand won't break - the horse method is fine... likewise I have been known to do the McGregor goose-step more than once when I've got luggage strapped on the rear seat...

J xx

I'm loving these names.

Ahem - have been known to mis time a goose step ascent on my enduro bike after a rather weary bog section and knocked her right back over again...

ohh yeah been there goose step to double knockover at that point I would normally give up and take a breather and have a good ol laugh about it.

as for the hoping at the lights i try and ride progressively so that i dont often have to stop at the lights keep slow momentum and good gaps :sbike:

I always wonder what would happen if them bloomin happy slappers realised that when most of us are at a set of lights a simple push would have us all in the floor. most of the time you wouldnt even notice them coming at you.

just hope no happy slappers read this else i may have started a horrible new mobile phone craze.:byesmiley:

Lol, Sounds like hell to me. Can you JUST imagine the video clip and me going down the road half on and half off the bike will trying to control chaos!! Agaaaaaaaa.
I drop the poor bike while its stationary, trying to mount while it is moving! Yeh, I can see me doing that! lol lol.

I even need a reverse gear. This week end I drove into a spot to park then couldn't get the bike back out from same spot. It is so heavy to move. I have to apply the front break, push forward then 'rock' back, and repeat untill I am where I need to be. Point is after doing this I need to park it again to go and rest! lol. End of the year you may well see me in the vet's Mr Universe competition, I shall have muscles in my spit and be able to crack open a nut with my eyelids!

I do like the ride once under way though, the bike give the feeling one is driving the equivalent of a 4X4 car!

How the chap with a 26" inside leg who rides a Tenere is beyond me!

My best to one and all,

Ryland

I'm feeling the urge to put blocks on me boots now, youve made me nervous!!

Lol, "Simple push"............. I fall of on my own very well without the need for the slightest "simple push"!
I shall overcome! (I hope) Poor bike.

Ryland

Compared to my 20 years old VFR I find the Tenere very light and easy to manoeuver.

the high handle bars and grab rail make it very easy to stay straight and the light steering help too.

manoeuvering a 20yo low bike with a "hard" steering is much more difficult: you're bent and can exert no strength whatsoever and have a poor balance.

The Tenere has helped me a lot gaining confidence in manoevering a stopped bike.
And a week without sidestand has helped too... climbing up/down the bike without sidestand, using the centerstand all the time..

I don't think I have ever dropped my bike at the lights.

But my best crash with my ten has to be when I was leaning over the bike to look at something and I must have leaned a bit to far and i just felt the bike go away from me and crash into the house wall.

It spat the screen off but luckily the plastic break away bolts did there thing.:hw27:

The ' very expensive" plastic break away bolts, you mean.

Sand monster got me
 

http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/y...riders/Val.jpg

ssssh
 

Tenere having a little nap.

Perhaps try some of these :thumbsup:

http://www.southwatercycles.com/smsi..._image-209.jpg

Stand behind the bike, take a run up and jump mounting the bike, ride off into the sunset...


No seriously I use the standing on the footpeg method (testing the ground first if on dirt). I have a top box on and don't have the proper flexibility to either get a leg over the seat or miss the top box so I just find the other way easier. If your mounting using the footpeg i've found sitting down on the seat hard will distribute the weight to the opposite side of the stand so it is easier to get off the stand (i had a bad leg injury in my left leg so sometimes I don't have the muscle strength in that leg to push it off the stand so i've developed this method with all the bikes ive owned over the years).

I've only ever dropped her standing still once and it was at a set of traffic lights, put my foot down without actually checking the ground as I was riding up, was a spill of diesel and my foot just slipped straight out and we all went down. No damage to bike though, only to my pride after turning around and seeing an attractive 20-something year old girl in the car just behind me.