ARGGHHHHH - I'm a dropper now....lol

[rando]

I was parking the bike at an MSF coaches' update. Got their late - thankfully, no one saw me ; ). Backed my bike into a space in neutral, shut it off, put the stand down, leaned bike over and it rolled forward as it touched the sidestand and I watched in rapid horror as the stand went back up. I was able to ease it down and step off. And it picks up as easy as everyone says it will.

No damage - tipovers caught it as designed. So I am now officially a member of the DA club.....

Randy

[Makzimia]

Randy, you made my day, you are the second extremely experienced rider who has mentioned dropping the LT since my incident last Sunday. There is hope for me yet :D. Thank goodness for those side bumpers, when it goes down in slow motion, it still doesn't feel good, better pride than plastic though.

Tony

[joevano]

Join the club. I was in Texas last week picking up my new LT and R1200CLC and when I backed the LT out of the owners garage I put the sidestand down and proceeded to drop the bike! It broke the left front footpeg off so I could not even test drive it.

[c00k1e]

Reminded me of my first near drop.
In a mud car park between 2 cars. Foot slipped as I went for the side stand and realised I was going to trash both the bike AND the car next to me.
Managed to jam my leg high on the car door before it went past the point of no return, got pillion (who got off before the parking attempt) to help and the only damage was on the car door.
One massive dent accentuated with mud.

[ldbikin]

Don't feel like the lone ranger.

My last drop, about a year ago, cost me a new windshield :eek:

Don't stop for gas when your dead tired just before getting that motel room!

At the pump on a turnpike, night, filled up no problem, I'm not sure what happened but after a long day, somehow it tilted.

I didn't have enuff power to pick it up and its usually no problem.

However, I was stuck between the bike and the gas pump!! The Ceebaily windshield was slowly crunching into the pump as I tryed to ease it back vertical.

I was losing it by the second, some fella ran over and helped me out.

Cracked the windsheild bigtime, but I managed to keep it from breaking the mount/motor assembly. By the way, that crack convinced me to go back to stock, sharp as a razor on the edges.

I couldn't even be embarassed, I was just dead tired and getting over something, I think all my muscles went south on me in short order holding that monster up.

I got a new stock windshield from Bob's BMW the next day I was on the road to MD at the time.

And I've got 93k on the bike now, probably about 20k less at the time...I needed the hulk, not experience, at that moment!

That bike doubles it size...when its on it's side, arharh :histerica

[hip001]

Backed out of the Garage yesterday and rolled into the grass to turn it around like usual. 1st thing in the morning on the way to work. Had my ski gloves on to keep my hands warm. I guess I did not give it enough gas and stalled it. Dropped it right in my driveway! Dam-it! Lucky for me I bought this used and it was not the first scratch on the bumpers. Put my back toward the bike and lifted pretty easy. My pride was the only damage! I guess it had to happen sometime, but it still was a bummer! Glad it was just me and not two up!

[niel_petersen]

Parked my K1200LT in the garage next to my kids new Subaru. Got off, went to turn out the lights & close the door, and heard this big CRASH. You guessed it, rolled it into his left front fender. $900. :(

[zippy_gg]

In light of all the incidents occurring while parking the beast I appreciate the hydraulic center stand on my 05 even more:eek: . I even use it when fueling as Kathy feels very uncomfortable sitting on the bike while on the side stand. It also allows to park in narrower spaces since I don't need to stand next to the bike to deploy the CS. An added bonus... no smoke on startup since I almost exclusively put the bike on the CS!;)

[tmgs]

.


HA! ya know without my glasses on thought there was some little bug on my monitor, I darn near smacked it!

good trick! ........

[JPSpen]

Welcome to the club old man.

Sooner or later you're gonna get into a situation that'll cause the big girl to get away from you.

Has someting to do with gravity always being on duty. Or something like that.


Take Care,


John

[gpolakow]

Welcome to our august club. It happens and it happens fast. sounds like you got off with minimum fuss and embarassment.

[cccpastorjack]

In light of all the incidents occurring while parking the beast I appreciate the hydraulic center stand on my 05 even more:eek: . I even use it when fueling as Kathy feels very uncomfortable sitting on the bike while on the side stand. It also allows to park in narrower spaces since I don't need to stand next to the bike to deploy the CS. An added bonus... no smoke on startup since I almost exclusively put the bike on the CS!;)


Well I can't imagine why she would be nervous doing that!!! :confused: LT's NEVER fall off the side stand. :histerica

[gglove]

Randy welcome to the club. I did not have mine but a week when it rolled off of the side stand and fell over in the garage :mad: I was not very lucky when it comes to damage. Broke the windshield and the windshield motor, cracked the wing and bent the bar under the wing.(crash guard) Not to mention the top case hit the garbage can and put a big gash in it so it to has been replaced. All with less then 300 miles on it. I have not made that mistake again, I have not used the side stand since.

[motorman587]

Hope it is not the case of the Mojo??? $hit happens.

[hip001]

I've programed myself to turn it off, leave it in 1st gear, roll it forward till it stops from being in gear then put the sidestand down so it can not roll forward any further. This works for me.

[SLTex]

When I bought my LT, the guy brought it down from Abilene on a trailer. He had ridden for years on all types of motorcycles and never dropped one. He took mine off the trailer put it on the side stand and he and I were about 10 feet away talking when she decided to take a nap after the long trip. A little scratch on the bumper. Now I always put her in 1st before I put the kick stand down. Normally I just put it on the 04 manual center stand. After that first fall, I just don't like the way the angle looks on the side stand.

[suzbmwhnd]

Easy fix for this! Grind about a 1/32" off both stops on the side stand when it is down. It does NOT go far enough over center. Haven't had an incident since I did this.

[mrbiker]

Sooner or later you're gonna get into a situation that'll cause the big girl to get away from you.THAT'S IT!!!! I generally don't name my vehicles (my dad always did) but you just named it for me!

BIG GIRL???? We went to see Aretha Franklin last Friday night.

SHE'S HUGE!!!!! You might have seen her on the Grammy's.

But once she gets going, she's amazing! Nimble, quick, thrilling, and magical! AND she's the Queen of Soul!!! If she fell over, it would take a couple of people to stand her up again. EXACLTY like my Beemer!! :histerica

From now on, my '05 LT is ARETHA! :dance: :dance: :dance:

Thanks.

[zippy_gg]

Well I can't imagine why she would be nervous doing that!!! :confused: LT's NEVER fall off the side stand. :histericaI have noticed that the lean angle on the 05 is higher than on my 99 and my 03 when on the side stand, so Kathy fears that she'll fall sideways. It is kind of funny to watch her face and see her lean toward the other side...:D Because she is a good person I don't want to subject her to that irrational fear (since LTs NEVER fall off the side stand:rotf: ).

[cfmpilot]

Don't feel like the lone ranger.

My last drop, about a year ago, cost me a new windshield :eek:

Don't stop for gas when your dead tired just before getting that motel room!

At the pump on a turnpike, night, filled up no problem, I'm not sure what happened but after a long day, somehow it tilted.

I didn't have enuff power to pick it up and its usually no problem.

However, I was stuck between the bike and the gas pump!! The Ceebaily windshield was slowly crunching into the pump as I tryed to ease it back vertical.

I was losing it by the second, some fella ran over and helped me out.

Cracked the windsheild bigtime, but I managed to keep it from breaking the mount/motor assembly. By the way, that crack convinced me to go back to stock, sharp as a razor on the edges.

I couldn't even be embarassed, I was just dead tired and getting over something, I think all my muscles went south on me in short order holding that monster up.

I got a new stock windshield from Bob's BMW the next day I was on the road to MD at the time.

And I've got 93k on the bike now, probably about 20k less at the time...I needed the hulk, not experience, at that moment!

That bike doubles it size...when its on it's side, arharh :histerica
Dittos... After an IBA ride, I pulled into the gas station and almost lost it after stopping in front of the pump. I was tired and cramped, a bad combination trying to balance 1200 pounds of motorcycle on a slick ramp.

[tarheel_rider]

No biggie - welcome aboard. It'll happen again, that's all I can say.

[bvick]

Well, at least you put the kick stand out. I hate to admit it, but I parked one time along the sidewalk and got off the bike and walked away without putting the kick stand out. How stupid do you think I felt. Good thing though, there were no witnesses. Ha!

[harrowbmw]

Welcome to the club Randy...welcome, welcome, welcome.

[JimH]

Backed my bike into a space in neutral, shut it off, put the stand down, leaned bike over and it rolled forward...
Hint:
Put bike in gear, not neutral
Release the clutch, roll it forward until it stops against engine compression.
OK, if you are pointed uphill, let it roll back ;)
Lean it onto the stand.

Very stable, won't roll and tip.

Best Wishes

[rando]

Yes I know to put in gear - thanks for reminding me. I was hurrying so I could get back to the meeting. I had backed er up and trying to hurry, had it in neutral, so I could pop it up on sidestand as soon as I got off it. It was no one's fault but my own. At work I park on gravel everytime, so I'm used to making sure it's stable. The lesson is to SLOOW down and do it right.

Thanks for the support.... : )
Randy

[bibleman]

Ah yes...the LT "Ejector Stand".

[hschisler]

Well, at least you put the kick stand out. I hate to admit it, but I parked one time along the sidewalk and got off the bike and walked away without putting the kick stand out. How stupid do you think I felt. Good thing though, there were no witnesses. Ha!No witnesses? Then that doesn't count.... does it? :o

[KIC]

There are those of us that have dropped it :( , Those of us who will never admit to dropping it :rolleyes:

And there are those of you, who are one of us, just waiting to happen ! :D

"you ain't experienced life until the Big Girl naps." :eek:

[2Alpha]

Been there twice in a two month period, once on the high side and once on the low side, once with a passenger and once without.

[joegottberg]

Sorry Dude,

It is a bit humiliating isn't it :)

Since I ride basically year round, I always get "ribbed" about my bike tipping over. Anyway, the other day a guy came in and said my bike "blew over" :eek: . Naturally, I thought it was BS, but, sure enough, she was laid over!

The best I can figure, my "1/2 cover" I've been using acted like a sail and blew her off the side stand, She was laying on her right with side stand extended.

I thought putting her on the side stand was "saving her power stand" (for marriage :D ) but NO MORE.

Don't worry, now you've lost your "cherry" you'll feel empowered picking her up in front of a crowd, DAMHIK :histerica

[Billy]

It is a major design flaw in the LT. It makes no sense that 70% of the folks that own this bike drop it. I have had 13 bikes and bought a 2006LT. I dropped it once. Built wonderfully, handles great, but who the hell wants to worry about dropping it! I sold it and bought an RT. It was the best decision I ever made. Many dealers are decreasing their orders of LT's because of customer dissatisfaction with the ergonomics of this bike. If BMW wants this bike to be as good as it can be they have to change the geometry so it is less likely to tip over while in the hands of their owners, many of whom are seasoned motorcyclists.

[JimH]

It is a major design flaw in the LT. It makes no sense that 70% of the folks that own this bike drop it. I don't see a design flaw, I see a big, heavy, two-wheeled machine leading to rider error. It makes sense that not many folks have ridden a bike this big and seemingly top-heavy before they bought their first LT.

Built wonderfully, handles great, but who the hell wants to worry about dropping it!Well, as a rule when I ride I have a lot more to worry about, like potholes and traffic, so I don't worry about dropping it. Besides, it has tip-over wings designed specifically to cushion the occasional drop.

I sold it and bought an RT. It was the best decision I ever made. It's all about personal fit and comfort. For a while I had both a 2002 RT and a 2002 LT. The LT is in my garage, and the RT's new owner, last I heard, was happy too.

Many dealers are decreasing their orders of LT's because of customer dissatisfaction with the ergonomics of this bike. Really?!?

If BMW wants this bike to be as good as it can be they have to change the geometry so it is less likely to tip over while in the hands of their owners, many of whom are seasoned motorcyclists.No, it needs to lose about 200lbs. That, or the seasoned riders need to learn slow, smooth, deliberate and balanced control when riding at low speed, because once it gets unbalanced it is going to go down.


Peace.

[rando]

I don;t think the sidestand issue is much of one at all. It's more an operator error. imo, even after dropping mine. My Vstrom had the same reported issue, on the net, but I never had it roll off the sidestand. My drop was the result of trying to park in a hurry. We have that same thing happen occasionally in the MSF classes too. Students put hte stand down and don;t get it all the way or something and they dismount, only to have the bike tip over. I think all bikes can do it, with the right circumstances.

I think the LT is a great bike, for what it is, a large touring machine. That it handles so sportingly is more of an added bonus. Yes it would be great if it could lose some weight, but I don;t see that happening. The bare "custom" factory cruisers are pushing around 700 lbs now, so an 800 lb machine with all the goodies we get, isn't excessive.

I do worry about the LT's future though, with BMW's new attitude. They seem to be trargeting more younger, sport riders. More performance-oriented, so I hope they can find a place for a new LT in their future plans.

Randy

[Billy]

You make many good points. The other impediment the bike has related to slow speed handling is the linked front and rear brakes. Slow speed handling is much easier if you can use only the rear brake without engaging the front.

There is no doubt it is a great bike and more comfortable for 2 up riding than the RT. Shedding the 200lbs, as you mentioned, would really be a step in the right direction. I just don't get it that a company like BMW has to design a bike with wings for dropping it.

Safe Riding!

Billy

[tmgs]

It is a major design flaw in the LT.

Design flaw?

I always like a good one liner in the morning, that;s pretty pretty funny.....

[zippy_gg]

You make many good points. The other impediment the bike has related to slow speed handling is the linked front and rear brakes. Slow speed handling is much easier if you can use only the rear brake without engaging the front.

There is no doubt it is a great bike and more comfortable for 2 up riding than the RT. Shedding the 200lbs, as you mentioned, would really be a step in the right direction. I just don't get it that a company like BMW has to design a bike with wings for dropping it.

Safe Riding!

BillyAs mentioned earlier, it is a matter of personal comfort an preference.
If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen! All kidding aside selling your LT was probably the best thing for you, and there is nothing wrong with that. You should enjoy riding your bike, no matter the brand or model. It's all good!;)
The linked brakes do not affect the bike at low speed if you keep your fingers off the front brake and use solely the rear brake in moderation.
Those powerful linked brakes saved my bacon more than once and are not a problem at low speed.
The LT is not the only bike with wings, the Honda ST also has them. There are great money savers, should you drop the bike. I dropped mine a few months after getting it. My fault. This was several years ago and it has not happened since. I split lanes two up on the California roads and highways without a problem.

[justlookin]

Dropped it twice... Both times trying to turn around on a very narrow road. Both times it just went down I was pretty surprised, just did not think it was that close. The second time I was on a hill, gravel road, and backing up to try to turn around. That time I put a scratch on the right rear box.
It's one of the reasons I bought "used."
The other day one of my sons was up in the storage area above my LT, he dropped a boot for his snowboard and managed to knock my left mirror off. The cables were still in my car (not installed yet.) :mad:
Oh well, I just won't enter it in any beauty contests this year.
It's still the best bike I've ever owned. :bmw:

[Billy]

Unfortunately the linked brakes stay linked even at slow speeds. If they didn't the bike would not be dropped so often. Many of you may have ordered and utilized the "Ride Like A Pro" by Jerry Palladino. He teaches slow speed motorcycle handling to police officers.

It is possible to drive the largest Harley at 2 mph but the BMW is much more difficult because of the linked brakes which engage at slow speed as well. I have personally heard from 2 folks who went to take the course by Palladino and came back with their bikes scuffed up from being dropped.

[JimH]

I am a Contrarian. I use the front lever in favor of the rear pedal at low speed.

My experience is I have a lot more control with a 1 finger pull on a lever that I do with trying to dab my size 12 boot on a pedal.

Even with Integrated brakes (they're not exactly Linked) and its power boost, I find it to be easier to just tease a bit on the lever to slow down in small increments. Of course, it is essential to be completely upright and well balanced before turning the bars...

Now, if I am going to do any clutch-slipping and brake-dragging for speed control, I set my boot on the pedal for a constant drag, set the throttle at a decent rpm, and use my left hand to vary the clutch lever to set my speed.

It's worked well for me for some years now.