Most Embarrassing Moment With Your Bike

  • February 25, 2010 10:40 AM PST
    Have had 2. First one, was out for a nice easy ride. Car by the side of the road full of collage girls with a flat tire. Stop to give a hand, and yup, forgot the stand.

    Second. Hill climb, great start, half way up, launched, in air, bike reminded me to turn gas on.
    • 5420 posts
    February 25, 2010 10:59 AM PST
    Not the most embarrassing, but I wore Laura's helmet to the local bar one day.  Didn't realize it 'till I got home.

    This is the back of Laura's helmet...
    • Moderator
    • 19067 posts
    February 26, 2010 9:26 AM PST
    Lucky wrote...
    Not the most embarrassing, but I wore Laura's helmet to the local bar one day.  Didn't realize it 'till I got home.

    This is the back of Laura's helmet...


    And yet another reason "Helmet Laws Suck"!!!!

  • February 26, 2010 9:44 AM PST
    Never had an accient in over thirty years on my own bike. I jump on my daughters little 650 w/ her on the back and bingo, I get nail by some J%^& off in a car at Rolling Thunder in DC. bent the turn signal but my pride was hert more. My little girl use to ride with me on the tank when she was 5 she is now 28. It hard for a Dad to fall from grace.... oh well she forgave me.
  • February 26, 2010 12:11 PM PST
    Reading all these is driving home within me the lesson of due diligence, or else hope no one who sees you knows you.
    • 1066 posts
    February 26, 2010 2:40 PM PST
    Ok gang here goes. I bought a 58 Triumph in early 70s,chopped it, 10 over stock legs, paint,etc. I'm cruzin Main St. one sunny day. I roll up to a stop light lookin cool. I only looked good till i came to a complete stop though. Yeah ,you guessed it, i forgot to put my feet down. I guess the funnier part was when i crawled out from under the bike, looked up to see a little old lady peering down at me from the passenger seat of a car in the turn lane. I think that was the only time that ol Triumph ever started on the first kick. I'm gone............................
  • February 26, 2010 2:53 PM PST
    Bout 10 years ago My wife n I were on a weekend run "solo" into the Tygh Valley over in central Oregon, now this part of of Oregon is pretty much Cowboy/Redneck but a fave for bikers now n again...Well we decided  was Beer30 so I backed the bike up in a spot at the Tygh Valley tavern, I was feeling pretty dam cool with a big hog a pretty girl n our leathers.
    As I walked up to the bar to place n order a bee stung me in the belly button O MAN! I hollered n started ripping my coat n shirt off...That was Embarrassing! 

    RandyJoe...Ride Strong...
  • February 27, 2010 4:50 PM PST
    Lucky wrote...
    Not the most embarrassing, but I wore Laura's helmet to the local bar one day.  Didn't realize it 'till I got home.

    This is the back of Laura's helmet...


    Awwww, you should have put a pic of you wearing the helmet.

    • 1161 posts
    August 27, 2010 9:02 PM PDT
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    • 9 posts
    August 28, 2010 12:49 PM PDT
    The winter of 1971 I had a '66 Trumpet 650 that had been "chopperized". It had a single saddle & a Springer front end that was WAY to big for that frame, Had a turning radius of 25 yards or so... A real ugly ride..LOL
    Being that it was my only transpertation, I had to get to the Univ. of Md. for finals & it had snowed the night before. As I was trying to turn off Rt. 1 into the campus, slowing WAY down for the long turn, I hit a patch of ice & with NO control, started sliding, Slamed into the side of a Prince Georges County Police cruiser in front of about 40 fellow students.... Didn't get hurt, but sure looked the fool...LOL
    • 25 posts
    August 29, 2010 1:58 AM PDT
    I started out with a pretty top heavy 86 Honda Shadow VT700. I had never been on a bike other than the back seat in my life. I dropped it pretty regularly trying to learn how to balance it as I rode up and down the long driveway at my friend's farm. After I took the Rider's Course and started on my own, I'm glad to say I never dropped it while in the process of riding, but man did I have a hard time learning to park it...

    My most embarrassing moment was when I pulled into the dealership where I get my parts from. They've been my support group and encouragement from day one. I pull in, back up the bike, and down she went. There was a guy sitting outside on the bench but no one else that I knew was around. I stood up and my first thought was to let out a loud Oh F*ck! But I didn't... I picked her up, parked her, and walked in. The man sitting outside didn't say a word, lol.

    And then there's the time I had to turn around in a gravel parking lot. I had just left the shop where they evidently adjusted the front brake but didn't bother to tell me... I stopped at the end of the driveway and engaged front and rear brake and the front grabbed way too soon, not at all what I was expecting. When I felt the bike come to that quick jerk stop, I put my foot down real quick... in that gravel my foot slipped and down we went. There aren't alot of women riders here and everyone takes a double take anyway. I just kept thinking... Here was the woman rider down and I could just imagine the stares as the traffic went by...

    Thankfully I haven't dropped my new one... yet... I'm sure it's coming but the balance is so much better on this one, it's been way easier to handle in situations like that.

    • 846 posts
    September 2, 2010 7:08 AM PDT
    I’m part of the dropped bike club. I was out in Arizona on 77 headed south out of Show Low head to Globe. If you ever done that section of road you’ll know that it has a section with a lot of switch back and some good corners through the mountains. Nice run if you get the chance. Well I had left Holbrook in the morning and it was cold so I had my leather jacket on and as it’s the case out there it gets warm fast and as I kept changing elevation I was soon sweating in my jacket. Not being one to stop when the riding gets good I just went on. Well between all the cornering and the temperature I was exhausted and dehydrated. So I decide an ice cream would be just the treat. So low and behold in Globe there’s a DQ I ride around the building so I’m in view of everyone, inside and drive through and you guessed it I pull in and stop and whether it was the heat or just stupidity I forgot the side stand and as I lower the bike to sit on the stand am I surprised when it go further then is should. With all that I have left in me I struggle not to drop it but it was a losing battle. Down as gently as I can goes the bike. Now the show in as tired and exhausted as I am I try to get the Road King back up. Well with a little help offered it was back up and I was sheepishly hiding in the back eat my ice cream. Moral of the story: Should have stop for a beer.
  • September 3, 2010 4:45 AM PDT
    I"m pretty much with another rider up on the stream.

    My husband and I went to an art show in Big Bear, Ca. When we arrive at a destination he ALWAYS ask if I locked my forks. When we leave he ALWAYS ask if I unlocked my forks. Feeling like a responsible rider when we stopped I locked my forks without his asking. When we left, he didn't ask if I unlocked my forks and he doesn't wait on me to "gear" up before he is on his way and I'm left hurrying trying to keep up. Of curse seeing that he was about to pull out onto the street and leave me behind I lifted my stand started my bike and put it in gear to go.......down.
     
    I forgot to unlock my forks.  So a lot like my horse that would unload me from time to time I pretty much bailed so I wouldn't get stuck under the bike. I started yelling at him to help, he parked his bike and along with a helpful stranger they managed to get my bike back up and on it's wheels. The only damage was a torn handle grip and a bent highway peg.

    Needless to say I'm quite aware of the fact that I need to make sure that doesn"t happen again...and the possibility of burning his dinner a time or two for not being courteous and waiting for me.  Perhaps a few other "with holdings" should do the trick........
  • September 4, 2010 1:10 AM PDT
    kickstand, nuff said
  • September 5, 2010 4:14 PM PDT
    Anybody besides me ever take off without fully latching their hard bags?

    Ya, and the kickstand thingy, too,
    • 25 posts
    September 13, 2010 9:51 PM PDT
    Omg... Rexbo... I am sooo bad about forgetting to buckle my saddle bags... You'd think I've have it down pat and figured out by now, but no... I'm going down the road and I happen to catch this movement out of the corner of my eye and it's the shadow of my bag flapping around... omg, how embarassing...


  • September 13, 2010 10:07 PM PDT
    I layed my bike down while juicing it around a corner in a parking-lot, trying to impress the ladies... I wiped out when my tire hit someones dicarded burger.... Needless to day, noboby was impressed, but plenty of laughing!!
    • 580 posts
    September 15, 2010 9:11 AM PDT
    First time on a bike taking my CBT (Compulsory basic training) in the UK I was practising a u-turn and rode my little SR 125 over a 3ft wall - going head over heels over the handlebars. Instructor was gobsmacked but relieved that only thing hurt was my bike (not badly though) and my pride. Got it fixed and managed to take it again a week later.

    I usually ride alone but recently joined a club who do occasional ride outs. First ride out was with all blokes and all went smoothly on the way there and I had a good time checking out other bikes at the meet and chatting to folk there. However, setting off to come home I was at the front of the queue and dropped it coming out of the car park. Guys were great picking it up and checking I was ok etc but I felt a right plonker.

    Thought hey ho and put that aside when I went out on the next ride (last week). We took a wrong turn and had to do u-turn on tight country lane on a road with steep camber and yup - you guessed it I dumped it again!!!! Now I'm not the cool grannie who rides a bike but the chump that can't keep it on two wheels!!! Not sure I can show my face again on their next run (o:

    Love Lucky's comment on page 1 - if you haven't dropped your bike at least once you haven't ridden it enough - I'll have to remember that if I go to the next meet. Big Hugs (o:
    • 0 posts
    September 15, 2010 1:29 PM PDT
    Drunk...For those of you who know me ,you probably wont be suprised. One sunny saturday afternoon the boys all turn up at my place for a BB&S session(beer bullshit&Stupidity).One of my mates lets call this genius "Shithead" in this story decided to bring along his 5 year old son and a yamaha peewee 50 mini bike. Before too long the kid got sick of ripping up my lawn and the big kids start eyeing off the peewee. As drunken Aussies tend to do, someone says "watch this" and starts tearing up and down the street on the peewee.Great fun! As we get drunker the pissing for distance antics escalate and it turns into a time trial around the block..We all take turns at drinking beer and racing around the block like overgrown 5 year olds with balance issues.By late afternoon we've set some impressive times and ,for some reason money gets involved.Yes we are gambling on who is quickest around the block on a peewee 50 ,who's 5 yearold owner is now very pissed off that his Dads dickhead mates are destroying his pride and joy.I send him inside for ice cream so we can finish the racing in peace. So once again its my ride,I'm in the zone,ready to race as ive ever been. Decked out in my good racing cowboy had a pair of flip flops a singlet and shorts off i go on my all time PB lap to beat all the other drunken idiots..Down the street i flew screaming along , wringing my plucky little steeds throat to get the best performance possible . Crouching down to be as aerodynamic as possible. Through the first bend absolutely flying leaning over and nearly dragging a knee GP style i was in for a good lap,just have to make the corner onto the main road stick ....Flat out engine screaming i lean to take it as tight and fast as i can......................BANG CRASH OH SHIT! the left hand footpeg dug into the ashphalt throwing me into the path of an approaching car...A police car. They stop in time as not to run me over, sometimes i wish they had of. Get out and put thier hats on in that way cops do when they arent f#cking around anymore. Walk over to my battered and road rashed body, and start to piss themselves laughing at my misfortune.I am promptly told to get up and carry the bloody minibike home..So i picked up the bent little racer and started walking up the street, with the cop car following me with its lights on..Strangely when my so called mates saw the cops they all decided they had something better to do in the backyard...I got road rash,bent a kids peewee 50 and got called a big dickhead by 2 cops..But my mates said i was a bloody legend and before the crash was well on the way for the fastest lap of the day.
  • September 15, 2010 1:56 PM PDT
    Traccie wrote...
    Omg... Rexbo... I am sooo bad about forgetting to buckle my saddle bags... You'd think I've have it down pat and figured out by now, but no... I'm going down the road and I happen to catch this movement out of the corner of my eye and it's the shadow of my bag flapping around... omg, how embarassing...


    I never seem to discover it until someone else on the road points it out to me and I've already had stuff blow out of my bag, usulally a a ball cap or spare gloves.

    Gets expensive, dont'cha know?

     

    • 58 posts
    September 16, 2010 12:53 AM PDT
    Mine was a little over a year ago. Was doing U-turns with my son's Yamaha. You know, get the turn as tight as the bike can possibly go? I was doing OK, 20'-24' turns when I slowed to almost a stop and the bike just laid itself down, in slow motion like. Funny how that happens. I picked her up and called it a day, for the exercises anyway.
  • September 16, 2010 1:24 AM PDT
    In my second year of riding, I had an invitation to attend a national hillclimb in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This meant my first ride with ''the guys'' and my first crossing  of the Mackinaw bridge which is by no stretch of the imaginagion, an accomplishment.
    When we arrived the paved lane was closed for road construction (of course), so I would also be forced to ''ride the grate'' for that portion of the ride.
    Goodnuff....got that done with only a minimal ammount  of adreanalin and the guys stop for lunch and a beer.
    We split a meal of chicken.......
    That chicken didn't set well after a small ammount, so while they all finished up.....I walked and walked.
    Time to saddle up and off we go. The guys were mercifull to me and only ran about 70, but it was my first pack ride....not that staggered garbage, I mean tight and tighter.
    A few miles up the road the MOST AMAZING THING HAPPENED! I hiccuped.................................and this huge bubble of puke made it's way out and guess what happend at 70 mph!!!!!!! Hmmmm???? I had a face full of stuff AND my glasses were covered so i needed to get 'em cleared and get pulled over with out pissing someone off by crashing into them.
    Well.......the guys were great. They offered to let me lie in the grass for a bit, got me a cold wet bike rag that they dipped in the cooler. I told 'em no thanks, washed my face and rode on in to set up my tent and heal.....got ready for the party and had a great time that weekend..............just part of the story.
  • September 16, 2010 6:22 AM PDT
    When I was attending college I think I was the only student in this tiny community college with a Harley, my 87 FXLR. After class one day I was getting ready to leave when one of my college classmates walks up and starts asking me about my bike, very pretty co-ed by the way, so as I'm finishing up talking to her with her standing there watching and me not slung over my bike I hit my start button, with the bike in gear and after chasing it as it almost lurched outta my hands I jumped on it and damn near lost it in the parking lot. Luckily I didn't dump the bike *phew*!

    Of course the next day she asked if I was OK and commented about my amazing stunt riding abilities... but all in all pretty embarassing! LOL
  • October 10, 2010 3:22 PM PDT
    Very similar to Black 9's story, I was at Cook's Corner earlier this year doing a lunch stop. After cleaning up, I headed out to the parking area right next to the side entrance & Julie's leather stand...got on my bike...lots of folks around...I do my usual routine, and drop a glove. No problemo, I'll just reach down and pick it up. When I retrieved it, I hadn't noticed that my left theigh had knocked the jockey lever (which has a short fore-&-aft throw) backward, which is 1st. You guessed it-- I hit the starter and with a GA-WUMP the bike lurched forward nearly taking out two dudes in front of me. I just managed to prevent the bike from going over, and the two dudes laughed when I said without pause, "Yup, that's pretty much how my whole week has been."  
    • 844 posts
    October 11, 2010 5:19 AM PDT
    During the summer the wife and I were over just outside of Tuscon, AZ. We stopped at a motel around 1:00 in the afternoon and parked the bike outside. We were so tired we left all our gear on the bike (probably around 75 lbs or so). Well the temp was around 110 (probably hotter in the sun), the parking lot was asphalt, and all our gear was stacked high on the rack really adding a lot of weight to the kickstand.

    When we decided to go out for drinks later that evening, the kick stand had sunk into the asphalt about 3/4 of an inch and the temp had cooled down enough to harden the asphalt. Well that wasn't gonna stop me from going out for a beer. With one big jerk I managed to free the kickstand and throw the bike right over to the ground on the other side. Of course my wife, and several others who were around thought this was the funniest thing they had ever seen, while I was making up new cuss works because none of the current ones were strong enough.

    After that I learned from the locals to carry a kickstand plate when traveling in the desert!