my name is mwd

So, it was bound to happen I guess, but I had my first bike mishap. Before you get all worried, it happened whilst stationary, off the road. Just the kind of moment I guess when you feel it’s okay to be rushed and less cautious. Doesn’t mean I feel any less of an utter fool however.

I was parking up at the Lab, and I was in a bit of a hurry. I pulled up, stopped, put the bike into neutral (which I’m getting better at not forgetting – there’s some change between car and bike which means I forget on the bike when I park occasionally, and suddenly recall as I let go of the clutch…), I then kicked down the sidestand and went to get off the bike whilst putting it down on the stand.

Only the stand didn’t take. Oh dear.

There’s this sudden sickening moment as I’m shifting my weight off the seat that the bike, which should have stopped moving to the left at some point hasn’t. I’m still stood over it, and have my hands on the handlebars, but I’m not taking the bike’s weight, as I expected the stand to take it, and by the time I know it’s going over it’s got too much momentum (the 907 is a heavy beast) for me to do anything significant. Also, I’m aware that I need to move lest my leg get trapped or such.

So I hop to the side trying whilst trying to stop it falling, knowing I’ve fucked up. The moment the bike hits the ground the left indicator/mirror pod explodes with bits of coloured plastic going everywhere. And I’m left standing feeling very upset and angry, but trying not to shout the words I want to as there’s a couple of old ladies walking past, both clearly trying very hard to ignore the scene next to them.

Immediately I try and pick the bike up without thinking it through. At this point, the bike slightly of the ground and realising how heavy it is again, I’m put in mind of the many times I’ve watched the guys on the Long Way Round struggle to pick up their heavy GSs, and I wonder if I’m being even more foolish and about to drop it again, and I should have spent more time pondering rather than rushing. But thankfully the bike comes up. I put the stand down again, and this time put it onto the stand gently, and it holds.

And relax, as much as possible. The visual damage is that I’ve fucked the front left indictor/mirror pod, as you can see on the below picture. The front fairing has also popped a screw in the process. It also occurs to me that in trying to stop it going down I’ve hurt my left arm slightly, but nothing serious. I’m just furious at myself. I want to be furious at something else, like the ground being too slippy, or such, but in the end it’s my fault. I should have checked the bike was on the stand properly, but familiarity breeding contempt and all that – the previous n times I’d dismounted the bike there had been no need to check the side stand had gone down well, it just typically did. But clearly that’s how mistakes happen. Add to that being in a rush, and wham.

All the more frustrating is that I only just got it back from the garage, and it was looking like it would need to go back in as the temp guage is playing up since they worked on it. Now I need to hand it back with obvious drop damage – how much are they going to laugh at me? Also, I had to catch a flight a few hours later, so no time to assess the damage properly or look at how I can fix it. I suspect I can get the pod back on for now, but due to time I had to bodge it with gaffer tape, so at least I had two mirrors to get me home.

Amazingly, althought the indicator lens had shattered, the bulb still worked. I’ve no idea if there’s any other damage. Listening to the bike on the way back I’m sure I could hear something scraping slightly, but then, is that just me imagining it, or is that always there as I don’t normally listen out for that sort of sound. Or is there actually a new fault? I hope not – having just paid almost eight hundred quid to get it fixed I can’t afford another large garage bill.

Anyway, I’m an idiot. Sorry bike. As I had it pointed out to me by someone more calm that I was, this was why getting a cheap second hand bike was a good idea – get all my foolish mistakes over on that before I get something more expensive. Now I need to become an ebay watcher to try and spot any new 907 parts coming up, as they seem to have a hint of the hen’s teeth about them.

(I wrote this entry much earlier, but realised it was still pending and not put up – doh – probably my subconcious trying to remain in denial…)