Dropped the ZX14 on the weekend while on an organised ride. Was pulling up to corner mark the last corner of the day and dropped it in the slimey mud on the side of the road. Damage included a scraped mirror, cracked fairing and scrapes on the left lower and tank.

Got a shock when I took it to get a quote for the insurance people. Apparently the 'satin' finish on the special edition is not easily repaired and simply cut & polishing the lighter damage will result in shiney patches in the paintwork !!

For this reason all the damaged panels need to be replaced !!

Still on the bright side, its my insurance companies problem not mine, the bike is still ride-able and as we all know, its not a matter of IF your gunna drop your bike, its WHEN. Have only dropped a bike 3 times in 25 years and not at all in the last 20 (well up until saturday at least), so Im guessing I was overdue

Its a pain, but Hey, Shit happens......

OZ

* Last updated by: ozjohnno on 7/7/2009 @ 7:04 AM *

I know how bad it sucks, Oz. I went through a lot of work learning how to fill and polish my left lower because I didn't want to report it to insurance for a minor mishap. Then I found out how cheap the lowers are. You might as well replace any fairing rather than repaint it. The sides with the flasher cost quite a bit, I hear but for if the damage is worse than a few chips, it's probably worth replacing on a new bike.

Shit i've dropped my bike about 5 times now in the last 2 years ive had it.

last week i knocked it over in my garage. talk about pissin you off. lol

dropped my 08 when it was a few days old, came to a right hand corner (in the uk) full right hand lock, winter gloves and jacket, went to move off and because of the thickness of my gear could not open the throttle as my wrist was against the tank, stall and could not catch the weight of the bike + the boss on the back, the momentum was just to much, first mishap since 1994
B-A

Considering how the insurance people bend us riders over - fixing it yourself may be cheaper in the long term.
Now is the time for that custom paint you know you want :-)

Oz,

You've got a good, positive view... I like it.

Wow Ozjohnno,

I just read your post today. Eventhough its been a long time since you dropped your bike, your post struck a cord with me. As I was backing up in my Jeep Wrangler, I misjudged the space between it and my 2009 ZX-14 Monster Edition. The bike's left side mirror got hooked under the Jeep's right rear rubber wheelwell trim. Instead of stopping and getting out to see what happened, I assumed that if I drove slowly forward, the two vehicles would separate. A nasty "CRACK" sound and a second later, and the two were separated but the left side of the front fairing cowl, at the base where the mirror attaches, cracked. The left side clutch handle also cracked as well as the front fairing cowl support bracket.

To make a long story short, I was able to round up the parts on ebay, minus $200 from my already strained budget. Since I prefer to do as much maintenance at home as possible, I managed to do all the work myself. Another Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance moment. Lesson learned. Thanks for sharing.

I always say to myself, "if it looks like it's going to be a tight squeeze to manuver the bike into, don't do it. Leave it or find another way. It will get scratched, guaranteed. Amazing but I got lazy and popped a chip out of the top fairing late last Fall. SHould have just got off the bike and moved my car or the grill but I thought "maybe just this once if I am really careful..." All the damages happen at 0mph or not much faster. Oh well, that gives us something to fix up in the off season. I'm finding that just about every minor scrape or scratch is fixable. With a little time put in it looks like new again.

* Last updated by: Rook on 1/1/2013 @ 7:46 PM *

Glad yer okay mate....it does suck dropping your precious.Hang in there....I've done it too.

Sorry about the drop. Everyone has at least one per bike, it seems.

I have dropped my Connie twice. Once stopped (more or less) in a parking lot on a slant (my knees are worthless) and once at a red light when I put my foot down and found out there was a pothole there.

Embarassing, but far less than when I rolled my ZX14 onto the driveway to go riding, and did't set the sidestand right, and as I walked away, it fell up against me. I actually save it from more than a scuff on the left side belly pan, because as the bike lay on top of me, it was off the ground. I stuck my helmet under the handlebar end and my jacket (they'd been laying on the driveway before I opened the garage door) under the the rear fairing and was able to slide out. Then I did the textbook Motoman bike lift and set the sidestand properly. And cursed a few times.

Hopefully I'm done now. Read stories all the time of people throwing their bikes away, so a low speed / stopped drop is actually a blessing.

I've got MCE Canyon Cages on the front and their rear bag guards, so if she drops again, or even low sides, the only thing that will get scuffed up will the the guard bars.

One of the guys on the Concours Owners Group forum low sided his at about 20 mph with the same guard setup I have, and all he had to do was sand the part of the guard bars that got abraided, and repaint them with semi-flat black paint.

Pretty cool!

Me too. While on our June trip up north, I pulled into a motel parking lot with a downsloping gravel driveway. Well, I went too slow and fell over to the right throwing my wife and her white Joe Rocket jacket into a mud puddle. She was cracking up while I filled the redwood scented air with Olympic levels of chain cussing.( goes like this:"Gaddmamuthafuckinsonofabitchfarginassholetitscrrewingturdhumpingshitface!") She always gets a laugh when I get like this. Oh well...

Mad

Flipped my 07 off the front stand(and rear stand) one night...the stand with the pin in the steering stem...was tightening something down below...I'm sitting spreadeagled in front of the front wheel....out of nowhere...baby just flips onto her side...pretty good drop.I managed to 'kinda' catch the front stand and yank it partially out before she hit the ground.FUC$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.It could have been REALLY ugly if that stand would have been up under there.I was SO PISSED...she partly pinned my left leg under the midfairing,lower...but I was able to slide out by turning the wheel...sheesh...Scraped a teensy mark on the muffler front and scratched the mirror and lever...nothing broke.Scared the shit outta me though it happened so fast.I barely slipped outta the way in time.Glad no one saw it....

"front brake on a u-turn"...shit...I've come close...caught myself though before I applied brake.Makes ya wake up quick when yer u-turning on an open highway with traffic 'possibly' bearing down on ya=0

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/2/2013 @ 7:22 PM *

And she she was most likely thinking..."that's what I get for thinkin his was funny'......

You know...for me...it's not so much "dropping the bike"...most people can't tell why you dropped it.It's the picking it up that's more embarrassing(to me).Like..."Fuc%....now I gotta get this right...or else!"...and everyone's watching just HOW you lift a sportbike back onto it's wheels.WORST thing...is dropping it on the OTHER side before you could catch the balance point...I've done that....FUX$!!!!Talk about pissed and angry....sheesh.Only once...with my long gone beloved Harley...geez...getting that thing balanced and then getting on the seat..OMG...talk about a real test!Maybe it was easy for some...not me.....scarey as shit.And that deal about lifting it by using your back against the seat and all....PFFFFTTT!!!!Try turning around once she's up and could lean either way....Now there's some fun chit right there boi!

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/2/2013 @ 9:57 PM *

12 years of riding I dropped mine once (last summer) at a stop sign. stopped and had a duh moment... must have thought i was driving the cage. didn't put either of my feet down and fell over like a bowling pin right at the stop sign in front of the city cop that had a car pulled over (my distraction I think). oh well as most have noted its not if, its when ...

When I was looking for my first "sizable" bike years ago, so many ads had "slight scratching and damage from falling off stand" in them. I thought these people were either very careless or just simply fools.
I ended up with a pristine 98 VFR800 and not 6 months later it was my turn to be either very careless or just simply a fool. The bike was warming up in the driveway and over it went. Big bang and big damage. I obviously hadn't put the side stand fully down. I was so shattered.
Unfortunately, as mentioned, its almost inevitable that its not a matter of if, its a matter of when...

I was on a business trip in BC and rented an HD Road KING, brand new, with chrome extras. It was a brand new 2010 not even broken in. Did not get the insurance on the bike and rode it for three days without incident. Then after a dinner out with a friend I rode up an embankment that caused me to scrape and drag a footpeg. When the bike started pitching, I caught a rut, and it swung over. I could not keep it up. I am a big guy 6 3 at the time 250lbs. I rolled her gently over on her side and heard the ominous scrape of chrome and gravel. It was a very expensive road trip. Felt awful about dropping it. It gives me nightmares thinking about it, I hate low speed tips, but eventually they will happen. Was honest with the rental place and pointed out the damage. Left a visa number behind for damages. Is there a product out there that will prevent damage on a tip over? Sure wish there was...

* Last updated by: Wolfman on 3/31/2013 @ 4:28 PM *

Yannih,
Shit man the VFR story makes me want to get a full stunt cage for the ZX 14 (They don't make one bty). I am ultra anal about parking and kick stand procedures, but even a careless low speed front brake turn, or a slip on the sand, can claim the same cassualty. Beans man beans. I wish there was something for the 14r that could protect her in a tip over????
I have not seen such a product.
M

The sliders do help. I have the Yosh ones and in a garage tip over they look like they could save a lot of plastic parts. I'm gonna get the fork sliders too if I can find them. Every little bit helps. I low sided my '12 14 and it was $6k in damages. Sucked. I have a '13 with ABS now. But I "almost" dropped my other one 3 times. Every one it was on a slight decline and it started rolling off the kick stand. I part that F'er on the rear stand now all the time lol.

JUST Had a thought that Beally55 said to me when using my packjack! that is keep a small OCKY strap with ya (like a front handbreak! )so she does roll forward off the sidestand! well it's a great tip fer that forsure but it also sounds great for a "Slight Decline" TOO !HEAY MY BAD happened when I put my stand down on my CBR1100xx parked right next to my BA Falcon,I went inside and started to read my Sunday Mail (news paper) my son came in and said dad ya bike's on ya Car! after telling me a few times I got up & went to look still not beliving him LOL !OH Fuck! it was not quite 45degrees leaning on my CAR! with front/Rear doors & rear quarter pannel with deep dents where the CBR's bar end and rear tiedown punched in to the body! the Mirrow and top section of fairing was stuffed aswell,$9,000 later! I picked my CBR1100xx up went out for I ride the next day up this steep crapy Bituman trac it had a three car park at a sharp right angle to this Trac at the highest part was a Combie van then next my mate parked his Bike I went to the lower Side, while turning I hit a pot hole it tore the bars out of my grip, the bike stalled! I couldn't reach the ground on my right side it was 1'lower on that side it threw my MOF off nearly 5 mtrs!& me off about three! I screemed out to my mate to help me pick it up! the gravel scored all the right Upper fairing & the right Mirrow !ALL this after picking it up from the Bike shop not 12hrs before !

* Last updated by: bean07 on 4/2/2013 @ 2:19 AM *

I am inversting in some sliders this week, but as you said Phantom, they "help" and don't necessarily stop damage. Bean, the VFR story, OMG! I love my car, but I also love my bike. They are inches apart in the garage. Anyway here is a pic of my system, not full proof, but about as sheltered as I can get it!

Jesus Wolf that thing is beautiful.... It rivals my red... what a looker Can't wait to see it in person.

Dude, I love the green, would never have thought I would own a green bike, but gotta tell yah, the way she relfects the light in the day, wholly dude, wow!

That said though bro, RED is my favourite colour for a bike. I almost grabbed a 2014 red, but I got the green for 1000sands less.

Mad love Beast!

Boyz a gent named Meb, suggest a set of GSG sliders. As I read, most sliders install on an engin mount and upon tip over crack or break this engin mount.Most engin mount sliders protect the engin and no necessarily the plastics. GSG sliders apparently provide an assembly system that may not break the engin mount on tip over. They are also quite large and can protect the plastics. I've trolled this site looking at them and they seem the best.

Long story short I ordered them last week, it's a long wait, as they come from oversea's they told me 6 weeks. They have sets specifically for the 2012 zxr so if your looking or interested they are primo. I ordered them through a company in the states called WildHair Inc.

Thought I'd pass this gem forward in this thread.

PEACE

Boyz a gent named Meb suggested a set of GSG sliders. As I read, most sliders install on an engine mount and upon tip over crack or break this engine mount. Most engine mount sliders protect the engine and not necessarily the plastics. GSG sliders apparently provide an assembly system that will not break the engine mount on tip over. They are also quite large and can protect the plastics. I've trolled this site looking at them and they seem the best.

Long story short I ordered them last week, it's a long wait, as they come from overseas they told me 6 weeks. They have sets specifically for the 2012 zxr so if you’re looking or interested they are primo (I am told from a good source). I ordered them through a company in the states called WildHair Inc.
Mebgardner passed on this info
USA - Wild Hair Accessories- Att. Irfan Berk 5505 W. Fallen Leaf Ln. Glendale, AZ 85310 ++1-623-581-1994 www.whaccessories.com

Thought I'd pass this gem forward in this thread.

PEACE