Dropped it again....

[Ugarte]

Just got back from an 1800 mile labor day weekend trip to Seattle and down the Oregon coast and had many minor troubles, two worth mentioning.

I was backing out of a parking space when the wheels encountered a bump in the asphalt that I did not see going in. With a lot of effort I got the rear wheel over it but when i tried to get the fron tire over my right foot slipped and swung well forward and by the time I could get it back down I was going over and me and the bike kissed the pavement hard. But the worst part was there were onlookers and not one of them even had the courtesy to laugh, they completely ignored me....no laugh, no are you ok, and worst of all no offer of assistance.....who are these people? :hammer:

The bike was ok thanks again to the Rivco engine guards and leatherykes. I was able to get it back up myself fairly easy using the tried and true motorman palladino method.

I can see the need for a reverse with these heavy bikes...I sure would like one on the Rocket.

On the way down the coast on Sunday I had the heated grips and Corbin heated seat on the whole time. When I got up this morning my bike would barely turn over and would not start. Had to call AAA to get a jump and it started right up....had no problem the rest of the day. I am wondering if the grips and heated seat are using up too much juice, or maybe I just need a new battery.

[Toystoretom]

Quit falling over... :-D

Is it even possible to leave the heated seat or grips on overnight with the ignition turned off??

I guess you'll find out if its the battery if it goes dead again this week.

[vonbonds]

Ugarte, sorry to hear about your troubles. Some people are d!cks, no doubt about that.

As far as the battery goes I just replaced mine last week. I went with a Westco. I have a Kisan ChargeGuard to monitor my electric consumption and my battery wasn't holding a charge well at all so I figured to replace it before the trip out to KC later this month.

Glad to hear your bike is relatively OK and you had a good trip.

Tom

[Ugarte]

I'm going to get a new battery too, and that Kisan thingamajig. Thanks Vonbonds.

Toystore, I did leave the grips and seat on overnight but that shouldn't have drained the battery as they only turn on with the ignition. Besides, the headlights worked great and everything lit up....just the starter wouldn't turn over much. The seat has an automatic off after an hour anyway.

Another thing I learned is a sequence of minor troubles can really wear on you on a long trip. The fall over happened early on and kind of twinged my nerves a little....I still had 1600 more miles to go. That combined with my bike was not getting good mileage, about 8 miles per gallon less than usual, had my stomach churning just a little....It turned out that the baker air wings in the closed position were the culprit....unbelievable how much drag they create to cause such a reduction in mileage.

It was a good warmup for the KC trip, I had not done a long trip like that for several months.

[baggage1]

Bet the bike was loaded too when you dropped it.Those Leatherlykes are great for saving it from getting dinged up..Just glad you didn't get hurt in the process Ugarte.Always like listning to your exploits cause they teach stuff.Stay safe so we can hear some more.

[bulldawg]

Hey mate
Not good that you dropped your ride. But it is good that you ok and now i know there are AHOLES all over the world when it comes to bikers. I have done a simillar thing and no body wanted to lend a hand, But that was on harley.........

[rick05rocket]

Having dumped mine twice (once when my foot slipped out on a sand/gravel mix near our condo garages and the other when making a very slow 90 degree turn when a pedestrian stepped in my path) I KNOW how frustrating it can be.

In both cases however, I did have folks assist with getting the monster back upright. Both times the shifter lever got bent and my mirror got twisted, but otherwise the Triumph panniers kept the damage minimal.

I'm STILL unnerved though about those similar situations, e.g., EVERY time I back out of my garage and/or every time I must make a tight right hand turn, I gulp a bit - not wanting to reprise the spill. . .

but, then once underway, the pure joy and thrills the Rocket brings take over and the world is right.

Glad your trip was otherwise pleasant and uneventful.

ride on

rick

[TallRocket]

As beautiful as that country is, especially if it wasn't raining, I hope your recollection of this 1800 mile trip will quickly return to the countryside.

Ditto on the comment about the need for a reverse gear. My former house had a gravel driveway and backing the beast out of the garage was always the worst part of the trip. However, I became pretty good at turning around in a confined space. And, I still recall being passed by a couple of HD riders while broken down alongside the Hwy at night.

[hlw3]

Sorry to hear about your slip, glad you are not hurt.

Interesting reading about your issue with your battery. How many miles does your bike have on it? Do you guys think battery replacement is more a function of time since new, or more of a mileage thing. I am asking because I am one of those that will have high mileage in short time and wanted to know when to plan for replacement.

Thanks,
trey

[RocketEd]

Ah, the Oregon coast on Labor Day weekend - otherwise known as Motor Homes On Parade. I admire your patience. Try it again in May or September for a completely different experience.

Sorry you dropped it again, but glad there was no harm done. I keep waiting for what I sometimes feel will be my inevitable turn in the same situation. I know I've had more close calls with the Rocket than just about all others I've owned combined. Sometimes when scoping out a parking lot when on tour I feel like I'm planning a military campaign or something!

Hard to believe the battery would already need replacing after what can't be much more than 2 years. I know I keep mine on a Tender, but I would think 4 years would be the minimum it would last, especially in regular use. My Victory battery is 4+ and my Royal Star's was never replaced in the 5 years I had it. Maybe heat is an issue?? I think I'd be checking connections, etc.

Again, glad you're ok and hope your trip to our neck of the woods was otherwise great.