Ooopsie

[Macka]

Kinda dropped my new Kat in the driveway today

I was standing right next to the bike at the time, in fact I was preparing to get on. I was making sure the seat was secured and she kinda started rolling forward, and rolled slowly off the sidestand. I caught it, but couldn't get it back up and so had to set 'er down gently on the driveway.

Picked it back up, looked around in an embarrassed fashion, got my breathing and pulse under control, got on and rode to work.

No damage...Not even a scratch on the fairing. Thank Jeebus. All levers etc look to be unbent. I believe that when i set it down it ended up resting on the bar end and footpeg.

Glad THAT's out of the way

[stevnmd]

Wow... Glad there was no damage. Don't feel bad. I dropped my '02 Kat in the garage 23 hours into ownership.

[tzortn]

From the way you just explained it you did not drop the bike. You just layed it down. Thats not as bad as really dropping it.

[Anonymous]

Thank Jesus.

[Macka]

Yeah "drop" is probably too strong a word. But the experience was almost as traumatic

[OtLa]

I always leave my bike in gear when parked on the sidestand. I had that same thing happen, only it laid in the grass.

longest three seconds of my life, watching my new baby roll off the sidestand.

[KitKat]

PARK YOUR BIKE IN GEAR!!!!

[Macka]

But you see, it was running at the time, as I was letting it warm up! That's why i had it parked and in neutral

[Black Kat]

make sure the kick stand is down all the way then, or dont park facing downhill......if you did.

[Katgirl]

Congrats!!! now its out of the way, glad there was no damage, most aren't that lucky!

[roadrash]

WHEW....bet you'll know better next time!!

[escahoe]

I have a habit of putting the stand down , leaning the bike , and then draging the stand on the ground backwards to make sure it is alll the way open.

[WildKat]

Yeah we've all done it at some point.. Mine hit the ground just over 48 hours after I got it.

[harrye]

Macka, the fact that the bike went down on your side is testimony to how heavy and hard to manuver the Kat is when parked.

Within a couple hours of getting my bike, I almost dropped my 600 Kat in the garage taking it off the center stand (the delivery person put it on the stand at my request). This seems to be a rather common mishap. Anyone know why?

I routinely put my 1981 model XS400 yamaha on its center stand with never a close call. I had no idea of the risk involved with the Kat. My 400cc bike weighs 391 pounds, verses 458 for the Kat. That's only 67 pounds more, but the Kat is twice as difficult to use the center stand.

The Kat is a tall bike. I am sure the Kat's engine is taller and sits higher than my 400cc twin. I haven't lined the two bikes side by side yet. They are in separate places. The Kat engine is wide (maybe wider than a liquid cooled 600 engine), so once it starts to tilt, there is a lot of weight on the opposite side of you.

I think the clip on style handle bars of the Kat are positioned narrower and closer to the center of the bike, than wider western or crusier style handle bars which give you more leverage to control the weight of the bike.

So, does anyone know if new riders of Gixxers, Ninja's, R6's, YFZ's (the more modern designed liquid cooled bikes) have the same problems?