Dumped my bike while riding, for the first time.

"XJDano" (xjdano)
07/27/2020 at 10:56 • Filed to: Silverwing, GL500, its brown its down

I wrote Most of this up the day it happened. I’ve been busy since then and got Kinja’ed where it deleted most of the story when I added a photo. I am now saving it to drafts so I can finish it later.

My wife and kids were out on a Sunday so I took the chance to go for a ride. I wanted to replace the trail camera SD Card at my uncles place, and my dad needed the belt put back on his riding mower.

I headed to Fletcher, MO.

Put up the trail camera I took down a couple weeks ago. Apparently it has 9,999 images and 7 second videos in .avi format that my chromebook won’t play. I swapped cards as I haven’t skimmed over all the pictures yet.

So my dad has a lawn mower and he takes it in the areas my brother-in-law doesn’t mow with his zero turn, but he gets it off camber and the belt slips off. Then he waits, sometimes weeks for me to put it back on.

As I’m heading to his place from my uncles, the 30 minute ride is more like 20 through some twisties.

Pull to my dads driveway and slow down to turn in, turn Left, and boop, my handle bars max out left, and I pull them back, max out right as I kick my right leg out as start to go down. TUCK AND ROLL!!

FUCK!!! When did they lay dawn frost gravel??? And he knew I was headed here and didn’t mention it Damnit I was so pissed at the moment and remover my helmet.

Reach over and flip the kill switch and notice gas is leaking from the top of the tank! I probably just removed my helmet after this to help assess the situation.

I recall a petite gal ina YouTube video lifting a fully dressed Harley and assumed a similar position. AND my feet are slipping on the loose gravel as I’m straining to keep footing, lift the bike enough not to push it back over to the other side.

Ok, it’s up and I’m on the right side of the bike, the kickstand is on the other side. DAMNIT again!! Try and keep balance as I shuffle around the back of the bike (luckily I didn’t have the passenger seat and the extended truck). Get around an kick the stand down, start leaning the bike towards me and it keeps going and going... again I was lucky it settled down enough and was upright and stable.

I probably paced around for a minute to let where events of the last 2 minutes soak in. Text my dad asking when was the gravel put down.

Clear my head, get my helmet back on, jacket, saddle up, head down the rest of the gravel road that isn’t fresh and more compact. Park on the edge of the driveway, as seen above. Walk down to the shop and start on the mower. I’m here I might as well get it done and not rage quit.

Text from dad: “Thursday, why?”

Then I had to explain what happened, I’m fine, the bike is fine, everything is friggin fine. Yes I put the belt back on, I’m leaving.

Suit up and head to my sisters and hope they are home so I can enjoy a beer and reflect on what just happened. They aren’t home so I head to a near by State Park.

state park and Geocache

Drove along a bit of Route 66 on the way home,

Took a longer way home, because the family was still busy.. stopped at a wildlife reserve:

Headed home, bought some steaks, Ate and worked on my LEGO Porsche a bit with my wife.

Overall not too bad. I would think about when I’d go down and how bad it’d be. I still think about it every time I get on, but it won’t be my first, and I’m not going to live in fear, I’m going to enjoy what there is.

I wrote the rest of this at the DMV and I am almost to the entrance!! Yay! New plates for the motorcycle.

DISCUSSION (22)

citrus > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 11:00

I got rear ended at a stop light the first time I ever rode so welcome to the club lol

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 11:01

Sucks! Glad you're mostly okay. Good luck at the DMV.

XJDano > citrus
07/27/2020 at 11:01

I’ve been riding for a few years, just not in the hi t, wreck, laid it down club until last week.

XJDano > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
07/27/2020 at 11:02

I seen my neighbor in front of me so we are going to see about getting drink after possibly.

TheRealBicycleBuck > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 11:19

Confusing headline. I know you’ve ridden this bike before. So, what do you mean by “the first time”?

I’m glad you’re ok. It could have been much worse.

VincentMalamute-Kim > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 11:22

Ou ch. Nice bike. Good thing there isn’t much damage.

Looks like a CX500? I’m confused by that fairing that makes it look like mini-Gold Wing. I didn’t realize that Honda made a dresser CX500.

The 1/2 or 3/4 factory fairing I remember is this one:

Kinja'd!!!

Future next gen S2000 owner > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 11:34

That’s not a bad way to drop a bike. Glad your okay. Just gets added to your riding experience. I’ve dropped mine putting my helmet on which was fun and dropped it trying to ride into my truck and laid it down at the track.

Scratches are battle scars!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 11:53

Dumped my KLR in a parking lot less than a week after buying it. The zip ties are still holding the bodywork on.

XJDano > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/27/2020 at 12:09

I added a comma that probably should have been there. Last time I dumped it was on the other side in my driveway. Was in slow motion as my driveway is a hill and bike was facing down hill, and the kickstand just started folding as I was removing the seat.

Was riding. Fell for the first time as I was riding.

Another time I got home from the bar and stepped off my buddies new Harley without setting the kickstand down. He rode my bike home as he didn’t have a rear seat for the gal he brought back. So we played it cool and went to bed. LOL.

XJDano > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/27/2020 at 12:11

GL500 Silverwing 81&82 years only. 83 was a 650.

It’s based off the CX500 but with a mono tube air suspension.

I try to tag all my Silverwing posts as such.

VincentMalamute-Kim > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 12:16

ah! Didn’t see the Silverwing tag probably because the name doesn’t register as anything to me .

jminer > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 12:21

Ouch - that hurts the pride. Glad you and the bike are okay though.

I dropped mine in a parking garage once when the car in front of my stopped for no reason and I was right turning down ramp and couldn’t get my foot under the bike in time.

With me it’s usually the combination of adrenaline, frustration and embarrassment that lets me hulk up the bike. The garage incident above was with a GL1000 in full dress so it was like 650 pounds. Come lunch time I could barely move...

citrus > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 12:24

Ohhhh lol I read the headline wrong

XJDano > citrus
07/27/2020 at 13:13

I titled it a bit wonky. Added a comma.

XJDano > jminer
07/27/2020 at 13:35

The GL500 is internet listed at 529 pounds wet. That sucker isn’t light with all the accessories.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 14:31

Hope you're ok! Glad things weren't worse :(

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 14:53

At least that’s the fast DMV. In my time I never had to wait more than a couple minutes for anything.

XJDano > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)
07/27/2020 at 16:24

That was all pre-COVID. Today I waited an hour. But it was quick. At the counter was probably 5-6 minutes. I had to have them look up my personal property taxes, but I had 2018 receipt and it’s easier to look up off the account # from that.

shop-teacher > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 19:14

Well that sucks! Glad you and the bike are ok. I put my scooter down last year while dicking around on the grass at Road America last year. I feel like that was a good way to get my first crash out of the way.

oldmxer > XJDano
07/27/2020 at 23:23

is that the 500 or 650? this has been my holy grail bike but guess it wasn’t meant to be, they are so old now when i got the dough i got a 700 DN-01, it’s the best bike i’ve ever ridden, i needed a newer bike as my number 1

XJDano > oldmxer
07/28/2020 at 06:20

This is an 82 500 Interstate. Previous owner even mentioned it had a sidecar but took it off and sold it in the 80’s.

I’ve still seen these for sale for under $2000. I picked this one up for $1000 at 22,xxx miles.

oldmxer > XJDano
08/02/2020 at 03:48

when the first cx500 came out I fell in love with them but wasn’t in position to buy with a new baby, by 82 they were the silver wing, in retrospect i was dumb to not buy one of those. the FT 500 Ascot came out and I was blown away by the flat track styling and bought one. it was good but knowing what i do now i should have bought the sil ver wing, over time they have proven them selves to be sound mechanically and i would probably still be riding it. my honda dn-01 has a dual trans that you can ride in full auto like a big scooter or shift with a button like an indy car, full auto is so good with engine braking and no steps, it just gradually ramps up and down like a cvt. how long have you had yours? it looks amazingly in great shape