Dropped / crashed Nikens

[maximNikenGT]

This area will be for  pictures / videos of Nikens getting dropped / crashed to prove that just because you have three  wheels, it is still possible to drop a Niken like a regular motorcycle. 

 

[maximNikenGT]

Niken Crash at the Giro d'Italia.

 

 

[maximNikenGT]

Wet conditions drop and the fatal front braking in the turn. 

 

[maximNikenGT]

Dumped at the 12 minute mark.

 

[uwsearch]

What's interesting about these 3 videos?

Mistake didn't come from a front braking, but from loosing the back wheel !!

[Brian]

So the first thing you are supposed to do after you lay your bike down is to start pulling all your gear off?

I haven't dropped one yet and want to know the etiquette.....my plan is to upright the bike and get it off the road....before pulling gloves and helmet like those in these vids are doing.

[betoney]

25 minutes ago, Brian said:

So the first thing you are supposed to do after you lay your bike down is to start pulling all your gear off?

I haven't dropped one yet and want to know the etiquette.....my plan is to upright the bike and get it off the road....before pulling gloves and helmet like those in these vids are doing.

No, there is no checklist or etiquette to follow, you are in a state of shock, confusion and disbelief. Your immediate actions may end up being completely irrational or totally calm and composed. 

[knyte]

Plus these things are probably heavy enough that one would want to remove their helmet to enlist some nearby help...then gear down a bit more to heave it upright again.  Like @betoney says, all that tension + heavy lifting would make for a fast heartrate and plenty of sweat!

[TennesseeSmith]

It's been over twenty years since I've had to pick up a motorcycle. But I tend to pick it up immediately without taking my gear off. It only takes half a minute unless the bike is way over in the ditch. I don't let any non-bikers touch it. They tend to bend it up by grabbing the wrong parts.

Of the examples above, the guy in the bicycle race would have the worst time getting up and going. Normally traffic will stop while you pick it up. That won't happen in his case. Of course it doesn't help that either the pilot or the pillion is laying injured in the ditch. 

 

[knyte]

FJ-09 = 462 lbs wet

Niken = 580 lbs

I can lift my FJ.  Don't ask me how I know.

Niken ?  I'm nowhere NEAR buff enough to pick that kind of weight up...that's going to take two ppl, for the most part.

[maximNikenGT]

Two theories on why riders take off gear first before righting the motorcycle:

1. They do it to check and make sure they're not bleeding or have broken anything from the fall. The adrenaline from a fall sometimes hides the true extent of the damage suffered until after the adrenaline wears off and you realized you bruised or bent something you shouldn't have. 

2. Falling triggers a fight or flight response, kinda like hockey players throwing off their gloves and helmets before getting in a fight on the ice. If I drop my bike I sure wanna fight.

[BBB]

When I dropped mine on gravel, the tank was laying downhill, with the tyres uphill. I was in a safe position from traffic so I took my helmet and jacket off and calmed down before attempting to raise the bike. It was a really difficult task with the incline and the loose surface; no way I could have done it with full gear on.

[TennesseeSmith]

Picking up a motorcycle does not require much strength. It's all about leverage. YouTube has lots of videos showing how to pick one up. 

Gravel complicates the process because the tires won't grab and the bike tries to scoot away as you lift. And your feet want to come out from under you also.

 

[Wintersdark]

I've picked up LOTS of bikes over the years.  The Tracer (after the wife+jeep incident), my MT07 (dropped in the snow once while dismounting), and probably every bike I've ever owned at least once.  Rarely due to anything serious, but yeah. It happens.

If the bike is laying on the road and there is good footing, it doesn't matter how much it weighs.  As @TennesseeSmithsays, it's not about strength it's about technique and leverage.

The problem comes in when you're NOT on a nice firm level surface.  Maybe the bike is in a ditch, wheels higher than the bars.  Maybe it's in mud, ice or snow, and you can't get footing.  That's when things get squirresquirrelly.

As to gear?  For me, if it's a simple pickup and I'm not broken, I'll just wander over and pick it up immediately, probably won't remove any gear.  I'm usually pretty eager to do that quickly because bikes like to leak thing when they're taking a nap, like gas.  The less gas leaked everywhere, the better.

However, if it looks like a complex or difficult lift, the gear will come off.  This because I wear some fairly serious gear, and it's hot, heavy, and awkward and wearing it while doing something strenuous or awkward just makes everything take way more energy than it should.  

But yeah, normal lifts? A little 5'4" 100lb person can lift a 800lb cruiser up fairly effortlessly, so a Niken or what have you?  No problem.

 

[Zach26]

On 9/10/2021 at 4:33 PM, knyte said:

FJ-09 = 462 lbs wet

Niken = 580 lbs

I can lift my FJ.  Don't ask me how I know.

Niken ?  I'm nowhere NEAR buff enough to pick that kind of weight up...that's going to take two ppl, for the most part.

You'd be surprised. I'm not big at all and I picked up my 760 lb harley off its side. It's all about technique. A 90 pound woman can pick up a 1,000 lb bagger harley if the correct technique is used. There's a video of it.