Dropped it...

....at 0 mph, fortunately.

Taking the rear shock off at the weekend, bike sat 'securely' on the paddock
stand. Everything's gone swimmingly, and just as I take the final bolt out
the shock extends with a crack[1] and the bike falls over like it's been
shot[2]. However, I consider myself lucky on 2 counts....

First, I'd stripped the side fairings off before I started. This obviously
turned out to be a good thing.

Second, I'd laid a mat at the side of the bike for me to crawl about on.
This also turned out to be a good thing as the bike thought it looked like a
comfy spot to land, and promptly plopped straight onto it. [3]

Damage? Some scratches aside, a small crack in the top fairing and a
slightly bent rearset.

Ah well.........


[1] Expected.
[2] Not expected.
[3] My bike does seem to like comfy things, the last time it leapt over an
electrified fence so it could land in a nice, soft field.

 

<Cough>
In the not distant past I absently mindedly pushed a certain K11 off the
centrestand having removed the rear shock but failed to install the new
Ohlins.
The ensuing balancing act was amusing... for a while, fortunately I had a
phone in my pocket and could call for help.

 

Like I said, I expected some reaction but it seemed quite stable on its
stand. Also - as the weight was more or less dropping straight down I can
say yes - I was surprised when the bike fell over.

What? You've never made a mistake?

 

Ask him about his camchain.

 

I skimmed this yesterday and didn't think much of it...

and then thought about it as well. Just so the picture is
correct in my head: The paddock stand was on the rear wheel yes?
And you were removing the rear shock? No car jack + piece
of wood under the sump to support it?

(FWIW, I've replaced the rear shock on the CX, and made damn
sure that the rear was "free" to move without upsetting the
rest of the bike. But that was because I was never that confident
that if it fell over, I'd be bothered to pick it up again)

 

Paddock stand on rear wheel, removing the rear shock, nothing under the
front.

How would supporting the sump have been any better? I'm not being funny,
just want to know.

 

The sump/front wheel supporting means that the shock is doing (almost)
nothing apart from holding the rear wheel in space. The mass of the bike
is supported by something that won't change when the shock is removed.
Hence, stable. When you remove the shock all that would happen is the rear
wheel hitting the ground. This works. Trust Me(tm).

With what you were doing, I can imagine pulling the shock out and
the bike dropping down, which is what you were expecting. But only
in a world without friction.

The best analogy I can think of is sitting on a branch, with a saw.
You want to remove the branch. Do you cut on the side between you
and the trunk? Or the other side?

 

Blimey, that lightbulb's bright!

Ta.

 

Ooooh!

 

You think that was bad?

When Loz had difficulty with the ZZR front sprocket, we put a big
breaker bar on it and I jumped up and down on it, with Loz holding the
bike upright and holding (both, iirc) brakes on hard - the bike moved
forwards. Then Big Nick, man mountain of our parish arrived, so we
put him to work.

With a 2 metre scaffold pole on the breaker bar, me holding the socket
on the nut and Loz supporting the bike - with the front wheel against
a dwarf wall so it _couldn't_ move - the man mountain stood up under
the scaffold pole. The bike started to climb the dwarf wall, the
scaffold pole flexed and started to bend - and the back wheel of the
bike rose into the air.

There was a rainbow miasma of energy flickering around the patio, I
tell you. With a crack like a rifle shot, the front sprocket bolt
yielded and the whole shooting match wobbled like a two-metre diameter
jelly. I'm not sure how Loz kept it upright.

All good fun, eh?

 

Pip said...

It's my bike and I couldn't afford to repair it if it fell, that's how.

If you says so, dear.

 

I think I might have split the nut for fear of snapping the chain/gearbox
output shaft!

 

It's a bolt, innit?

Anyway, we had an axle stand under the socket to stop it bending that
way - when the bike started to lift, mind ...