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I dropped him.

2K views 18 replies 6 participants last post by  Boe 
#1 ·
I was desperately hoping it would never happen but it did. Today, barely one week after getting my SSS (2nd hand but immaculate), I managed to stall as I was taking off, and just lost the balance. Down he went. Not sure if it was my small and/or tired clutch hand, or legs not really long enough... Just so thankful the scratch on the plastic is barely visible. Shifter snapped, clutch lever and bar end and pillion peg scuffed. Anything else I should check for damage, that might not be obvious?
 
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#2 ·
Damn - sorry to hear that :( Apart from the snapped shift lever, the damage sounds cosmetic. Have a good look at you tank to see if it's got any smal dents in it; again cosmetic.
Check the steering lock lugs to make sure that the handlebars dont come all the way back to the tank; just move the bars from left to right on full lock to make sure the bars dont touch the tank. Check all your indicators, headlights, DLR, rear light and brake lights work just to make sure none of those have been 'shock' damaged.
As it was a static fall (it didn't slide down the road) you should be ok with the engine and clutch casings. Next time you are out on the bike have a listen and feel for anything that doesn't sound right, but dont get paranoic as its easy to do!
 
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#5 ·
Triplesapper thanks for the checklist, very useful. I will give everything a checkover again today more thoroughly. And thanks for the encoyragement. Not feeling too paranoid, just extra careful with that clutch!
 
#3 ·
Shoot, that’s great. You got that out of the way and now you can totally enjoy the bike.

Obviously you’ll have to replace the shifter but you can smooth the clutch and bar end and then touch them up with a black Sharpie or paint marker. Not sure about the pillion peg...I took mine off in late 2017.

I don’t think you upset the bike’s innards. Get on it and wring it out.
 
#4 ·
@Boe Sorry to hear of the drop. It happens to us all sooner or later. Probably it was at first launch of the bike, since the clutch on the SS is known to grab a bit at first launch until it smooths out.

Also, check with your dealer to see if the shift lever has been replaced under a recall. If the lever has not been replaced under the recall (its supposed to be stressed tested for looseness at the tip at the shop), hopefully they’ll replacement the shift lever free even though you damaged it.
 
#8 ·
@Ed K I guess it's a matter of getting used to that clutch. It's only been a week and only 3 rides so just need more attention to it until it becomes unconscious competence. Thanks for the tip about the shifter recall, I will investigate.
 
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#11 ·
You didn’t say if engine was cold or warm. I still have problems, with cold engine, where the clutch, when released, stalls the engine. Until engine is warm, (usually water temp of 145 degrees F or above), I keep both feet down as engine may die and cause imbalance.
 
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#13 ·
The engine was warm. Probably VERY warm as it was about 35C at that time of day. I think the problem for me might have been tired hands (the reach is far for my small hands), feeling hot and bothered after a longish ride in moderate traffic, and not paying enough attention to the friction zone and the throttle. I've since bought a lower seat, so I can get balls of both feet down to stabilise the bike better (I have no hope of flat-footing, even with one foot, on any decent motorbike), and I've ordered shorty levers to be installed at my local Ducati service in about a week's time. Frame sliders are on still on the way.

I'm feeling a little paranoid now, having never dropped a road bike before, but I'm sure once I'm back on him, I'll feel better again.
 
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#12 ·
I’ve always heard about cold clutch problems here but it has always made me scratch my head since I’ve never experienced any problems.

Today after more than three years of ownership and presence in this forum I realized I live in a much warmer climate than everyone else and that it probably never gets cold enough to have the same problem as everyone else.

Man, there is slow and then there is just plain dimwitted. I draw confidence from all this to know that at least I’m excelling at something in life.
 
#14 ·
The clutch is grabby and takes a few cycles to get warmed up, Usually a couple of stop and go-s. But the engine is an odd firing, high revving, light fly wheel twin with a finicky clutch.

So it's possible to stall it under the best of conditions. But heck, I've staled my Corvette and it has loads of torque.

It happens.
 
#15 ·
The clutch is grabby and takes a few cycles to get warmed up, Usually a couple of stop and go-s. But the engine is an odd firing, high revving, light fly wheel twin with a finicky clutch.

So it's possible to stall it under the best of conditions. But heck, I've staled my Corvette and it has loads of torque.

It happens.
Do you think practice with that particular clutch will help prevent stalling again? The trouble is not really the stalling, it's the loss of stability of the bike when it does stall, and then the risk of dropping it when I don't have the long legs to compensate.
 
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