h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good stuff

Although I've found whenever I've dropped my bike (not all that often but often enough), the rush of adrenalin (whether from sheer embarrasment or outright rage) gives me so much strength I find I've lifted the bike before I realise what I was doing - of course then the pain sets in, particularly if I haven't been able to let the bike down as slowly as you advise!

That's very true about the adrenalin rush thingy. I got my bike up after an accident without any effort, despite the fact I'd just broken my wrist ! (well, I only found out about that later. It doesn't hurt at first)
...well, admitedly it's a pretty small bike, only weighs 140 kg or so.

Yeah, but think about it. 140kg is about 20 stone in old weights or 140 bags of sugar. Hmmmmm.

140 bags o' sugar...
*drools*

I dropped my GPz 550 one time due to a bit of diesel on the bottom of my boot. I was putting it up on the centre stand in order to check tyre pressures. My foot slipped off the peg and the bike started to fall away from me.

Being as it only had about 350 miles on the clock from new I knew I couldn't just drop it, but let it down as slowly as I could. What I omitted to do, was let go early enough....

Next thing I knew, I was laid out on the petrol station forcourt, flat on my back with the bike flat on the floor above my head. I jumped up tout-de-suite in order to minimise my embarassment - to no avail. A couple of lads had seen the whole thing from inside their VW Beetle and were wetting themselves with laughter.

Worse was to come.... I attempted to pick the bike up, but slipped again on the offending patch of diesel and fell back down. Eventually the two guys got out of the car and came across to help - still weak from laughing it took both of them considerable effort to get the bike back on it's two wheels. One of them said he would love for Billy Connely to recount the tale on his show....



Bassman, not so eh?