Curb Vs Front wheel.....

[ChaosCrayons]

lets say, hypothetically, you are very much a beginner on a motorcycle being the only other thing you have ridden in your life is a dirt bike. Then lets say, hypothetically of course, that you are turning into your parking lot and for some reason unbeknownst to all mankind your foot slips off the right peg and before you can get to the front break your brain realizes you ARE going to hit the curb. Firstly in this magical situation that has no relation to anyone living or dead would you pick leaning the bike over as far as you dare at low aprking lot speeds >20 mph or take the curb head on and bounce up onto the front lawn of this mystical appartment building that does not exist in real life... anywhere....really. Secondly if you were to happen to choose to take the curb on what would you check and how would you check it before riding the bike again? Remember this is a hypothetical situation that has no relation to anything that actually happened all opinions welcome.

 

[Sawblade]

It took me a while before I had the courage to hop UP a curb on the bike.


Just check to see if your wheel is still square to the handlebar, that its lip doesn't have a little bend, and that your fork tubes are still straight.

 

[ChevyFazer]

I think i would try to hit the curb pretty much head on as long as it wasnt one of those massive 10" curbs. But then again i guess it all depends on the exact situation, where im at, how fast im going, how big the curb is, how steep the curb is, whats on the other side of the curb, what is the condition of the curb, and what is the condition on the parking lot. That being said still i think i would try to hit it head on and afterwards like mentioned above i would definitely check the condition of the wheel. I have sceen a motorcycle wheel get bent just from hitting a pothole, but that was one of those 3 spoke wheels and it wasnt bent too bad.

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

 

[ChaosCrayons]

Courage had little to do with it, because riding dirt bikes is all I know I am very timid about leaning the bike over into corners. I will check to make sure everything is straight before I ride it downstairs for the night.

 

[GTPAddict]

Like everyone else, in this imaginary situation, I would suggest to the unreal person to hit the curb as straight as possible. If this did happen, I would also suggest (in addition to the other suggestions) looking at the tire very closely. A belt in the tire could have been bent or damaged causing a bulge in a tire. Also verify the rear tire as well if this mystical entity was traveling fast enough to cause rear contact.

Glad this didn't happen to you! Good idea to ask though, just in case it does. Seems like something that could easily happen.

 

[Sawblade]

I'm guessing it isn't THIS bad.

 

[RJ2112]

If that someone HAS to hit a curb.... head on is the way to go; and if that person has off road experience, they should already know to lighten the front wheel as much as possible before the 'hit'..... romp on the gas to get the fork legs to extend, yank back on the bars just before you make contact, stand on the pegs, throw your arse back, so the springs can take some of the energy before the rim has to. The fork is stronger than the rim.

 

[dxh24]

+1 on lightening the front.... idk about the fz but 20 mph speeds id have tried to pop the front up over the curb like you would on a bicycle... i've actually hopped a curb twice with the V... once on purpose... other time, not so much lol

 

[ChaosCrayons]

If that someone HAS to hit a curb.... head on is the way to go; and if that person has off road experience, they should already know to lighten the front wheel as much as possible before the 'hit'..... romp on the gas to get the fork legs to extend, yank back on the bars just before you make contact, stand on the pegs, throw your arse back, so the springs can take some of the energy before the rim has to. The fork is stronger than the rim.

lol I did try to get on the gas and pick up the front end but the FZ is a tad bit heavier than my old CR. It appears everything is ok, the wheel and the forks do not "look" bent to me and there is no low speed vibration or anything like that. I put it up on the center stand last night and tried to listen for any wobble or rubbing when I spun the front wheel, again I didnt notice any. I will take it out today for some light test running in a parking lot next to my building to see if anything goes sideways. As for forks or wheel being bent and me not noticing what kind of things would I be looking for as I ride? it rides straight so the alignment isnt off.

 

[Sawblade]

The most likely thing that would happen if anything would be that the fork tubes could rotate just a bit in the triple tree. You'd notice when you ride straight that your handlebar would be ****ed to one side.

It sounds like it didn't happen though.


{edit} Hah, I got bleeped.

 

[deeptekkie]

Courage had little to do with it, because riding dirt bikes is all I know I am very timid about leaning the bike over into corners. I will check to make sure everything is straight before I ride it downstairs for the night.

That IS assuming the aformentioned never happened and that this hypothetical damage never really occurred, right? : )

 

[RJ2112]

lol I did try to get on the gas and pick up the front end but the FZ is a tad bit heavier than my old CR. It appears everything is ok, the wheel and the forks do not "look" bent to me and there is no low speed vibration or anything like that. I put it up on the center stand last night and tried to listen for any wobble or rubbing when I spun the front wheel, again I didnt notice any. I will take it out today for some light test running in a parking lot next to my building to see if anything goes sideways. As for forks or wheel being bent and me not noticing what kind of things would I be looking for as I ride? it rides straight so the alignment isnt off.

If it looks straight, runs true, and doesn't vibrate, you didn't do any damage. This is one tough bike. The biggest Achilles's heel is the cast aluminum frame. If you don't crack the frame, everything else is pretty rugged.

As it is a slightly de-tuned racing motor, it's got a lot of durability.

 

[SovietRobot]

I'm guessing it isn't THIS bad.

Nothin some touch up paint can't fix

 

[FinalImpact]

I'd at least block the nose up or have someone sit on the sit and hold an object like a simple pen up the the front wheel and check for run-out (hold the pen top the fork touching the wheel, pull it back a hair and spin the wheel The distance should remain uniform through a complete revolution). And although the tire is tough, if its near the wear marks I second the opinion of replacing it if there is any doubt!

That would also get you good inspection of the rim and a chance to tighten any fastners which for hypothetical purpose - hold the front wheel on and keep you alive!

 

[FinalImpact]

I'm guessing it isn't THIS bad.

Ouch!
The seats all wet! Must a scared ya, eh? :spank: