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Thread: Accident

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    Active Member dadof4's Avatar
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    Default Accident

    While on a ride today with my wife's cousin and her husband, he pulled over to the side of the road to discuss our route. I stopped behind him applying the Spyder's parking brake but leaving it in first gear. Apparently the parking brake needs to be checked. My wife, not knowing the handle bar grip is also the throttle grabbed and twisted it as she got back on the bike. It ran into the Harley and knocked it down. We will be paying to get the Harley repaired.

    The Spyder will need a new bumper cover and one of the ailerons (chrome wings) to the tune of about $350. How much work is it to replace those parts? Does the whole nose need to be removed? I feel like sh*t not so much for our Spyder but for the damage to the Harley.

    Thanks - Rick
    Last edited by dadof4; 08-17-2013 at 05:24 PM.

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    Very Active Member spydaman60's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dadof4 View Post
    While on a ride today with my wife's cousin and her husband, he pulled over to the side of the road to discuss our route. I stopped behind him applying the Spyder's parking brake but leaving it in first gear. Apparently the parking brake needs to be checked. My wife, not knowing the handle bar grip is also the throttle grabbed and twisted it as she got back on the bike. It ran into the Harley and knocked it down. We will be paying to get the Harley repaired.

    The Spyder will need a new bumper cover and one of the ailerons (chrome wings) to the tune of about $350. How much work is it to replace those parts? Does the whole nose need to be removed? I feel like sh*t not so much for our Spyder but for the damage to the Harley.

    Thanks - Rick
    I feel bad for the misses! she'll never hear the end of this one!

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    Very Active Member BikerDoc's Avatar
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    The parking brake definitely needs to be checked. My RT won't move an inch when the brake is set. i know from when I forget to release it and try to take off just sitting there feeling stupid..
    220,000 Mile Spyder Ryder, IBA Premier member #59352, Saddlesore 1000 (11), Bun Burner 1500 (3), Saddlesore 2000 (2), Bun Burner Gold, MILEEATER SILVER

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    Active Member dadof4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by spydaman60 View Post
    I feel bad for the misses! she'll never hear the end of this one!
    I've decided to be the fall guy. I should have turned off the Spyder or at the very least put it in neutral and not relied on the parking brake alone. She feels bad enough already.

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    Active Member dadof4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BikerDoc View Post
    The parking brake definitely needs to be checked. My RT won't move an inch when the brake is set. i know from when I forget to release it and try to take off just sitting there feeling stupid..
    I've done the same thing on numerous occasions with the same results. After the Spyder came to a stop, I checked and the red parking brake light was blinking so I know it "thought" it was on. A while later I tested it and like you said it would not budge. I am definitely going to have my dealer check it (good luck).

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    I'm missing something here. How can you leave the Spyder running and in gear? Won't it stall? Or just keep moving? I'm assuming you must have a semi auto as I know a manual would stall. Your wife should not take the blame I think this one is one you.

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    Active Member dadof4's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=SpyderAnn01;673569]I'm missing something here. How can you leave the Spyder running and in gear? Won't it stall? Or just keep moving? I'm assuming you must have a semi auto as I know a manual would stall. Your wife should not take the blame I think this one is one you.[/QUOTE/

    It's a semi auto. This one is on me. I should have turned off the bike or made sure it was in neutral and have told her just that. She still feels terrible however.

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    You have no choice but to take the blame. The pilot-in-control or captain of a ship is always to blame...

    Now... I wonder what your friend really thinks of you under his breath. I know I wouldn't be happy with you in the least. Sorry, but I wouldn't.

    The good thing is that your mistake didn't hurt anyone. Vehicles can be fixed... That's the good news.

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    Active Member dadof4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Illinois Boy View Post
    You have no choice but to take the blame. The pilot-in-control or captain of a ship is always to blame...

    Now... I wonder what your friend really thinks of you under his breath. I know I wouldn't be happy with you in the least. Sorry, but I wouldn't.

    The good thing is that your mistake didn't hurt anyone. Vehicles can be fixed... That's the good news.
    We are good friends and like you said I'm sure he is not happy. He told me several times not to worry about it and I told him several times we insist on repairing absolutely everything that was damaged. My main concern is he is such a nice guy he won't get everything fixed to new condition.

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    Very Active Member Chupaca's Avatar
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    Default Sad news..!!

    I feel for both of you. Your friend is a great guy but I know you will do the right thing. This happened to a friend of ours but the good or bad thing was it was her husbands bike. She just had floor boards put on her RT and missed the brake. Husband was happy he just traded his Harley in for a new one. Hope this just becomes one of those conversation topics "remember the time"...
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    Quote Originally Posted by dadof4 View Post
    We are good friends and like you said I'm sure he is not happy. He told me several times not to worry about it and I told him several times we insist on repairing absolutely everything that was damaged. My main concern is he is such a nice guy he won't get everything fixed to new condition.
    Then as a friend, and as a responsible person (that I can tell you are), you need to insist everything is taken care of on his bike... even to the tiniest scratch caused by this.

    Friendships can be scarred by incidents like this, making "things a bit different than before", even if someone might not think so.

    I feel bad for everyone in this scenario. But as I said, no one was hurt. Lessons were learned, and bikes can be fixed.

    What I am more worried about is a friendship having a small "scratch" needing to be fixed properly...

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    Quote Originally Posted by SpyderAnn01 View Post
    I'm missing something here. How can you leave the Spyder running and in gear? Won't it stall? Or just keep moving? I'm assuming you must have a semi auto as I know a manual would stall. Your wife should not take the blame I think this one is one you.
    I was totally confused by this one too. When I read the original post, I assumed there would be a barrage of responses about it being left in 1st gear with the engine running to begin with, but really nothing till this poster.

    I understand not wanting to make someone feel worse, especially when they already feel bad, but as the owner of a SM-5, I would not (and could not) leave it in gear. I know that is something you do not do with a car either, manual or automatic (with the engine running).

    Is it standard practice with the semi-automatic to do this? Or is this something that was waiting for an accident?

    I admit, I have no experience with the SE so I may be totally off base here.

    Unfortunately, one of the major benefits of this FORUM is we learn from others mistakes. So what is the consensus of SE owners using the same scenario? Momentarily stopping to get your bearings and leaving the bike running?

    UPDATE: OOPS.. I RE-READ A POST AND HE IS AGREEING, IT SOUNDS LIKE, THAT HE SHOULD HAVE NOT LEFT IT IN GEAR. Okay, I have done what he intended I guess -- momentarily left it in PARK AND NEUTRAL with the engine running. On a SM-5, the engine would have cut-out if I tried to leave it gear, but obviously not a SE.

    Quote Originally Posted by Illinois Boy View Post
    Then as a friend, and as a responsible person (that I can tell you are), you need to insist everything is taken care of on his bike... even to the tiniest scratch caused by this.

    Friendships can be scarred by incidents like this, making "things a bit different than before", even if someone might not think so.

    I feel bad for everyone in this scenario. But as I said, no one was hurt. Lessons were learned, and bikes can be fixed.

    What I am more worried about is a friendship having a small "scratch" needing to be fixed properly...
    Very good point. I noticed the poster was asking about a way to less expensively repair his bike. What he does with his own machine is his own business, but his friend deserves to have his bike restored to the same condition and that can be expensive.

    Years ago, when my several year old 1994 Honda Goldwing was involved in a "minor" accident involving a friend, it sustained tiny scratches on the body as a result. The friend stepped up (through his insurance company) and fixed it. Don't ask me why, or how, but it was driven through some bushes (I can laugh now, but I wasn't back then). You don't repaint a Goldwing, you replace panels and the cost was unbelievable (to my friend at least). Any panel, with the tiniest of scratches, was replaced. The cheapest piece of plastic on that thing was around $75 and the most expensive was near $500. A $3,000 to $4,000 bill resulted. All as the result of a momentary lapse of judgement.

    My real point, make your friend whole, hopefully through your insurance company. That is why you have insurance.

    Not sure why the friend would be afraid of imposing on someone to get his bike repaired properly? Insurance company is involved isn't it?
    Last edited by Knarfoh; 08-17-2013 at 07:49 PM.

  13. #13
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    So sorry for your wife and the Spyder...plus the Harley....bad deal...no one was hurt...good thing

    #IamARyder #RideASpyder #CanAmSpyder


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    GOS member (Girls On Spyders) MIPS22's Avatar
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    Glad no one was hurt .... My hubby asked me to use the middle of the bar to grab rather than the grips getting on or off, you do tend to put a fair bit of weight on that hand as you lift yourself up, esp if get your self a bit unbalanced. Hope it doesn't put her off ryding with you

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    Active Member dadof4's Avatar
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    Thanks to everyone for their input. I'm still despondent. For my wife and for the damage to my friends Harley. If it was only damage to the RT without my wife's being the victim of my lack of attention I would not give the incident a second thought. Perhaps tomorrow will bring better things.

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    Don't beat yourself or your Wife up over this...
    If it can be used as a learning experience; so be it!
    And your friend seems like a real nice guy; so taking care of his damages is the right thing to do.
    Your Bike's liability insurance should take care of it completely...
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    Okay, here I go again. Being an SM5 owner and knowing that this never could have happened on one I am wondering why this is able to happen. If you leave a riding lawn mower with the blade engaged and you get off of the mower it will cut the engine. A kill switch tied to a seat sensor. I know that there are sensors in the seat but I guess they don't make sense to me.

    Seems like an easy fix to add a sensor switch that will determine if the machine is in gear and running and there is no weight on the seat to shut the thing off.

    Now the two wheeler in the house is chiming in that he posts (stands up) when going over bumps so how would that work with a switch. I'll just stick with the SM5 its less complicated, kind of like me.
    Last edited by SpyderAnn01; 08-18-2013 at 09:51 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SpyderAnn01 View Post
    I'm missing something here. How can you leave the Spyder running and in gear? Won't it stall? Or just keep moving? I'm assuming you must have a semi auto as I know a manual would stall. Your wife should not take the blame I think this one is one you.
    This is true of the SE5's even with parking brake set given enough gas will move with brake set. Like driving the car with your foot on the brake.My Old RS would do this. However I always mount/dismount from the left side. Also my passenger dose not touch the bars.
    Last edited by happyspyder2039; 08-18-2013 at 10:07 AM.

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    Very Active Member Pennyrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SpyderAnn01 View Post
    Okay, here I go again. Being an SM5 owner and knowing that this never could have happened on one I am wondering why this is able to happen. If you leave a riding lawn mower with the blade engaged and you get off of the mower it will cut the engine. A kill switch tied to a seat sensor. I know that there are sensors in the seat but I guess they don't make sense to me.

    Seems like an easy fix to add a sensor switch that will determine if the machine is in gear and running and there is no weight on the seat to shut the thing off.

    Now the two wheeler in the house is chiming in that he posts (stands up) when going over bumps so how would that work with a switch. I'll just stick with the SM5 its less complicated, kind of like me.

    SpyderAnn: What if you go into a very tight turn and centrifugal force moves you up and off the seat slightly? I don't think I would want the engine to kill in that instance. I often stop to check the mail at the end of my lane and leave the Spyder running but put the emergency brake on.. sometimes I shift into neutral but usually I just leave it in first gear.

    I also think a weight sensor kill switch would be a PITA for a tech working on the Spyder hooked up to the BUDS machine trying to do diagnostic work... someone would have to be in the seat while it was running.
    Penny and Rick have owned many motorcycles starting in 1974 with Honda’s, then to Suzukis, Gold Wings and ultimately Spyders.
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    Default safest way to leave RT while running

    So, I am a girl and always leave it in neutral with the parking brake on, with semi-auto. But I live in the mtn's so I don't get off and leave it running much....I'm chicken. So what is the safest thing to do if you need to leave it running. I travel alone a lot.

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    This sounds so familiar. My wife did the same thing. Although I was still on the bike. We had just pulled into the driveway and she was getting off the bike. I also did have the bike in neutral and the parking brake on. She reached up and grabbed the throttle to get off and the engine hit 6000 rpms. It scared her so bad she almost fell the rest of the way off the bike. If I wouldn't have had it in neutral we would have went right through the garage door. No telling how much damage it would have done to the RT. She now grab's my shoulder or my hand as she is getting off and never ever touches the steering.
    Tim



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    Quote Originally Posted by greenlaps View Post
    So, I am a girl and always leave it in neutral with the parking brake on, with semi-auto. But I live in the mtn's so I don't get off and leave it running much....I'm chicken. So what is the safest thing to do if you need to leave it running. I travel alone a lot.
    Put in neutral and activate parking brake -- and keep an eye on it so you can get to it in case of a brake failure.

    I sometimes have to do this to shut or open my garage door.

    It is not wise to leave a vehicle "in gear" while running and getting off of it. Trust that Murphy's Law can and will eventually happen if you allow it to occur.
    Last edited by Illinois Boy; 08-18-2013 at 11:49 AM.

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    What I'm hearing here is that some passengers have no clue about how the Spyder works. Not even the basics. Through no fault of their own, they end up doing not so bright things. Like thinking the throttle is a grab bar.

    Take the time to teach your passenger how to ride a Spyder. At least the basics. They might enjoy riding behind you (know alot who do), but what if something happens on the road and you can't drive. Your passenger will have the skills to take over and get y'all somewhere safe.

    Just something to think on...
    Joy
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    Quote Originally Posted by SpyderAnn01 View Post
    Seems like an easy fix to add a sensor switch that will determine if the machine is in gear and running and there is no weight on the seat to shut the thing off.7
    On a long ride, I sometimes raise myself out of my seat for comfort reasons. I have no padding of my own. LOL. I have left my bike running and in neutral (SM5) for a quick dismount because I forgot something, but it is literally seconds and I am back. I don't think I would want a cut-off switch.

    From some of these posts, it sounds like others routinely dismount their Spyders with the engine running? For me that is unusual, not routine.
    Last edited by Knarfoh; 08-18-2013 at 12:46 PM.

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    Very Active Member Dan McNally's Avatar
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    I was a two wheel guy and wanted training before I was completely comfortable with my Spyder. During the three-day course I took, one of the things they told us was always mount from the right and to put your foot on the brake as you got on, just in case the bike was running and in gear. Don't beat yourself up . . . but be sure to learn from this event.


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