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.
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?
