Scratched my fairings...

yougod

yougod

Registered
I guess this was bound to happen, being a new rider and all.. I had been messing with my bike off and on throughout the last week and I guess I put up the kickstand and never put it back down. So when I took it off the rear stand the other day, I didn't take the quick second to check that the kick-stand was down and she fell over on her left side. No big deal, a few scratches here and there but the stator cover ended up with a decent sized scratch. I put wax over the fairing parts and it took away the whiteness in the scratches but the marks are still there and you can only tell if you were looking for it. Annoys the crap out of me though (since it was such a stupid mistake).

So I'm riding today after visiting my cousin in the hospital (had a mild heart attack and is due for surgery this week; a whole other story). Anyway, I'm at a stop sign with a truck opposite of me who stops first but waits me to go (I'm making a left turn). The intersection was a little bit of a downgrade that evens out at the white lines through a nice little bump. I proceed to stall out because I wasn't sure if the other guy was gonna go or not, but it was a few seconds so I was pretty sure he wasn't gonna go. I had to walk her back a few feet because I rolled into the intersection by then. Started her back up and waited for a car or two to pass by. I proceed to make the left turn, but for some reason I couldn't make it and came up on the curb real close (probably within a few inches). That's when I pulled the front brakes and it threw me up over the seat. I wasn't rolling that fast to begin with so I landed on both feet on the right side of the bike while still holding onto the handlebars. The bike is now leaned over on the curb (which is about 3-5 inches in height) still running because I'm holding onto the brake and clutch still. I had to turn her off and pick her back up to reset myself. Of course this left a few good gouges on the right side fairing where it hit the curb. No major damage but enough to tick me off. Wax on this side won't help that much. It also gouged some of my stickers on the right side. I didn't take any pictures because I'm still pissed off about it. I feel pretty incompetent that I couldn't make that left turn. Granted I only have about 100 miles of riding under my belt but I have been able to make my turns until then (and I thought I was getting better).

So two stupid mistakes are going to cost me two fairings so far. At this rate I'll be investing in a whole new set of plastics by next year. Although, I do live in PA, so maybe I can take the off-season as a chance to take off the damaged parts and repaint them (if possible). I can always look at the positive side and say that I haven't had any major damage yet and the bike is still in perfect riding shape. Plastics, other than the aero-dynamic aspects of it, are just cosmetic; and I won't be riding at 180 mph any time soon to take advantage of aero-dynamics. The downside is, I did scratch up a perfectly clean bike. Although I know now that the previous owners weren't the best but the bike didn't have any scratches on it until now.

I'm not looking for any advice; although anything that can make me feel a little better will help :). I'm just taking some time to rant and hopefully relieve some of this anger that has built up by my own doing.

Thanks for listening.
 
The bad, Hayabusa stock fairings are fairly expensive. The good, you're in good company says the guy who is the SirDropsAlot of motorcycles. Look it up for a good laugh. I've dropped them with a large audience at a Bash. You'll be hard pressed to beat that I think. Motorcycles come with only two wheels....they fall over. Get used to it. Keep them scratched up fairings on the bike a while till you get some miles and get more comfortable with the big girl. Thanks for sharing.
 
bah.. not a problem..

just think, with every scratch you get closer to a custom paint job..

shiney side up my friend..

:beerchug:
 
Dropped my brand new 2013 white 3 times already. All non-moving drops. Had to replace right side... Close to $1000! Sorry it happened to you but it happens.
 
Don't feel bad I dropped my first bike only once, but it just happen to be 2 days before I sold it and I had to replace the fairing on it and it is expensive as hell to get it over night.
 
super bummer dude- listen to the " Keep them scratched up fairings on the bike a while till you get some miles and get more comfortable with the big girl." from twobrothers- solid advice... the busa is a nasty first bike- just remember to take it slow- fairings are easy to replace, you are not...
 
I never dropped my first bike, not even close.

I dropped the busa in the driveway, and once on the highway (got something stuck in my eye, then overreacted when I saw the car in front of me slam on their brake)

I didn't really need new fairings, but $600 shipped from china with perfect fitment was the end result (2 years old now):
 
FYI,
The Busa kickstand isn't the best.
They are know to roll forward off the stand(as the stand folds itself up)and fall over.
Always leave the bike in 1st gear when you park it, roll it forward a few inches to take out the slack, and turn and lock the bars. Do that and you won't have any kickstand crashes.
You can also dremel/grind a small groove into the top front of the kickstand, and that'll allow it to swing forward a little more and nearly eliminate the problem. There's a thread here somewhere showing how.

As for your mishaps....:laugh: SO WHAT! I'm not laughing AT you either, honest.
Yeah, it sucks, but it happens or has happened to all of us at some point. Now you're officially a rider.
Let it go, scratches give it character, make good stories, and remind us of our stupid mistakes.
Your new, and as you see, the Busa is heavy, especially when it's going over.
Don't replace the fairings anytime soon, and a black sharpie will make the scratches on the stator cover almost invisible unless you're a couple feet away.:beerchug:
 
'08 Busa:
Black Sharpie. Blue Sharpie. Kept in tankbag.

'00 Busa:
Blue Sharpie. Some silver paint dabbed on my finger. Can't tell from looking at it.
 
You really need to follow the advice given. I dumped my '06 the second day I had it at a stop sign with messed up asphalt. My inexperience. Tiny scratches on right fairing and right mirror. I didn't worry about it. Then I finished it off on a guardrail. Same problem.

Use markers to hide them and ride on. You might consider a MSF course Motorcycle Safety Foundation
 
cheferman65 said:
3times??????????
You might want to invest in some training wheels.....:poke:
Click to expand...

Pfft, says the grumpy guy in balcony :p Get in the kitchen and make us some sandwiches or something :rulez: :D

Don't beat yourself up too much. When my Busa was shiny and new, I dropped it at low speed in my gravel driveway, trying to negotiate a tight turn to avoid our boat. There's a whiny thread about it from 11 years ago somewhere around here :whistle: I crushed my finger, had to call a friend from up the street to help me get the bike back up. My ego was more bruised than anything. I scuffed up the stator cover in that fall, and the fairings, a bit of the side of the nose :banghead:

If that wasn't enough, not too much later, I was pulling the Busa up in to our shop, on a wooden ramp that just intimidated the hell out of me for no other reason than I was a new rider and feared a lot I hadn't done yet. I dropped the Busa going up the ramp, on the opposite side of of course, to ensure damage was now on both sides of the new bike. Same day, after doing an oil change, pulling the Busa back down the ramp, *boom* dropped him again...

I realized perhaps it was time to lower the Busa a bit because it was apparent tip-toeing it wasn't doing me any favors, and 11 years later, new fairings and all, he's good. The stator cover is easy enough to replace, and could be your first inexpensive mod :)

These things happen. I do tell anyone considering a Busa as a first bike that the drops are costly not only to the old ego, but to the wallet. If you don't replace the plastics then the custom work will be pricey too, and fixing custom work has got to be absolutely painful.

Sorry about the drops though; I truly do feel your pain. :(
 
dadofthree said:
You really need to follow the advice given. I dumped my '06 the second day I had it at a stop sign with messed up asphalt. My inexperience. Tiny scratches on right fairing and right mirror. I didn't worry about it. Then I finished it off on a guardrail. Same problem.

Use markers to hide them and ride on. You might consider a MSF course Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Click to expand...

What he said!!!!!!

If you have zero experience, the BUSA is a big, heavy and expensive bike and far from ideal to learn on. It can also get you into trouble really quick. If you are having trouble negotiating a simple left turn, a basic course is definitely in order. You will become comfortable with the basic maneuvers and skills you should have before venturing out into traffic. I would also suggest riding with an experienced rider for a while until you get your feet under you.

Curious, did your front brake lock on its own or did you just mash it too hard?
 
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