[Elliotthd]

Dropped my Honda Shadow last night pulling out of a parking lot onto the street. We've been getting a rolling thunder storms and one had rolled through while I had been inside the garage I was at talking to someone about buying the bike in question. Hoped on the bike after the rain had passed, was making a left and hit a wet oil patch. Back wheel spun and the bike went down. Right in front of the guy I had just struck a deal with.

I'm okay, but the bike, which until recently had never been dropped, now needs the engine guard repaired, and new right hand rear turn signal, new right hand mirror and has a nice new dent in the tank.

Just a heads up guys. I wasn't doing anything dumb. I wasn't doing anything incorrectly. Just a routine left hand turn after a short, heavy rainfall. Watch the road and stay out of the shiney spots. They'll get ya.

[heloego]

Glad you're ok! Bike parts are cheap, but body parts ain't! 

[High On Octane]

Bummer,    I low sided last year on some sand last year after a heavy rain the night before.  It hapoens to even the best of us.

[Arizoni]

Glad to hear only the bike was damaged.

I truly hate riding on wet streets.  That's one reason riding in Phoenix is a good place to ride.  It only rains here about 36 days a year.

On the negative side, because it doesn't rain often, the streets get really oily so just the slightest sprinkle makes them slick as snot on a brass doorknob.

In over 50 years of riding, I've dropped my bike about 7 times (as memory serves me) and 6 of those times was because of wet roads.

[mattsz]

Glad you're ok!

I came damn close to dropping mine yesterday... on the center stand in the garage right next to the car, straddled the bike and pushed it forward off the stand.  As it rolled off the stand, I put my left foot on the center-stand's foot lever to ease it gently up into its stowed position, rather than have the spring bounce it up into place.  Stupid idea:  I wasn't wearing my regular riding boots, but my steel-toe work boots.  As I raised the stand with my foot, the thick steel toe got stuck between the center-stand foot lever and the already retracted side-stand, and I couldn't put my foot back down!  The bike started to tip, right toward the car!  I twisted my foot free at the last second and saved the bike, the car and myself!  Two feet on the ground from now on!

[Elliotthd]

Yeah, in the last 15 years I've only wrecked 4 times. 2 of them were from riding in less than optimal conditions. One was because a taxi broadsided me. And one was because I of following a dump truck carrying construction waste too closely. Two flat tires mid turn and down I went.

I'm more annoyed than anything that I need to fix the bike now before I sell it. It was in perfect condition and had never been dropped in the ten years I've owned it. Lucky the dude said don't worry about the dent in the tank, so all I have to buy is a mirror and a turn signal housing. I can weld the engine guard where it busted at the lower mount.

[Blltrdr]

A lot more caution is needed when first riding a bike you are not familiar with. Maybe the tires on the Honda aren't that great. Well anyway glad you are OK and seems like the damage is minor.

[Elliotthd]

It's got two, brand new, Dunlop 404's on it. I did the work myself. And I'm very VERY familiar with the bike. It was just bad situation. And my own fault. I just wanted everyone to keep their eyes open, and to remember even an experienced, and cautious rider can be bitten by the skid demon.

[pmanaz1973]

I truly hate riding on wet streets.  That's one reason riding in Phoenix is a good place to ride.  It only rains here about 36 days a year.

On the negative side, because it doesn't rain often, the streets get really oily so just the slightest sprinkle makes them slick as snot on a brass doorknob.

Yup...dumped my CBR on a oily spot at the intersection of N. Scottsdale Rd. and E. McDowell Rd.  Same thing - shiny oil spot after a gully washer monsoon a few decades back.  I was going about 35 or so trying to beat a yellow light making a left turn.  Next thing I know is I'm on my head and shoulder sliding through the intersection. Front end washed out.   Thankfully I was wearing a full face Shoei helmet and a Vanson Mark 2 with armor.  All I got was some embarrassment and a sore neck...the bike was hammered.  Glad you are okay, bummer about the bike.  At least the buyer was cool about it.

[Blltrdr]

It's got two, brand new, Dunlop 404's on it. I did the work myself. And I'm very VERY familiar with the bike. It was just bad situation. And my own fault. I just wanted everyone to keep their eyes open, and to remember even an experienced, and cautious rider can be bitten by the skid demon.

The way you told the story in the first post made me believe that you were talking to the owner of the bike and that you were taking it for a test ride. Kind of funny that I perceived your story that way.

Well anyway it is a bummer to dump a bike in any situation. Other than having to repair the dent in the tank all the other parts are easy to replace. Should look like new when your done.

Does the guy still want to buy your bike?

[Elliotthd]

Actually yeah, he does still want to buy it. I just need to fix the stuff. Already did the engine guard this weekend. Took my about 20 minutes. I'm waiting for the new mirror and turn signal housing to come in from Powers Edge. It was like 35 bucks for a mirror and 15 for the OEM turn signal.

And sorry about the confusion, but no, I rode the bike to him for him to look at it and test drive it before he purchased it. He was working late and it was good excuse to go for an hour long ride. So win win. In fact, he has a 1980 Iron Head Sporty he's trying to get rid of, and I might try to facilitate a trade. Needs carb work, but a rebuild kit from Harley is like 28 bucks. Though, on that bike, I might just switch to a Mikuni and be done with it. That is if he goes for the trade and I think it's worth it.

You guys think it's worth the trade? 2005 Honda Shadow Aero, bored and stroked to 936CC, with about 25,000 miles on it since I did the big bore work for a 1980 Iron Head Sportster 1100 that needs carb work and TLC? I'm not super familiar with the Iron Heads. I've owned an Evo and a Pan, and I'm know around the shop at work as "the Honda guy" so that seems to be all I get to work on at work. I hear the Iron Heads need a lot of valve work on a regular basis though. Thoughts?

[Blltrdr]

Depending on the shape of the Sporty I would say it is a toss up. If it runs and needs just a little work you would probably want a little cash & Sporty for a trade for yours. In really good condition it would probably be a straight swap. It should be a fun bike if you do trade for it. Should be a XLH 1000 for that year. Also made a XLS 1000 Roadster that year. Make sure you know what your getting.

[Elliotthd]

It's an XLH 1000, bored out to an 1100. Evidently, when the guy who owns it now, bought it, there was a hole in the forward cylinder piston, so he bored it out and went to a bigger, higher compression, piston when he was fixing it.

The word is that it starts and runs. Pictures of the bike are pretty. He told me directly that it needs carb work. It dumps full badly out the overflow. Sounds like a float and seat needle. Possibly a clogged tank vent. Gotta look at it first. I might do it. I've been itching for a project, and a cool, old school sporty, might just be the prescription to scratch that itch. I'm just worried about the "constant" valve adjustments part. The guys a work, and then the Harley Forum are all saying the Iron Head needs to have the valves adjusted every 1000 miles or less. Like, expect to get good at doing it on the side of the road kind of valve adjustment frequency.