[Superchuck]

Hey all,

Bad times today... got home from work on an exceptionally windy day and i noticed that my bike was on the road on its side stand.  That's weird I said to myseif, i always use the center stand, then noticed the pile of yellow liquid beside it.  It blew over during the day while I was at work and a passerby was kind enough to stand it back up for me.  It pays to have a lightweight bike i guess... either way, the left handlebar weight has a tiny scratch (no bid deal) and the front fender has a tiny knick on the front of it (not a huge deal... just clean and touch-up paint if i think it'll rust) then the real whammy is that when the bike fell on the handlebars they pushed past the steering blocker-things (technical term) and slammed into my fuel tank leaving two pretty good sized dents.  And a few days ago I was worrying about some surface scratches from wiping fuel drips.  Oh, and there was this oozy yellow fluid running down from the battery area and out of this cylinder directly to the rear of the battery.  I cleaned it all up real good with auto soap, then sprayed the whole bike down with wd40 since I haven't ordered the ACF50 yet.

Needless to say I'm pretty much in shock about the brand new bike getting its first introduction to the ground below in this way, and mostly just pissed about the tank.  I'll deal with it though and down the road if it really bugs me I guess the only thing to do is replace the tank...?  or body putty and paint it?  regardless, that's not what this post is about:

My question is:  What all should I check to make sure the bike's in working order?  I know the steering blocker-thingies (technical term) are moveable, like for when you get clip-ons and don't want regular tank-banging.  Could I need to re-set these? And how do I do that?  (don't really even know where they are on the bike)

What else should I look at?  Oh also, the left footpeg was collapsed a bit and i think the bar it's mounted on was knocked loose... going to go over that and the whole bike to make sure i'm all tightened up, but anything else I should look at to be sure?  Anything I should check in the battery area since the spill? 

i'm leaving now for a ski trip to West Virginia (6 hr drive) so the cleaned up but shaken bike is now parked on my sidewalk in front of the house (less windy hopefully?)

Thanks in advance for any help, and I'll look forward to getting out on it sunday night or monday when I'm back to look it all over.

Enjoy-

chuck

[TWinOKC]

Paintless dent removal for the tank?

[GreenMachine]

actually these bikes blow over pretty easy...i caught mine moving on the center stand one windy day....r u in baltinore,  winds real bad today..u best to get it off the street as it could happen again...and a cover makes it a sail...just saying...

[UncleErnie]

Since you washed it, I guess you didn't get any battery acid anywhere...
Check the battery and oil levels.  
Make sure the bars aren't bent.  
Some folks think direct application of dry ice to the dent will swell it back out.  Worth a try at this point.  Professional prep and paint is gping to cost at least $300, and then you have to find a good pin striper.  You can replace it cheaper than that.  Look on eBay.
Start it.

I suspect a tripod is one of the most stable ways for something to stand.  The centerstand can be a little scary under the right curcumstances

[single]

In most areas,there are people who make their living gently massaging dents out of sheet metal.Even some body shops use them as it cuts the repair time down.Usually have some catchy or goofy name like"Daily Dents","Dent Be Gone","And So On".Usually not too cheap and they do not do paint.But you will have a time trying to see where the dent was.It is an old skill,they use rods and"spoons" and just kinda rub out the dent.I have used them,some of them are really good at it.Well,they are all good,some of them are artists.They will be in the yellow pages and doubtless on the www.

[prof_stack]

Dang, not a good way to start off.  I'm so sorry to hear about it!

Do you have any type of insurance that might cover the damage?

[olhogrider]

This should be covered by comprehensive insurance. Usually a low deductible and they don't raise your rates for it. Hope you have it.

[UncleErnie]

I'm havng a vision of my mother 50 years ago, yelling at me and my brother;
"Dammit- CAN'T WE HAVE ANYTHING NICE AROUND HERE?!"

Uncle Ernie's foot note in Murphy's Laws;
The natural resting place of a motorcycle is on it's side.

[PhilJ]

Any time battery acid spills on a metal surface you should use baking soda mixed in a watery solution to neutralize the acid. Water alone will not stop the inevitable corrosion. If rust/corrosion is already present lemon juice will stop the rust but then the marred surface will need repair.

[ace.cafe]

My  Bullet blew over once in a storm.
Had to buy a new tank for it.
It's a real bummer when it happens. I felt sick.

[GreenMachine]

ace: like i said i  previously, I watched the dam bike start to slide on a real windy day 2 years ago while on its center stand..we had some significant wind here the past 2 weeks.......on a brighter note have a brand new/ready to go/pin striped/the whole ball of wax extra tank wrapped in bubble warp and sitting on a shelf..picked it up for 175 bucks before my dealer went out of business..hope i never need it as yeah it would still suck to get the tank dented..I wish my dealer was still here..Use to stop buy and get a few things and shoot the shit..i din't like to think about the bikes getting any damage..the cars, well full coverage insurance takes care of that and plenty of places to get the cage fixed..have a great day

[Superchuck]

Thanks all,

just got back from the ski weekend... the nfield gear has a picture of my tank net to their ad that says 'check out our discount/clearance section' haven't pursued it any farther, jsut a thought. 

thanks for the heads-up on the baking soda paste... i'll make sure i get it real good. 

i think i'll probably price out a new tank, and most likely order it, then maybe install it next winter.  since i'm a novice rider, I'd hate to replace the tank, then two weeks later do something dumb like lay it down at a stop sign.  figure one riding season should get some of the kinks out then we can try and make it look pretty.

i'll take it for a spin after work tomorrow, but it seems like it's pretty much fine except for the cosmetic damage...

thanks again
chuck

[randombikerdude]

That's a real bummer, if there is one thing I've learned owning a motorcycle takes a lot of work.

[Superchuck]

This should be covered by comprehensive insurance. Usually a low deductible and they don't raise your rates for it. Hope you have it.

I have a high deductible plan for my bike (and car) to reduce the yearly premium charges (baltimore vehicle insurance is sky high... higher in fact than Manhattan, NY, NY.)

I'll go back through my insurance paperwork, but i don't think it'd be worth the deductible, if I'm correct about the above...

[GreenMachine]

we getting high winds and down pours in northern va..something about tornado watch till 4:00 ..hope u have it tied down or it could take another beating..stay dry..