The dealer delivered my bike yesterday and the story is complete, so now I can tell it.
I have to admit I finally dropped one. I was riding my K bike on the Natchez Trace Trace fall break and I was really feeling confident about my riding skills after 7000 miles (hint #1).
While riding in the Lewis Meriwether pull off, I was riding standing up...what I consider one of the best ways to stretch the rear muscles ;-) (hint #2)
It was quite ironic that the evening before I had been reading that most motorcycle accidents happen in a parking lot....of course I said, it'd never happen to me. (hint #3)
As with most accidents (I used to read all FAA aircraft accident reports) it takes a combination or scenario of events to create an accident.
As I was riding around the park standing up, I decided at the last moment I'd stop for a restroom break.
Since it was a last minute decision several things came into play.
1. I failed to notice that the parking lot had a very slight incline vs. being flat.
2. I hadn't decided if I would stop then sit down or sit down and then stop. I've always been able to stop and then sit down on shorter bikes but three things were different.
a) The lot was not perfectly level and I failed to plan to lean up hill.
b) The K bike is challenging in height and I have no inches to spare on toe/flat foot touching.
c) I went to my titanium hip side which can stand no extra load.
But the time I had "plopped" down on my seat, the bike was leaning downhill. By the time my titanium hip side foot had touched the ground, I knew it was past the point of no return.
Rather than risk injury, I decided to bail and live to ride another day.
Since I was not only ATGATT but dressed heavily for cooler weather I took a slight shoulder roll and came out none the worse for wear.
A couple of guys came over and helped me right the beast and I continued on my way. The only functional damage was a clutch lever that broke 1/3 off at a "scored" section allowing it to still be used (someone was thinking when they put that score or pre-break point in there). I use only 2 fingers, the index and middle, so I didn't even notice part was missing.
I actually rode it for another 2000 miles before taking it to the shop.
To my surprise they found $4100 in damage. The cost of a scratched muffler was $1300. I was totally shocked until I remembered the retail price of a CB 4 into 1 muffler being $900.
To make lemonade out of lemons, I did swap out the stock mufflers for Akrapovic mufflers instead of replacing the original.
Now it's just like the one Ferret and I saw on the way to Colorado that I said I wanted some day. Now I have it!
I plan on doing the "Polar Bear Day" (predicted 37 degrees) ride Jan 1st held here locally and start out the new year strong!