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Ironic Drop

tfly

tfly

Moped
Irony! I show my friend (riding only a week) the Connie Droppers Anonymous section as primer of what not to do. I explain if he reads the post he might learn from some else’s mishap. Yesterday I took him for a 500 mile ride. Rhode Island up through the White Mountains, New Hampshire.Yes, I know 500 mile ride with beginner rider might be a mistake. I am trying to curb his appetite for Sturgis 2000 miles from us.
Anyways back to DROP! We have a perfect ride after finishing the Kagamangus highway in NH, stop for fuel. I am standing next to bike in Hot sun waiting for my friend to return from restroom and decide to move to a shady spot. I grab the handle bars, kick up the kickstand and give the bike a slight lean towards me (left side). I begin to push the bike forward ant the left handelbar riser snaps in half (completely). This leaves me with little in the way of supporting my bike.  I tried in vain to stop the fall but failed (just slowed it). My now fully packed and fueled bike is on its side :-[. My friend comes back to the scene and can’t figure out what he is seeing.  He ask what I am doing and why repeatedly. I explain it is not intentional or a lesson. He helps me stand her back up and ask me if I read the Connie Droppers Anonymous section.
We inventory the damage on my MINT 2011 C-14 (purchased 10 weeks ago-new). DON”T LOOK AT ME I AM NOT CRYING :'(! Bag, side panel and mirror all have some kind of cosmetic damage. The big problem is the broken left handle bar riser. Clutch and grip now lay free on my storage compartment. I am 210 miles away from home, late Saturday afternoon and I feel my options fading away. My now very helpful friend is calling any and all shops that might be able to help. We decide on a roadside repair. Duct tape, zip ties and black gas pipe from local hardware store. 3 pipes acting like splints and duct tape as cast. Not a real functional fix but manageable. One hand riding and no clutch shifting  entire ride home. The biggest problem with this setup was I was unable to shift my seating position with nothing to push/ pull (you need both side to do this).
I am Home safe now wondering my options. The riser should not have snapped. That is the only reason the bike went down. Kawasaki will probably replace the defective riser but what about the consequential damage?  ???
 

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That sucks. But here's a reason why we tell folks not to use canyon dancers to tie down the bike on a trailer. And this is not the first time someone broke the bars in a drop. So yes they are fragile.  :'(
 
- bob , i think he said that he held onto the bike , but the bike dropped because the riser broke.

.
 
Yeah, I read that. That's why I made the comment about the canyon Dancer. The bars are fragile. But it is possible that his bars were defective. Maybe he can get Kawasaki to cover it (Although them may want him to prove it). But I think other folks have had them break in a drop. Although not many dropped the bike because the bars broke.  :mad:
 
Bob, are you suggesting that Canyon Dancers cracked the bars, but after who knows how many miles, at least a trip through the mountains, he hadn't noticed the crack? If the bars were overstressed due to Canyon dancers, I think they would have broke long ago.

The bike is 10 weeks old and the feakin' handlebar broke! I would damn well expect Kawi to make good on all damages, and maybe a little extra to boot. I would be absolutely livid if that happened to me. Imagine if that had happened while maneuvering in traffic at 85mph!
 
  Yeah, Canyon dancers usage has already snapped more than one C14 handlebar. I do not know it if would just crack and not break immediately or not. Only that it can make the bars snap. And I'm not saying that TFly used one. I only mentioned the canyon dancer becuase bars can and do break. I didn't mean it to sound like the canyon dancer was the cause of this.
TFly was out riding for many miles, not trailering the bike. This sounds to me like the bars were defective. Although, I now wonder if he ever trailered the bike, and if so, how.  That would be interesting if he had used one. (The hidden time bomb  :-\  )
 
There you go. The bars had to be defective. If not, the design then has to be defective. If the bars snap by just moving it around. Then it's one or the other. I would expect Kawasaki to take care of this. Although they may be reluctant to do so. Hopefully they do the right thing this time.
 
I dunno about you but I find that scary as hell.  Wow; fragile handlebar risers???? WOW....  I would want to fabricate some steel ones and sell them as a safety mod.  Time to re-engineer that bike?

Scary, very very scary.

Bruce
 
Bruce said:
I dunno about you but I find that scary as hell.
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Well I sure find it scary as hell.  Thank God it happened while you were parked instead of riding!  I don't really want to make trouble for Mama Kaw, but I can't help but think it might benefit you to consult an attorney in this case.  And your incident does qualify you for the CDA Award except for one thing.

You need to be a full COG member.  Don't worry, we don't make you drop it again after you've joined in order to qualify!  Most folks join if they hang around a while and like what we do here, so just drop me a line after that happens and we'll add you to the roster.

Just to avoid confusion, here are the instructions: How to Convert from Forum Subscriber to Full COG Membership
 
I agree it's a very scary thing to have happen, but is this common? If this is the first report of a bar breaking for no apparent reason, I wouldn't be afraid of another one breaking.

However, if I was Kawasaki, I would want to bend over backwards to make this right with the customer... Imagine the bad PR if word of this got around!

 
I've heard 2nd hand that several years ago a C10 owner in MI had the bar tube break off where it meets the riser.

Happened in a self spray car wash bay when he was ready to leave.  Bar broke off in his hand.
 
Guess it's true then... nothing good can come of washing a coffee mug, a cat... or a motorcycle.  :))
 
I guess i will investigate my options with a dealer tomorrow, I would not know how to contact Kawasaki directly. I will post back with the results of visit
 
Local dealer has had bike since Monday. Kawasaki's stance(rep from NJ) looking at photos and talking to Service is that the riser snapped off as a result of drop. Can anyone help me here? The handle bar DID NOT touch the ground :mad:. Can someone up load a top view of a C-14(Dealer has mine? I want to show that even with mirror folded in the handle bar would not hit the ground.
thanks in advance
 
There are times that a letter from an attorney is appropriate.  I am not a fan of litigation but have been forced to it in the past few years.  I fought and won.

You should threaten to take them to civil court.  Even if it is an empty threat you should threaten them.  They wanna play hardball?  Let's play hardball!

If you take what people give you then it is what it is.  You are the loser and those that come after you also lose.  Unfortunately life is a bit of a battle at times.  There are times to stand up.  In the case of the handlebar snapping off we would be remiss not to make loud noises.

Let us know your decision.

Regards,
Bruce
 
TFly said:
I begin to push the bike forward ant the left handelbar riser snaps in half
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Sounds like the handle bar broke before the bike went down, and the bike went down as a result of the handlebar breaking, as opposed to the other way 'round. Did you friend see what happened? I would get a high estimate for the total repair, from a top body shop or a painter that specializes in bikes, and take that to them and tell them if they don't repair your bike you will take the estimate you got to small claims court. And that you have a witness.
 
The dealer has arranged for the Kawasaki Rep to visit and inspect the bike before a decision can be made. This is going to happen Aug 14th I will update then.
 
Just curious but which dealer are you using if I may ask? If you do not want to post that information but could let me know privately (I would keep the info. private if you wish), that would be fine too. The reason I ask is that your local dealer is probably my local dealer as well- I am just a little north of you in RI.

Brian

TFly said:
Local dealer has had bike since Monday.

<snip>
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.

- iirc , cast aluminium can be x-rayed (if that is the correct term) to see whether there were any inherent faults in the casting which may have resulted in the thing breaking.

.
 
BDF said:
Just curious but which dealer are you using if I may ask? If you do not want to post that information but could let me know privately (I would keep the info. private if you wish), that would be fine too. The reason I ask is that your local dealer is probably my local dealer as well- I am just a little north of you in RI.

Brian

TFly said:
Local dealer has had bike since Monday.

<snip>
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PM sent
 
Congratulations on COG #10339, TFly!  Now that all of the T's are dotted and the I's are crossed, it has now become my sad duty to confirm you as the 414th recipient of the uncoveted Connie Droppers Anonymous Award.  You have yet another tale to share around a Rally campfire.  My sincerest condolences!


The five most recent unfortunates:
0410 C14 Christopher Buscetto
0411 C14 Willard Castledine
0412 C10 Peter Radsliff
0413 C10 Bruce Walendy
0414 C14 Todd Flynn
 
Only 414 reported drops!  I'm sure the Secret Droppers Service is
keeping their work Top Secret!  I know when my day comes, the only other
person I'll ever discuss my drop with is the one that lifted the bike off me!
 
All is right it the universe, the force is back in balance!!!! :great: Thanks to the efforts of Pete Kelly from my local dealer (Razee). Pete explained my situation to Brian(Kawasaki rep) and arranged a meeting. The result of that meeting
-ALL damaged items replaced(not repaired)-Just like NEW-MY baby :) thanks to the understanding of Brian(Kawasaki rep).
Pete Kelly ordered all parts and arranged a one day repair. The Outstanding service dept did the repairs, brake part recall and V&H CS One install were completed same day (Friday 8/21). Thanks Razees and Mama Kawi!
 
Good thing it wasn't a pot hole while riding that broke the bars, I would say your lucky it happened while stopped!
 
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