New (almost) VFR owner from Ontario, Canada

If you not a pack whore, then it should have not happen :tongue:

 

Soooo sorry to hear about your minor incident. Like Randy said, we all know how you feel. I think just about everyone has dropped a bike at one point in time or another but the main thing is you didn't get hurt (other than your pride that is). My best friend bought a new Ninja 1000 back in 1985 (I think it was) and he did not get the insurance squared away right off the bat because he wanted to sell his other bike before riding the new one. We got it loaded in to the truck so that he could attach the tie downs and when he got off the bike he forgot to put the kickstand down. He did his best to stop the bike from falling (I had gone in to the cab of the truck to find where he had put the tie downs) but when it hit the side of the box it cracked the left side fairing clean in half. My buddy Doug just started cursing a blue streak. When he calmed down he turned around to walk back in the store and there were a few salesman standing looking out the window with their mouths dropped open. That didn't help. He went to the parts desk and asked them to order a new left side fairing and then walked out. We finished tying the bike down at the back of the truck, loaded the ramp and we drove back to his house (very quietly I might add) and moved the bike in to the shed at his house. Didn't see the bike again for about two weeks, until the part arrived and he installed it on the bike.

Moral of the stroy, "The first drop is always the worst." Look on the bright side though, (or try) at least the first drop is out of the way so you should be good to go. No more worries.

As long as you don't see any more coolant lying around under the bike then I would agree that it was likely coolant that spilled from overflow. When it comes down to buying replacements parts for the mirror or fairing, I have purchased parts previously from a place called Honda Parts Nation (Honda Motorcycle,Honda ATV Parts Up To 40% Off, Accessories) and there prices were more than reasonable and they ship to Canada for relatively low prices via USPS. If they ship USPS then you won't wind up paying extra for taxes which is nice. There are a few places that offer similar OEM parts online (Bike Bandit and Ron Ayers to name a few) and their prices were a little lower than Honda Parts Nation but their shipping prices were much higher to Canada. Their parts are also OEM pieces so they are just as good as the factory units and if you order the lower cowl piece it comes pre-painted and decalled so all you have to do is install and ride. You can buy EMGO mirrors as replacements but I have heard a few people complain that they are not as good as the OEM ones.

When I bought my last bike (a 97 VFR750) it lasted about a month before the side stand sank in to the hot asphalt and fell over. I too broke a mirror and bent the clutch lever and cracked two fairing pieces (lower mid cowl and the left side cowl) since it landed on a concrete curb. OUCH. Felt like crap for a couple weeks, but the guilty feeling goes away.

Hope everything works out and I wish you and the bike a speedy recovery.

 

Dude,
I have a few levers kicking around, ride her up here to Ottawa and you can have one. Or I suppose I could ship one so you don't have to fart around with straightening yours.

 

Thanks for all the feedback - I do feel better knowing I'm not the only one! This is a great forum, apparently with lots of great people! I've been checking under the bike every day, and haven't seen any dripping, so I think it was likely just some spillage from the overflow.

I'll check out that Honda Parts Nation place - thanks for the tip. I'll likely just ride out the rest of the season, and then look to pick up another cowl over the winter.

 

Well, it's been nearly 2 months of VFR ownership, and it's still great. I took it on a 3000km trip down through Pennsylvania, across to NYC, down through Philly and Maryland to Virginia Beach, then cut across West Virginia up to Pittsburgh. It's treated me well, haven't had any real issues (other than the engine temp creeping disconcertingly high in the Holland Tunnel, going to double check my coolant levels.)

I've also come to terms with the scars on my bike from dropping her on the first day =) It's finally time for some pics, from the aforementioned trip!