I am a muppet, i fell off

[wildcat]

Riding on a road that i have riden on many times.
Came to a bend, nice bend it is too, sitting in 5th gear (or so I thought) dropped 2 gears like I always do, opened the throttle and BAM I was in a ditch.
I must havebeen in 3rd gear, When I opened the throttle the bike wheelied, back wheel slipped And the bike just fell.
Amazingly there is no damage except a back indicator ripped off, but i have ordered micro indicators for her anyway.
I also am ok, a little stiff but ok, Will need a new lid and have to get leathers cleaned cos i landed in about a foot of mud.
Drove the bike home, bit shakey at first, but got better.


Anyway, does anyone else forget what gear they are in?
Or am I the only muppet?
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[yambabe]

Um, no, I hardly ever know which gear I am in unless I am in top, in fact I can never remember how many gears my bike has......

I change up or down according to my engine sound, not by counting gears. That's what I was taught by my other half. Is it not right then?
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[mr.z]

Engine sound and the ammount of pull on the engine is it.. even then it could be any gear, but knowing when and when not to give it a handfull as you found out is very important!
After a while it should be second nature, can't say i ever think about what gear i'm in anymore..

As baby yam said, when you run out of gears to go up you know your in top, when you can't go down any further you know your in 1st

Glad it was just a minor off, just fates way of telling you to be more carefull

+ another reason why its not a good idea to go down 2 gears at a time (probably the main reason not to)
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[TheShaggyDA]

I too change according to engine sound - I don't need a light, tacho nor gear indicator to tell me. If you "dropped 2 gears like I always do" how do you ride on roads you don't know?
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[HurtMePlease]

Dont worry about it, you probably lost concentration for a second glad your ok though and things could have been alot worse.
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Hear Thy Call..............................
Rs125 (97) <-Sold|Riding->ZXR400L2(92) Yamaha R6(01)

[Scotsman37]

https://www.muppetcentral.com/collectibles/muppetpics/puzzle_mb_big_caper3.jpg

[Kram]

i tend to know what gear i'm in by engine pull / sound. but just know all the time (dunno how though)
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FS1E -> SR125 -> CB400N -> CB650 -> FZR600 Genises -> VFR400 NC21 -> CBR900RR Fireblade -> Renault Clio 1.4

[Phoenix]

I know what gear im in by engine tone and the acceleration only 2 gears I can't tell apart are 5th and 6th, so I often try to change up when im already in 6th, can't look at revs to tell as my screen obscures all the clocks.

Suprised you wheelied tbh, would expect the wheel to lock and just slide coz you would've been going too fast for the revs to match.

[natv4]

I'm a bit sad on this one, I don't skip gears, I use each one as I downshift.
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Travelling around the world...a bit at a time. Where am I now? / Visit my BLOG
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[Aikman666]

My gears are extremely easy to tell apart.
1st: engine is screaming...but i dont seem 2 be going anywhere fast.
2nd: Sounds like the engine is about to explode 1/2 open throttle.
3rd: Unless the other two came first, u aint goin nowhere bud .
4th: You better be doing at least 40 on a flat or be going downhill or your fracked mate!

Incase your wondering about why my gearing sucks, the back sprocket on my bike is rediculously over sized, the thing climbs walls. Also i have no rev counter or speedo, have to change by ear (usually just before the engine would burst into a firey deathball) which is probably better, i know just from the tone of the engine and the pull shes putting out what gear im in:D As for coming off, been there done that, saturday last week, down a hill into a mud stretch, hit accelerator at the wrong time, lost the back wheel, i got thrown off and slid along on my leathers, the bike dug in and stalled. I think i cought my leg on the footpeg aswell, would explain the nice big gash in my leg:D. Better luck next time, drive careful!
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[wildcat]

[JonT]

I judge gearing by the sound and the pull, the only time i ever knock down by more then one gear is when comming to a stop, every other time its down one, clutch out, down one. etc

[dotti]

[harry69koi]

Glad your ok m8.the bike can be fixed but humans are a little harder ref the gears dont worry as its already been said it will come to ya as time goes on,well i hope it does as im still messing up the gears aswell sometimes im seriously thinking about getting one of those gear indicator thingy`s i personely think they look ace and a bit of piece of mind too?
Take care and just learn from the mistake. lee
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FJ1200 The ultimate tourer

[steveh]

Same with me, always forget what gear im in, hasnt got me into trouble yet but does get anoying thinking your in third, knocking down one and the engine screams out like hell

Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[Akiraprise]

I never know what gear I'm in, but I only change down one gear, let the clutch out, brake, change down again until i'm going the right speed. I sometimes check my speedo to see waht gear i'm in.

sorry to hear about your off thou

[Nolongerhere]

I never know what gear I am in unless I am in 1st. All gaged by the pull of the engine!

[cc123]

Maybe you where in 2nd and not 3rd!? Bike shouldn't wheelie in 3rd unless you've had the clutch in and rev'd it, really rev'd it?

Anyway, minimal damage, important thing is you got back up and straight back on it!
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[niff5855]

I've got a gear indicator,

havent had the bike long enough to instincively know yet (ZX6R).

Also, cos I've been restricted to 4 wheels for the past year, I always want to change up too early by the engine noise, you know, it sounds like it time to change up but you're only doing about 6000rpm (used to a car see).

Getting there though.
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[iCraig]

I am the only one who know what gear I am in all the time then?

Sorry to hear about your off by the way, but these things are sent to try us.