I live in a traditional downtown area, homes close together, narrow driveways, etc. My house has a setup like this [one car garage which is really a workroom/storeroom for all our road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers cx bikes, etc...in addition to a shop area]. My wife usually gets home from work before I do, and inconveniently parks just so, I have to usually ride on our adjacent neighbor's manicured lawn, to get past her RAV4. I've asked her repeatedly to park a bit closer to the house, but you know the story...right!
And, for all you bicyclists who either owned a roof rack, or had a friend who does - you'll appreciate this all the more. So, hot hot day in MI, and my brain is fried. I pull into the driveway, and see the RAV4, with enough adjacent pavement that I think 'I can squeeze thru without lawn'ing it". I gingerly creep forward, riding the razor's edge of lawn/concrete. I'm thinkin' I've really nailed it, and as I begin to formulate my congratulation to myself, suddenly my world is jarred.
I mean JARRED! Huh? What's happening!?
Gravity, my ol' friend, lends a hand to my confusion, as the Wee gracefully [in slow motion, of course] begins to topple over towards my neighbors heavily manicured side lawn/fern garden/rose bushes. Of course, I try to save it, and only succeed in depositing myself into a ferny thorn bush landing pad. Disbelieving that this is really happening, I jump up and realize my side Pelican case had impacted wife's RAV4 bumper!
OK, so I go to pick up the Wee. Juh-hee-zusss! This thing is freekin' heavy!!! I use my best handlebar in/grab rail lift with my back to the bike technique and somehow after Hulk attempt #2, manage to get Fat-Wee upright again only to discover my Givi rack is holding the Pelican at quite a weird angle. Thank Gawd, I had the Pelican's on to at least give the bike a head start on attaining verticality again - I can only imagine how impossible it would have been otherwise [anyone have to lift a Wee solo?]. My episode reminded me of friends who've driven into their garage with their bikes on the roof rack...boom! To my surprise - absolutely NO damage. The Pat Walsh Crash bars kept the fragile fairing + turn signal from being mashed by the Wee's prodigious girthage.......and the bars didn't bend or budge a bit. I'm impressed!
Later that night, I managed to bolt everything back together quite easily [a testament to the tuff design], but for the life of me I can't figure out how the upper rack supports of the Givi pulled free of the bike. The only thing I can think of is that I didn't get the side rack holes aligned with the Strom's top rack mounting bolts [don't really know how I could have actually missed that! - which is really puzzling to me]. The rack/bags seemed very stable and strong before my accident. Anyway - it's installed correctly now!
.....................................................................................................................................................Good as new again.
Did I mention how heavy the Wee is to lift? Damg! Might have to reconsider this whole off-road ability thing...she ain't my ol' KX125~!