The bike is packed, the bags are full, I am geared up and anxious to get going, Yellowstone here I come!
I dismount my bike at the gate to my property. I put it on the kickstand, as I always do. My driveway is blacktop and the road leading to my gate is dirt.
I leave the kickstand down, as I always do and push the bike 6 feet through the gate. The kickstand catches the edge of the blacktop and causes the bike to start leaning right. I am walking on the left. It was all over at that point. I try to gently lower the bike because I sure the hell am not stopping it. It goes down on the right side.
In preparation of this ride I have been adjusted and massaged several times for a sore lower back. As I look at the bike I figure I am going to nullify any benefits of those procedures. I pick it up, with much effort and find scratches on the bag, lower fairing and mirror. My freshly installed Mondomoto light is pushed in, but my custom bracket for the light is unfazed! Now I have thought about canyon cages, but don't really care for the look of the 08-09's. However, I now come to realize that they look better than the scratches I am looking at.
I go back to the garage and hit the scratches with the high speed buffer. I got a fair amount of them removed or at least diminished the extent of the damage. What a way to start the trip.
Now sitting in Jackson Hole....its not so bad, just a matter of perspective
Short list....Canyon Cages.
Yeah it sucks, but there are more important thing in life to see and worry about.