Humiliation

[Harald]

Why all of this center-stand use?

The bike takes up less room in the 3 car garage that only has room for 3 motorcycles and still allow someone to walk through.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Takes up less space is one reason. I also access my side case twice daily in order to swap out my face shield and it's where I store my helmet. It's far easier to access that side case with the bike on the centerstand.

And then there's the theft deterrent side benefit. If proper motorcyclists have a hard time with a centerstand then I like to think a thief would have trouble as well.

 

[Old Guy]

Takes up less space is one reason. I also access my side case twice daily in order to swap out my face shield and it's where I store my helmet. It's far easier to access that side case with the bike on the centerstand.
And then there's the theft deterrent side benefit. If proper motorcyclists have a hard time with a centerstand then I like to think a thief would have trouble as well.

Helmet? Wow! My helmet won't come close to fitting the side case.

I'm like Fred. When stopped the side stand usually goes down. Things I'm not likely to need often -- air compressor, tools, etc. go in the left side. I do park it on the centerstand when I park it at home so I can look at the oil before the next ride. I know; it doesn't use any. But I still like to check it.

 

[luvtoride]

I've always heard thieves will just carry bikes away... not roll.

I've always rolled my bike off the center stand from the left side of the bike. I've done this many, many times since I've owned my girl & it's never been an issue. The only time that I will even use the center stand is if I'm doing some sort of maintenance that requires it.

2 weeks ago was such a time. I took the wheels off of my bike & then put them back on once new tires were installed. I went around & checked all of the bolts. She seemed good to go... so, I wheeled her off of the center stand as I'd normally do... guess what... forgot to pump up the brakes. Oy! So, bike comes off stand, I hit brake which goes all the way to the bar. I guess this threw me off & she started falling towards me.

I also discovered that somewhere along the line, I put the kickstand up. As the bike was laying against my side, I was looking around to neighboring houses looking for help before I decided I couldn't hold her up anymore. So, I set her down as gently as I could, went to find help & stood her back up onto the kickstand.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Old Guy must have a huge noggin. My medium Arai fits with room to spare.

luvtoride, better you discovered it that way rather than at that first intersection!

 

[creg-ny-baa]

I don't even park my ZRX and FJR too close together for fear of what might go on out there when I'm not looking.

I dunno, but I'd sho nuff ride it!!!

 

[Old Guy]

Old Guy must have a huge noggin. My medium Arai fits with room to spare.
luvtoride, better you discovered it that way rather than at that first intersection!

Well, my XL Arai won't go.

 

[dcarver]

Oh sure, all is good with the center stand stuff until this happens!

What side of the bike,or on top of the bike should I have been?

To stay on topic, looking at the state of that bike I'd say being anywhere near it would be humiliating.

Ouch! That hurts! That bike is dear ol' DirtyWabs, the IttyBittySix-Fiddy! And if you think it's humiliating being near it, you don't even deserve to ride this fine machine! :rofl:

So, Don... been putting on a few extra pounds, have we?

Actually, that is an aftermarket center stand (I happen to know that 'Stroms don't come with a center stand) so it is probably more the stand's inadequacy than anything else.

What brand is/was that stand? Hopefully not SW Motech, as that is what I have on mine.

It is SW Motech... and it's a POS. First the, pivot points wore oblonged, then this.

 

[mcatrophy]

...

To stay on topic, looking at the state of that bike I'd say being anywhere near it would be humiliating.

Ouch! That hurts! That bike is dear ol' DirtyWabs, the IttyBittySix-Fiddy! And if you think it's humiliating being near it, you don't even deserve to ride this fine machine!

...

Sorry, didn't realise it was your pride and joy

.

To be really honest, I'm not sure I'd want to ride "this fine machine", even if I did deserve to.

. Even without the "POS" centre-stand - loads of rust, flat rear tyre, what looks like a bear-trap instead of a foot-rest ...

Anyway, I wouldn't want to disturb its sleep

I suppose the engine looks quite clean

.

 

[FJR Bill]

Why all of this center-stand use?

The bike takes up less room in the 3 car garage that only has room for 3 motorcycles and still allow someone to walk through.

I have 3 bikes in one half of my garage. If all 3 are on sidestands they are parallel to each other and I can walk between them. I only use the centerstand for maintenance and despite my old age and weak legs I have no problem using the centerstand when I need it. I too walk my bike back by walking on the left if there is any upslope. I keep the sidestand down in case I slip or fall. Also I always park in first gear. I've watched many a bike fall off the side stand on a slight downslope when the bike rolled forward.

Bill

Bill

 

[FJR Bill]

Why all of this center-stand use?

The bike takes up less room in the 3 car garage that only has room for 3 motorcycles and still allow someone to walk through.

I have 3 bikes in one half of my garage. If all 3 are on sidestands they are parallel to each other and I can walk between them. I only use the centerstand for maintenance and despite my old age and weak legs I have no problem using the centerstand when I need it. I too walk my bike back by walking on the left if there is any upslope. I keep the sidestand down in case I slip or fall. Also I always park in first gear. I've watched many a bike fall off the side stand on a slight downslope when the bike rolled forward.

Bill

Bill

 

[Fred W]

Same here. 3 bikes on sidestands fit into the smaller side of the garage, wife's car in the opposite. Of course my side has to share with all the other detritus that collects in one's garage. Grandsons' have electric driveway vehicles that need constant charging, trash cans and recycling bins, and the stairs that go up into the mud room. Oh, and in the winter months I have to fit the snow blower in the "bike" side.

This year I need to find a place to drop a pallet load (ton) of wood pellets, which we are going to try to use to offset some of the ridiculously expensive oil we burned in the last few.

But I don't think having them (the bikes, not the pellets) on the center stand would matter space wise. Believe me, I've tried everything.

 

[dbx]

But I don't think having them (the bikes, not the pellets) on the center stand would matter space wise. Believe me, I've tried everything.

There's no such thing as a new idea anymore, but has anyone built a 'bike elevator'? I'm thinking of a reinforced steel platform supported by half-inch cables at each corner, with the whole thing raised or lowered by a winch. They make them for cars, so a bike model should be possible. In a standard garage, it wouldn't raise up high enough to walk under it, but there'd be plenty of room to store the snow blower and wood pellets until such time as the platform needs to come down for access.

Dumb idea, I suppose, but I'm overflowing with'em and had to let one go.

 

[Fred W]

But then how would you take the bikes out for a ride in the middle of winter?

I worked out my storage issue using my back and some elbow grease. I re-stacked the pallet load of pellets against the wall just one bag deep and can now park the bikes and snowblower (when I bring it into the garage from the shed out back) in front of them and still have enough access to grab a bag of them when it's time to feed the stove.

Ugh... pellets, stoves, snowblowers. They are all just around the corner. Phooey!!

 

[Harald]

Why all of this center-stand use?

The bike takes up less room in the 3 car garage that only has room for 3 motorcycles and still allow someone to walk through.

I have 3 bikes in one half of my garage. If all 3 are on sidestands they are parallel to each other and I can walk between them. I only use the centerstand for maintenance and despite my old age and weak legs I have no problem using the centerstand when I need it. I too walk my bike back by walking on the left if there is any upslope. I keep the sidestand down in case I slip or fall. Also I always park in first gear. I've watched many a bike fall off the side stand on a slight downslope when the bike rolled forward.Bill

Bill

My parking situation is different. The FJR is parked in one narrow garage bay that also contains shelving, so there's limited room in the middle. If the bike is on the sidestand, it takes up more of a footprint than if it's on the centerstand. And it makes it much easier to check oil level and tire condition/pressure when parked on the centerstand.

But what I really need to do is clean up and reorganize the garage so that there's more room and perhaps the wife can actually park her car inside.

 

[gixxerjasen]

perhaps the wife can actually park her car inside.

That's crazy talk!!!

 

[Old Guy]

perhaps the wife can actually park her car inside.

That's crazy talk!!!

You got that right. My wife manages to run over anything in the same garage she's trying to park in.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I just listen to mine bitch about the bird crap on her car.

 

[Topgear]

At the risk of sounding like a wimp the simplest solution might be asking a strong looking passer by for assistance to push the bike off the center stand, especially If I was parked in an uphill small space between $300,000+ of cars and not 100% sure I could do it myself. I try to help anyone I see needing assistance and don't mind asking for a withdrawal from the karma bank once in a while.

There have been some great suggestions in this thread which I will practice in my garage when I get my FJR,.

 

[Krell]

A requirement of wife was that she could still park her SUV in the garage.

I've got that Park-n-Moo thing and it works good for me. Pop it up on that thing using center stand, remove side cases, fold in mirrors and roll into a corner. The bike sticks out no further than our trash can and the wife can squeeze the SUV into our tiny garage without hitting it. The fact that you have to climb out the window to get out of the truck doesn't seem to bother her ;-)

Seems like it would be easier to park in the driveway. Just sayin