Warning Side Stand

[Thumperbike]

Repeat after me, we must take charge of our own actions and not let the bike fall down and do not blame the egineer
he or she had nothing to do with putting the bike side stand down .........................

YESSIR! BTW, heal or heel?

 

[RenoJohn]

Two words:
Operator error.

My intent is to not sound smug ....but really, blame the kickstand???
*We often see posts on here of how to use the centerstand.

*I can't count the times I see guys park their bike in neutral.

*I can't count the times I've seen guys park the bike pointed downhill without snugging it up forward until the dead engine stops wheel rotation.

*I can't count the times I've seen guys park their bike with on a hill or angle with the kickstand on the downside side of the slope.

*...and, the times, (as illustrated on this post), not fully engaging the side stand before putting the weight of the obese bike on it.

These are the most basic of bike operation. They're not even moving operations, which makes me wonder how many of those basic fundamentals are also not on the list.

All these advanced riding schools and books, me wonders if many don't need to take a step backwards and learn a few basics.

At least with the side stand misfortunes only the bike gets hurt. maybe that's only fair ....after all, apparently it's the bike's fault.

now, that's not to say we all haven't done stupid things. Hell, I got my bike wedged between two fence posts. No need of a side stand in that predicament LOL. Should have blamed the fence posts I guess.

 

[twowheelnut]

Two words:
Operator error.

My intent is to not sound smug ....but really, blame the kickstand???
*We often see posts on here of how to use the centerstand.

*I can't count the times I see guys park their bike in neutral.

*I can't count the times I've seen guys park the bike pointed downhill without snugging it up forward until the dead engine stops wheel rotation.

*I can't count the times I've seen guys park their bike with on a hill or angle with the kickstand on the downside side of the slope.

*...and, the times, (as illustrated on this post), not fully engaging the side stand before putting the weight of the obese bike on it.

These are the most basic of bike operation. They're not even moving operations, which makes me wonder how many of those basic fundamentals are also not on the list.

All these advanced riding schools and books, me wonders if many don't need to take a step backwards and learn a few basics.

At least with the side stand misfortunes only the bike gets hurt. maybe that's only fair ....after all, apparently it's the bike's fault.

now, that's not to say we all haven't done stupid things. Hell, I got my bike wedged between two fence posts. No need of a side stand in that predicament LOL. Should have blamed the fence posts I guess.

Elitist bastard!

 

[wfooshee]

Didn't I read somewhere that it helps if you put your toe under it as the bike leans over? Doesn't that help somehow?

 

[odot]

Well, parking next to a post is kinda like parking next to a tree.......I guess...........

 

[Ignacio]

Didn't I read somewhere that it helps if you put your toe under it as the bike leans over? Doesn't that help somehow?

Only if you want to break your toe and tip over your bike as you tank on your squished foot.

Now, if you want to put your toe behind the stand and keep pressure on it until the bike comes to rest on the sidestand and surface...that would work and what I generally do.

To date I haven't had any mechanical failures on any of the bikes I've owned with any sidestands....only one or two operator errors in my teen years.....that I ultimately praised the engineers for their excellent systems that prodded me into remembering I was responsible for making sure the bike stayed upright.

 

[odot]

Remember, kids....we don't want to accuse anyone here of thinking......

 

[NoCage]

Now, if you want to put your toe behind the stand and keep pressure on it until the bike comes to rest on the sidestand and surface...that would work and what I generally do.

It's that simple... leave the bike in 1st, let it roll forward or backward to let the tranny take up the slack, and do as Iggy suggests.

 

[twowheelnut]

Didn't I read somewhere that it helps if you put your toe under it as the bike leans over? Doesn't that help somehow?

Yes. It helps greatly especially when you want your lily-white skin to turn a beautiful shade of purplish-black-blue.

PS I've got a whole bucket of jimmykick with your name on it.

:lol:

PPS Points for sucking in Iggy!

 

[El Cajone]

I was about to leave on a weekend road trip, it was pissing rain, bike was in the driveway, I was in the garage putting on my helmet and the bike fell over.
Apparent cause: the stand looked like it was down, but was not fully down. You have to make sure you kick it fully forward or it will make you sorry. I would think engineers who can design a bike like this could design a freaken side stand. It should be down or up with no in between allowed. :angry2:

This happened to me a few weeks after I got my new '07 FJR except that I was starting to dismount after putting the kickstand down and it started to go over. I was just able to catch it in time, wondering what in the hell had happened, and I saw that the kickstand had snapped back to its retracted position. Now when I stop, I shut off the engine with the kickstand and backstop it with my foot planted on the ground behind it while I dismount and turn off the key. It's just a habit now and I don't need to think about it anymore.

 

[daviddowns2000]

I would think engineers who can design a bike like this could design a freaken side stand. It should be down or up with no in between allowed. :angry2:

Seems like that would be pretty difficult to do since there has to be a big transition between up and down. Anyway, the problem with the FJR is that the sidestand design allows us too easily to fail to deploy the stand correctly. If you have participated on other motorcycle forums, you may have seen reports of other bikes falling because of the stand not being deployed, but I think it has been much more common with the FJR and this is definitely not an entry level bike. It happened to me twice when I first got my FJR, but had not happened even once on 5 previous bikes. The design definitely could be better. Someone would still screw it up, but it could be a lot better.

 

[wfooshee]

And on a serious note, look at the sidestand when you lean the bike over. Verify its position visually. Not hard to do.

Don't park in neutral, eyeball the sidestand, take up the drivetrain slack before you lean onto the stand, don't park sideways on a hill, blah blah blah.

Failure to keep any of those rules is not the bike's fault, it's the rider's. Blaming the bike design is the same thought process used when someone blames the car for killing the battery when the lights were left on. Operator screwed up, not the vehicle.

 

[Kaelaria]

I only did that ONCE.

 

[FJRScorpion]

I notice quite a bit of kickstand 'flexure' when I check it for stability after dismounting but before walking away. I suspect that if I were to file down some of the 'stop' this effect would be more so, and potentially break the kickstand off. Has anyone else noticed how weak it seems to be or am I just getting paranoid with all of the talk here?

 

[GunMD]

Has anyone else noticed how weak it seems to be or am I just getting paranoid with all of the talk here?

Yes, you're getting taken in by all this talk. The kickstand is fine. I suggest you continue to use it.

 

[FJRScorpion]

OK, but I think that I'm going to strap a big beach ball on each side of the bike after parking, just to be safe.

 

[GunMD]

OK, but I think that I'm going to strap a big beach ball on each side of the the bike after parking, just to be safe.

Photos dude, photos.

 

[CRMH Eagle]

I always use the centerstand when it's at home. When I use the sidestand I always look at it when I kick it forward and tap it with my toes to verify it's position. Then when I get off the bike I tug on the bike backwards to verify the stand is fully seated forward. Usually away from home I use the centerstand because of its stablility in case someone accidentally bumps the bike or tries to get on it.

Awhile back I kicked the stand forward but noticed when I retracted my foot that the back of my boot caught the stand and pulled it backwards....the bike would've gone over If I had not seen this. This is why I look at the stand when I put it forward.

 

[V GER]

My kickstand ticks.

 

[Bustanut joker]

My kickstand ticks.

:haha: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :rofl:

Finally! I knew somebody was gonna take this seriously.

:jester: