I know this is a beemer forum but I'll ad that some bikes have crappy sidestands & vice versa, the centerstands on others so decide for yourself ... As you age the sidestand looks better every year! Especially if you have short legs!
I know this is a beemer forum but I'll ad that some bikes have crappy sidestands & vice versa, the centerstands on others so decide for yourself ... As you age the sidestand looks better every year! Especially if you have short legs!
My .02. Some years ago I rode my machine to work during the summer, parking it in an asphalt paved lot. I chose to park it on the center stand, empty spaces on each side.
Shortly thereafter I was summoned to the lot due to the bike falling over. The fact that one of the bosses had parked his corvette next to me and during the fall contact was made ruined my day. I sure never want something like that to happen again.
I am inclined...to use the side stand in most parking situations. Concrete surfaces are the best. On any surface I try to park my machine towards the right side of a space, keeping door flings from the right side in mind hoping that if it does fall over, collateral damage might be avoided. This also requires parking a little back from the front of the space to avoid the drip area from cars which can be slippery and also softer being slightly dissolved by the oils. The side stand auxiliary plate, if leashed with some string is not too tough to "retract" when leaving and helps inhibit the stand from penetrating the pavement.
When parked outdoors on any surface, the machine is much more vulnerable to falling over from high winds or a clumsy passerby when on the center stand.
Originally Posted by amiles
Just how windy is it where you live? I've parked on pretty gusty days, and the center stand has never been a problem. Today I rode to the local produce store and I placed the bike on the center stand. When loading the top case, I nudged the bike around pretty aggressively and the bike was solidly positioned on the stand. With the top case mounted, the bike is sitting on the rear tire, in gear.
Delaware Dave
1999 BMW R1100RT
2010 Harley Davidson ElectraGlide Limited
Just look at the size of the triangle of two wheels and the side stand compared to two centerstand legs and one wheel and it will be clear. How windy isn't the issue. Which is more stable if it gets windy is.
Paul Glaves - "Big Bend", Texas U.S.A
"The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution." - Bertrand Russell
http://www.bigbend.net/users/glaves
My 2005 Rockster Owners Manual says to fuel up on the side stand. I used the center stand until one day I saw the note about the side stand in the manual. Seemed to work ok either way. Dunno???
I used the electrical cover idea when I was doing a lot of camping/touring. I used an electrical cover from a double box (like big enough for four outlets) that had the smallest hole, which was for a single switch, just a tiny rectangle in the middle of it. My variation was before I got on I would hook a bungee cord into one of the screw holes in any one of the corners and after I was on and started and ready to roll: Up Switch Plate! It would fit into one of my jacket pockets. Also the metal is quite thick and galvanized! Rust resistant!
Fill your bike up on the side stand then put it on the center stand and see how much more you can get in there. It is surprising.
When I gas up anywhere the pumps may be a long ways in between I gas up on my center stand. Those extra miles sometimes come in handy!
MJM - BeeCeeBeemers Motorcycle Club Vancouver B.C.
'81 R80G/S, '82 R100RS, '00 R1100RT
As others have stated............I too prefer to use the centerstand primarily for parking in the garage and for maintanance. I found the centerstand on mt RT to be too long for most parking on the sidestand. It seemed that I was constantly looking for the idealic piece of property in order to use the sidestand without the bike still remaining almost upright. My solution (and it works for me) was to shorten the sidestand by 3/8 of an inch..............this and with the use of a larger footprint allows my RT to have more of a lean when parked which makes the whole footprint more stable, and that gives me piece of mind
2000 R1100RT
Niagara BMW Riders #298
BMWMCO #45
I use both center and sidestand as needed. I just wish BMW had built the bikes with a 3rd stand on the bike. I know that one would have been the be all, end all to all stand use and discussion.
oh, c'mon
one of the first things I "learned" is that you park your bike according to the terrain available, and factor in all the other...well, gee...factors. Is the wind blowing really hard? Do you want to check your oil when you come back? are you trying to fill your tank? is the ground uneven? Are you attaching one of your rain fly ties? Is the ground soft? Are there a whole bunch of other bikes parked side by side? Leaving it for five months, five hours or five minutes? are you strong enough to get it there and back to riding position? might a cager bump into it?can you load/unload your bags? do you need to see something on the right side better?does the smoke from your k bike annoy you? do you want to start it and warm it up with the sidestand up?wanna check you hair in one of the mirrors?
We might as well walk. ~ Adam Guettel The Light In The Piazza
used to own: 1982 R100T, 1984 R65, 1986K75C, 1997 R1100RT, R850R, K75S, 1978 R100RS... what was I thinking?
That is some busy parking routine you got going on there!
I just look at the ground first and the rest is pretty random.
Occasionally I have to move.
MJM - BeeCeeBeemers Motorcycle Club Vancouver B.C.
'81 R80G/S, '82 R100RS, '00 R1100RT
All this talk of center stands reminds me of a hot summer night. 1978 . Rte. 495 north to Hampton beach. Me on a 1975 Norton 850, friends on Triumphs,Harleys and many Jap bikes,about a dozen of us in all. We were all doing about 80 MPH standing on our center stands, oh what a show. Mass. state trooper not impressed. Long story short, he got a call and had to leave in a hurry, that was the end of that lecture. Had to buy new center stand when I restored bike years later. Side stand worked for 30+ years.
I just look at the ground first and the rest is pretty random.
Occasionally I have to move.
We might as well walk. ~ Adam Guettel The Light In The Piazza
used to own: 1982 R100T, 1984 R65, 1986K75C, 1997 R1100RT, R850R, K75S, 1978 R100RS... what was I thinking?
BMW wants you to use the side stand to fill the tank, to lessen the chance that you will over-fill the tank and leak fuel into charcoal canister or on the ground.
Delaware Dave
1999 BMW R1100RT
2010 Harley Davidson ElectraGlide Limited
Why yes, filling up is "maintenance," now isn't it?
Correcting an empty tank problem.
Kent Christensen
21482
'12 R1200RT, '02 R1100S, '84 R80G/S
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