Kickstand Down - Poll

[olebiker]

I don't remember doing it. doesn't mean I didn't theres lots of stuff I don't remember. I do remember my buddy many years ago leaving the hotel with he and another guy on the back, both drunk as skunks. Passenger knocks the side stand down the high speed left hander coming into town got them. They went down at over 100 mph pavement then gravel, they both missed the guardrails. When I took my buddy to emerg the next day the doc said he might die of blood poisoning. He had an awful rash with lots of rocks in there. They left most of them. He came out with a prescription for antibiotics witch he promptly threw out the window. Said he had no cash but did have an account at the hotel so thats where we went for healing. He is still with us. When you are a teen you are both dumb and somewhat bullet proof at least we were. After seeing the result of kickstand down I don't think I forgot any more. It is habit I usually take the equipment out before I pee as it is a habit I picked up and I really don't forget that either

[jetmechmarty]

The safety interlock on my XS650 is inoperative. I've driven off with the sidestand down enough to consider repairing it. It won't help me on the other bikes. I just stay sober.

[Crazcnuk]

Actually, that is the danger of the automatic systems. You get used to not having to do it yourself. For those of us that learned, sometimes the hard way, to put the stand up, the auto systems can be almost annoying.

Just like the auto-cancelling signal lights. I got mine working, but I am so used to doing it manually that I am always overriding the auto feature, and yet, on those occassions where it works, it's usually turning the signal off before I want it to.

Works for cell phones, too. I have a bunch of numbers stored, but most the time I dial them manually. If I don't do this I forget the numbers, then, when I am somewhere w/o my phone, I am screwed.

[fredintoon]

Hi Craz,
there's two types of "automatic" systems.
The "Euro" model where the sidestand flies up when the bikes weight lifts off it is truly "automatic" It does it for you and teaches you nothing. The system on my XS650 does NOT put the sidestand up for you. It simply kills the motor if you put the bike in gear with the stand still down.
This teaches you the important lesson "Fool, you shouldn't leave the stand down."

[Crazcnuk]

That's the difference between Automatic and Nag.

Automatic just does it.

Nag makes YOU do it!

[Brent]

Kick stand

Leave it down? Yes I have. Not once a week, but even just once can be too much. I do not like automatic electric switches that could fail, perhaps stranding bike. I like the Honda system, with rubber pad near bottom of kickstand. I have added rubber pads to XS1100 & buell. HD road king jiffy stand will flip up without jacking if left down.

Adding "Honda style" rubber flip up pads to stand was easy. Rivets, bolts or zip ties worK.

Safer, reliable, & cheap, easy and fast... But it might just work.

[DGXSER]

Brent, I am interested in this Honda rubber pad, I do not end up leaving my side stand down very often, no where that would fit in this poll, but it happens now and again.

[WMarshy]

I've only ever left it down twice, both times were after adding fuel at the station. Luckily both times I discovered it was down when I was pulling away under 5mph. I typically use the center stand but have made it a habbit to check with my foot as soon as my leg goes over the seat and both hands are on the bars. There is no excuse for not remembering to put it up when you can remember to turn the gas on....

[silver_ride]

recently i rode away from a restaurant with my girlfriend on the back and the kickstand down and some prick says "oh, so THATS how that works!" while i was kicking at it trying to get it back up. i wanted to go over and punch him.

had a rough night last week, i was parked taking a smoke break and trying to pull my jacket out of the saddlebag and the bastard fell over to the left, almost got my foot. guess the kick stand wasn't down all the way. then on my way home i ended up on a street covered in loose gravel that my brilliant city leaves sitting there for weeks at a time, and laid it down on the right side at about 10mph, broke off my front turn signal and cracked a hole about the size of my thumb in the alternator cover. also scratched up the headlight lens and banged up my elbow and knee

fortunately i was able to patch the hole with some "steel-putty" stuff from the hardware store and found new signals at the scrapyard. the alternator still seems fine...

[Brent]

kickstand automaticflipperupper

Brent, I am interested in this Honda rubber pad, I do not end up leaving my side stand down very often, no where that would fit in this poll, but it happens now and again.

Hondas solution - a mechanical automatic kickstand flipper upper. not electric, just a rubber pad fastened to the rear lower kickstand shaft. It extends about an inch below stand and rubs ground if bike is moving and leaned to left. Stock on 82 CM450E 83 GL1100I and others. The rubber pad may be still available. Instead, I used a parking brake pedal rubber on my XS11, and a piece of an old tire on my Buell.

[DGXSER]

Thanks Brent! I will have to look into that.

[Rasputin]

Another old poll. Geeze we ought to be able to do something about these.

[crazy steve]

I'm closing every one that comes up .....