Soft pavement + heavy bike = tip over...

[Shuriken]

No, it didn't happen to me. I'm glad.

Recently it was about 95 degrees outside. When I got off of work and came out to the parking lot to ride home, I discovered my bike had sunk its kickstand about 3 inches into the parking lot surface and was leaning precariously.

This is just a reminder to be careful how you park your bike.

I've seen all kinds of other bikes in the same parking lot. So far, mine is the only one that has sunk that deep.

Ben

[Snow]

You can carry a crushed soda can with you to put under the kickstand, it really does help on soft pavement or dirt.

[randy]

Reminds me of a stupid bike trick that I'm guilty of. Half a dozen years ago I was on a ride through the Catskills by myself, and pulled over on a completely deserted road to dismount for a while.

I pulled over on the left side of the pavement (first mistake). I then proceeded to literally plant my sidestand into soft earth (last mistake).

I wound up with all 600lbs of an '81 Special pinning my left leg to the ground. The engine was hot, fuel had begun to dribble from the cap and I almost panicked because there was no one in sight to help me get that elephant off of me!

I guess the panic and associated adrenaline rush helped, because I eventually managed to get out from under it. Righting it was another chore, because the sidestand was buried to the hilt making the pickup more difficult.

I never again extend the sidestand without checking the pavement first.

So, come on, you're among friends here.....what stupid bike trick have you performed in the past? 'Fess up!

Randy

[Snow]

A recent stupid trick I pulled was on my Speed Four... I had just finished washing it and was getting ready to put it in the garage. Well, start her up and put her in gear and she immediately stalls out...

So, I'm thinking - crap, shouldn't have been lazy this time and actually covered all the open holes with plastic bags like I usually do... must've gotten lots of water in a bad place. So, I decided to let her warm up a little bit more and then try...same result, put her in gear and immediately stalls out. I'm thinking "Oh great, I'm gonna have to take her to the shop and lose a week of riding"

So, I decide to do a search on the Internet and triumph forums for this problem...no results. So, I go get a snack to eat and when I'm finishing up I realize I never put the kickstand up before putting her in gear...boy did I feel stupid.

My much more stupid trick involved my GS750 going 30mph, losing control due to severe front-end shake, me half-bailing, then trying to get back on as the front end gets under control, and a brick mailbox...helmets are good.

[Luxury]

I pulled a clever one last week. I tried to start the bike in gear. Usually not a problem, except the bike was on the side stand and I was standing next to it. Rookie move!

You guessed it - the bike jumped forward, the stand folded up, and down went the bike. I of course I jumped out of the way to avoid being crushed by the monster and quickly scanned the parking lot to see if anyone noticed.

The bad news is it cracked the rear turn signal lens. The good news it the Vetter fairing windshield broke off, so I finally have a good reason to dump the beat up old fairing.

The fairing was off by the end of the day, and I temporarily installed the fairing headlight on the bike until the correct rectangular headlight I bought off ebay arrives. I hardly ever ride the bike on long trips, so I don't think I'll miss the fairing, at least not until it cools off in the fall. Plus, I'm really enjoying how sporty the bike feels without that extra weight up front.

[Jerry]

Well, I usually put the XJ on the center stand anytime I'm going to have it parked for more than 15 minutes or so, mostly fuel stops. I do carry a small metal plate, 4 x 6 inches or so, with a string tied though a hole in the plate. Loop the string over the left handlebar, put the plate under the side stand. When ready to go, put up the side stand, put the plate up by its string, and put it in the left pocket of the Windjammer.

Trick to picking up the XS, or any heavy bike, is to put your back to the seat, grab a low and secure points with both hands, and lift with your legs. It can be done. I parked on my lawn once, bike tipped over as it sank into the dirt, and I had to get it back up. Biggest problem is to keep feet from slipping, but it is easier than you might think to get the bike upright. After that I started to carry the metal plate....

[sixtysix]

Originally posted by Snow
A recent stupid trick I pulled was on my Speed Four... I had just finished washing it and was getting ready to put it in the garage. Well, start her up and put her in gear and she immediately stalls out...

<snip> So, I go get a snack to eat and when I'm finishing up I realize I never put the kickstand up before putting her in gear...boy did I feel stupid.

<snip>

I do this just about everyday! I grew up on bikes without a sidestand switch so I learned to put it in gear, then kickstand up, then take off. Everytime I feel like a dork.

[John]

I guess mine was about 11 years ago. SWMBO was learnig to ridw my XS 750SF, The drive way was narrow, and with two cars parked in it, we had to ride on the lawn to get around them, and she had gotten hung up on the transition of concrete to lawn in front of our house. There was a dip of 2-3 inches there. She isn't quiiiite tall enough to reach the ground with both feet. Well the 750 started to go over with her still on it, and the engine running. I was behind her, on the grass, on Twilite, and not even thinking, I put the kick stand down and ran to her aid. I picked her up, then the bike. I looked back at my bike just in time to watch it, in what seemed like slow motion, sink into the soft dirt and fall over. The 60 degree tip over switch worked. That is the only time that Twilite has been down.. (Knock on wood)

[Jerry]

Putting bike on center stand

FWIW, here is a link on How To Put Your XS/XJ On The Center Stand:

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=&threadid=492

[mitch]

My turn

Just 2 weeks ago i pull in for gas. I stop and put down the side stand Hmmmm, hi test pump! no problemo. So i put up the side stand and pull ahead to the regular pump, suddenly i notice a couple very pretty ladies looking at my bike( not me ) so i step off her to gas up Crash down she goes What a dork!!! By the way the ladies did help me get her back up! Almost 800 lbs but it helps to lift it with your legs and to lock the steering at a hard angle. Thats hopefully my stupid move for this summer.................MITCH

[beechfront]

SAND

last summer in wyoming looking for a place to camp for the night - was putting around a state lake. road was hard, packed rock - no problem. went over a tiny little hill and before i knew it i was in the sand. was going no more than 10 mph and dumped it on the side. had to unload all of my gear - still don't know how i got that thing picked up in all that sand.

[maicorider]

Stupid bike trick with help...

Bike was on it's side thanks to stupid friend (the last time I'm letting anyone touch my bike), went to pick bike up, using the back to the seat approach. Worked great... until... stupid friend decided to help me by pulling hard from the other side. Well it had originally fallen on the right side, so I was balancing it as I tried to turn around to grab the bars and get on it to put the side stand down. But as I'm sure you've guessed, the stupid friend didn't start helping until I had it up, so he pulled it down in it's other side. Haven't talked to him since.

Amazingly the highway pegs took a few scuffs and that was it.

[Shuriken]

Good ideas about how to keep the bike from sinking into the pavement.....

Now on the "stupid bike tricks" note:

I think I've mastered the "pick up a 600lb chunk of metal" trick by practicing it 2 or 3 times.

The first was after I experienced my first nasty speed wobble in a turn, straightened up, jumped off of the shoulder of a curve, rode along in the grass, tiped over after hitting debris. Got a new gas tank after that incident.

Another was when I was trying to get the bike out of the garage - foot slipped on a gas spill, bike tips. Down gently, not a scratch.

Last summer I was backing my bike backwards down a fairly steeply inclined small dirt driveway. I turned the handlebars while backing to start to turn the bike around in a "J-turn" fashion. As soon as the bike was perpendicular to the slope, my base foot slipped and the bike immediately toppled sideways in the direction of the incline. I hopped off and let her down gently. Getting the bike upright was another story since it was perpendicular and on its side on an incline. Twice I tried to heave it uphill to get it upright and both feet slipped and I was on my stomach. The third time I was pissed off at scratching things and just muscled it straight up. I had to operate the brakes at the same time to keep the bike from rolling around on the downhill.

Needless to say, that was the hardest time I've had lifting that beast up.

That's why I like the Specials - lower seat height, easier to control the weight, etc.

Ben

[Czekus21]

Stupid stuff

I was in a hurry cauz I started a new job, was runnin late, thought I knew the road. I didn't know the road as well as I thought I did. The road went left, I went straight over the enbankment and down the hill. I don't know how I picked the bike up let alone how I got that bike back up the hill. Also, I too carry a plate or should I say 6X8X1/2 piece of wood for the kick stand. I think this year I'll upgrade to a 4X6X1/8th piece of metal. Stupid is also showing off to a Hogly rider by blowin his doors off at 135 mph with a bald back tire, no helmet and only 35 degrees outside. I think that's got to be the stupidest thing I've ever done.

[kf4anm]

side stand fix

from the july 2004 issue of "roadbike" from the letters section.

on a really hot day last summer i had to park in the hot sun, where the asphalt was soft enough to leave a footprint. the kickstand on my honda gl1800 started to sink immediately. i took a quick look around and found a small scrap of plywood as a temporary solution, and hustled to the nearest ace hardware a block away. there i found the ingredients for a really effective duckfoot.
i used a raised 4"x4" electrical junction box cover punched out for a light switch, along with a 1" conduit strap and 2 small bolts ( with nuts and lock washers.) the bolts fastened the conduit strap over the hole cut for the lightswitch. the raised cover leaves space for ventilation through the switch opening ( to keep the asphalt beneath from cooking.), and raises the bike a little to take some of the weight off the kicksatnd. the conduit strap slips over the kickstand to keep it in place. it works well, cost me less than $2, and just about anybody can make it.


and to speak of picking them up. oh what a joy at wv east rally on a wet dark hill with gasoline everywhere and blood gushing from my knee