What was up with today...

I mean, should have just stayed in bed and let everything just unfold.

Nothing was going right from the time I got up with a pounding Headache, THen of course the Car that I jsut got back from the shop yesterday didn't want to start after dropping a Grand in repairs, then find out the alternator is fried!!! WTF! Then Lunch time I head to the varity store to drop off a movie and grab some lotto tickets for the ol'lady, park the Bike where I always park, just beside the store, flat area in the shade.. I go running in and some guys on the phone just outside the door. No sooner then I run inside pass the guy on the phone I hear him calling in the door...

Dude...


Dude..



Hey dude, your bike just fell over.

W T F ! ! ! ! Go dashing back out and there she is laying on her side, gas streaming out all over the new painted tank!! He-Man vs the Incredible Hulk kicks in and I have her back up in seconds. W T F!!! assess the damage and clutch lever snapped in half.. enough for two fingers. Gas dripping and streaking across the tank. Left Front lens pushed slightly across. Windshield left side loose and floppy. Highway pegs slightly pushed to the right and twisted. Go start her and of course, she's now flooded. Grrrrr.. 3 push start attempts and she's runn'n. Back to home and correct what I can and then was off to get a Clutch lever, the only one he had in stock was one that would fit but doesn't match the brake lever. Oh well, it's intack and I don't have to use just 2 fingers, it will do for now.

Needless to say the rest of the day just continued on a spiral down hill. I warned all clients I wasn't responsible for might happen if I did work for them today. There's maybe 5 more minutes I'm putting up with and I'm done with today.. bring on tomorrow. =)

 

I think after the bike fell over I would have gone home, crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head and tried to forget it all happened.

 

Ouch! Yeah, I would have gone back to bed too.

Any idea why the bike fell over?

 

Oh damn!

You know, everytime I use the side stand - I put it back and get 'er up on center. I just don't trust it.

Sorry stamps!

Any luck you'll get it all fixed without replacing much?

 

Wow and I thought my day wasn't the greatest. Well at least she's still ridable. I hope to have mine back together tomorrow. err today Well Sat dang it LOL!!!

 

Man, with a day like that you'd think it had been the 13th!

Sorry to hear about the problems you had yesterday. Hopefully today will go more smoothly for you.

mikeg

 

Unless you're only parking in your garage, I wouldn't recommend leaving it on the center stand. The side stand is actually much more stable, due to the wider triangle formed by the three points touching the ground.

Back on topic: Stamplicker, that's a cryin' shame about your bike. Good luck getting it all back the way it was.

 

I disagree, I've seen bikes leaning on a sidestand get knocked over easily. I've yet to see a bike on its centerstand tumble yet.

Theoretically the 3-point is a wider base of support but getting a bump big enough to get the bike to go up and retract the center stand is much bigger than what it takes to tip one that is already leaning.

 

Did it ruin the paint on your tank??
I rode an XS 500 to High School, always parked on the main stand for "stability" , then one afternoon, come out to see the bike laid over for ??? hours !! Oddly, NO damage at all, it had the BIG front crash bar.

I favor the side stand and in gear since then.

 

[quote="dwcopple]Theoretically the 3-point is a wider base of support but getting a bump big enough to get the bike to go up and retract the center stand is much bigger than what it takes to tip one that is already leaning.[/quote]

But the centerstand doesn't need to retract in order for the bike to tip. Assuming a solid parking surface, it takes much less force to tip the bike over if it's on the centerstand. Try it - stand on the side of the bike when it's on the sidestand and give it a good sideways push on the seat/tank (make sure you've got someone on the other side of the bike to catch it!) Now switch to the centerstand and try it again.

I've seen bikes on the centerstand tipped over by a stiff wind...

But hey, whatever works for you. If your bike doesn't tip over, I guess it's moot...

 

Hey Stamp
Sorry to hear about all the bad luck you had. Look up man its got to get better now that all the bad stuff has happened. I've had a rash of bad luck myself. I can tell you that it will get better. My insurance company had a 10K limit on personal tools and I had 16K worth of tools stolen and damage to my truck. Well I never knew that there was a limit and My insurance guy didn't know the company slipped that in either. Well he called the underwriter and they lifted the limit. All my loss will be covered except for my deductible. There is a silver linning in those dark clouds. With this crummy ecomomy I didn't need a hit like that and it worked out better than I had thought. So good luck to you and hope all turns around for you soon.

 

Did you buy the Lotto tix before you left? Because if you didn't, that was prolly the winning numbers waited to be snatched up right there. That's how bad days go.

 

I also disagree about the stand. believe me I understand the theory completely... but I also have had quite a few bikes and every one of then could be pushed over with one hand with the side stand. two hands for the center stand.
the side stand makes the bike have a 'spring' action which gets momentum in wind storms.
the center stand is solid.

stamps... how are the fixes workin out?

 

I'm a center stand guy too - except on asphalt in hot weather. My 850 sunk - luckily it sunk even and didn't tip over. IMHO best bet on asphalt in heat is side stand on a disk or something. I carry one of the plastic stand disks in my bag.

 

Today's better day, nothing broke or fell over. Yes it was side stand and on a patch of concrete. ashphalt around. No idea why, just one of those flukes? maybe I didn't have the side stand fully out? Everything seems to be ok, replaced the clutch lever but going to be hunting down a mate for the brake one. Just don't like the feel of the replacement one. Lotto tick's were a bust.. so still have to work =(. Was planning on gett'n some picks of her today, but it was to sunny of a day and a ride was in order!!! Took'r for a stretch on the highway after some in city riding to make sure all was ok. The worst that's happened in past was as mentioned above, some sink'n in the ashphalt on a warm day, always have a plank, crushed cans, something around to pop under the stand when it's warm out, save the sinking.

Think the left sid eof the bars bent up a bit, might try to see if I can bend them down a hair. Bent up like 1-2 degrees. Not a big issue, more annoyance. Don't notice them unless you really eyeball them from the front for a few minutes.