Humbled & Educated.......

[Timmyg]

My first tip-over since getting the bike.

I've had my 2007 ST for about 5 wks. or so now and the anticipation is over. Not that I had planned to drop the bike (I would have been far more graceful had I), but it seems to me the odds are pretty high against the bike staying vertical (curves not withstanding) ALL the time. I will add that 5 wks. out is embarrassingly quick. My brief story is as follows:

3:30 pm, today. 82 degrees; sunny. Off to the grocery store for some whatever. Arrive and put the bike on the centerstand. 20 mins. later I return. Put groceries in topbox (approx. 20 lbs worth), gear up and hop on bike. Start engine (clutch in, hand on front brake), put in gear and throw weight forward to proceed home. No movement. Repeat with a little more umph and same result. OK, at this point I should have stopped and figured out what was going on, but with this being such a routine operation and maybe 10 seconds since starting the bike having elapsed, it just didn't click. Third time with a little more umph and I start to roll forward and to the right and then down she goes. Well, here I am now thinking...... Is the bike damaged? How many people saw me? Should I look around? I guess I better pick this thing up. Wow, it's pretty heavy. How did ST-owners say to lift this thing? Oh yeah, back to the seat, squat down, get grip, heave ho. Success! I put it on the kickstand and somewhat regained my composure. Total time since starting the bike? 1 minute or less. So what the heck happened? The centerstand had sunk into the pavement almost to the crossmember. As the bike fell to the right the right leg of the stand completed it's descent and sealed the deal. That's it.

In the grand scheme of things, not so bad.

PS. No damage but for some scratches on the right tip-over wing. AND last week I ordered a set of tip-over bars from bygdawg.

 

[CTbrit]

Glad things worked out...I am sure your award will soon be winging through the ether.

I haven't 'been there or done that' yet with the ST, couple of close calls...how easy was it to get upright (seen the threads and dread the day I have to do it solo)? The adrenaline must kick in I guess...:weights1:

 

[Paul]

It happens to everybody. I dont have an ST 1300 or 1100 to tip over yet, but I have dropped two other bikes at 0 MPH :

 

[Mcreviver]

You better hope you don't get a bill for repaving the craters you left in the parking lot. Was the back tire still off the ground when you got on the bike to start it? If not, you might have been able to ride out of the holes.

 

[Timmyg]

Glad things worked out...I am sure your award will soon be winging through the ether.

I haven't 'been there or done that' yet with the ST, couple of close calls...how easy was it to get upright (seen the threads and dread the day I have to do it solo)? The adrenaline must kick in I guess...:weights1:

Perhaps the adrenaline did kick in.....It wasn't terribly hard with the technique posted on this website.

 

[Timmyg]

It happens to everybody. I dont have an ST 1300 or 1100 to tip over yet, but I have dropped two other bikes at 0 MPH :

20 years ago I had a Kawasaki GPZ 550 which I'm guessing weighed less than 500 lbs. I had to pick that up a couple of times. In hindsight I used improper technique to right the bike but still got it by myself. The technique posted on ST-owners is loads easier.

 

[Timmyg]

You better hope you don't get a bill for repaving the craters you left in the parking lot. Was the back tire still off the ground when you got on the bike to start it? If not, you might have been able to ride out of the holes.

Crater is a little extreme but you have a valid point that I had not considered. A safety issue for a cane, crutch, or high heel. I will follow-up.

As far as riding out of the holes, it has crossed my mind before but I always decided not to because it seemed less safe that just using a little momentum forward. But having said that, I truly don't know if that is a standard or recognized technique for getting off the center stand. Also I hadn't checked the stand before getting on the bike. My fault and I'll know next time.

 

[Finewest]

I hope you didn't break your eggs! LOL. Here's your TOA! Welcome to the club!

 

[Timmyg]

I hope you didn't break your eggs! LOL. Here's your TOA! Welcome to the club!

Thank you. It's an honor, and yet so incredibly easy to join. Not so exclusive I venture.

 

[ChipSTer]

Hmmmm... I'm inclined to say this one doesn't really count... yeah, he wasn't paying attention and didn't notice that his center stand had sunk into the pavement... Everybody would have tipped over in the same situation.... That's one reason I never put the bike on the center stand while it is sitting on asphalt... And I carry a plate to put under the side stand (4" square metal plate with a string tied to it)... Glad you didn't own an FJR (for the sake of your pocket book!!!)...

 

[John Anthony]

... Glad you didn't own an FJR (for the sake of your pocket book!!!)...

...or a Beemer.

John

 

[Mcreviver]

Speaking of side stands, my pivot has a lot of play in it and one of the machinist types here ought to take one off and make bushings available (for a price of course) to us so we can drill out the hole nice and round and slip one in that might be made out of a harder material. Check yours when you have it up on the main stand. Mine has about an inch of wiggle and at some point in time there will ba a mechanical advantage working on the bolt that might finally exceed the shear strength.

 

[BridgeMan]

ST (or any other Hondapotamus) Rule of Thumb:

Only use centerstand when parked on Portland cement concrete, at home, in one's garage. Other places can and will prove to be hazardous for your (and your wallet's) health. And as mentioned earlier, another good idea is to use a rubber or steel sidestand plate if the asphalt pavement is the least bit warm (I keep my rubber plate stored in the left fairing pocket, connected to a short stub of rubberized rebar with a heavy cord--keeps from doing any damage if you ride off without remembering to pick up the plate).

 

[Carl_T]

I have a carbon fiber plate with a RED piece of nylon string attached that loops onto my hand grip. It's impossible to miss the red string on the grip when you go to leave, so you never forget to retrieve the kickstand plate. Also all you have to do to retrieve is pull on the string without bending over or getting off the bike.

That neat little ditty was gifted to me courtesy of AGSTreak. It's been a pleasure to use.

 

[Grizzley]

I have a carbon fiber plate with a RED piece of nylon string attached that loops onto my hand grip. It's impossible to miss the red string on the grip when you go to leave, so you never forget to retrieve the kickstand plate. Also all you have to do to retrieve is pull on the string without bending over or getting off the bike.

That neat little ditty was gifted to me courtesy of AGSTreak. It's been a pleasure to use.

Except when its a moonless night, in the country, in a rainstorm, with poor light... I left my friend's place last night after a BBQ and it was so dark, I could hardly see the ST, never mind trying to see the lanyard which in my case is loose enough to stay behind and not come boomewranging back at the bike or me if I do forget to retrieve it. Hopefully, my buddy will find it. It was a neat little domahicky: Red with the Honda emblem on it.

JD

 

[Byron]

Thank you. It's an honor, and yet so incredibly easy to join. Not so exclusive I venture.

Not exclusive and a growing brother/sisterhood.

 

[Carl_T]

Except when its a moonless night, in the country, in a rainstorm, with poor light... I left my friend's place last night

Oh man, I'll remember that one, maybe put a glowstick on the end :

 

[curmudgeon]

I agree with those here that believe it's best to use the side stand most of the time. Especially with the extra angle of lean on the ST1300. Commuting on the Bainbridge Island ferry for 6 years taught me that the bike is more stable on the side stand. I've also had the center stand sink in but mainly when parked on dirt. This happened several times at Laguna Seca. I now use a plastic side stand puck given free at the race. I like the idea of tying a red string to it and will do this from now on.

 

[Timmyg]

Hmmmm... I'm inclined to say this one doesn't really count... yeah, he wasn't paying attention and didn't notice that his center stand had sunk into the pavement... Everybody would have tipped over in the same situation.... That's one reason I never put the bike on the center stand while it is sitting on asphalt... And I carry a plate to put under the side stand (4" square metal plate with a string tied to it)... Glad you didn't own an FJR (for the sake of your pocket book!!!)...

I don't know what specifically qualifies one for an award, but if I don't qualify for it now no problem. I am sure that my odds of re-posting with different circumstances yet the same result are very good indeed.

 

[Timmyg]

ST (or any other Hondapotamus) Rule of Thumb:

Only use centerstand when parked on Portland cement concrete, at home, in one's garage. Other places can and will prove to be hazardous for your (and your wallet's) health. And as mentioned earlier, another good idea is to use a rubber or steel sidestand plate if the asphalt pavement is the least bit warm (I keep my rubber plate stored in the left fairing pocket, connected to a short stub of rubberized rebar with a heavy cord--keeps from doing any damage if you ride off without remembering to pick up the plate).

That is a very good rule of thumb that I will NOT forget. Fortunately I learned it on the cheap. I do carry a piece of wood (oak) but I haven't often used the side stand because the lean angle didn't seem to be enough to be truly stable. I have a Kawasaki Vulcan that leans way more, so that was my benchmark for stability.