How steady is a side stand?

DanceLikeAMon... · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Karma :

My SR125 is anchored up outside the front of my house. At present I am using the centre stand as I presume it is more sturdy (feel free to tell me otherwise), but would prefer to use the side stand because it's a lot easier to put down!

Obviously I have used the side stand a few times and the bike has stayed up, but if we get any strong winds is it likely to blow over, as in it's current position it has barely any shelter from the elements? And is it safe to leave it on the side stand for days possibly weeks on end when it is outside?

Cheers for any advice.

ts50x0 · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 May 2004 Karma :

i dont really know how much safer the centre stand is as the bike is then upright but i think it is a bit safer.
i know when we had those strong winds last summer my ts50 blew over on its side stand, but i think that the sr should be a bit more stable than that as it has a low centre of grvity.
i would have thought it would be ok either way, after all that si what they 'should' be designed for.

ts50x0 · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 May 2004 Karma :

i dont really know how much safer the centre stand is as the bike is then upright but i think it is a bit safer.
i know when we had those strong winds last summer my ts50 blew over on its side stand, but i think that the sr should be a bit more stable than that as it has a low centre of grvity.
i would have thought it would be ok either way, after all that is what they 'should' be designed for.

DanceLikeAMon... · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Karma :

The problem is, is that the bike is right next to my kitchen window. If it blows over, it's going straight though it! Shocked

ts50x0 · Spanner Monkey Joined: 16 May 2004 Karma :

well if you lean it away from the window on the side stand then it should be ok, and if an sr does go over it aint really gonna do any damage.

instigator · Super Spammer Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Karma :

Hmmm, if you're having problems with putting the bike onto its centre stand then the key is practise - practise, practise and practise. You'l learn a technique that will make it a lot easier.

I've learnt it on the 190kg er5, when doing it on an sr125, i nearly break the thing because it's so light!!!

Pushing down on the peg and doing a circular motion, pulling back on the bars helps. If you park it beside a wall, then I'd put it on its centre stand Smile

wildcat · Spanner Monkey Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Karma :

my cbr125 only has a side stand, it has stood outside my living room window since may. it hasn't fallen down yet. don't leave it facing down a hill as it CAN roll of the side stand but even this is unlikely. Cool

[/i][/u]

Rory · Traffic Copper Joined: 14 May 2004 Karma :

dodsi · Dirty Carny Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Karma :

centre stand on the SR, the sidestand is as good as useless

DanceLikeAMon... · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Karma :

Cheers Dodsi, that;s what I thought. It never did seem all that stable!

Sent that bulb yet? Laughing

Barker-CBR 600 · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Karma :

If you have it right by your house, (close enough to fall in!) then have the side stand on the same side as your house.

Since even in real heavy winds (i.e bike pushing over winds) the house acts like a wind break if it comes from the direction the stand isnt supporting it in, and from the other direction it blows it more onto the stand.

But probably wont ever become a problem unless we get some freakish weather.

Centre (edit) do raise the CoG of a bike, since it makes it taller and still upright. So might be more succeptable to wind than a side stand which can effectivly 'lean into' wind, so the weight of the bike itself is also acting as a resistant force. (not going into the maths of it, but it does work).
____________________
Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

DanceLikeAMon... · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Karma :

That makes sense (except I think you meant centre stand, not side stand in the last paragraph Smile

)

I'll experiment with it over the next few day (since I won't be riding it in the snow we're all meant to be getting). You can all look forward to a post asking how to repair handlebars and replace windows in the near future.

AcIdBuRnZ · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

Any stand, whether it be side or centre, will be up to the job of supporting the bike it was designed for. Don't worry about it.

Self preference really. I only use my centre stand for oiling/adjusting the chain.

Wait until you upgrade to a sportsbike one day - then you'll have no choice!!! (although the older CBR's and some other sportsbikes have both stands, before any of you pedants correct me).

Hope this helps,

Mark
____________________
Past: Honda NSR125R >> Kawasaki ER-5a2 >> Kawasaki ZZR-600e1 >> Suzuki GSXR-750Y >> Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm
"Chickity China the Chinese Chicken..."