Side stand question

[BigAlan]

So there I have my bike sat on the main stand which looks quite strong, but when I have it sat on the side stand this looks quite spindly and thin, so when on a ferry and it's strapped down I don't want to rely on this so will put it back on the main stand, what's the thought of the forum in removing the side stand and beefing it up a bit?

Alan

[2kwacks]

So there I have my bike sat on the main stand which looks quite strong, but when I have it sat on the side stand this looks quite spindly and thin, so when on a ferry and it's strapped down I don't want to rely on this so will put it back on the main stand, what's the thought of the forum in removing the side stand and beefing it up a bit?

Alan

isn't the gtr heavy enough allready ;) to be honest never give it a thought. seems secure enough to me, I mostly use the full stand anyway. I'm assuming the kawasaki "boffins" would have designed the side stand to handel more than the 315kg the gtr weighs. there also would be a fair safety margin in that as well :)

[Andy]

Use the side stand on ferry & leave in gear. Some ferries say "No Mainstand". What if your (non-GTR) has no mainstand? Wasn't there a post from a guy on Santander (Britteny)  ferry who's new GTR fell over (Bay of Biscay....)? Side stand is fine, strong enought to spin bike around on. Just make sure it's strapped down OK & nothing else is going to fall on it  :) If you use the Chunnel you stay with bike  :)

[Rusty]

BA ... like 2K I have never thought of changing it as K must have tested different styles and weights and sizes before plumping for the one we all have ... I would leave it alone my friend  ;)

[Winston Smith]

Always used to 'not trust' side stand on ferries.  Then realised that it was actually more secure on 3 points spread out (front wheel/rear wheel/side stand) than the 'two' points of the front and centre stand (I know there are two prongs, but they are very close together)

Think how easy it is to rock the bike on it's centre stand.  Not so easy if you push it towards the side stand when on it.

Use side stand, get a mate to push down on the rear to take some compression up whilst you strap over the lowest point (seat - take an old towel with you so it doesn't cut into seat - doubles for wiping crap off when you are away too!)

If you do use the centre stand the bike can pivot around the centre stand as there is little weight on the front end.  On side stand the weight is more evenly distributed and therefore stable.

[100milesaway]

No I dont think you should worry about the side stand, I'm sure the big K did there home work and fully tested its capability, I would leave well alone. Just one little tip I use when on ferrys get some strong elastic bands and fix them tightly around the front brake and throttle, so at least the bike wont move forward.  :)

[Rusty]

Never seen that before ... like it  :) :)

[Winston Smith]

You can also use your glove over the brake lever to keep the pressure on.

I found this trick as a side effect of drying wet gloves on an over night ferry!

[ChrisB]

Side stands on majority of large volume manufactrurers are OK. They have to be to pass the constructor regulation tests, unlike CCMs who were instructed to remove their sidestands before they would be given approval for their Chinese built bikes.

[Kawdolph]

when i picked up my gtr in feb 2010 from the uk the ferry trip home it was galeforce 9/10 strapped it down bike never moved.

[viper]

the gtr side stand is very strong .................

on the ferry ive seen guys cable tie the front brake on and also have a strap from the front wheel to the centre stand and nothing else, with the front wheel and centre stand tethered together the bike will not come off the stand

[2kwacks]

the gtr side stand is very strong .................

on the ferry ive seen guys cable tie the front brake on and also have a strap from the front wheel to the centre stand and nothing else, with the front wheel and centre stand tethered together the bike will not come off the stand

I would still feel better if I could strap bike so it could not rock sideways and meet the floor, suppose you could get the wife to hold the bike while you force a meal and a few bevys down your neck ;D or better still use the eurotunnel and let the gtr do the touring it was designed for ;)

[mecki]

I would still feel better if I could strap bike so it could not rock sideways and meet the floor, suppose you could get the wife to hold the bike while you force a meal and a few bevys down your neck ;D or better still use the eurotunnel and let the gtr do the touring it was designed for ;)

I have crossed the North Sea and the Channel many times on different ferries with different Bikes and haven't had a problem yet.
OK I haven't been on a ferry in a real storm yet, but I think that if I put the bike on the side stand and have a strap tight over the seat and fasten the front and back to the deck as well it won't fall over even in the worst imaginable conditions. And I mean conditions where they actually have to tie even cars down.
BTW if you are using the tunnel and somebody pulls the emergency brake I don't think you would be able to stop your bike from falling over.

[Boomer]

I've did a North Sea crossing (Newcastle to Ijmuiden, Holland) in a force 10 back in 1985 and the bike was fine.
Was a Z1300/6 (big heavy beast of a bike) on the sidestand.
They strapped the front wheel down through the wheel, did the same with the rear wheel.
Then ran a strap from the sidestand to the front wheel, another strap hooked around the front forks and compressed them about an inch. They ran a strap each side to the grab rails and compressed the rear shocks by an inch too.

When I asked them why the heavy duty strapping, they grinned and said "We're going through a force 8 later tonight".
They were wrong, was a force 10 but the bike was fine.

Me on the other hand I puked until I thought my feet were coming out of my stomach.
I was fine with the motion of the ship, but the stink of puke was bad and when I saw it swilling back and forth on the floor of the toilets, I decided to add to it myself.

Give 1/100000th of a chance I'll take the Le Shuttle every time, but just recently it has gotten quite expensive.
As for the Emergency stop on Le Shuttle, have been through 2. Bikes are fine so long as they are wheel in to the kerb and in gear. They lurch quite badly but don't get anywhere near vertical.

The problem with centre standing a bike is that neither front nor rear wheel are in proper contact with the ground, at least not enough to provide any real grip. So the bike can slide around quite a lot.

[2kwacks]

I have crossed the North Sea and the Channel many times on different ferries with different Bikes and haven't had a problem yet.
OK I haven't been on a ferry in a real storm yet, but I think that if I put the bike on the side stand and have a strap tight over the seat and fasten the front and back to the deck as well it won't fall over even in the worst imaginable conditions. And I mean conditions where they actually have to tie even cars down.
BTW if you are using the tunnel and somebody pulls the emergency brake I don't think you would be able to stop your bike from falling over.

Suppose you've have a point there, never thought of someone putting the yankers on! from now will get the wife to stand along side. she's only a size 10 ::) so theres no way she would prevent it falling, but it would cushion the fall landing on her instead of the deck ;D besides have got a excess on the gtr, the mrs I don't :)