Servicing amusingalities (especially for Betty)

Just reviewing my own Ebay purchasing history (I'm logged in to buy
LED spokeydokes for my commuter bicycle), I got this comment from a
seller:

"Hope to deal with you again. Thank you. Regards, Jono
BRAKE Lever 4 Suzuki GS500 07<09 GS500F 08<09 (#270739863447)"

Well, I hope not to deal with him again! Why is he wanting me to need
more brake levers? (incidentally, the beemer always looks like it's
leant over so far on the side stand that it's going to topple over.
Contrast this to the GS500 which always topples over because it's not
leaning over far enough (and because I'm careless).)


Also: I'm so useless mechanically that the sound that I had attributed
to my shocks failing was actually the triple clamp bolt being loose.
In my defence, I went looking for loose bolts and didn't think of that
one because it was hidden by a big digital clock display. Although it
seems to have distracted them long enough to forget to replace the
brake fluid like I asked.

Also also: Nev's bike isn't going to burn down starting at the
rectifier. A bit freaky having someone not from the shop call out
your name as you drop your bike in for servicing. Especially when the
last time you saw them, you were 700km away.

 

My GPX250 fell over once while on centre stand because the footpath
melted in the heat. It also was not that easy to get onto the centre
stand. Since then all my motorcycles have only had side stands and the
only time I have missed the centre stand is when I want to service the
chain. I have had motorcycles melt into the footpath while on side stand
only to find them on a weird angles but still standing. I have noticed
BMW riders like to use their centre stand whenever possible. Guess it is
less work to roll one of those monsters of a centre than lift one off a
side! For me the centre stand is the last option.

I hate getting my hands dirty and I am also pretty useless/lazy with
mechanics. I get no joy out of it like others.
When I started riding (same time as Betty) I wanted to have a hands off
approach and simply pay for the job to be done. :-(
Some of the bastards out there should be shot!
I now keep a closer eye on what is going on.

 

I had the same thing happen to my Bimmer a few years back.
Unfortunately (for the insurance company) it landed on a nearby Volvo,
damaging an apparently rare tail light assembly and some precious-metal
paintwork.

With MBW Boxers, especially airheads, using the sidestand causes any
residual oil in the LHS barrel to drain toward the combustion chamber,
resulting in a cloud of smoke on restarting. Low CoG means they are
easy to get off the sidestand.


Moike

 

My R850R doesn't do the blue smoke cloud business, if left on side
stand, but the old K100RS was a different matter. It had to go on
the centre stand.

But then riders of the R bikes generally use the centre stand just to
show off that they can.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Funny you should mention that about the GS500... Mine didn't seem to lean
over very far on the side stand. I had to be really careful about parking,
to ensure I was giving the bike enough of a lean to stay standing!

Bloody centre-stands. I was able to get the GPX on and off the centre stand,
but there was something weird about the GS500 - I think I managed to fluke
it twice in the whole time I had it. No centre-stand on the SVs, and I
didn't actually miss it. For those chain-lubing moments, I got an Anderson
touring prop, so I didn't have to fart-arse about rolling the bike up and
down the driveway from hell. And of course, Piglet has a belt drive, heh
heh, so no chain-lubing to worry about these days anyway!

I would love to be more mechanically 'ept', heh heh. I was able to hold a
reasonable conversation about bikes before, because Bruce, my mechanic, was
terrific with that sort of knowledge-sharing. Of course, that was before I
got the Harley. Now I feel like I have to start over - it's a different
world! - and the only thing I've learned so far about Harleys is that a
pillion seat is called a 'bitch-pad'. Faaaark.

betty

 

Can use a car jack (scissor jack) to lift under the hand edge of the
rear sprink linkage or somewhere about half way back from the right
side.

Leave bike on sidestand, slip a glove over front brake lever to keep
brake on, then jack up from right side just enough to tilt the bike to
the left.

Rear wheel raised and can now oil chain etc. Sufficiently stable.

 

My son's GPX was badly damaged when the centre stand sunk into dirt
and the bike toppled onto a log. It has small feet on the stand.

My Aprilia Falco was badly damaged because the side stand melted into
tar and bike toppled over (and because the side stand on them is a
piece of shite, unlike the ones those in the USA had fitted (as
standard) to their Falcos. The US one leaned further, but also had a
longer leg and bigger foot. The Aprilia stand was too short and too
upright and was so crap the Falco once toppled the other way (not the
way it "leant") because it wasn't leaning enough. Leading to lots of
damage.

I like centre stands, and find them easy to use - it's all in the
wrist action. </showing age> Of course, at one time owning a bike that
only had a centre stand meant I had to learn how to do it pretty
quickly. Pulling off a wheel or lubing the chain is much easier with a
centre stand (or one of those aftermarket lifters).

My current bike doesn't have a centre stand, so I always carry
something to put under the side stand on tar and other soft surfaces.
I still need to buy an aftermarket doodad that fits (the one I had for
the Aprilia doesn't - single sided vs dual sided swinagrms).

Tony F

 

I don't think it's got much to do with the size of the feet on the
stand, it's due the the very small area over which the weight of the
bike is supported. A bike balancing on a centrestand is much less
stable than a bike on the side stand. I've seen a police BMW on it's
centrestand get blown over by a gust of wind.

Nev..

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:21:56 +1000

Depends on the sidestand, trust me on this...

The Hack Guzzi was always more stable on the centrestand because the
sidestand was attached via the front engine mounting bolt. The
slightest wind or slope and 240kg of motorcycle would pirouette
more-or-less gracefully onto its side.

Zebee

 

"TimC" wrote

You must have excellent eyesight. I have trouble recognising people at
more than a hundred meters.

Theo

 

"bikerbetty" wrote

My daughter has changed her mind about buying a Harley. She has
discovered that she can reach the ground on a Ducati 696 and will have
one of those before Christmas.

Theo

 

My guess is it comes with the job. ;-)

 

But it also means your left 'pipe never rusts out!

 

A dismissive, disdainful look will get you by Betty.

 

Hi Theo.

A quick word of warning...... the 696 is a lovely bike, but, in slow
traffic in hot weather, it's a bloody pain 'cos it's so hot.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

It's dead ugly.

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

That's a bit ripe, coming from someone with a GV650...

Bill

 

the guy that owned my 950ADV got a 10cm round metal disc welded to the
bottom of the side stand....

best idea ever, yes, I know you can buy bolt on feet but I am thinking
why manufactures just don't make the foot bigger?

mh
(the 950 is a complete bitch to get on centre stand, almost impossible
with luggage on)

 

GV650C's are beautiful. ;-)

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

"Diogenes" wrote

Compared to a Hyosung?

Theo