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[M61A1MECH]

This so stupid I hate to even admit it. We on our first day of a two week tour up the east coast (FL to DC and back) , we stop for gas wait, I for the wife to get off. Next thing I know the bike has gone over and thrown me off like a bad hat.

FORGOT to put the kickstand down before the wife got off , Just a couple of scatches on the engine guards and a hugely bruised ego.

[SilvrT]

BUMMER! ... dang that must be embarassing!

Curious about "putting sidestand down" before your wife gets off. Do you set the bike on the sidestand and then she gets off or do you just hold the bike upright while she gets off and if so, why put down the sidestand before she gets off...??? This is a different method than I do so just curious.

[M61A1MECH]

My normal routine is
1. stop the bike
2. put kickstand down to stop the motor
3. plant both feet
4. let the wife off

My thought being if the bike should try to go over while she is getting off it will set down on the kickstand if I lose my balance.

Having said all of that, I now remember that I must have used the key to shut off the motor that time, because the motor was not running when I went down and the key was in my hand when I hit the ground. Brain must have said , wife is off, motor if off = kickstand down.

Oh the other knock on effect was that the jolt knocked the CDs in the changer (in the trunk) out of the holder and I had to field strip it in the hotel room to get the stuck disk out. It is working now, I just have to see it will work OK while riding.

[SilvrT]

My normal routine is
1. stop the bike
2. put kickstand down to stop the motor
3. plant both feet
4. let the wife off

My thought being if the bike should try to go over while she is getting off it will set down on the kickstand if I lose my balance.


hmmmmmm.... not a bad idea I might test that method out but forming a new habit may take some time. I just hope we don't get confused in the process and wind up doing what you did.:eek:

My normal routine is
1. stop the bike
2. plant both feet
3. let the wife off
4. turn off the key to stop the motor
5. put the sidestand down

[Yammer Dan]

If you got in the habit of using the kickstand to stop the motor you wouldn't forget to put stand down? Hey there are moments I can forget Anything!!

[Gary N.]

Don't know if this is the correct way but it works for us. I always shut the bike off, put the side stand down and get off first. The passenger then swings her right leg over the tank and steps off on the left side.

[hig4s]

Don't know if this is the correct way but it works for us. I always shut the bike off, put the side stand down and get off first. The passenger then swings her right leg over the tank and steps off on the left side.



That is pretty much my routine, I get off first and fold down my back rest before my wife dismounts. Unless we are in a gravel or dirt parking lot, then I will stay on just in case the kick stand starts to sink into the ground.

[skydoc_17]

I always put the kick stand down First, Before Jean exits the bike. I don't use it to turn off the motor but I do put it down first. I have had my foot slip more than a few times on dirt in the parking lot, or gravel and the kick stand has saved my bacon.
Earl and Jean

[BOO]

Whenever my wife is getting on or off I usually have the bike on the side stand.
Most of the time I get on first and off last so that I can make sure the bike is stable.
I have noticed a lot of different ways to get on and off the bike.
I've even gotten off a few times and wasn't planning to at that particular time.

BOO

[Venturous]

Don't know if this is the correct way but it works for us. I always shut the bike off, put the side stand down and get off first. The passenger then swings her right leg over the tank and steps off on the left side.



I agree with Gary on this. I feel a lot more comfortable being off the bike and holding the handle bars when she gets off or on. I almost always let the kickstand down mode kill the bike.
RandyA

[naturbar]

i do a combination of those procedures mentioned here - with one addition....my wife will not either get on or off the bike until i nod my head letting her know that I am ready for the weight to shift.....don't ask why i do this :crying:

[Seawolf]

i do a combination of those procedures mentioned here - with one addition....my wife will not either get on or off the bike until i nod my head letting her know that I am ready for the weight to shift.....don't ask why i do this :crying:
Same here with her waiting for my ok helps a lot with the weight shift.

[RoadKill]

:whistling:I slide to a stop and she jumps off just before we come to a stop! :rotf::rotfl::cool10:

[Vance]

I will put the kickstand down, but stay on the bike and hold it while she gets off. The kickstand is there just in case. It amazes me how that small metal rod can hold up that heavy bike, especially at the angle it is. I don't want to put any more weight on the kickstand.

[dynodon]

I have always stopped the bike, stay on, stand up, lean forward, brace both legs wide and hold the brake on, while holding onto both grips. Then nod and tell my passenger to get off or on. I don't trust that the sidestand will hold or the bike not move, and I have never come even close to losing balance this way.

One other benefit of doing it this way is that I now have the bike balanced and ready to go instead of having to get it off the sidestand. I have to believe that getting the bike up off the sidestand with two people is harder than just stabilzing the bike as the passenger gets on or off.

Also how many times have you or someone you know put the bike on the sidestand to have it roll forward some or not be properly on the stand and the bike fall over?

But whatever way works for YOU is the right way! :)

[Zfrebird4]

His brown on gold 86 VR?

I had her at the wrench shot, and Rat (yep that's his name), moved her into position for me to bring home, and before he could get off the kick stand .... BROKE. Young Squid must have sat on it on the side position too long! What a great place though to have it go! Seriously, ... not Squid's cause or problem. I probably had too much gas on board from that last scare by one of those stupid box drivers! LOL.

JackZ

[saddlebum]

How about having it on the side stand as the person gets on only to have it suddenly lean the other way because the ground was higher on the left side of the bike then you thought.

As far as using the kick stand to shut off the bike I got out of this habit because all too often I walked away from the bike leaving the key on and coming back to a dead battery.
This usually seems to happen in front of a bar were you end up buying a round for the people who came out to push start you.