KickStand collapsed OW that HURT!

[mickier]

This morning I rode to work - rained yesterday, but dried up well by today... beautiful clean air. Thankfully we were spared the worst of the weather last night - some north of here were not so lucky... Prayers for them.

At work, I pulled into my spot (which faces downhill), shut off the engine and kicked down the stand. Just as I swung my leg off, the bike rolled forward a few inches, the kickstand folded up, and she toppled over... I saw it out of the corner of my eye and tried to grab her - she only went down to the crash bar, but i ended up with a pretty decent bruise on my left forearm from the handlebar/cluch mechanism...

I feel like it might have gone down farther than the crash bar if I hadn't been able to help stop it - but maybe I flatter myself - probably my chicken-arms played no major part in the 720LB bike's trajectory...

What's the story on these kickstands not holding on a slope? Did I just not quite have it down and locked? or is there a potential for these girls to roll off the stand?

I guess I'll start parking it 90% in my slot so the front isn't heading down hill... I know my Heritage classic had a serious side-lock in the kick stand - and it would lock into place so the bike couldn't roll.

[VoyKimmer]

When I got my first voyager it went down several times for this reason and parking it on its center stand and the wind blowing it down. Safest way to park it is facing uphill and put it in first gear ( acts like a parking brake ) . When I park my bike I never park facing downhill ( Accident waiting to happen) . I have pulled it out of my driveway which is a slight downhill grade and made sure it was in first gear and it is fine as long as there’s no tailwind. If your parking place is downhill I would back it in.

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

Something similar happened to me on my way to work one morning. I started out and in a few blocks from home it started to downpour, I stopped on a flat section of road and grabbed my rain jacket. As I was putting it on the bike rolled ever so slightly and down it went. Luckily they are easy to lift if you lift properly. I hadn't noticed the very slight down-grade till then.
I have always stopped/parked my bike in gear ever since that morning. Habit makes me engage the clutch anyway so it's no bother, I then will shift to neutral if needed.

[HMB Don]

I was on a trip and spending the night with a friend. I couldn't find his house so i stopped and thinking I was on level ground i put the transmission in neuteral. Got off the Voyager 12 which had the time out trailer attached, and walked back to look at Trisha's GPS on her trike. When she hollers your bikes rolling. Thanks to the crash bars plus the added center bar to help strengthen the front crash bars, there was no damage other them my pride.

[mickier]

I guess my stand had been a bit stiff - crudded up somewhat - because the first few times I parked on a slope it was fine... but then I was working on the center stand and lubed up everything - and since then WHEW - slides off pretty easy...

Parking in 1st now.

Still wonder why they don't have a locking stand like (most) Harleys. Maybe Harley patented that - like Kaw (I think) patented the 2-stage center stand.

Seems like some users have even had them tip over from the center stand...? wonder if that's sideways or forward?

I notice how hard it is to get it off the center stand once I'm ready to "go". I have to rock forward and aft sometimes a few times to build up enough inertia to roll forward off the center stand

[VoyKimmer]

I bought my brand new with zero miles 2002 voyager in 2004 from a dealer that couldn’t sell it and I got a great deal. Anyway 2 weeks after I bought it I drove it to work and parked in the parking lot on a very slight downgrade. I put it on its center stand and went in to work.
Someone said hay did you see that motorcycle laying on it side in the parking lot ? I ran out and sure enough it was my brand new bike. It was a windy day and a gust of wind must have used the windshield as a sail and blew it forward off its center stand. Over $2000 damage in 2004. Ouch

[hank43]

Mine is a little different, 'cause it has 3 wheels, instead of two, And no kickstand.:
1. I always park with the bike in gear, Low gear
2. I don't park on a slope heading downhill, mainly because the trike weighs 1200 pounds, and has no reverse gear, and is next to impossible to push uphill backwards. It took me just one time to learn this... Kinda like the people that bought Isetta 300 micro cars with the front facing doors, then parked in a garage, and learned that there was no reverse gear, and they were trapped inside!
3. Know that little but thick green wrist band you got at the last rally? Guess what, that is my parking brake. Loop over the hand grip, then hook the front brake lever. Works every time, I just leave it looped over the hand grip. AND it didn't cost a dime!

Hope everyone is keeping well in this pandemic, I needed to go to my bank yesterday, and wondered about walking in with a handkerchief on my face and rubber gloves, but it all worked out OK. Wife is making our own face masks, and came in to my office today to ask if her choice of materiel was OK. It was a print of grey on black skull and crossbones. I told her it was probably inappropriate.

hank43

[the2knights]

Growing up and learning to park on the hilly streets of Seattle you learn to never, ever, ever park a motorcycle facing down hill (regardless of make and model) and always leave in gear.
Two reasons, first and most important is can roll off the side stand, and you may have a tough time backing out if hill is to steep.
Not even the youngest and strongest among us is going to stop it once it starts heading down, seems counter intuitive, but unless just barely started rolling just let it go. Glad the arm was just a bruise and not a break.
Surprised your Harley has a kick stand lock, have to find out more about that and get one on mine.

[hank43]

BTW, what is that beautiful blue car, and it IS blue!

hank43

[mickier]

It's my 69 vette, painted speedway blue (a toyota color - seems a bit terrible to do to a corvette - but we couldn't resist)

[hank43]

It's my 69 vette, painted speedway blue (a toyota color - seems a bit terrible to do to a corvette - but we couldn't resist)

Compare to my trike, color is almost the same!

HANK43

[mickier]

WOW you're right - my wife really wanted me to get a BLUE bike - mine's one of the boring dark red ones LOL

I just want a GREAT deal on a bike that runs very well... the color is secondary.