Sidestands On Motorcycles

[Semper]

What's the reason that the sidestand is mounted on the left side of the bike? Is there a practical advantage of this? What do you guys think?

[David48]

Natural selection ...

[Richard-BKK]

Most people are right-handed, and therefore it feels easier to through the right leg over the bike...

[kaorop]

i wonder why the little rubber safety device is not mandatory but then tit

[noob7]

How do you get on a horse?

[Semper]

How do you get on a horse?

[noob7]

How do you get on a horse?

So you see, that's totally wrong!

Same with the motorcycles and the sidestands on the right!

[VocalNeal]

Because the earth spins anti-clockwise.

Or because Japanese ride on the left so park with the bike leaning towards the kerb to counter act the direction of spin.

[poanoi]

I wonder why the sidestand on my chopper is too short ?

and what to do about it ?

the leaning means it needs almost twice the parking space

[IvanLaw]

I wonder why the sidestand on my chopper is too short ?

and what to do about it ?

the leaning means it needs almost twice the parking space

Change to smaller wheels

Side Stand on left =

Drive on left so when parked, leans away from traffic.

(Unless you park facing oncoming traffic.)

Edited November 7, 2012 by IvanLaw

[karlos]

If you drive on the left-hand side, having the side stand on the same side results in the bike tipping away from the flow of traffic when parked parallel with the curb.

The rest of the world is wrong….. 555

Edited November 7, 2012 by karlos

[JeffreyMcCollum]

So the bikes in the states that drive on the right should in fact ride on the left side ? And the BMWs with the stand on the right side should ride on the right side ?

I am so confused or is everyone just over thinking this ?

[karlos]

LOL, I was just having a laugh with my comment.

I don't know why side-stands are now/have always been on the left handside?

[poanoi]

I wonder why the sidestand on my chopper is too short ?

and what to do about it ?

the leaning means it needs almost twice the parking space

Change to smaller wheels

Side Stand on left =

Drive on left so when parked, leans away from traffic.

(Unless you park facing oncoming traffic.)

Tried that, unwillingly when my mechanic put an inch smaller wheel on the back tire,

with the result that my chopper needed 3500 rpm at 90 km/h,

as opposed to 3000 rpm with the appropriate size.

net result - poor fuel economy

[noob7]

I wonder why the sidestand on my chopper is too short ?

and what to do about it ?

the leaning means it needs almost twice the parking space

Change to smaller wheels

Side Stand on left =

Drive on left so when parked, leans away from traffic.

(Unless you park facing oncoming traffic.)

Tried that, unwillingly when my mechanic put an inch smaller wheel on the back tire,

with the result that my chopper needed 3500 rpm at 90 km/h,

as opposed to 3000 rpm with the appropriate size.

net result - poor fuel economy

try 'not so wide', instead! A balloon tyre will do, I think!

Edited November 8, 2012 by noob7

[BSJ]

Christ, if your not happy with the bl00dy thing lean your bike up against a tree.

[Kwasaki]

? for you " Semper " why the centre stand on some bikes and not others ??

[Spoonman]

It would be a very cheap and easy fabrication job to have your side stand lengthened.

[Semper]

? for you " Semper " why the centre stand on some bikes and not others ??

...weightsaving, better ground clearance, people find the bike too heavy to wrestle it on center stand etc....

[harrry]

On motorcycles which drive on the left side of the road ( the right or correct side ) as in Thailand the advantage of having the stand on the left side is that the bike falls over easier when parked on a steep cambered road. I think it was sabotage by the wrong side type to justify them driving on the wrong side.

[snowflake]

Smple really... We are better with coordinating our left foot with a downward pushing motion... Stronger with our right leg... Easier to hold the bike up? Or just clever Japanese marketing... It's the government, it is a conspiracy...

[harrry]

In truth I think the history is that the brake was on the right side on older motorcycles such as BSA Norton Triumph and even the Enfield Bullet and Mini Bullet which I had the pleasure of riding from India to Europe many years ago. It was the japanes that changed the side I think. The stand on the left side enabled one to lower the stand while stopping the bike moving with the brake.

[noob7]

In truth I think the history is that the brake was on the right side on older motorcycles such as BSA Norton Triumph and even the Enfield Bullet and Mini Bullet which I had the pleasure of riding from India to Europe many years ago. It was the japanes that changed the side I think. The stand on the left side enabled one to lower the stand while stopping the bike moving with the brake.

Japanese changed the brake from the right to the right?

Oh, I remember, on 'older' Guzzi motorcycles, the gearshift was on the right side, the brake on the left.

[harrry]

In truth I think the history is that the brake was on the right side on older motorcycles such as BSA Norton Triumph and even the Enfield Bullet and Mini Bullet which I had the pleasure of riding from India to Europe many years ago. It was the japanes that changed the side I think. The stand on the left side enabled one to lower the stand while stopping the bike moving with the brake.

Japanese changed the brake from the right to the right?

Oh, I remember, on 'older' Guzzi motorcycles, the gearshift was on the right side, the brake on the left.

I think someone reversed the photo Mr Honda copied from.

[noob7]

Smple really... We are better with coordinating our left foot with a downward pushing motion... Stronger with our right leg... Easier to hold the bike up? Or just clever Japanese marketing... It's the government, it is a conspiracy...

Most people are right handed/footed, I thgink, you're right?

And where is the kick starter in the game?

Only scooter have 'em on the left.

Try to kick start a motorcycles, if it is parked on a side stand on the right side. (Ok, try to picture that)

i mean, a motorcycles, not a dream/wave. Maybe a 500cc single cylinder or a Harley twin, without a side stand on the left

Edited November 9, 2012 by noob7

[Lickey]

I Liked your post Harry cos i think youve a little confused,, every brit bike ive ever had the gearchange was right foot,

52 bsa c10l Enfield bullett,norton dominator,triumph t110,Thunderbird, [slickshift] T21, Bsa Lightning, Trident T150v,

it wasnt till the late 60s/early 70s when the jap invasion started did the gearchange and brake moved places, ie, gearchange to the left foot, as far as i know the prop stand has always been on the left,

And the most stupid side stand of all time has to go to Ducati, as soon as you take the weight of the stand it would flick up, the best inovation so far is the side stand that cuts the engine if you try to move off with it down,

[harrry]

I Liked your post Harry cos i think youve a little confused,, every brit bike ive ever had the gearchange was right foot,

52 bsa c10l Enfield bullett,norton dominator,triumph t110,Thunderbird, [slickshift] T21, Bsa Lightning, Trident T150v,

it wasnt till the late 60s/early 70s when the jap invasion started did the gearchange and brake moved places, ie, gearchange to the left foot, as far as i know the prop stand has always been on the left,

And the most stupid side stand of all time has to go to Ducati, as soon as you take the weight of the stand it would flick up, the best inovation so far is the side stand that cuts the engine if you try to move off with it down,

Ooooooos they must be right. I am getting old.

[noob7]

And the most stupid side stand of all time has to go to Ducati, as soon as you take the weight of the stand it would flick up, the best inovation so far is the side stand that cuts the engine if you try to move off with it down,

Not much better was Honda, with the "using the clutch will swing the stand in", on their VFR's, in the 80/90's

I know a couple of people, who had to learn that the painful way!

I think, that was part of the process, changing from the nice working rubber extensions (that I would like to see on waves and other bikes here) to the stand switch/clutch relay circuit.

[Keesters]

I Liked your post Harry cos i think youve a little confused,, every brit bike ive ever had the gearchange was right foot,

52 bsa c10l Enfield bullett,norton dominator,triumph t110,Thunderbird, [slickshift] T21, Bsa Lightning, Trident T150v,

it wasnt till the late 60s/early 70s when the jap invasion started did the gearchange and brake moved places, ie, gearchange to the left foot, as far as i know the prop stand has always been on the left,

And the most stupid side stand of all time has to go to Ducati, as soon as you take the weight of the stand it would flick up, the best inovation so far is the side stand that cuts the engine if you try to move off with it down,

I agree with you, older British bikes like the BSA bantam I had had foot brake and gear change positions the opposite of what we now see. It was confusing in the 60's when my mate and I would swap bikes. He had a Yamaha and it always took us a few gear crunches before we got used to the difference.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Keesters

[fasteddie]

In truth I think the history is that the brake was on the right side on older motorcycles such as BSA Norton Triumph and even the Enfield Bullet and Mini Bullet which I had the pleasure of riding from India to Europe many years ago. It was the japanes that changed the side I think. The stand on the left side enabled one to lower the stand while stopping the bike moving with the brake.

Craziest mixed up post ever, must be a stunt rider from a parallel universe.