Parking on a hill...how to?

[bmwdude]

I have never had to park my RT or previous bikes on a rather steep hill. Tomorrow will be the first time. Any pointers for my first time? I want to keep it up.

[Boffin]

I have never had to park my RT or previous bikes on a rather steep hill. Tomorrow will be the first time. Any pointers for my first time? I want to keep it up.

 

Point the bike uphill with the left side slightly downslope. Stop with the bike in first gear and lower the sidestand to stop the engine. Allow the bike to gently roll back until compression stops it then put it on the sidestand and dismount.

 

To re-start: Switch on ignition and allow the brakes to intialise then apply front brake. With the brake still on, raise sidestand and pull in clutch. Start the engine and ride off.

 

Andy

[bmwdude]

Sounds good. However, when I shut off the bike, it is in first. When I start it up, it will be in first still so I will need to start the bike and pull the clutch in, right? ...never done this...just have left it in neutral...hills, um...gravity...um.

[Bonkorama]

I too have to do this sometimes. Since my Side stand leans my bike to the left pretty severely, I use the centerstand. I don't put my rear wheel to the curb, as it creates a dangerous lean angle. I simply parallel park the bike on the hill on the center stand. Since I'm good at getting the bike off the center stand while on the seat, I do it after I've mounted it and the engine running.

I'll state the obvious (since it's my specialty) but the bike is pointing front wheel UP the incline.

ps; I use this technique on STEEP hills,on small inclines, i do what the other posters do. sidestand, and 1st gear.

[Francois_Dumas]

I thought it was common practice to ALWAYS pull/press the clutch when starting an engine.... at least that's how I have done it for the past 40 years or so....

 

It reduces the risk of accidentally MOVING while starting and not counting on it, preventing you from hitting somebody/something, or driving off into a canal or abyss

It also reduces the risk of 'grinding' your cog wheels when it would shoot out of neutral (because of vibrations or not being fully in neutral) into one of the gears.

 

For all of you 'automatics' out there, it is the same as keeping your brakes applied when starting (which I ALSO do) !

[kcscout]

My bike(s) wouldn't start unless I pulled the clutch in.

 

One thing I've learned about curb parking is that if the bike gets into the gutter(that space between the curb and street) it makes for tricky mount/dismount. The wheels ended up lower than the sidestand and the bike wanted to fall to the right side when I tried to lean it far enough to raise the sidestand.

[Bill_Walker]

So, Bonk, do you drive it off the centerstand? I can't fathom any other way to get a fully-loaded RT off the centerstand when it's pointed up a steep hill. If you're going to drive it off, well, the hill helps you get more weight (and thus traction) on the rear, but you'd better hope the parking spot isn't too oily.

 

Count me in the "point it nearly straight up the hill, let compression hold it in first gear and use the sidestand" camp.

 

Takeoff steps are then:

 

0) Get on bike, leaving it on the sidestand.

 

1) Turn key to "ON" position, kill switch in RUN if it isn't already, and touch nothing else. Wait for ABS to initialize (flashing light to go from fast blink to slow blink).

 

2) Hold front brake.

 

3) Raise bike off sidestand and retract sidestand.

 

4) Pull in clutch, start engine.

 

5) More-or-less simultaneously release clutch, add throttle, release front brake (just as you would for any uphill start from a stop). Oh, and do check for traffic!

 

Step 3 could come before step 1, but it's easier to remember to NOT pull in the clutch until you're holding the brake if the bike is still on the stand, IMHO.

[blackyam]

Great advice. But after step 3 ("Raise bike off sidestand and retract sidestand"), why not switch from the front brake to the rear brake? Thanks.

[Boffin]

Great advice. But after step 3 ("Raise bike off sidestand and retract sidestand"), why not switch from the front brake to the rear brake? Thanks.

 

On the RT the linked brakes mean both brakes are on and it is easier to balance the bike with both feet on the ground. On a bike with no linking, using the back brake would hold the bike better, though it would take a really steep hill to make a big difference.

 

Andy

[flars]

On the 1100RS, I just lay the bike down on its side. This also allows you to use the jug to help spin it around in case someone parks too close to you.

[wrestleantares]

Remember though:

 

If you back the rear tire against a curb, it can be difficult to get the bike straight again.

 

Learned that lesson the hard way.

[kcscout]

I have never had to park my RT or previous bikes on a rather steep hill. Tomorrow will be the first time. Any pointers for my first time? I want to keep it up.

So... how'd it go?

[bmwdude]

It was a smashing success. The bike stayed where I left it though as I was leaving it parked on the hillside, I did look back as if it were a toddler going to preschool for the first time. No problems. Thanks to all for the support. Maybe I should go to San Francisco and practice some more, too!

[Bonkorama]

yeah Bill, I ride it off the centerstand. There is a hill at one of the TV studios I have to park at here in Los Angeles that it you were to put your bike on the side stand it would fall on its side and slide about 1000 feet down to the guard shack. Its a man-made thing. Very steep.

[notacop]

Parking on inclines is a real bother. I spained my right wrist last Wed on a trip while trying that manouver. Find the most flatest spots and be cautious. I'm still using a wrist brace for a while.

This could really ruin a trip!

[AviP]

On the 1100RS, I just lay the bike down on its side. This also allows you to use the jug to help spin it around in case someone parks too close to you.

Don't listen to him. Park facing downhill for a quick getaway.

[billp]

My advise is not to drop it.

 

Bill P

[shatzbot10]

OK. I think I've got the general idea for parking going UP hill. Whatabout advice DOWN hill? Anyone?

[Boffin]

OK. I think I've got the general idea for parking going UP hill. Whatabout advice DOWN hill? Anyone?

 

Don't. Turn the bike round and park uphill, parking downhill is a recipe for the bike rolling off its stand.

[Bill_Walker]

OK. I think I've got the general idea for parking going UP hill. Whatabout advice DOWN hill? Anyone?

 

Don't. Turn the bike round and park uphill, parking downhill is a recipe for the bike rolling off its stand.

 

Agreed! However, if, for some reason I can't imagine, you find it absolutely unavoidable, make darn sure you have the bike in first gear, and make darn sure you let it roll forward against engine braking _before_ you put down the sidestand. And don't even think about using the centerstand when you're facing downhill.

[Green RT]

I would agree: Don't park facing downhill ever. Also be careful about pulling forward into a space that is downhill even if the space itself is level. You may find it impossible to back up the incline out of it. One of the things that experience with motorcycles teaches you is to think about a lot of things that never cross a car driver's mind.

 

A couple of days ago in Ohio I found myself riding in a nasty thunderstorm. Torrential downpour, thunder and lightning right on top of me, zero visibility. I pulled off into a rural neighborhood and was looking for good place to wait out the storm. One of the local residents motioned for me to pull into his garage (the kindness of strangers is great to behold). His garage was at the bottom of a sloping driveway. With all of the rain I could barely see what I was doing, but I didn't see how I would ever get out of his garage if I pulled in forward. So I rode halfway down the driveway then turned around and backed into the garage. It was a challenge because he had a couple of drainage ditches that were a pain to back over with my heavily loaded RT. This was in the middle of a two week, 5000 mile road trip. But I finally got it into the garage. When the storm let up it was easy to get out.