Dropped my R1200RT from off the center stand

[Derek D]

Long of the short: I wish I had used a different method to take my R1200RT off the center stand while on a slight bump/slope parked next to two other scooters. I knocked them down as my bike fell over in a freak parking accident.

 

Ugh. My back is sore, my ego is bruised and my wallet is going to hurt. At work outside our building the parking is pretty tight for motorcycles and I typically take my Ninja 650 because of that. But I had a lot of stuff to bring to work yesterday, so I rode my brand new R1200RT - only 1200 miles on it so far.

 

I normally put the bike up on the center stand on a flat surface amongst the scooters and bikes when I do take this to work. To get it down, I sit on it and roll it forward. This time though, I parked in the spot furthest to the right of the other bikes which has a slight incline, causing the bike to lean a little more to the left. I put it on the center stand, no problem.

 

When I went to roll it off the stand, I forgot about the incline. As the RT came forward and down, the bike went sideways and down. It took 2 other people to help me right the bike (again, this little incline is like a bump that goes up at an angle, it's a pain).

 

The only visible damage to the RT is scratches on the engine, a little scratch on the left mirror, a tiny scratch on the front fender. However, since the bike was down and over and on an incline it may have pushed hard on the clutch lever, which isn't bent, but the shifting/gearbox in first seemed a little tricky after the bike was over. When I went to pull away the engine seemed to sputter/miss and I needed to give it a little more gas in first to keep it from stalling, so I figure fuel may have gotten in the wrong place and had to clear. It rode home okay.

 

The WORST part of the ordeal was that my 560 lb bike knocked down a vespa next to me and dominoed into another old vespa. The one next to me had all of its panels and top-box scraped up bad. The second one down snapped off parts. Unbelievably this is what upset me the most. I had someone knock over my Ninja once and not even leave a note, people just get away with things when there's no witnesses. I couldn't do that to another rider. I left contact info and notes and righted the bikes. Also, while I was doing that a friend of one of the owners was walking by so I was able to get at least one name. She works in my building, but no luck finding her.

 

/sigh

 

I still haven't received a phone call this morning from anyone and the waiting is killing me more than anything.

 

Thinking about the whole center stand thing, getting it on the stand isn't a problem. In this situation, I don't know how I should have taken it off the stand. There's a method to do it while standing next to the bike but it's not obvious to me. Talk about feeling intimidated now. So I'm going out to the garage for an hour to practice taking it down while standing next to it.

 

Thanks for reading, if you have any great advice about taking a big bike OFF the stand, without sitting on it, let me know!

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Stand on left side of the bike.

Push forward with the bars SLIGHTLY turned to the right.

The bike will lean into you a bit as it comes off the stand.

Pull lightly on the front brake just as the bike comes over center off the stand to keep it from running away from you.

Alternative is to put it in gear and push on the bars with the clutch pulled in. Release clutch as above.

[Bullett]

I stand on the left side of the bike and turn the front wheel slightly to the right. I also usually have the side stand down. Whether the have the side stand up or down seems to be a disputed issue. If the side stand hits the ground, it can force the bike over to the right and down. It sounds like the uneven ground did you in.

 

Being short and slight, I rarely use the center stand in a crowd of bikes. But we do park our bikes on the center stands in the garage to save space. So far, so good. . .

 

You did the right thing to leave a note.

[Indy Dave]

sorry to hear of your mishap. I always take mine off by standing on the left side and grabbing the grab handle next to the pylon seat, and with the side stand down, handle bars slightly right and go forward, covering the front brake. I keep the side stand down in case things go wrong, I can pull the bike towards me and brake and set the bike on the side stand. On the other hand, it might be a relief that you've got your first scratch out of the way and you can now quit worrying about it.

[upflying]

Years of riding with only a side stand means I only drop the center stand for servicing and washing.

I do however sit on mine when retracting the center landing gear. I heard some riders start up and ride off.

Sorry for the mishap.

[Michaelr11]

At a safety course taught by motor officers I was told that the bike is never in neutral from the time it leaves the garage until it returns to the garage. When I'm out, I put the sidestand down with the bike in 1st gear which shuts it off - leave it on the side stand and then pull in the clutch when ready to start again. When it's on the centerstand, the side stand is also down so I can get my leg over without need to balance it. It's also in gear so that when it comes down off the centerstand it only rolls a few inches then the motor/gears stop the forward motion. This works for me. Sorry to hear about your spill.

[BerndM]

What a shitty thing to have happen to you and the 3 bikes. At least nobody got hurt physically.

With regard to getting the bike off the CS, I have actually seen a rider come out to his R1200GS which he had on the CS. He suited up and proceeded to put down the sidestand. He then pulled the bike off the CS as mentioned by a couple of guys above but here's the bad part of that deal.

As the bike came down off the CS, everything was perfect UNTIL the sidestand came right down on top of his left foot!!!!

I swear I could hear a toe or foot bone snap! He let out quite a scream of pain and almost threw the bike over on its right side. Luckily he stopped it from going over in time even with all the pain.

Ever since then, if I pull my bike off the CS while standing next to it, I don't put the sidestand down until I have it on the wheels.

Regards

Bernd

 

Lesson learned here for sure.

[woodscrew]

Derek,

I feel your pain. I had just finished putting my perfectly finished(black) police radio box on my'99 RT. I went to get it down off the centerstand while standing on the left side, with limited space forward, and some woodworking machinery close by to the right.As soon as it came down I hit the front brake, lost the bike to the right where my beautiful black box slammed into the cast iron table of my shaper and scraped about 3" of black paint right down to the white plastic.When I was done crying, I went to the dealer, bought a pair of big, matching roundels, covered the damaged side and matched the other side. Since then I have never gotten off the centerstand unless I am sitting on the bike with the side stand down and the bars cocked slightly to the right.I haven't screwed up in six years this way(knock wood). Woodscrew

[Username]

I (like many who have posted already) take mine off the CS when standing beside it. I don't like doing that while sitting on the bike, as I worry about secure footing. I usually have the sidestand down just in case. I'm not confident enough to try driving it off the stand. As mentioned above, I guess it's better to always leave the bike in gear too. I tend to park mine in neutral, but that's probably asking for trouble.

Sorry about your mishap. Very unfortunate.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Derek,

I do it like you do and always have when riding away. Thousands of on and offs and only one or two tippy incidents that, if I was not on the bike and not on the correct side, would have gone badly.

 

I do note exactly how the bike is going up on the CS and whether it is off center due to the ground or a divot. I'll actually move it to avoid that.

 

In the garage, if I have to move the bike, I do it not on the bike from the left side.

 

All that said, I do have pause over what I do versus why I've had two CS's break (K100RS and the RT) resulting in the bike falling on the right side. I believe it is from sitting/lounging on the bike when on the CS. This would include loading the seat prior to pushing the bike off the CS. So, I avoid putting my load onto the CS.

 

best wishes, sorry to hear about your dump.

[Indy Dave]

Probably obvious - I cover the clutch, with bike in gear - not the brake. As noted, it's not fool proof. Mindful positioning of your feet in important. It's also possible that one could pull the bike down onto the side stand with too much speed and force the side stand up. I'm not tall enough to roll it off the center stand competently.

[Skywagon]

Mine is an 1150 so not sure how the 1200 works, but I always park mine on the center stand and I ride it off 90% of the time.

 

I don't understand these posts about cocking the bars to the right. Why do you do that vs.s leaving them staight? Seems like it would create inertia to go forward, by an immediate need to turn. Just curious.. Think I'll go to the garage and try it.

 

Oh by the way...sorry about your loss(es) and glad you did the honorable thing.

[upflying]

 

I don't understand these posts about cocking the bars to the right. Why do you do that vs.s leaving them staight?

Tweeking the bars to the right makes the bike fall to the left as it comes down off the center stand. You are standing on the left to catch the bike as opposed to the right where it will continue to fall over.

[Selden]

At age 65 (almost), 155 pounds, 5' 7" an RT is a handful for me. I've lost it once hoisting onto the centerstand (lost my commitment halfway into the lift), and I have had one tip coming of the centerstand -- in gear, on a slight slope to the left. It may be mental, but I just don't have the confidence to pull it off the centerstand while standing to the left, and I always climb aboard first. Covering the clutch is excellent advice.

 

These are big bikes, and zero speed incidents can/will happen. They are especially embarrassing with witnesses, even worse if you tip someone else's bike in the process. I'm not yet ready to switch to a three-wheeler.

[Lawman]

I'm not yet ready to switch to a three-wheeler.

 

Me either but I test rode two Can Am Spyders last week..(one sport model and one touring model). They are a real hoot so if I live until I am ready to switch I think I can still have a lot of fun..

[TEWKS]

I'm not yet ready to switch to a three-wheeler.

 

Me either but I test rode two Can Am Spyders last week

 

+ 1 to the me either part!

 

Down the road though, I think the RT version and this little camp trailer would be a nice way to vacation!

Little Guy Trailers

 

 

Pat

[Mister Tee]

I am of the camp that the center stand is a maintenance tool, not a routine parking tool. Using the center stand for tight parking quarters works great on a Vespa but it can be real iffy on a 560+ lb bike. Probably best to just ride it off the stand rather than try to finess it in tight quarters.

[Penforhire]

Sorry to hear the mishap. Good on you for being a stand-up guy.

 

As some others said, I tend to put the side stand down before I rock it off the center stand.

[Captainnice]

Sorry to hear about your tipover. My wife always tells me, "If that's the worst thing that happens to you, consider yourself lucky". You did the right thing by leaving the note. Good on you..

[Gordon S]

How does one "ride off" the center stand? When I put my bike up, the rear wheel is an inch or so off the ground. I climb on then take the bike off the stand, but at 5'-8", I tend to rock it off since I cannot get a foot down.

[OoPEZoO]

How does one "ride off" the center stand? When I put my bike up, the rear wheel is an inch or so off the ground. I climb on then take the bike off the stand, but at 5'-8", I tend to rock it off since I cannot get a foot down.

 

I've seen guys do it, but it honestly give me the willies. If you put any weight on the seat, the bike should rock backwards giving the rear wheel traction......then I guess you just give it a little gas and ride away. To me it seems dangerous as hell, but I know some guys that refuse to do it any other way.

 

Personally, I just straddle the bike and give it a little push, but thats easy to say and do with a long inseam. Not sure about a better solution for the vertically challenged.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I've seen guys do it, but it honestly give me the willies. If you put any weight on the seat, the bike should rock backwards giving the rear wheel traction......then I guess you just give it a little gas and ride away. To me it seems dangerous as hell, but I know some guys that refuse to do it any other way.

 

On my 1100RT I could power off of the stand if I had weight in the sidecases; without that, there just wasn't enough downforce on the rear wheel to provide adequate traction. When powering off of the stand, it was easy enough to continue accelerating after the bike comes down onto both tires. I only did this on level pavement though; if things were crooked, I would use the engine only to get the bike off of the stand, with my feet ready to contact the ground, and my right hand squeezing the front brake lever to have the bike stop as soon as it touched down.

 

On my 1200RT, the rear wheel really doesn't want to touch the ground at all, even with the sidecases loaded. Powering off of the stand isn't really practical with this bike - but I'll still occasionally rock it off of the stand and then accelerate away without my feet ever having touched the ground.

[NeilCW]

On my 1150RT, I have never stood next to it to take it off the center stand. I always get on the bike first, and the side stand is always down as well as that is how I park it, side stand down then up on the center stand. Just a small push forward then pull the front brake and I am in balance.

 

My thinking is my legs are much stronger than my arms so I trust this method

[mrduck]

How does one "ride off" the center stand? When I put my bike up, the rear wheel is an inch or so off the ground. I climb on then take the bike off the stand, but at 5'-8", I tend to rock it off since I cannot get a foot down.

 

 

Nuthin' to it, do that all the time. Mostly to impress the Harley guys I work with! (saw Jamie do this in Death Valley)

Real scary the first time I tried it, then figured out how EZ this is.

 

Butt towards the rear of the seat, let the clutch out and at the same time a little rock forward. BUT- this is the important part- as soon as the bike rocks forward, pull the clutch back in! When you land straight, then feed the clutch back out and ride away! Go find an open parking lot, try this with your feet out to balance yourself at first. I'm 5'8 and short legged too...

 

 

 

Don J

[DoctorC]

I know I am going to catch heat for this... when I use the center stand outside my garage, I usually get on the bike and rock it forward off the center stand... OK... give me flak... never too old to learn...! Oh yes, I do have cylinder head protectors... as my favorite place to tip seems to be in the driveway (damn hoses keep snagging my side stand).

[Gordon S]

Thanks, sounds more like the way I do things now -- rock it off when I'm sitting on the bike, but you just keep going...

 

Actually I could no-kidding ride away off my Harley center stand (aftermarket) since it left the rear wheel pretty much in contact with the ground. But even the slightest uneven pavement would let the tire burn rubber.

[Quinn]

I've ridden mine off the centerstand when it's pointed uphill and I can muster enough umph straddling it to bump it off. Just shift my weight onto back wheel so it doesn't lose traction and pop the clutch lever out and back in with feet splayed out as pontoons.

 

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