For want of a circlip

[mylovelyhorse]

I very rarely use the side stand on my 1999 R1150GS - it just seems like too much weight leaning over too far for me. Plus I find it easier to push the bike off the centre stand and mount than get on and hoik it up from the angle the side stand leaves it at.

Imagine my surprise a few weeks back when I actually did use the side stand and the bike leant further than expected.

Investigation revealed that the tiny circlip holding the 'big penny' washer on over the side stand switch had given up the ghost. That let the washer fall. When I put the bike on the side stand, that spread the claw at the top of the side stand itself, leaving the bike leaning more than it should.

I am still deciding whether I shall make fitting a side stand replacement an urgent item or not. Still, it's amazing what can happen as a result of a truly tiny circlip dying.

Check 'em, folks

 

[MattW]

I once rebuilt a Suzuki GS1000 gearbox and when it was all back together found a circlip stuck to the end of a magnetic screwdriver on my workbench.

Despite trying really hard to convince myself that it wasn't from the gearbox I took it all to bits again. Turned out the circlip was from the gear pedal linkage

 

[Canuck]

I once rebuilt a Suzuki GS1000 gearbox and when it was all back together found a circlip stuck to the end of a magnetic screwdriver on my workbench.

Despite trying really hard to convince myself that it wasn't from the gearbox I took it all to bits again. Turned out the circlip was from the gear pedal linkage

Reading your recent posts I had an idea that you were a tinkerer!!!

 

[ducatiparts.110mb]

Despite trying really hard to convince myself that it wasn't from the gearbox I took it all to bits again. Turned out the circlip was from the gear pedal linkage

Your not alone - I had the gear selector out of not one but two Ducati's as the mechanism was getting stiff and I was imagining burrs on the pawls. In both cases it the problem went away when I lubed the ball joints on the gear pedal.

Maybe we need a thread for silly pointless work we've done on our bikes to reassure us that we're not the only ones