GS dodgy sidestand?

[GS_or_bust]

Always leave in first gear and I tend to pull on the handlebar to make sure the suspension is fully relaxed which helps it lean a bit further. My hexhead always seemed to lean almost too far but maybe people complained that it took too much effort to get it off the sidestand.

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

i dont see a particular problem with the side stand but ive had bikes with more robust springs on the side stand and that seem to flick farther forward.

 

[Mozz]

Any incline ( even a little one ) always have the bike facing uphill. That way the weight of the bike is pulling the stand on rather than trying to force it off.

 

[Engineer]

The moral of the story is - take care when parking your motorcycle on either stand - especially if it is a new model that you are not familiar with - always double check, do not assume - assumption is the mother of all cock ups

 

[L'Escargot]

Totally agree,as I'm rather a short arse I have the suspension on lowest setting and am very concerned that one day I'll loose the old girl ! As it is I now always pull the Bars to the right which gives a little more lean to the left.
On uneven ground I have to look for somewhere with an incline to the left otherwise the bike stands up tooooo straight and in my opinion its just waiting to keel over.
As suggested,perhaps a little more forward positioning of the stand or making it shorter would be a big help ! Anyone out there able to shorten the bloody things !!

I have to agree the sidestand is too long IMHO, on the older models some say it was too short, if you put the suspension right up it helps, but thats not good if you struggle with the seat height. When on the Eurotunnel i have to stay with the bike cus its nearly fallen a few time.

 

[Marius in Africa]

Any incline ( even a little one ) always have the bike facing uphill. That way the weight of the bike is pulling the stand on rather than trying to force it off.

Exactly; some people may find this commons sense strange.

 

[MJM]

I am generally very careful, although a little less so when I leave it 10 seconds to open my garage, as I admitted. But even then I check and double check it feels sound beforehand. I still don't feel the bike had any right to drop in the place I parked it. I've done the same with every other bike and not a single hint of a problem. The Multistrada for instance felt much more stable on the side stand.

I think I just have to accept that I have to be ultra careful with the gs, as it does seem to be noticably less stable than I'm used to. Live, learn and adapt seems to be the moral .

Thanks for the replies, I'm enjoying reading the forums - plenty of great info for a new gser☺.

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

'The side stand is a bit long' was the very first thing I thought when I first sat on the GSA(LC). It's not enough to put me off but still disconcerting.

AKS Engineering's SideKicker make a very good adjustable side stand, it's a bit spendy at $350 but if the stock stand is a real problem it's worth considering.

 

[Fluffmeister]

I always stop in gear ..... anywhere. In fact I normally kill the bike by putting my side stand down.

Same here, normally always just kick the stand down in first gear and all is well. Apart from that time I used the kill switch

 

[matchbox]

Unfortunately the Sidekicker is not available for lowered GS. Great product though!

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

Unfortunately the Sidekicker is not available for lowered GS. Great product though!

True but if you contact them they might bespoke you one, can't see it being that much of a problem. I got a good vibe from them over at ADVrider when they first pioneered the idea. I was going to get one for my F800 GS when it's side stand bent but ended up getting a stock replacement as they were not ready by the time I went travelling.

 

[BrokenPaw]

Too Long!

True but if you contact them they might bespoke you one, can't see it being that much of a problem. I got a good vibe from them over at ADVrider when they first pioneered the idea. I was going to get one for my F800 GS when it's side stand bent but ended up getting a stock replacement as they were not ready by the time I went travelling.

Nice bit of kit, but the problem I find is that the side stand is too long. When I looked at the web site, it appeared to show that it could be extended from the OE length to OE plus 3 inches. Maybe I misunderstood.

 

[Deleted account 181015003]

The stand on the LC is known to fold on the slighted incline piss poor design and catches a lot of people out you should always carry a 3 ft spirit level to check its not slightly down hill if you buy this bike its a known issue and only effects the LC this is why it catches out people who have had other bikes including the older models but the manufacturer and many on here will just say always park in gear on this bike so its a user error as far as they are concerned.

No doubt a improved design stand will be released in a few years to a updated model to fix the problem that nobody admits exists in true BWM fashion

 

[pistole]

not so in my experience.

if your bike rolls of its sidestand , its YOUR fault.

personal responsibility is tough

 

[Deleted account 181015003]

Depends how you look at it 100 bikes park up and 2 are LCs they roll off the stands the other 98 different models dont is it user error or piss poor design

 

[Engineer]

The stand on the LC is known to fold on the slighted incline piss poor design and catches a lot of people out you should always carry a 3 ft spirit level to check its not slightly down hill if you buy this bike its a known issue and only effects the LC this is why it catches out people who have had other bikes including the older models but the manufacturer and many on here will just say always park in gear on this bike so its a user error as far as they are concerned.

No doubt a improved design stand will be released in a few years to a updated model to fix the problem that nobody admits exists in true BWM fashion

Done over 11,000 miles on my two LCs and haven't given the side-stand a more than a moments second thought - I am just careful where I park and make sure the stand is fully forward, just like I have done with every bike I've owned.

After I park my GS on the side stand, I walk around the back of it and give the carrier a tug backwards, just to make sure the stand is fully in place - also it goes without saying, never park a bike on even a slight down slope.

 

[Fluffmeister]

Depends how you look at it 100 bikes park up and 2 are LCs they roll off the stands the other 98 different models dont is it user error or piss poor design

It's a piss poor design that's easy to mitigate for by a bit of user diligence??.

I'm a critic of BMW on "gripgate", but they can't be blamed for people taking a lack of responsibility, parking 250 odd KG of £14k motorcycle on a slight incline WITHOUT checking it's in gear or the stand has fully extended.

 

[tanneman]

The side stand is up when you are on the move so mileage is irrelevant. It is the place where you park that is more important. When on tour or travelling to some unknown location then it is more important to be able to trust and know the capabilities of the bike and yourself. There is is slight decline in front of the garage but not where I park the car. So guess what happened one night when I came home from the club. Luckily I was standing next to it and caught it just in time. I'm very much convinced that my 09 plate GSA wouldn't have rolled of the side stand. We have take into account that the thing is now 8kg heavier (in case of the GSA) so a lot more potential to roll on a slight decline.

For those that are a bit worried then a stronger spring may be able to solve the issue or maybe BMW have noticed this and the design will be changed for 2016 or 2018. Maybe in time for the variable valve timing engine

 

[Davel]

I use the side stand with a camel toe fitted.

I always check before climbing off that I'm happy with where it's parked up and avoid facing downhill.

Leaving in first gear is good advice.

It's a very heavy bike to try and stop from rolling or falling.

 

[DaveTez]

It happened to me 3 weeks ago, very embarrassing so I didn't want to mention it anywhere !

The bike was fully loaded, two aluminium panniers and a big tailpack on the luggage rack behind the pillion seat.

I stood on the left foot peg and swung my right leg over the top of the tail pack and the bike tipped over onto its side.

It was facing up hill on a slight incline and in first gear.

New hand guard needed. Panniers and engine crash bars saved the rest.

Very embarrassing - the neighbours were watching as I'd just removed the baffles from my end can

Confused as to which way the bike fell, did the stand fail causing the bike to land on the left side or did it topple over onto the right side?
I've had a bike roll forwards off the stand (downhill engine running, opening a farm gate) but seems unusual for a bike to come off its stand facing uphill.
I always mount my bike using the left foot peg as a step (you aren't supposed to!)
I also fitted a larger Wunderlich stand foot which works well to spread the load (rather than carry one of those plastic ones)