Leaving the bike on sidestand

[jplums]

I have a 2013 90th Anniversary RT, and very happy I am with it. A guy I work with who has ridden GS's for many moons, has told me that I should try to leave my bike on centre stand whenever possible, as the air cooled engines were known for having problems with one cylinder when the bikes were left on side stand all the time due to the oil draining away from the cylinder which was opposite the side stand - does anybody have any experience of this, or was it a problem which has subsequently been sorted?
I only ask, as I really think this bike will be a keeper for me and I want to guard against any long term problems if possible.

Apologies if this has previously been covered on a thread - I did look and haven't seen anything as yet.

Thanks for any replies,

Johnny.

 

[richardbd]

new one on me...

 

[RedRick Esq.]

I think that there were some issues around leaving them running whilst on the side stand or at least doing the warming it up thing when on the side stand whilst you get all your clobber on.

It could just be urban myth though

 

[Neil W]

On the 1150's if you parked up the bike hot and left it overnight or longer they would blow a bit of burnt off oil when started up, my 1200 TC did it but nowhere near as bad. It is caused not by oil draining away from the pot opposite the stand (ie the high side) it was more a case of the oil from he low side weeping past the rings into the combustion chamber.

On a 1200 WC it will also do it but only if the bike is left on the sidestand for a couple of months or over the winter and not used then it blows out a load of crap when it burns off the oil.

Easier to leave it on the centre stand where possible

 

[DC]

it does make sense TBH….but i think its an urban Myth …it would be a design fault and if it was they wouldn't put a side stand on the machine for the reason you state

 

[Deleted account 180524001]

https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/2wn8vr/idling_on_the_side_stand_taboo_or_no_big_deal/

 

[oddshapedballs]

What a load of shite, I'm on my 4th GS and all 4 were/are in the garage on the side stand hot or cold, I've never thought of putting the bike on the centre stand to start it or to move the fucking oil around.

 

[ymfb]

If it was a major issue, I'm sure we would be warned in the O & M. I have heard of this before but have not worried about it because the dealer has not mentioned it, but you could always ask your servicing dealer what they think.it.

 

[dicktheleg]

My first ever GS back in 1996 blew the left hand head gasket, I always suspected that was due to using the side stand but I've never had problems since.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

My 06 GSA did it once just before the first 600 mile service. It had been parked up for 1 hour

There was that much blue smoke coming out of the exhaust on start up I thought it had eaten a valve and my poor mate near shat himself

It only ever did it the once and never since despite being always left parked on the sidestand

 

[Noddy]

My first R80/GS dropped two exhaust valves through the piston in 18 years of ownership. Both were on the left hand cylinder. I didn't have a centre stand so it was always parked on the side stand, or against a wall.

Used to get my parts from Moto/bins/works and they always said that the fault was due to the oil draining into the downward cylinder and causing a strain on the valves as they cleared the excess oil on start up.

 

[flatdog]

I NEVER EVER......leave my 1150 on it's side stand.


Don't know why, but thats the way I prefer it.

 

[jplums]

Thanks for the replies everyone - I think I'll carry on as before,

Johnny.

 

[Fagin]

My 06 GSA did it once just before the first 600 mile service. It had been parked up for 1 hour

There was that much blue smoke coming out of the exhaust on start up I thought it had eaten a valve and my poor mate near shat himself

It only ever did it the once and never since despite being always left parked on the sidestand

I have recently got a 2016 R1200GS TE Triple Black and mine did exactly the same as your 06 GSA but mine had been on the side stand overnight and the smoke cleared within a few seconds and that was just before it's first service too???

 

[basingstokesteve]

I thought it was good practice to leave any bike on a centre stand if it has one i understood it was better on the suspension???? more so over long periods not just when you park it up to get yourself a fry up or fish n chips (mind they are not healthy for your suspension)

 

[Deleted account 181015003]

There will always be a risk of some oil getting in the combustion chamber of a boxer engine if its on the side stand.
When on the side stand the left cylinder combustion chamber is lower than the crank end of the barrel and any oil on the piston and bore will run down hill with gravity the rings will eventually let some past and the bike will burn it off when started.

For this reason its good practice to use the full stand but unless the rings or bores are well worn the amount of oil will be very small and a puff of smoke on start up is the only effect it will have.

Its a bit like an empty oil can you use all the oil put the empty down 10 mins later there is a drop in the bottom

The bore is coated in oil the piston oil control rings gudgeon pin and little end are coated in oil its settles at the lowest point

 

[spr_rt]

My K100RS did this when left on the side-stand and it had 4 cyclinders instead of 1, so some mornings could be quite smoky - until I realised it didn't do it when left on the centre-stand and that became the 'norm' !

 

[dudgeman]

I used to leave my 2001 1150 on its side stand..then one day it smoked like hell on start up...from then on whenever I left it on its side stand (rarely) it used to puff first thing in the morning..If left on the centre stand it never did it. This happened between 25000 miles and 75000 ..so a decent amount of time. Interestingly the rt cylinder always sounded like a bag of bolts compared to the left..Oil stavation problem or just coincidence?? I'm not sure!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

I think the OP is referring to the few instances when a couple of 1200's have burnt valves in the RH pot.

One or two people thought this may have caused it but nothing was proved.

 

[mikeyboy]

If you look at the design of the 1200 internals,there are suggestions,and I personally subscribe to this,
Ifthe bike is left running on the side stand the oil will not drain from the l/h cylinder head down the camchain tunnel(as it only drains though gravity)
And will collect.
The oil is supposed to also drain through a reed valve which is over to the r/h side of the engine upper crankcase
This can lead to a large amount of oil building up in the cam cover and l/h side of the upper crankcase,causing the oil pump to cavitate and the oil pressure to start fluctuating,
This will only occur if the oil level is low and if the bike were parked on a camber ,
Some of you may shout "that's rubbish" but take a look for yourself ,park the bike kerbside and look from the front of the bike.
The amount of oil that would collect in the camcover,under the piston and other internal voids could be quite substantial,so as a matter of course I never run customers bikes on the side stand .
My attention was first raised to this by Steve scrim who was rebuilding an engine for a dealer ,the bike belonged to an instructor who regularly left the bike running,parked roadside whilst talking to students.it had knocked the big ends out twice.
The dealer was at a loss as to why it had bollixed a replacement engine.
He fitted an oil pressure gauge to the engine once rebuilt and leaned it over,sure enough after a short while the oil pressure started to drop after the pump started dragging air.
Your bike your choice, but Steve rarely talks shite
Mike