Stupid is what stupid does, or wimper softly and carry a big stick

After finishing some exterior boards for a project i realized that they still needed some dry time as rain was coming that evening so i moved them into the garage placing them on the floor next tot he left side of my RT which was on its center stand and between the riding mower. The next day I was running a bit late for the office and figured I could manage pushing the bike out of the onto the drive from the right side. Seemed weird to address the bike from that side but I managed it well and then the light bulb went on in my dim socket brain...how the hell do you deploy the side stand from the right side of the bike I prolly had done this maneuver in my distant riding past, but it was with a comparable tiny 175 or 250 cc skinny little bike. The mind reeled with visions of bad endings

Now that I trapped myself, my choices were to stand like the frozen Tin Man in The wizard on OZ until someone rescued me, or come up with a plan B right now. So, I thought maybe I can balance the 600 lb beast while leaning over the saddle and deploy the side stand with my left hand which sort of worked. I got it half way deployed with my 32" sleeve length arm and to try to stretch would have my feet loose grip resulting in a belly flop and dropped bike. I do believe there was a few seconds of whimpering at this point while thinking, damn if I only had grabbed a a short stick this would be all done Time for some boldness. I was parallel to a retaining wall so I rolled closer to it, gulped, and wedged one of my feet onto the wall allowing me to stretch over saddle further and get the side stand fully deployed. Whew! Saved my sorry butt! The ride to work was filled with me chuckling in my helmet as I had a silly vision of a character from my youth that got it wrong and always needed his assistant to save him from himself.

Regards,

Clyde Crashcup

Love self-deprecating humor!

Thanks for the laugh!

Sorry it had to be at your expense...

Good save. We need all the help we can get in keeping the beasts from falling over.

Not sure if you were trapped but I have been on the right and just balanced the bike and leaked around and put the side stand down.

I've had that happen. Occasionally, after settling bike onto the Handy lift, I will put the side stand down just in case I lose my balance dismounting.

A few times, I'll start to roll the bike off the lift w/o starting it and the side stand hangs on the lift. Can't go forward as the back wheel is on the down ramp. Can't go backward because tipping the bike to the right far enough to free the side stand is impossible.

Luckily, most times I've had my phone and could call for help.

BDIFS.

Could you get on the bike from the right side?

Been in that situation and can totally relate. Fortunately, I had the wisdom in my youth to choose my parents carefully and got 33" inseams that allowed me to swing a leg over and fix it.

Been stuck on the lift, too, but can't remember how I got out of that one. It's always sumthin. Biggest faux pas (to date) was thinking the side stand was down when I rode it into the shop and got off it. I realized the error when it was past the point of no return and the bike THREW me across the shop. ATGATT saved my sorry butt. Glad no one saw me but wish I had a video of it.

I have a strict policy of never moving the bike from either side of it. They only way I ever move it is seated on the seat. With my feet on or near the ground so as to avoid dropping the bike.

I can see moving a small bike from either side, but nothing large at all.

dc

I feel your pain, i dropped my '04 on the right side one day.

It wasn't until after i picked it up using the "Back to the bike lift with your legs" method did i realize the side stand wasn't down. My only option at that point was to lower it back down and deploy the stand and do it all again.

Luckily there were no wittnesses

Could you get on the bike from the right side?

Oh- geez where is my assistant Leonardo to tell me that!

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alvinfanon/images/7/7d/Clyde_Crashcup_Movie.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120121111521

Actually, I had no confidence of executing that from the right, but that would have been Plan C! Sounds dopey but with the top box and bags on the bike and I was worried I would snag my foot or leg going over and topple the bike. To add to the worry is that my right knee isn't 100% stable and torsional loads are always a worry on that knee (no skiing or racket ball for this old guy!)

I have a strict policy of never moving the bike from either side of it. They only way I ever move it is seated on the seat. With my feet on or near the ground so as to avoid dropping the bike.

I can see moving a small bike from either side, but nothing large at all.

dc

It wasn't possible to do that with the pile of wood on the left side, but I do not prefer that approach to moving any bike regardless of size. That approach can work on solid flat surfaces, but I have had too many issues of my footing slipping while straddling the bike trying to paddle it around. Having worked in a few M/C shops in my youth, with bikes packed in cheek to jowl it now ingrained to move the bike from the side (left side preferably).

Regards

Clyde Crashcup

Biggest faux pas (to date) was thinking the side stand was down when I rode it into the shop and got off it.

Last year, after a long day in the saddle, I pulled into the parking space at my hotel and just got off the bike. Forgot the stand and over she went. As you say, stupid is as stupid does. Fortunately nobody around to see. From previous experience, the "back to the bike lift" got it up without issues.

I needed to put my RT on the lift one day but my Honda 750 Nighthawk was in the way so I moved the Nighthawk out of the way.

While jockeying the RT to line it with the lift it started the slow lean to the right and over she went.........right into the Nighthawk!

I got two for the price of one.

Don't tell anybody,

Ron C.