Vertical Parking
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"Utopian Overlord"
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,180
Likes: 1
From: Union, Mississippi
Vertical Parking
I recently read a post where a bike fell over onto its right-hand side while parked. Lots of incredulous responders questioned how on Earth a bike can fall over to the right when it's parked on its jiffy stand.
I once saw a Sporty nearly topple over to the right at a PGR event. We were manning the flag line at a small rural church and had to park in the adjoining grave yard. The ground was deceptively sloping and uneven. This biker pulls in next to me and pops down the stand and starts to get off. Then his bike (in neutral) slid backward slightly and forced the kickstand into a critically vertical position. Luckily, he caught it in time.
Verticality is something for which I was SEVERELY browbeaten one sunny afternoon by our local bike builder, Mophead. He pointed out that when the bike is parked on a slope and sits too vertical, all that is required to make it fall over to the right is a curious six-year old boy standing on the foot peg to get a better look.
The potential for tragedy was made obvious to me (Mop is a very focused grandfather), and the attraction of a motorcycle to young boys is always foremost in my mind when I park at Lowe's or Walmart.
I once saw a Sporty nearly topple over to the right at a PGR event. We were manning the flag line at a small rural church and had to park in the adjoining grave yard. The ground was deceptively sloping and uneven. This biker pulls in next to me and pops down the stand and starts to get off. Then his bike (in neutral) slid backward slightly and forced the kickstand into a critically vertical position. Luckily, he caught it in time.
Verticality is something for which I was SEVERELY browbeaten one sunny afternoon by our local bike builder, Mophead. He pointed out that when the bike is parked on a slope and sits too vertical, all that is required to make it fall over to the right is a curious six-year old boy standing on the foot peg to get a better look.
The potential for tragedy was made obvious to me (Mop is a very focused grandfather), and the attraction of a motorcycle to young boys is always foremost in my mind when I park at Lowe's or Walmart.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,551
Likes: 22
From: Jacksonville Beach, FL.
...I was SEVERELY browbeaten one sunny afternoon by our local bike builder, Mophead. He pointed out that when the bike is parked on a slope and sits too vertical, all that is required to make it fall over to the right is a curious six-year old boy standing on the foot peg to get a better look.
The potential for tragedy was made obvious to me.
The potential for tragedy was made obvious to me.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
From: Vermont
I recently read a post where a bike fell over onto its right-hand side while parked. Lots of incredulous responders questioned how on Earth a bike can fall over to the right when it's parked on its jiffy stand.
I once saw a Sporty nearly topple over to the right at a PGR event. We were manning the flag line at a small rural church and had to park in the adjoining grave yard. The ground was deceptively sloping and uneven. This biker pulls in next to me and pops down the stand and starts to get off. Then his bike (in neutral) slid backward slightly and forced the kickstand into a critically vertical position. Luckily, he caught it in time.
Verticality is something for which I was SEVERELY browbeaten one sunny afternoon by our local bike builder, Mophead. He pointed out that when the bike is parked on a slope and sits too vertical, all that is required to make it fall over to the right is a curious six-year old boy standing on the foot peg to get a better look.
The potential for tragedy was made obvious to me (Mop is a very focused grandfather), and the attraction of a motorcycle to young boys is always foremost in my mind when I park at Lowe's or Walmart.
I once saw a Sporty nearly topple over to the right at a PGR event. We were manning the flag line at a small rural church and had to park in the adjoining grave yard. The ground was deceptively sloping and uneven. This biker pulls in next to me and pops down the stand and starts to get off. Then his bike (in neutral) slid backward slightly and forced the kickstand into a critically vertical position. Luckily, he caught it in time.
Verticality is something for which I was SEVERELY browbeaten one sunny afternoon by our local bike builder, Mophead. He pointed out that when the bike is parked on a slope and sits too vertical, all that is required to make it fall over to the right is a curious six-year old boy standing on the foot peg to get a better look.
The potential for tragedy was made obvious to me (Mop is a very focused grandfather), and the attraction of a motorcycle to young boys is always foremost in my mind when I park at Lowe's or Walmart.
Last summer I was getting my 8yr old of the bus and was talking with the driver when he ran behind me and jumped on the right pegs of my 1200n.
The driveway is gravel and has a slight incline to the right.
I saw the look of horror in the drivers face and turned around and ran the 7 or 8 feet to my son as the bike was going over. i wasn't fast enough though.
He was thrown clear of the bike so i feel very lucky about that.
I picked him up, he was crying, probably in shock, checked to make sure he wasn't hurt, and then picked up the bike.
I know for a fact he'll never get on a bike from the right ever again. lol
He probably weighed 60 lbs at the time so it really doesn't take much to fall to right off the jiffy if the situation is right.
It happens in a flash. It really does.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,476
Likes: 5
From: Republic of Texas
Just wanted to know how his bike fell to the off side. Could be one I haven't heard of. Already knew about off side slopes, jiffy stands not locked down in forward position, positioning of front wheel adding to instability, soft surfaces, hurricane force winds, and ghost, etc.etc.etc. I miss center stands sometimes but anyway you look at it a motorcycle is a lot of weight on a kickstand.
Last edited by oldairboater; Sep 27, 2009 at 09:37 AM.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 661
Likes: 2
From: Da Windy City
I still can't believe how it happened but my FLHX fell over on its' right side about a month ago. Only thing I found is that the bolt at the top of my kickstand was totally loose allowing the locking pin/plate not to engage but rather to sit on top of the recessed area, thus positioning the bike nearly vertical without my knowledge. I turned my back and heard it hit. I learned my lesson about dragging my kickstand on left turns and making sure it's tight from now on.....
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Southern Ohio
I can definately see how a bike could fall over. When I bought my 2009 Ultra seemed to lean too far when on the jiffy stand. I often mentioned it to friends, and was constantly worried it would fall over while parked. It became a topic here and a hd forum member emailed me a service bullitin form HD. It came with a faulty jiffy stand mount, took copy of bullitin to HD and 6 days later a new CHROME mount was installed raised the bike probably 2". An amazing difference.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: North of the Laurention Divide, MN
I had a softail parked in my front yard with a cover on it. I went to town and a t-storm came thru and blew it over. My daughter who was home @ the time tried to pick it up for me. I had engine bar and bags on it so just the pan screws hold the brake lever to the throttle housing got broke.
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Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 152
Likes: 1
From: Central Texas
Much to my chagrin, I have firsthand knowledge of this rare phenomena. We here in Texas have endured the driest, hottest summer in some 60-70 years. Needless to say water is a scarce comodity but nevertheless, the wife insists on running water in the backyard for her herd of pet ducks enjoyment. As happens on occasion, she inadvertently left the water on for almost 8 hours which flooded the backyard about two inches deep and raised my blood pressure about 15 points. I thought the ensuing "discussion" on water conservation went well, but the next afternoon when I returned home she was sitting in the backyard holding a waterhose as she sprayed water on the grass. I was LIVID! I have cattle water ponds drying up and here she is doing her best to deplete the water well by watering a yard that was soaked just the day before! I parked the bike on flat, dry, grass covered clay ground, making sure the jiffystand was DOWN, dismounted and removed my gloves and helmet. I stomped angrily towards her demanding to know just WTF she thought she was doing. She just smiled coyly at me and pointed over my shoulder "Your bike just fell over". I whirled around to see the bike lying on it's right side like a beached whale on a Malibu beach! I gently righted the bike and inventoried the damage which, much to my relief, consisted only of a misaligned mirror and a mashed loaf of bread in the bag. Turning the wheel full left, and the crash bar had apparently spared the bike any REAL damage. Near as I could tell, the stand locked down, but did not slide outwards allowing the bike to come to a leaning leftward rest which left the bike nearly vertical and vulnerable to the slightest puff of wind. Either that, or the wife has some sort of powers that I REALLY don't want to know about 
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Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,889
Likes: 104
From: Mississippi
Bikes that have been lowered without changing the kickstand will have a tendency to fall to the right, especially if they are parked on a slope. One way to check to see if your bike is stable in this situation is to turn your bars to the right while on the stand. If it doesn't feel like it wants to stay leaned to the left I would find another place to park it.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 349
Likes: 3
From: texas
Much to my chagrin, I have firsthand knowledge of this rare phenomena. We here in Texas have endured the driest, hottest summer in some 60-70 years. Needless to say water is a scarce comodity but nevertheless, the wife insists on running water in the backyard for her herd of pet ducks enjoyment. As happens on occasion, she inadvertently left the water on for almost 8 hours which flooded the backyard about two inches deep and raised my blood pressure about 15 points. I thought the ensuing "discussion" on water conservation went well, but the next afternoon when I returned home she was sitting in the backyard holding a waterhose as she sprayed water on the grass. I was LIVID! I have cattle water ponds drying up and here she is doing her best to deplete the water well by watering a yard that was soaked just the day before! I parked the bike on flat, dry, grass covered clay ground, making sure the jiffystand was DOWN, dismounted and removed my gloves and helmet. I stomped angrily towards her demanding to know just WTF she thought she was doing. She just smiled coyly at me and pointed over my shoulder "Your bike just fell over". I whirled around to see the bike lying on it's right side like a beached whale on a Malibu beach! I gently righted the bike and inventoried the damage which, much to my relief, consisted only of a misaligned mirror and a mashed loaf of bread in the bag. Turning the wheel full left, and the crash bar had apparently spared the bike any REAL damage. Near as I could tell, the stand locked down, but did not slide outwards allowing the bike to come to a leaning leftward rest which left the bike nearly vertical and vulnerable to the slightest puff of wind. Either that, or the wife has some sort of powers that I REALLY don't want to know about