Why does it look so easy?

[Keystone19]

Why does it look so easy to stop your bike, hop off, and then put the stand down?

And yet when I do it I feel unbalanced, awkward and worried that I'm going to drop the bike. Don't get me wrong, I can do it quite capably, do so regularly and have never dropped the bike, it's just that it always feels difficult.

Is it my size, strength, balance or a combination of all of these?

[mikey]

its casue you suck at pool, they go hand in hand

[Devil]

Eat more pies.

[Fishy]

Is it my size, strength, balance or a combination of all of these?

Out of these I think the only thing would be balance as you aren't a shorty and Im sure you are strong enough, its just the way the weight distribution through your body changes when you move from the bike and then the extra weight from the bike as it slightly leans towards you as you hop off.

You will get use to it after a while.

[Ixion]

Odd , because I find the reverse. I always stop, get off, then do stand thing.

I find it feels very awkward odd and unbalanced fiddling round trying to flick the stand out whilst astride the machine.

Whereas, the other way is easy. Stop, foot down swing right leg over, and on the way down flick the stand (centre or side). All in one motion on a small bike.

[Blackbird]

At 5' 8" in old money, I'm a bit of a short arse for the Blackbird and the sidestand always goes down first if I'm rolling it off the centre stand and I get on from the side stand position. Getting off, the sidestand goes down first and I also hold the front brake on. Just playing the percentages, that's all

[Two Smoker]

Eat more pies.

Be a tubbos like Bruce and Daryl...

[Keystone19]

Odd , because I find the reverse. I always stop, get off, then do stand thing.

I find it feels very awkward odd and unbalanced fiddling round trying to flick the stand out whilst astride the machine.

Whereas, the other way is easy. Stop, foot down swing right leg over, and on the way down flick the stand (centre or side). All in one motion on a small bike.

Well I can do that on my Raleigh 20...

[ManDownUnder]

Don't know - because that's not the way I do it.

I stop, kick the stand down, lean the bike over and THEN get off. After a while I get to the point where I do it all in one motion without my feet touching the ground till I get off... but it takes time, and familirity with the bike (foot needs to find the stand first time...).

The RF has the added bonus of havoing a kill switch on the side stand... it means you don;t even bother hitting that switch (not that it's a lot of work...)

MDU

[Devil]

I stop, kick the stand down, lean the bike over and THEN get off. After a while I get to the point where I do it all in one motion without my feet touching the ground till I get off... but it takes time, and familirity with the bike (foot needs to find the stand first time...).

Heh, same. But when I do that I'll have already switched the bike off while coasting, and be pulling the keys out while i'm putting the side stand down (while still moving). So when I stop and touch down with the stand I can just walk straight off

[ManDownUnder]

Heh, same. But when I do that I'll have already switched the bike off while coasting, and be pulling the keys out while i'm putting the side stand down (while still moving). So when I stop and touch down with the stand I can just walk straight off

yeah - feels good when you get it right. It's just a balance thing...

[Keystone19]

I should clarify.

99% of the time I put the side stand down before hopping off the bike, but occasionally I don't for whatever reason.

And obviously on the race bike there is no stand so I have to get off and then try and get the rear stand on - now that is even worse!

I'd like to think I'd get used to it but no matter how many times I do it, I still feel awkward!

[ManDownUnder]

Why does it look so easy to stop your bike, hop off, and then put the stand down?

...snip...

Is it my size, strength, balance or a combination of all of these?

To answer your question - I'd say height, weight (i.e. your centre of gravity) vs the bike's I wouldn't want to do it that way on the RF... I'd be worried it'd topple... (I'll try it today just to find out).

[Keystone19]

Heh, same. But when I do that I'll have already switched the bike off while coasting, and be pulling the keys out while i'm putting the side stand down (while still moving). So when I stop and touch down with the stand I can just walk straight off

I'd like to ad the part where I can do that, walk away while pulling my helmet off, flicking my long blonde hair, just after I've given all the boys the learn on my Gixxer 1000...

[Devil]

I'd like to ad the part where I can do that, walk away while pulling my helmet off, flicking my long blonde hair, just after I've given all the boys the learn on my Gixxer 1000...

I didn't know you could ride in your sleep...