K11 Owners Group

Ernie-NH · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:37 am Post subject: "on hill" parking..??

Good morning all....

Hey just an idle question for any of you "K" riders that might have visited San Francisco or similar terrain cities... Just how do you park a big bike like a K1100 on those hills ??? When passing through Hazelton PA off I-81 last Fall, I tried to find a place to park, and found no place to use the center stand and absolutely no place to use the side stand due to the wicked lean angle of the bike... So, thinking about it, thought I'd ask you 'guys' !! What do you do ?

best regards........// Ernie-NH
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JerseyJohn · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:23 am Post subject:

I will park on a hill with the side stand facing up hill. If that means I have to put the front tire at the curb so be it. It make's it a little harder to get out of the spot but it has worked so far for me.
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Flying Duck · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:43 am Post subject:

Seattle is a hilly city. Side stand and first gear. For steep hills I park on the cross streets, not the hills.
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rkildu · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:47 am Post subject:

For the steep lean angle of the bike I made up a 'foot' from 3/4 plywood, finished with polyurathane, stuck an eye screw in the edge and attached a string with a loop in the end. I keep it in the fairing pocket and deploy as necessary hooking the loop over the hand grip. Then just pull it up with the string when I depart.
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mnb · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:34 pm Post subject:

Start by pulling in to the curb at a 45 degree angle or so, with the tail end more downhill. Check the bike lean on the side stand. It's easy to roll the bike back at this angle and then power back in at a steeper or lesser angle if needed. Leave it in gear of course and remember to turn the front wheel properly so it protects the bike in case it slips out of gear.

I know the shop always says to use the center stand. I ignore that. I ALWAYS use the side stand except when working on the bike or parking it for extended periods. Yeah, it smokes a little more. Big deal. In a few seconds, it clears up. I've always done that since the day I drove it off the dealer lot brand new in 1996 and it still runs like a champ. If it was such a big deal, they could have designed the engine so that the heads were on the upside when the bike was on the sidestand.

I remember the first time I rode in SF. What a lesson that was! If you haven't mastered clutch control, you will by the time you get home. Those stop signs at the top of steep hills will force you to master all the controls.
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m1ks · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:06 pm Post subject:

As anywhere with hills, facing uphill, 1st gear, rear wheel into the kerb, sidestand.

You could use the mainstand, easy to put it on but it would be a struggle to get it off.

Re using the mainstand vs sidestand, if a mainstand is fitted I'll always use it for stability, it's really personal preference

Ernie-NH · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:02 am Post subject:

Good morning m1ks...

OK....BUT in Scotland you drive on the opposite side of the road, and the side stand is always on the left of the bike no matter where we ride. IF we could park on the left hand side of the road when going up a very steep hill that could be as much as 30 degree incline, your method would be fine. However, going up that same steep hill, and having to park on the right hand side of the road, side stand still being on the left, will cause the bike to fall over ( very sharp lean under any conditions ) when the rear wheel is curb side. I could park the bike parallel to the curb on the right hand side when going up hill, but ONLY if there is no other vehicle parked in front of me on the up-side. Since you drive on the left side of the road, you will have the same problem when going down hill if you try to park the bike rear wheel to the curb !

best regards...........// Ernie-NH
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whyoldbill · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:47 am Post subject: Re: "on hill" parking..??

m1ks · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:42 pm Post subject:

Indeed the sidestand does seem to give an alarming lean angle sometimes but I tend to only use it for lifting off the mainstand, that way if it gets away from me I can pull it left knowing the sidestand will catch it, and the only other time is for opening and closing of gates as I pass through etc, (annoys me about the engine kill switch on the stand, i usually disable them for these occurences but haven't looked at doing so on the K yet.

Re the facing uphill thing, in the UK our roads are cambered to be higher in the middle at the white line than the kerb edges meaning parking on the left hand side facing uphill on the sidestand would give a more pronounced lean than parking on the right hand side rear wheel to the kerb, as long as the rear wheel is back to the kerb and in gear it should be fine and as per the previous suggestion a hockey puck or similar under the sidestand helps immensely

Ernie-NH · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:05 pm Post subject:

Hi "m1ks".....

Looks like we're just going to have to come over and see for ourselves what you are doing !! Very Happy

I understand you make a fine malt beverage in your area ??????

Very best regards and ride safe !.........// Ernie-NH
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AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

m1ks · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject:

Please do, we have some cracking roads, (and some crap ones too unfortunately).
We also have one or two hills around here in the Highlands Smile

I'd be quite happy to take you a tour of skye by LT, we even have a motorbike rental place in north Skye so you could wizz over and rent one to tour.
One thing to bear in mind, while our weathers nowhere near as bad as many would have you believe, the phrase
'four seasons in one day' was coined for here.
It can go from beautiful and sunny to pouring in a matter of a few minutes.
But when it's sunny you'd be hard pressed to find a more beautiful landscape anywhere