Has anyone ever had catastrophic sidestand failure?

crowbuster

Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Messages
15
Location
NC
Bike
2010 Silver NT700
As in snapped in half or broke at the hinge. If so, could the stand be reinforced by welding another piece of metal down its length?
Do any of you get on and off your NT by stepping on the left peg (with all the weight on the sidestand) to give you the height needed to get the right leg over and down?
I am considering a couple of mods that surely will make this method the only way I will be able to mount and dismount Silver. (5'9'', 30 inseam). I'm apprehensive about one day hearing a big POP and me and the bike tumbling down. I plan to get my stock seat redone by Spencers Motorcycle Seat Mods and then install a Utopia Backrest. (Reviews by any of you who have either of these would be appreciated).
I have simulated and concluded that either leg over or in front of backrest will require this weight-on-peg-swing-leg-over method.

Last Fall my wife and I went to the local BMW motorcycle dealer on 2 different days and test-rode 2 brand new 1200 and 1600 scoots for 1.5 hrs. each bike. What Fun.
(Why can't/won't Honda do this?) Each time we rode the dealer cautioned me not to use this method to mount and dismount.

Opinions PLEASE. Will I be safe doing this? Thanks so much.

Willis
 
I used to do that with my Connies. Never had a sidestand failure. I did have my sidestand on the NT nearly fall off the first year I owned the bike. I put a little blue Loctite on the bolt when I put the sidestand back together. I don't think it would have actually fallen off because the springs would have held it, but it would have been bouncing around if I hadn't notice it when I did.

Like Warren asked, what do you weigh?
 
Can't answer your questions directly, but you got me interested. I sometimes mount my bike by stepping up on the left foot peg first when the bike has a pack on the trunk rack. I'm always careful to minimize the force by stepping forcefully off my right foot, putting my left as far inward as possible, and getting my weight over center as quickly and smoothly as I can. I haven't seen a side stand break in many years.

Experiment:
I put my NT on a plank with a bathroom scale under the side stand. The plank and top of the scale were at the same height. The weight exerted on the side stand by the NT alone was 175#. When I stood on the left foot peg it went to 325#. My weight is about 200#.

Conclusion:
Not all of the rider weight is transferred to the side stand.
I measured the downward force not the lateral force that break the sidestand.
Lateral force that would break the side stand is a function of weight on the bike and any sliding or movement of the bike or sidestand.
The NT sidestand is mounted toward the left side of the bike which is better than toward the center.
The NT sidestand is more vertical than some other bikes which lessens the lateral force.


So:
On dirt or slippery surfaces I'd be very careful.
If the bike is leaned to the left more than normal I'd re-position the bike before attempting to stand on the left peg.
Hold the front brake to keep the bike from moving.
If conditions aren't right I'd mount by stepping through the seat if I can't swing my right leg over the packs.
Dismounting is easier because it is easier to keep your weight to the right.
I don't believe the steel part would be the first thing to break if there were a failure.
 
Regardless of what the BMW dealer told you I doubt you will have a problem on the NT700V.

I have seen Honda side stands suffer an amazing amount of abuse and not fail during normal use. I have seen one fail after it was previously damaged in a motor vehicle accident but it must have been a high impact accident.
 
[Regardless of what the BMW dealer told you I doubt you will have a problem on the NT700V...]

Probably good advise on a modern BMW since many of their parts are designed to help eliminate weight. The sidestand on some Beemers might even be made of alum? At the opposite pole, no once can ever accuse Honda of making a light bike! :)

BMW dealers will be plenty busy in the coming months (years?) replacing final drive units. In the latest issue of MCN is a notification of a federal recall on 15 different Beemers, covering years 2004-2011. Sometimes making everything lighter can be a detriment.
 
I've not had that kind of issue with any bike, but, I never mount the bike by standing on the peg either. Nor do I sit on the bike with full load on the sidestand.

When the bike is loaded I do not swing my leg over. I slide my leg through between the rear luggage and the tank bag. It looks awkward, and is. When I am tired I have to use my hands to lift my foot up high enough to slide through. Getting off frequently involves a little 'hop' to slide the leg out again.

Yep, if I stood up on the peg it would be easier, but, I just don't like mounting the bike that way for some reason.
 
charlie b said:
When the bike is loaded I do not swing my leg over. I slide my leg through between the rear luggage and the tank bag. It looks awkward, and is. When I am tired I have to use my hands to lift my foot up high enough to slide through. Getting off frequently involves a little 'hop' to slide the leg out again.
Click to expand...

Because of my frequent knee replacements and the fact that my right knee won't bend more than 84-degrees (probably less than that with full moto-gear on), Charlie's method is the way I get on and off the bike. People almost always run to grab the bike when they see me getting on or off, but in the years since 2006, when I had my last knee surgery, I've never dropped the bike while getting on or off. And, I have managed to drop it a few times since then. :)
 
The timing on this thread is funny to me because Triumph just had a safety recall for the sidestand BOLT for my Tiger Explorer. Issue was that it has the potential to bend and in a worst-case scenario, could snap and the bike would fall over.

I weigh 260lbs, and I load a LOT of gear on my bike when I tour/camp. And I ALWAYS use the left peg to mount/dismount. I don't think I did with the NT because the bike was low enough. What I'm getting at though is that I put probably put a lot more stress on that bolt than most people.

I just put the new bolt in this past weekend - and the old one was indeed bent, but ever so slightly.

Technically, I believe you are NOT supposed to mount the bike with the peg. I think I read somewhere it can void the warranty - although that would be a difficult case to prove. So while it's not supposed to be used in that manner, people still do. In my opinion, it just makes sense for manufacturers to spend a few cents more for a higher grade bolt there.

2015-04-182012.49.49_zpshr3fe9ek.jpg
 
The side stand is a pretty stout piece of metal. You can pull the NT up on the side stand and spin it around with all the weight resting on it. I think you will be just fine getting on/off the bike using the foot peg as a step while the bike is on the side stand. I wouldn't go jumping up and down but stepping on/off should be okay as long as the ground is firm enough.

As with anything else on the vehicle, you want to make sure the stand is properly secured and lubricated.
 
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I just took a look at the Utopia web site, which says the backrest will fold down.

Two thoughts:

  • I have a backrest, though it is part of my Russell Day-Long. It folds forward. When I mount the bike, I do so in the conventional manner, then when up, I put my right foot on the peg,and keeping myself off the seat, flip the backrest up into position. I've done it so many times, it's second nature.
  • I'll see if I can get VC Slim to comment on this. He mounts by standing on the left foot peg. Maybe he can offer some more insight.
 
I should add here that I think the NT sidestand is up to the task. I've just had issues with parking bikes on softer surfaces or sloped surfaces so many times that I learned not to put a lot of extra weight on the side stand.

The older sport Guzzi's had 'European' style sidestands and are near worthless. The foot ends up close to the bike and the angle is near vertical. Mine has been modified with the addition of a 'leg' from a Harley. But, I had to weld reinforcing to the stock bracket on the frame too.
 
I have heard of several dual sport bikers who stand on the peg to get a leg over. These are generally much taller than the NT but it is all relative to inseam length and flexability.
I lowered my KLX250 a little to be more comfortable with it, but at rest with no weight on the seat it is still plenty tall for me.
If I were to use that method on the NT I might consider a close inspection fairly often to look for cracks and bending of the pivot bolt.

Brad
 
Whenever I'm on a longish trip and carrying a dry pack on the passenger seat I'll use the left peg to stand on and sling the right leg thru. Adding a bit of counter balancing for good measure helps prevent toppling over. I've found the center stand to be pretty rugged.
 
vc_slim said:
I've found the center stand to be pretty rugged.
Click to expand...

Just don't park on gravel that's a thin layer over dirt...when it rains, the dirt turns into mud and the centerstand sinks and the bike will blow over.

I know from recent experience. :)
 
I have a "permanent" backrest on my NT, so swinging my leg over the back of the bike is not an option. Even way before that mod, I found it much more comfortable to mount from the right, and have been doing so for over 50 years now. With the MC on the side stand the slant of the bike is away, so there's more room to kick my leg up and over. And if I should inadvertently kick the bike, the side stand will prevent the bike from going down on its side.

Also, if you do want to mount from the peg, you can do so without loading the side-stand. I just tried to do this, and found it to be easy but I needed to keep my weight close to the bike (~175 lbs).

Bill
 
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