center stand??

[xroth]

I bought my kat used and it didn't have a center stand. Is it a problem to park it for days on the side stand?

[ZukiFred]

It shouldn't cause a problem, But the center stand dose come in handy for maintenance.

[woobie]

Watch out on hot days, the sidestand can sink into/through the pavement in a very short period of time.

Other than that there's not really any problem with using the sidestand all the time. Well except it makes cleaning and lubing the chain a pain in the a$$.

[WildKat]

No problem at all, other than what woobie and fred mentioned about it coming in handy for maintenance and detailing..as well as being careful where you park during warm weather. Get yourself a kick stand puck, or even carry a small piece of wood so you can put it under your stand so it wont sink into the pavement. We've even used crushed soda cans in a pinch too.

Remember most bikes dont come with center stands so the kick stand is designed to get alot of use and will work quite nicely.

[The CyberPoet]

Other thoughts:

(A) You can get a centerstand fairly cheap if you keep your eyes open (eBay, maybe BraadaJim).

(B) If parking on the sidestand, in addition to the concerns listed above (asphault giving way, parking on sand/dirt/etc), make sure that in stormy (windy) weather, you park the bike in a protected spot -- several members have complained of theirs getting blown over in hard storms.

(C) There are also race stands available that will let you support the rear of the bike by the swing arm or rear axle (depending on design) -- if you buy a bike in the future that doesn't have a center-stand option, or if you have more than one bike, these are a great way to go... on the other hand, the race stand doesn't travel with the bike the way a centerstand does.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Bulletproof Enemy]

if you have a 98+ katana, PM me, i have your centerstand