Bike stands too straight when on the sidestand

[eak0703]

Hey guys,

When i put my bike on the sidestand it just feels like the bike is still too upright (not leaned over enough).

This is horribly annoying as I can only park the bike on level ground. Anything with the slightest incline means that i have to specifically turn my bike "the right way" so that it doest tip over.

I inherited this issue along with the bike. My only guess is that the bike tipped toward the kickstand side and then somehow bent it.

I've replaced the kickstand itself, and I am still having the issue. I think the bracket where the kickstand attaches to the frame must be bent. Any ideas on how to fix that?

Thanks

[arsenic]

no, I don't think thats the issue. I think you're bike has been lowered and the kick stand was not accounted for. If it is the bracket being bent, bend it back.

[Hodgy]

Hi, I had the same problem with mine when I got it, a 2003 600, the bike was new so wasn't bent, but looked very unstable being so upright.

My solution was to gently file a little bit off the sidestand and the bracket at the stop that it rests against when fully out, this allowed the sidestand to move out a little further, making the bike lean more, it only needed a very small amount of material removing to solve the problem.

Hope this helps

Ian

[Mat0302]

no, I don't think thats the issue. I think you're bike has been lowered and the kick stand was not accounted for. If it is the bracket being bent, bend it back.

+1, the bike probably has been lowered.

I have mine lowered also, and I bought an extra kickstand and had 1/2" cut out of it and rewelded back together. works good now. I still pay attention to slopes in parking lots just for sure.

[Black_peter]

My solution was to gently file a little bit off the sidestand and the bracket at the stop that it rests against when fully out, this allowed the sidestand to move out a little further, making the bike lean more, it only needed a very small amount of material removing to solve the problem.

Nice geometry lesson there!

[Rickyhj2002]

I have the same problem with my 04 600.What i do is....when i put the side stand down and get off the bike,I put my boot(or shoe) tip sorta behind (at the bottum)of the stand and pull out away from the bike and it slides out about 2 inches giving the bike a good lean.I know that sounds crazy but it works really well and once i done it a few times it is just habit now.Before i discovered this little trick,i was scared to leave my bike because it was standing so upright.So...i hope this helps.

[KatanaSoldier]

no, I don't think thats the issue. I think you're bike has been lowered and the kick stand was not accounted for. If it is the bracket being bent, bend it back.

Ditto

[Lehbs]

What is the stock length of the dogbones. I have this problem and so only use my centrestand. The ones on my bike look stock, but if someone has the length I can solve that mystery real quick.

[eak0703]

I have the same problem with my 04 600.What i do is....when i put the side stand down and get off the bike,I put my boot(or shoe) tip sorta behind (at the bottum)of the stand and pull out away from the bike and it slides out about 2 inches giving the bike a good lean.I know that sounds crazy but it works really well and once i done it a few times it is just habit now.Before i discovered this little trick,i was scared to leave my bike because it was standing so upright.So...i hope this helps.

Yea, I've been doing the same thing you are, but even when i use my foot to pull the stand out it STILL is too upright.

Rather, itll stand up just fine on fairly level ground, but since the stand is on the left side and when you park on the street, the road naturally slopes to the right near the curb, i can never get it to lean far enough! I know somehting is wrong with mine because i was riding with my friend (he's got a 94' kat...mine is a 96 so same bike) and he was able to park his just fine.

[DayKat]

After mine tipped over on the garage floor after I turned the front while cleaning, I'm strictly centerstand now.

[eak0703]

no, I don't think thats the issue. I think you're bike has been lowered and the kick stand was not accounted for. If it is the bracket being bent, bend it back.

Thats a good point, though i question whether it has been. everything else is stock on the bike. Doesnt look like the previous owner(s) did did any modifications to it.

There were plenty of scratches indicating drops though

Is there some way to tell if the bike has been lowered? How is this procedure done? is it a suspension ajustment? or a part chage?

[Mat0302]

look for the forks to be higher than the triple tree clamp. that would usually indicate the front being lowered. If it has scrathes from being dropped, there is the possibilty of the kickstand being bent.

[nicka]

I just found this thread while searching for center stands as my bike recently fell over in my shed and also it has seemed to start wanting to fall a lot easier especially when it was on a slight down hill.

What i found was the shim that is in the side stand either had worn or wasn't the correct one and this gave the stand some play side ways about 20 to 30 mm and when the stand was down out away from the bike it was more unstable(like what you guys are saying by kicking the stand out)

I replaced the shim with a thin S/S washer(as its all i had to fit until i order the original shim) and i grinded about 1-2 mm off the bracket where the center stand comes down to rest on when its down so as the stand now sits about 25mm more forward and now it sits solid as a rock.

I hope this helps someone in the future as now i have to have my fairing fixed as it fell on the corner of a wooden box and put a crack in the front section next to the headlight

Nick