I use the plastic lids from peanut butter jars for that. Upside down and just put the side stand in it and no sinking into the dirt. More sturdy than you would think.
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Centrestand - am I missing something?
- Thread starter nighthog
- Start date
I've made up custom little sidestand parking plates for many years and carry them on all my bikes. I started out using scraps of steel plate, moved on to aluminum, but finally arrived at what I consider to be the ultimate or best choice - aluminum diamond plate. It's stronger than plain flat plate and the diamonds grab the foot of the stand so it doesn't readily slide off the plate. Like Fred, I attach line to the plate, but don't feel the couple yards worth he uses is called for. I use just enough to reach the footpeg .....
I don't use knots either, I braid eye splices into each end of the line. The plate end gets a very small one, attaching the line through a hole in the corner of the plate. The other end gets one large enough to slip on the footpeg rubber.
Hi 5twins,
I never could braid an eye-splice but I can tie a bowline knot. And diamond plate? You gotta BUY it!
Not while there's still a lot of my salvaged snowscoop blade still uncut, eh?
And your short tie-line? Trying for Yoda-speak here:-
Stooping to unhook when as old and stiff as me you are,
Falling over on top of you your XS650 will.
Hi xjwmx,
jar lid works too but the important part is the retrieval string.
My very first sidestand pad was a bought one made from fiberfilled plastic; checkered underneath and a sidestand pocket on top.
I added the retrieval string to the concept perhaps 50 miles after I left the thing laying in a car park.
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michaelpthompson
XS650 Addict
Sounds like an elegant solution. I could see Fred's version having the advantage that if you drive away and it starts clattering, you could retrieve it while the bike is in motion.
I keep a version of this on my big bikes. Was gifted one, then made another. It's a gotta have when MC camping. trying to balance a 1/2 ton while bending over to grab a chunk of aluminum....... Hearing your bike dump over into the muck on a rainy night in the tent can be a bit of a downer too.
Fred, I can still reach down and pick it up. Not sure how much longer
Hi xjwmx,
how much longer you are still spry enough to reach it or how much longer you'll always remember to pick it up?
I realize it's difficult to reach all the way to the ground while seated on the bike, sometimes even for a young guy, but reaching down to the footpeg isn't that difficult ..... yet, lol. And if I had to buy the diamond plate, I probably wouldn't be using it either, lol. I got it for free from a guy who worked at a place that outfitted fire trucks. They use it all over those things and he had quite a stash of cut-off scraps in his garage. Find a shop like that near you and they might even give you a few scraps, especially if you tell them what you're making and if they're bikers.
And as far as the fancy rope work and knot tying goes, I know that's becoming sort of a lost art. I had to learn it for my job but it has been very beneficial in my daily life. We were taught the basic knots we'd need in our apprenticeship training but I liked it so much, I bought a couple knot books and taught myself more. At work, we did lots of rigging, load lifting, and block & tackle work. A knowledge of knot tying and basically, just how rope worked, was essential. And one more thing - we didn't call it "rope", we called it "line". As our instructor informed us many years ago "rope is for rookies ....", lol.
Forgetting it is better than dragging it behind you on a string
Don't you guys get plastic pucks free with magazines or given away at some outdoor events? I keep one in my bike jacket pocket and another in the top box in case a mate hasn't got one so I can always park my bike on soft ground.
No need for jam jar lids or squashed cans!
And Hi Peanut, yes it would be good to hook up, sounds like you're not too far away. The Southwest custom & classic used to be such a good event, not sure what happened to it.
Apologies to all if this is a bit of a ramble but being Friday and well past beer o'clock ... well ... I'm sure you get my drift ......
No need for jam jar lids or squashed cans!
And Hi Peanut, yes it would be good to hook up, sounds like you're not too far away. The Southwest custom & classic used to be such a good event, not sure what happened to it.
Apologies to all if this is a bit of a ramble but being Friday and well past beer o'clock ... well ... I'm sure you get my drift ......
My GoldWing will break through one of those free plastic pucks in no time. I'm on the edge of the enormous Black Swamp, deep clay, as far as you can dig. The Amish drained this area by making tiles from the clay. Dowsers can still find the old tiles. There are no basements here, they would quickly be swimming pools. Squashed cans last longer than the plastic pucks.
Scott
Scott
That is really posh, an indoor swiming pool! In the UK we are lucky to have an indoor toilet. But on a more serious note, do you just flatten the can on its side, or stamp on it to make a round puck?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Aluminum cans, in Michigan they are worth 10 cents. Stand the can straight up, smash it straight down with booted foot.
Scott
