Revenge of the bl%dy sidestand!!!

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 8:18 pm

Lovely cold crisp but dry day today in Kent so thought I'd take the VTR out for a run with hopefully quiet roads.
Good to get out and about.

Went to see a mate. Pulled up outside his place. Hard packed gravel drive. Bike fine on that. Did some stuff in his workshop and then I went inside after two hours plus to wash my hands only for him to come rushing in to say "Your bike's just fallen over" !!!!!!!!!
He wasn't wrong.
Damage. Internal fairing where std indicator fits broken in about six places (!!!). Outer fairing damaged where indicator punched it. Indicator itself scratched and mirror scratched on the end. Carbon lookalike (but ali really) clutch lever snapped off very close to pivot point.
Hand me the rope I'll do it myself!!!!!!!!!!
But, spent half an hour making a joining piece with self tapper to repair the lever to get me the 35 miles home. Lots of clutchless up and down changes to spare the use of the lever.
Now home and feeling p*ss poor.

OK, so what to do? (no, I don't drink so that's no good)

I can't be the first to have this happen

, so what's the best line to take now please?

chaz · Post by **chaz** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 9:29 pm

sorry to hear, but at least it happened on a drive , not while riding.
no consolation, I know, but allways park on concrete slabs or tarmac. I dont even like using the plastic sidestand plates you see .

looks like its a look thru ebay , maybe David Silver has parts.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:21 am

What you do is rejoice!

Now you have the opportumity to spend time in the garage with your loved one doing some spannering.

Also, now is a time for shiny new bits, maybe some nice trick LED indicators and some folding levers? Maybe even a nice large bore master cylinder for better brakes? (can't have unmatched levers now

)

Phone some breakers for an inner fairing panel and sand and paint the mirror. I recommend M1 salvage or DK.

This will always happen if you own bikes, so don't let it get to you

dookie · Post by **dookie** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:11 pm

Bummer m8 same happened to me about 6 months ago

marlbororman · Post by **marlbororman** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 3:31 pm

dookie wrote:Bummer m8 same happened to me about 6 months ago

I know how ya feel, i got mine cheap cos it fell off stand, all repaired professionally, then couple of month ago, i had same happen to me...

Seems to be pretty common, a friend i know had same happen to her too, turn round to unlock garage door turned back to see bike falling!!! fortunately for me i didnt do much damage, just couple of small scuffs

zzr600e1 · Post by **zzr600e1** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 6:25 pm

I think the stand is too tall and makes the bike stand up too vertical. If it had a SV650 stand like my lads it would be so much better

Jaglifter · Post by **Jaglifter** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 6:37 pm

Commiserations Lotus. Similar happened to me about a month ago.

Never tried to get internal panels for the Storm, although I did eventaully manage to get two outer side fairings from e-bay - still in the shed!

Make yourself a lightweight aluminium plate to slide under the prop stand.

Post by **sirch345** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 9:41 pm

Sorry too hear that LSM, I know how you feel

Just think, it could have been far worse

VTRgirl · Post by **VTRgirl** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:54 am

Gees. Can't believe how common that seems to be. I've never heard of it happening, except on soggy ground (where only idiots stand their bikes) or on an Aussie summer day when the stand sinks into the bitumen. I've come back to find my brother's bike (which he'd so kindly leant me...) with the left side about a foot off the ground, 'cause the stand had sunk so much!

Commisserations all 'round.

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 2:37 pm

sh1t chris that sucks big time!

Heres what i would do:

Lever... goto any local scummy bike breakers and get a generic honda one for like Â£3 (theyre robbing you if they charge more)

standard indicators.. think ive a couple left from the ones alan gave me, ill have a look tonight for you!

scratchs in the mirror can be very carefully polished out with some glass polishing cloths (grains go up to 24,000!!!!!)

the fairing can be mended with a soldering iron and two cans of spray paint from halfrauds (7.99 for primer and 9.99 for colour matched paint). I wrote a tutorial on repairing fairings awhile ago but i cant remmber which thread!

as usual if theres anything i can do to help let me know, i know im also most likelly the closest member to you so if you need a hand just shout!

Toby

Monkey! · Post by **Monkey!** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:27 pm

What an xmas present!

Sorry to hear about the damage...............

I once dropped a ZX6 against a wall. Got off and forgot to put the stand down at all.....

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:27 pm

Hi guys and gals.

Well its happened so no point me bleating now. G*d I felt bad at the time. World closing down on me etc.
Stupid thing is I have one of those stand 'discs' to spread the load if on poor ground under the seat but as this ground was solid and fine (well 2 hours + fine!!!) I didn't use it. Big mistaka to make a........ but !!!!!!!!!!!

Let's face it it's only cosmetic and he*l I can fix it somehow so thanks for all your kind words.
I too think the angle anyway is poor so it'll be modified soon to give a better surface area etc etc.
Halfords colour match will sort it if I get it back together correctly.
Will have a look at your repair tips Squiff.

A bit too common a fault isn't it really? Not a good design to start with really as in surface area of the stand 'foot' compared with load placed on it if it can sink into warm tarmac too.

Kitch. My garage is an open sky so not that good for working on at the moment eh?

Cheers, you lot. Keep 'em upright eh?

Cheers, Chris

Squiffythewombat · Post by **Squiffythewombat** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:15 pm

if you need a hand just let me know dude! :-)

(nothing wrong with open air garages lol)

LotusSevenMan · Post by **LotusSevenMan** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:43 pm

Doing OK at the moment thanks Squiff. Thanks for the offer!!

Went to Halfreuds today to check colour matches. They boast 48,000 colours. Look in their colour chart book. A 2005 Lotus Elise yellow is correct (ish) for my Honda. They look it up on the computer for the component colours. "Nah, sorry mate we don't do that one".
"But it's in your book" I say.
He says he can't do it as not listed as it was probably a lead based paint. "What? from a 2005 Lotus? Do me a favour!!" He says he still can't do it and hands me another book. Daiwoo yellow 2004 is a very good match too. Yeah you guessed it. They can't do that either as they have several yellow shades and aren't sure which mix is which blah blah.
What a load of to**ers!!!!!

48,000 colours in the book and we can do twenty of 'em probably.

Post by **sirch345** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:34 pm

LSM
I've been thinking about this side stand issue and I am wondering if fitting a spacer under the rear shock has anything to do with it, or perhaps I should say not helping matters, IMO fitting a spacer will raise the rear (as we already know) so will in effect alter the angle of the bike when it's put on the side stand, I would say by raising the rear of your bike will in effect make it lean over further than it would normally

Anyone else care to add to that theory

I could be talking a load of rubbish

Chris.