side stand

[Sankey]

heres something to get you all thinking, something to ponder over at your next rally meeting, slumped around a fire or candle.

why? is the side stand of a motorcycle (if it has one) always on the left. no matter what make, model, year or even country, it's always on the left.

i have asked people before and had all sorts of replies but none of them fit the bill. someone even told me it's because you mount a horse from the left and the bike replaced the horse but thats not strictly true is it. so opinions please. :rolleyes:

[Gypsy]

chances are you are gonna park up on the left side of the road.. the bike will lean to the left and you get off the left.. therefore not stepping into traffic prehaps :D

[Sankey]

have had that one before, but if you are in another country where they drive on the right hand side of the road then why is your sidestand still on the left? chances are you would pull up on the right and step into traffic.

Zepplined again (dazed and confused)

sank :eek:

[Gypsy]

its the best place to put it :D

[Sankey]

i'm not buyin that! :p

[Doro]

it's a historical thing cos old bikes had kick starts and they were on the right - again cos most peeps are righthanded so easier to give a good kick with right leg - so there'd be no room for the sidestand on the right


plus it would be very hard to kick start the bike if the sidestand was on the same side



see - i do know everything




*beams*

[Otter]

Cos the kickstart is usually on the right (tho not always)

and you'd have a real problem if you had to kick it over while the bike is leaning on the sidestand on the right.

[Otter]

bugger - Doro beat me by a whisker

[Doro]

and so is otter always right


:D :D






oooooooooooooo and i don't have any whiskers

[Gypsy]

its the best place to put it :D

see i was right... sort of :D

[Sankey]

sorry peeps not havin any of that crap!!!

as you said kick starts are not always on the right, oil filler are not always on the right, gear change is not always on the left but a side stand is!! why? and as for being right handed, well, i'am right handed but left footed and I for one and i have seen many others kick start bikes and have the side stand up out of the way.

sank :rolleyes:

[brandersnatch]

I'll give you the answer I gave my kids before they grew up and realised I'm not really the centre of the universe.















Because! :)

[Sankey]

thats an idea

if youre scint and need to make your bike stand out in a crowed, stick your side stand on the right and stick your bike in amongst the row of bikes all lined up and watch as everyone strokes their chin and ponders (theres something about that bike thats abit strange) huuum !! :D

[Freak]

Is it because most peolple are right footed and find it much easier to ballance a bike on their right foot while placing the side stand with their left. :confused:

[BlackPig]

What 'kin' difference does it make anyway? :confused:

Just curious like !!! :D :D

[Dougie]

(Smartarse mode on)

So wot about Old MZs,CZs,BMWs,Urals & Dneipers and kickstart equipped Rotax engined bikes then?

(Smartarse mode off)

[witchypoo]

its for weight distrobution, when your right hand is holding the frount brake, you can fiddle with your side stand easly, now if the side stand was on the right you would find it much harder to keep your balance, give it a go and see!!!
you will find by using your right hand and right leg at the same time pulls you and the bike over to the right, so you will be more likely to drop the bike. :)

[Dougie]

I've never fiddled with a sidestand in my life! :eek:

[brandersnatch]

its for weight distrobution, when your right hand is holding the frount brake, you can fiddle with your side stand easly, now if the side stand was on the right you would find it much harder to keep your balance, give it a go and see!!!
you will find by using your right hand and right leg at the same time pulls you and the bike over to the right, so you will be more likely to drop the bike. :)

Could that be because it seems unnatural to be fiddling around with a stand on the right so it .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .........................Sorry went into anorak mode and bored myself to sleep then. I'll save you all from the same fate by shutting up. :o
(Oh you lucky people)

[witchypoo]

fiddling around with ya right foot would be as natural as fiddling with ya left .... if you had always used the right.
It makes sence that you use your right hand and left foot, OR your left hand and right foot.
dont take anyone long to relise that this is the way ya beat gravity :rolleyes:

[Sankey]

see what i mean

no one can give you the answer, but it makes you think dont it? :confused: :D :confused: