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Safe port in a storm technique

B

bobct

Member
Member
I garage my C10 when I'm not riding it.
Just a question. Last evening while I was visiting a friend a high wind storm was threatening.
Was concerned about a tipover.
He has no garage so I decided it would be better up on the centerstand than the sidestand.
I found an area on the driveway that was furthest away from the trees.
Luckily the winds never got over 40mph.
As an afterthought I was debating whether I should of shimmed something loosely under rear tire or chock the front tire to stop roll off of centerstand.
Caught outside in bad weather: sidestand or centerstand it ?
or just get on it and ride away from dark clouds like you stole it LOL (Done that before, doesn't work 100% of the time)
What's the opinions and experiences of this group, any tipovers because of high winds?
 
Use the side stand. It will blow over easier on the center stand. I would park it near a wall of something to help block the wind if possible.
 
I had a 1981 Honda 500GL tip over three years ago while I was gone on a long weekend.  I had a full-size cover over it.  I was staying 50 miles away at my fiancee's house when a strong storm went through the state.  Did not realize what high winds could do to a bike parked outside. 

I suspect that the cover helped act like a sail to push the bike over.  I believe that the bike was on its sidestand more or less pointed into the wind at the time.

I came home to find the bike on its side in the grass next to my driveway.  Leaking gas ruined the cover, right side mirror broken but not much else damaged.

Fixed mirror and later sold bike to get current 2001 C-10.  :)
 
Leave it in first gear, on the sidestand, handlebars turned to the left is about the most stable you can get. Have heard of bikes under a bike cover get blown over, possibly from the cover acting as a sail in high winds.

Centerstand is not very stable, one slight bump, especially from behind, will take it down.
 
A cover can and will act as a sail.  I watched in horror as my CB900Custom was lifted about 9 feet in the air... but was thanking God when it slowly set back down to the ground, albeit on it's side.  It was like a magicians trick.  All this while barking at everyone to get away from the tall windows and into the cinder block hallways of our military dorm (I was a "student leader" in the USAF at the time, 1983) as tornado's bounced about.

No damage to the bike, but haven't used a cover since.

As Vic mentioned (and Hi Vic!), 1st gear, sidestand... and if you can, pointing into the wind direction.  Also, if it is soft ground (say, at a campsite), a plate under the sidestand.

Mark
 
Red Wyvern said:
A cover can and will act as a sail.  I watched in horror as my CB900Custom was lifted about 9 feet in the air... but was thanking God when it slowly set back down to the ground, albeit on it's side.  It was like a magicians trick.  All this while barking at everyone to get away from the tall windows and into the cinder block hallways of our military dorm (I was a "student leader" in the USAF at the time, 1983) as tornado's bounced about.
Click to expand...

That must have been a sight!!  :eek: And them things weighed a couple of pounds.

Yo Mark, long time there, huh?  Drop me a note if you get a chance victorsalisbury AT verizon DOT net
Good to hear from ya.
 
Red Wyvern said:
Also, if it is soft ground (say, at a campsite), a plate under the sidestand.
Click to expand...

Dinner Plate? Paper Plate? Dental Plate?  :nananana:

Three points of contact with the greatest distance between them eg. two tires and the sidestand, offer the best static stability for your bike. Also leave the bike in first gear and lock the front fork.

Dinner fork? Tuning Fork? Fork in the road Fork?  Fork you fork? HA!  :rotflmao:
 
I'm a big believer in using the 'sidestand with the bike in first gear' group. The one thing about the Harley world that I wished the Japanese had incorporated is the "jiffy" stand, as Harley calls it. When you put a Harley on its stand it leans over considerably more than our bikes do, plus there is a channel that the stand fits into that prohibits the bike from moving forward. It is weird to see someone push a Harley when it is on its sidestand to move it on the showroom floor. I wish our bikes wouldn't fall over from a little push while on the sidestand! :mad:
 
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