Bent Kickstand 650 GT

[TwoPort]

My side-stand has been bending for a few months now and so the bike leans waay too much while on it. It is not the mount but the post itself and it is easy to see. I have a hunch it began when my passenger (wife) insisted that she get on while it was on the side-stand and get settled because it was "easier." It seems like after it started to bend it quickly got quite worse and dang - it was hard to get back upright after she got on. I'm gonna see about warranty replacement but wondered if it was just a bad idea to have the passenger get on while on the side-stand? We did it this way with my Harley and never had any problems. I now get on first, move forward and hold it steady which she does not like. So she thinks a new kick-stand will fix the problem but I am doubtful. I'm gonna guess it may relate to weight but wondered how others deal with the passenger getting on?

 

[davidh]

I think mine leans over WAY too much too but the dealer said everything looked OK. I can't say I've ever say on it while on the sidestand but it definitely looks different than when I first got it. Both the bracket looks fine and there's no apparent bending or flaking paint on the stand itself.

 

[exavid]

I get on my GT first, move forward as far as possible to stabilize the bike then the wife gets aboard. There's a lot of leverage against the side stand when someone is sitting on the scooter. A friend of mine had a pillion passenger climb aboard his Silverwing while it was on the side stand and the bike tipped over. Weight distribution on a GT is a bit different but it's still a possibility. I don't think a new stand will help you for long since there wasn't anything wrong with the first one until it was overloaded.

 

[Sparkrn]

I do the same, just hold the bike steady while my wife gets on. I wouldn't try to rely on the stand to hold more then the bike itself

 

[Colin J Monteith]

Idiot he same, just hold the bike steady while my wife gets on. I wouldn't try to rely on the stand to hold more then the bike itself

I think because of step through design of scoot BMW cheaped out a bit on the stand assuming nobody would add any weight. On normal bikes they seem to make stands better as they know shorter riders will possibly use footrest to climb on bike before releasing stand.

 

[TwoPort]

Thank you for the input. We're gonna stay with me getting on first and stabilizing for her to get on. It's simple enough and the bike leaning too much is a pain. I gotta get it fixed.

 

[Vago]

junk side stand

I have had my sidestand replaced under warranty once already. The dealer has tightened up the entire assembly repeatedly, replaced the entire assembly once (new updated parts supposedly) and has re tightened again since then. I'm supposed to take it back again to have them locktite in on again. It looks to me like the stand clevis is loose on the mount tab. Originally, my wife would get off the bike with the sidestand down: now I hold the bike while she dismounts. . . . . so the side stand is a piece of garbage by design. I am not some newbie to motorcycles (having owned and maintained bikes for 48+ years), and when the dealer's parts man suggested I should only use the center stand, I was ready to suggest where the entire BMW could go. I have a fake leg on the left side, and can not just jump off and use the center stand. Many of today's motorcycles do not even have center stands. No Twoport, its not your fault or your passengers . . . My GT will turn over 30,000 miles today and I have had it for just over two years. I mostly ride solo. I love the bike overall, but when the time comes to buy another bike, it will be Japanese .

 

[exavid]

Sorry to hear about your problem with the side stand Vago. So far so good on my GT but then I don't have nearly the mileage you've racked up on yours. Have you had any other problems with it other than the early ones that BMW fixed on recall? I really like my GT so far for it's power and handling. BMW reminds me of Apple. They both keep their information close to the vest and don't provide decent manuals for their products wanting their dealers to get the business I guess. I've always been able to buy good shop manuals for all the Japanese bikes I've owned including the Silverwing scooter but not for BMW. As much as I like my GT I'd have gone with a Honda if they'd updated the Silverwing or at brought the new one to the US just because it's easier to find manuals and information for the Hondas. I can sympathize with you, it's easy for me to get to Hansen's for me in Medford but it's a pretty good ride for you.
BTW - Do you know Hans Raub over there? He has a GL1500 that's just about hit 400,000 miles on the odometer.

 

[SteveADV]

......I love the bike overall, but when the time comes to buy another bike, it will be Japanese .

The Germans, Austrians, Italians, Brits, and Americans all make good bikes today (as do a bunch of other countries I am sure) in addition to those designed and produced in SE Asia. Pluses and minuses with all makes and models, of course. My favorite might be another guy's dog.

I personally have not had any side stand problems but that might be because the BMW CGT is the only bike I mount without using the pegs (pegs with the other bikes because of a bad hip...plus maybe I feel like I'm getting on Trigger); sometimes with the side stand down and sometimes on the center stand. I know I've sat on CGT with the side stand down without any issues but maybe I just got lucky.

A side stand makeover is likely an easy design fix (and the production change probably wouldn't be a big deal). If it pops up enough on the warranty stats my guess is you can count on there being a change.

 

[TwoPort]

Getting my 18K service (at 19K miles). So it turns out that the two main kickstand mounting bolts were bent and the kickstand was not bent. Good news it was simple to replace the bolts and it now sits like it supposed to. It also seems the two bolts were coming loose which contributed to bending them; or perhaps that was the cause all along. I'll keep a better eye on them this time!

 

[Gsheff]

Page 59 of the riders manual states,"The side stand is designed to support only the weight of the scooter. Do not lean or sit on scooter with the side stand extended."

 

[TwoPort]

Page 59 of the riders manual states,"The side stand is designed to support only the weight of the scooter. Do not lean or sit on scooter with the side stand extended."

Dang. Should have read the manual!

 

[Gsheff]

LOL! Yea, that's usually the last thing I would do. Who would look up how to use a side stand anyway? I accidentally caught it looking for something else. Safe riding!

 

[TwoPort]

My BMW dealer said they have had a few bent kick stand issues and want me to bring mine back so they can examine it. It seems to just be "bending apart" and I had a further devolution yesterday. It wouldn't start. After a minute of sitting there I thought about what the most likely issue might be and it hit me the kickstand switch may be impacted. Turns out there is a slot the switch mates to that twists and it somehow has pulled apart so it no longer was inserted in the slot. Thus when the kickstand went up the switch did not rotate.

I was able to manually rotate kickstand switch and it started.

 

[Gsheff]

Has your kickstand switch been replaced under the service recall? They replaced mine along with the right side handlebar switches, and the timing chain tensioner.

 

[TwoPort]

Has your kickstand switch been replaced under the service recall? They replaced mine along with the right side handlebar switches, and the timing chain tensioner.

Actually no - I don't think it was.... But it has sort of come apart so now's a good time.

 

[windplr]

Hoping that my '15 GT doesn't have these issues. My dealer didn't say anything about recalls when I brought it in for the 600 mile service.

 

[Gsheff]

I have 2013 GT. Your 2015 should be good to go. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

 

[Jabus7]

No kickstand problems with a 2015 GT with 6,000 km on it.


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[TwoPort]

I'm at the dealer today about the kickstand. I've got a '13 GT. They said the "whole" mechanism is coming apart and needs replacement as well as the kick-stand bar itself which is bent. They also said there is an updated mechanism that will replace it. Turns out the whole thing is covered by warranty.

Also they just took in a '13 GT with 2K miles. Highline package and rear box.. They are asking 7K.