which way do you point your wheel?

[iwannadie]

when parked which way do you turn your wheel. ive always pointed it left, but i see alot of people that point it to the right. seems a little awkward when pointing right but stable. is there any reason behind pointing it right?

seems if pointed left it can roll forward easier, but if its pointed right it wont roll?

[Mag7C]

Left, just because it works the best for my bike that way. Pointing it right for some reason makes more of an upward stance, if that makes sense, and seems more likely to tip over if a person bumps it. I'm not sure if the bar locks with it to the right either. Keep it in gear to prevent roll.

[TheReaper]

I point mine left, mainly cause thats where it needs to be for the bar lock.

[vulcanman500]

I don't like lright. Left reveals my fork lock. So thats what i do.

[fireguzzi]

the msf course tought us to point it left. THough i dont remember why.

[Keyoke]

Neither - strainght on (usually use centre stand!)

If using side stand, though - always the left, seems to sit better that way...

[Sev]

You should point it left because if it gets pushed forward for some reason the bike will turn left :gasp: and this will keep the sidestand down for the longest amount of time without retracting. Straight forward it pops up after about a foot, and hard right it just comes right off the sidestand and tips.

Coincidentally you shouldn't keep it on the centerstand as that's also easier to tip then the sidestand. It forms a smaller triangle to lean on: front wheel and two points under the bike. The sidestand uses the front wheel, back wheel and sidestand (out to the side) to keep it upright. This is a longer base to stand on, and it uses the weight of the bike to keep it down.

If you're parking on grass use the centerstand though. Because this has more surface area then just the sidestand.

[bigswifty]

the post prior to mine makes no sense at all to me... idunno maybe i can't read, Sev.
but i agree (sortof) just turn the into the lean (left)and the bike will have all its weight perched on the sidestand. May we have mercy for the poor soul whom's bike is kicked from the left by some vagrants...

centerstand is a safe bet when possble IMO

[ronboskz650sr]

To the right. My steering lock is on the left side of the head (remember, 26 year-old bike). It also makes it much easier to tip the 500 lb, high cg bike back up to ride it. It still leans way over on the stand, And I leave it in first gear, so it doesn't roll. Oh, and it looks happier that way, too! Not sure why. I don't think this is a black and white issue. Parking on a grade can easily make one way better than the other for that situation.

[Sev]

Everyone knows this site, while not everyone agrees with it. It's used popularly to point out all sorts of good tips in motorcycle riding. And I personally agree with a lot of what is said. While it is not 100% exact science most of it makes a lot more sense then some of the nuts out there.

Motorcycle Safety

This is more about not mounting from the right hand side of the bike, but it still applies...

Your side stand provides a WIDE tripod footprint (unlike your center stand) that virtually guarantees your bike will not fall over if you lean against it. (This, by the way, is why it is far safer to leave your bike on its side stand than it is to put it on its center stand in a storm.) You would court dumping the bike if it was not LEANING heavily on its side stand when you mounted it (as when the bike is parked on a slope to the right.) Similarly, mounting from the right tends to relieve pressure from the side stand unless you 'hop' onto your left foot before your fanny hits the seat. Worse, your right foot is planted firmly on the ground when you do that and if the bike were to fall over you could not get away from it.

From the same site about overnight parking:

You are out on an overnighter and are parking the bike for the evening. The winds are up. Do you use a cover or not? Put it up on the center stand or leave it on the side stand?

Let me deal with the second question first - it is the easiest. Rule-of-thumb: Unless you are parked inside a garage on concrete, use your side stand!

Your side stand provides a WIDE tripod as compared to your center stand. As such, it provides far more stable parking for your motorcycle. The sole exception to this is if you are unable to park such that the bike leans firmly on the side stand. For example, if your shocks or tire pressure are low, your luggage weight is high, or the ground slopes to the right. If the bike is not leaning firmly on your side stand it can rather easily be pushed over to the right side.

Though high winds and bike covers do not go well together, I always use mine when I'm out on an overnighter. This, to tend to minimize the risks of theft and curiosity seekers taking liberties (even good natured parents have taken the liberty of placing one of their children in a bike's saddle they were walking by without getting the bike owner's permission.) Further, I'd rather the cover get damaged from windblown sand and other debris than the finish on my bike.

Remember to use some form of fastener to cinch together the bottom edges of your cover under the bike to keep it from flying off (and to further deter someone who might even think about stealing the bike.)