Center Stand or Side Stand, What your Preference?

It was great reading your experienced views on this topic. I got to say, you convinced me to at least do the modification to my frame for the side stand. That way I'll have some options and won't need to disturb the powder coating to do the mod at a later date. Don't hesitate to continue to post, I'll still be reading your replys.
Thanks, Gary

Both.

I couldn't live without the centerstand. In my youth I could start the bike without it but not now with a bad leg. I had to take my side stand off to get it to clear the tail gait loading it into a truck one time & never bothers to put it back on. New spring, new bushings check the bolts once in a while. So far so good.

I like to use my side stand when I'm all liquored up. Sometimes I think I've kicked that sumbitch out, then I drop my bike on the pavement only to find that I forgot to kick it out. Sometimes I kick that sidewinder out, stumble off, then, if I'm still aware of what's goin' on, I get her up on the center stand so it'll be easier to start if I go blind. I did bust the side stand off my TR6C (40 yrs ago) kickin' her. Fell to the pavement. That one sticks in my craw.
I like the look of a motorcycle leaning on the side stand (that's the way John Wayne would do it) but when I get around domesticDudes, I post her straight up! Cause she looks proud. Amal.

Hi All

I don't like any stands on my bike they just seem to get in the way when in hard and fast corners, but then I do run my 850 in a Wideline Featherbed, at the moment I do have a bolt on side stand but as soon as I get any scraping from it it will be taken off, their is aways a fence, post or building to lean the bike on and I have been doing this for over 25 years now.
When my bike was in Commando form many many years ago I did lose it once in a tight corner from the centre stand digging into the bitumen, lucky it only got min damage to the bike and a bit of skin off here and there, but as soon as I got home off with the centre stand to never return.

Ashley

I have both on my MKII and wouldn't want to be without either. The side stand is far better on uneven ground and the centre stand is better when I need it upright. I will kickstart on the centre stand when the bike has been sitting for a while, as I can get a good follow through but never ever on the side stand.

The pivots and bushings wear over time on both and need to be maintained or repaired.

MexicoMike said:

cmessenk - I want my 2nd Norton to look like yours. Which fairing is that? Does it accept a headlight?

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Mike, I sent you an email. Oh, forgot to mention in my email, it does accept a headlight.

Long ago a guy I knew died when he rode off with the
side stand down. It didnt kick in when he layed it
way over on a curve, he slid out and hit a pole.
Now, granted, this wasnt on a Commando and we were
rather slack about the small things in those days but it
has stayed with me.
However, I very nearly lost it once in a long sweeper
when the center stand foot grounded. So I can see
the point of no stands at all and did this for a spell.
Got so I could arrive at work, pull in next to the
building and lean it on the handlebar without
even getting off.
If you ride like a sane adult then both stands are fine
and useful.
When my current bike is completed Ill go with a
side stand though I may make one out of tubing as
the stock one is crudity squared and weighs a ton.

I don't recall how many thousands of miles we did testing the two prototypes on the street. For the longest time, the speedometer and odometer read 1.6x actual because of a mismatch between the instrument revs/mile and those of the wheel-mounted speedo drive. Neither of those bikes had either a center or side stand and we could always find something to lean them against.

The first time I saw a center stand on a Commando was on the bikes at the 1967 show! Motor Cycle weekly magazine made some snide comments about "why didn't the test program find the problem of center-stand grounding?"

"Mike, I sent you an email. Oh, forgot to mention in my email, it does accept a headlight."

Got the email, thanks. And appreciate the added info re headlight.