Beware new pavement - 2000 R1100RS

So I was at the local YMCA and a worker makes an announcement for the owner of a BMW motorcycle. It seems my bike had tipped over and was laying on its' side. Thinking that someone must have bumped it, I went outside to discover that the pavement that had been put down three weeks before had failed to cure. My kickstand sunk in a little over an inch causing the bike to fall over. The fairing with the headlamp sustained a crack and the engine cover got scuffed. Oil had leaked out of the bike around where the driver side throttle body is located. The bike fired right up, no smoke from the exhaust, and seems none the worse for wear... Will definitely use the center stand from now on if the pavement looks new.

Two questions: 1) Where did the oil come from? 2) Does anyone have ideas on where to get a new front fairing? I looked for a while online but couldn't find anything.

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If by 'pavement,' you mean blacktop (i.e. bituminous asphalt vs. concrete, traditionally referred to as pavement, though many sources use these words interchangeably, which just promotes confusion), had it failed to cure, due to improper batch mixture, or temperature/humidity issues, the oil could have weaped to the surface in that one spot due to the extreme pressure point from the side stand.

Beware the trust you would have placed in using the center stand. My son parked his Honda ST1300 on relatively new asphalt at his place of work one day, only to find it on its side at the end of his shift. Though both center stand feet had sunk into recently applied blacktop 'cleared' for parking, one sank faster than the other, leading to the tip over.

Kevin's exactly right: the centerstand would likely also have allowed the bike to topple. Back in the 70s, I came out from lunch to find my R50 leaning precariously — a few more minutes and it would have been napping — after centerstanding it in a new asphalt parking lot.

Because the sidestand carries less weight than the centerstand feet, use it instead on suspicious surfaces. A better solution is having a larger foot on the sidestand, to distribute its weight so it is even less likely to sink into the ground. There are larger feet to screw to the stock stand, or you can carry a flattened tin can or a piece of wood. A few more square inches on the ground will do the trick.

Unless you're in a swept parking structure, there's often a piece of metal or wood or a rock on the ground or in the bushes that you can use.

Common problem solved by a sidestand foot enlarger
https://www.google.ca/search?q=side...7P3aAhUC82MKHQ8CD0gQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=611

Can even be done with a squashed beer can or flat rock in a pinch.

dbrick said:

A better solution is having a larger foot on the sidestand, to distribute its weight so it is even less likely to sink into the ground. There are larger feet to screw to the stock stand, or you can carry a flattened tin can or a piece of wood. A few more square inches on the ground will do the trick.

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Click to expand...

Even with a sidestand enlarger I use a metal plate under my sidestand when parking on new blacktop on a hot day or when parking on soft ground.

In my experience this can also happen on older asphalt pavement if the weather is hot enough, though tipping can also be a problem when parking on gravel.

I spent less than $1 on a 3" or 4" square steel cover for an electrical junction box, the kind that has screwholes (not slots) at each corner. I tied one end of a piece of heavy twine through one of those, and made a slipknot loop in the other end that I loop around the inner latch of the glovebox. The whole thing fits inside the glovebox very easily, is easy to throw down and nudge into position with a toe (and close the glovebox around the string), and to reel back up from the saddle when it's time to go. I use it when parking on hot asphalt or (especially) gravel.

If you want to make it look elegant as well as practical, you can color the twine with a permanent marker to match your paint job!

One afternoon, on a trip through Oklahoma, I stopped at a convenience store to get fuel. I noticed an orange cone over in the parking beside the building. I went in to get something to drink and the youngster at the counter asked something about my bike and mentioned he had a dirt bike. We chatted a bit and he explained the orange cone. The day before he had parked his bike about noon when his shift started. The asphalt pavement heated up and softened and his sidestand sunk in. When he went to go home about 9:00 that night the asphalt had hardened and he couldn't get the sidestand out. So he disconnected it. He was waiting for the pavement to soften again that afternoon so he could pull his sidestand out.

We carry square plates about 3" by 3" to put under sidestands, mostly for parking at campgrounds and such.

dbrick said:

Kevin's exactly right: the centerstand would likely also have allowed the bike to topple. Back in the 70s, I came out from lunch to find my R50 leaning precariously — a few more minutes and it would have been napping — after centerstanding it in a new asphalt parking lot.

Because the sidestand carries less weight than the centerstand feet, use it instead on suspicious surfaces. A better solution is having a larger foot on the sidestand, to distribute its weight so it is even less likely to sink into the ground. There are larger feet to screw to the stock stand, or you can carry a flattened tin can or a piece of wood. A few more square inches on the ground will do the trick.

Unless you're in a swept parking structure, there's often a piece of metal or wood or a rock on the ground or in the bushes that you can use.

Click to expand...

I have a side stand foot enlarger and also carry an aluminum 4"x4" electrical box cover to throw down that the stand will be supported by. Electrical cover was 2.50 and an easy solution. I don't fully trust the side stand enlarger either in some environments.

Had a similar situation early on with my '00 RS. I can't believe how tiny the original foot print was on the side stand. I fixed it by welding on a piece of plate steel to increase the size. I trimmed it down for clearance with the bike and ground the outer edge, while cornering, to an appropriate shape. I agree that in the same situation your center stand probably wouldn't have faired any better. In fact in a unstable situation the bike will be more stable on the sidestand with a good foot (stability of a tripod).

Not seeing a good used upper fairing for your RS. Have you considered having it repaired? I took a seagull through the fairing on my K75 several years ago, which was abs. It came through like a cannon ball leaving a six or eight inch hole. The body shop was able to repair it by welding it and repainting it. It came back perfect. Comprehensive covered it.

I carry a side stand pad in my glove box and put it under the stand whenever I think there is a chance it could sink into the ground. Sometimes you can get these for free at shows or bike stores.

I have kinda found that the "point load" of a full size motorcycle on most any surface can be risky. A sudden rain storm can loosen the ground enough to cause a tip. Wind vibration can sorta do the same. As for asphalt, without going into a big story, it isn't what it used to be.

This is my favorite item for the problem-



It allows for retrieval once you are sitting on the bike.

It's from Aerostich http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-cfsp-mk-ii-deluxe.html

OM

Good suggestion

Lee said:

Even with a sidestand enlarger I use a metal plate under my sidestand when parking on new blacktop on a hot day or when parking on soft ground.

Click to expand...

Yep, metal plate or a square piece of 1/2 inch wood. You have a lot of PSI on the side stand (small footprint).

Saw this ad in the Marketplace.

HAVE A LEFT & RIGHT UPPER FAIRINGS FOR SALE - THEY BLACK & NOS . THEY BOTH HAVE SOME SCRATCHES FROM IMPROPER STORAGE . NO CRACKS OR MISSING TABS THEY FIT 98 - 03 R1100 RS MODELS . $100 EACH

http://marketplace.bmwmoa.org/classified/r1100rs-fairing-halves-listing-9400.aspx