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[syscrusher]

It seems a little awkward to me to try to throw a leg over the seat to mount my steed and even more so to consider a similar dismount. Typically I put my left foot on the footpeg and swing the right one over from there. This took a toll on my kickstand earlier and then on my left footpeg. I started to notice that it was bent downward and back. A washer or three between the footpeg bracket and it's rearward mounting bolt will help some of this but not enough. The frontward mount was being bent outward and that was causing a lot of the deviation. I removed everything down to the frame in that location and used a mallet to bend things back into place. The mounting bracket is weak though and so I decided it needed bolstering. The photos should be pretty much self descriptive so I'll end my intro here.

 

 

[Condor]

I'm tall so it could be the reason this works for me. Knee's are pretty much toast so I grab a fist full of the right pant cuff and lift the leg over the seat from the left side.

[cowpuc]

Hey Sys,, this is an interesting topic and I thank you for bringing it up. Personally, I learned the hard way many many years ago (on an old Harley) about trusting kickstands to mount and dismount. From that experience I simply refuse to do it.. I also have broken off a kickstand on one of my prior 1st Gens just from being used and truthfully,, I hardly trust the dog gone things with just the weight of the bike, much less with my leg should it ever snap and cause my leg to get under it while dismounting..

I feel for your situation though brother.. If I were faced with what you are describing I think I would actually look into fabbing up a whole different kickstand - much heavier duty, wider footprint and a better mounting system then the shoulder bolt and "ears" that the current stand mounts to.. I also think you are wise to reinforce that left peg. Have you considered even going to boards? I know these pegs can be slippery to stand on under certain conditions..

P.S. - that @Condor varmint aint joking when he mentions his method - did it on modern day tall dirtbikes for years myself! WORKS GREAT!!! Any chance you could devise a method like he is talking about - even having a boot strap made to assist in lifting up your foot? Sure seems a lot safer IMHO..

[Condor]

P.S. - that @Condor varmint aint joking when he mentions his method - did it on modern day tall dirtbikes for years myself! WORKS GREAT!!! Any chance you could devise a method like he is talking about - even having a boot strap made to assist in lifting up your foot? Sure seems a lot safer IMHO..

 

Before the 'grab a cuff' mounting method I used to do the 'kick and slide' from the right side of the bike. With the bike leaning to the left on the stand I'd grab the passenger handrail and kick the left leg forward over the seat and slide over and down onto the saddle. Worked great for a couple of years until I blew my right knee out right in the middle of the kick. It was a funny sight for those watching. Me grabbing onto anything I could, and ending up flat on my back in the gutter. That's when I went to the grab a cuff... :-)

[Yammer Dan]

I run up to the back place both hands on the trunk and with a "Hi Ho Silver" I'm gone....... And I got some Ocean Front property for sale here in West by GOD!!!

[Condor]

Gotta see this one.... Gotta pick???.....

[Flyinfool]

I run up to the back place both hands on the trunk and with a "Hi Ho Silver" I'm gone....... And I got some Ocean Front property for sale here in West by GOD!!!

 

Or better yet video.

[videoarizona]

Interesting. Since getting the Ventures, I now get on/off from right side. Find it easier to mount from the high side. I've shrunk to 5'10" and 30 inch inseam....so not tall. Can't seem to get leg over from left anymore..

[Pegasus1300]

In 25 years of riding Ventures I have always used the foot peg method of mounting much like using the stirrup to get on a horse. I still use that method to get on the Spyder but then the 3rd wheel may be a little more stable then the side stand. When the foot peg on the old 86 started to bend I wrapped a hose clamp around it and tightened it down and no more trouble. I have worried about the side stand breaking and it actually did once also on the 86. I had the tab on the sidestand welded back on and re enforced then I drilled out the hole to take a larger bolt without a shoulder and no more troubles with that.

 

The only way I can get my right leg over mounting from the ground is to put it on the peg then lift it over with both hands

[Yammer Dan]

Tried doing it with camera in hand!! :backinmyday:Didn't work out too well!! You guys are trying to get me hurt!!!

[syscrusher]

I feel for your situation though brother.. If I were faced with what you are describing I think I would actually look into fabbing up a whole different kickstand - much heavier duty, wider footprint and a better mounting system then the shoulder bolt and "ears" that the current stand mounts to.

 

I did break my kickstand bolt and crack off the backside. Here is what my kickstand looks like now:

 

[camos]

Until I put the backrest on my method was to raise my knee pointed down just over the seat with my foot angled up to clear the trunk. Worked OK but then I'm tallish. After installing the backrest that way no longer worked. The new preferred method is to raise my knee then put my hand on the shin and pull up which lifts my foot high enough to clear the seat, then step through.

 

There are times when I'm either too tired or too stiff to get my knee up high enough so I resort to Condor's method to get my knee high enough to then grab the shin and step through.

Having to mount this way has always struck me as rather pathetic....

Oh well, guess my best days are long past.

[Bob and Mary]

Thank to everyone who shared information. I had the same issue with my '86. No doubt caused by using the left peg to get on the bike ( I'm 5'8" so I need the boost). I showed a friend the pictures of how to reinforce the bracket. Took about three hours start to finish. That included getting caught up on things and talking bad about some of his customers that want the impossible. Good thing his shop has wide open bay doors.... it was almost 90 degrees with 80% humidity...... and just for grins I tried using the left passenger's floorboard to get on this morning and it works fine. Any way thanks everyone for the information.