Is it OK to use the side stand while the bike is fully loaded? Ie full panniers, rear bag etc

Never seen anything that indicated you couldnt.  Heavily loaded you just need to be careful where you park, if the bike is leaning over too much it can fall.

The only issue i ever had with a loaded bike was a Honda VTR1000, the bitumen got real soft in the heat and the sidestand went through the bitumen.  A K has a much larger sidestand foot I doubt it would happen.

Al

Excellent AL. Watch for soft  tarmac. But otherwise no problem.

"The only issue i ever had with a loaded bike was a Honda VTR1000, the bitumen got real soft in the heat and the sidestand went through the bitumen.  A K has a much larger sidestand foot I doubt it would happen."

Al


after a hot day at work, came out in the afternoon to find my centrestand buried in the soft bitumen patch , which apparently was a repair patch the week before.
luckily the bike remained upright.
sidestands always concern me regarding over balancing . Especially considering some of us have a bent arm or worn bushes which tend to allow the bike more layover. 
I would expect the point at which you should pay most attention would be , weight ratio each side of the sidestand / bike attachment point ,and not the ground contact point . please correct me here . I have found though that the more load you have sitting high and rearward, seems to have a greater effect on parking stability. so ground angles are scrutinised even more during rest ups.

in general it becomes a trial and error( ) for each rider and bike , as load centres change dramatically each time you load up, the larger K series panniers give the bike a great advantage in keeping a large load low and stable. not weather proof though. always bag everything inside. so pack the heaviest items down low in the side panniers.
better still  a Kart is a great help , I'm just imaging Floyds K with a Willys trailer on the back for those scrub trips.
 BTW , where are you headed Floyd? sounds like you're gearing up for a big one.

groverK wrote:The larger K series panniers give the bike a great advantage in keeping a large load low and stable. not weather proof though. always bag everything inside.

I had once a bad experience bagging everything in plastic bags.
Years ago, I went for an 800kms trip on the highway. The bike was a Suzuki Gt750 with a 3 in 1 exhaust and the saddle bags were aluminum.
Riding at full speed (this was before radars and I was going to meet a girl friend), when I arrived at destination, I discovered that the plastic bags on the side of the exhaust had melted on the clothe. What a mess 

shrink wrapped .....

Floyd if you want to know if the side stand is strong enough to take your weight when using the left foot peg to get on while loaded I will tell you from experience the answer is a big NO and I have a bent stand to prove it. I am currently working on a design of side stand that will take the weight on the chookie because it is going to be high.

groverK wrote:BTW , where are you headed Floyd? sounds like you're gearing up for a big one.

Heading up to the Sunshine Coast for Christmas and then who knows?

sounds like a good xmas holiday ahead.

Indeed! 

I'll have to start a thread to put some pics and stories in. It's been a bloody interesting ride so far and I'm only in Gloucester.

Had one of the stiff on the lower clamps that hold on the handle bars break on me today while doing fun things on 4wd track in Mount Royal national park today..... Not good... It had sheared where the thread begins.

Engineering joint in singleton drilled out the remainder of the stud, taped it out and it now uses a high tensile bolt up through the bottom to hold it onto the triple clamp rather then a nut...

Will post pics and elaborate on my adventures in a new thread... But im having a ball!

Who is between here and the sunny coast I can pop in on?

I am so you can drop in and get the ring and stud mount.

If you want a bunk on the way home I am at Lismore. you're welcome.

When the bike is loaded up i'm very careful about the lean I get on it because the weight on the side stand probably increases exponentially as the angle increases. I carry a 100x 100x 20mm block to put under the stand,
to keep it pretty upright and it also helps if it rains overnight!!. Had a plastic foot with a cord on it which was much better but ........ 
Like Rick I'd never use the peg to get on.

If you look left, you'll see what happens when you don't use the back stand.