only running engine on centre stand,

[taylor]

my mechanic neighbour has told me never run the bike on the side stand if the bike aint been used for a while, the reason he his saying this is because the oil will all be on one side of the engine, it makes sense I suppose but is it true.?

[DekF]

And if it's on the centre stand it'll all be at the bottom
Seriously, where does all this shite come from

[carlos]

I had a gs550 engines clucth stick together after the engine was laying on it side for about a week only found out after we got it back in and bumped it up the road.
cant see a side stand leans it that far though
how come some bikes don't have side stands from new??

[robby boy]

 the reason he his saying this is because the oil will all be on one side of the engine,





And when you lean it over to go round a corner where is the oil.

[mark]

If that was the case surely ALL bikes would come with a center stand

[carlos]

what sort of mechanic is he?
and what does he mean by a 'while' 6 days? or 6 weeks? or 6 million years

[Simon.Pieman]

He's talking tripe, don't listen to anything he says.

[fazersharp]

I always sit on mine when I start it, I sort of dont feel in control otherwise, I pop it back on the side and put me lid on -- off the bike, its sort of like starting your car by leaning in through an open window from out side.
Would you not cause far more damage by reving hard straight away when cold 

[chaz]

If mine has been stood for more than a day, I sit on it put it in first gear, rock it and free the clutch off, put it in neutral, holding clutch in I start the engine and then engage 1st gear, usualy without a clunk. Starting it on the sidestand won't make any difference to where the oil is?

[Dave48]

There is a device in the engine called an OIL PUMP!!

[dazza]

Do you think he may of meant don't start it if it's upside down

[Deefer666]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA this thread made me laugh. If this guy is a mechanic then please take his tools away, He's too dumb to be trusted with them. 

If a bike has been stood for a while (years), then I pop the rocker cover over and drop some fresh oil on the cams, then take the plugs out and drop some petrol/2stroke mix down the bores, then turn the engine by hand a few times, before attempting to start it. It doesn't matter if its on the side stand or not.

[stevierst]

Starting the bike on the side stand is bad for the engine?????

Oh my god, I've been risking damaging my engine all these years:

How old is this "mechanic", About 12 ???

[Slaninar]

And when you lean it over to go round a corner where is the oil.

Centrifugal force should negate gravity - if you lean to left, in a fast corner, oil should be in the middle, or even on the right side more than on the left.

[Fazafou]

I seriously thought it must be April the 1st when I read this

[fazersharp]

The concern is it not that its nothing to do with anything other that the 1st 5 seconds of starting, is the concern that the pump will not have access to enough oil on start up, which side is the pump.

And while I think about it why is the stand on the left on all bikes

[Dave48]

The concern is it not that its nothing to do with anything other that the 1st 5 seconds of starting, is the concern that the pump will not have access to enough oil on start up, which side is the pump.

And while I think about it why is the stand on the left on all bikes

Surely the stand is on the left so the bike leans towards the kerb-at least in countries where they drive on the left-so probably historic as far as UK goes?

[bigbluebear]

Give this guy a break as he doesn't say what type of mechanic he is......my guess is Tonka Toy or Fisher Price

[BBROWN1664]

If the oil level is too low then I can see there may be a problem but given the bike is designed with a side stand thenit suggests with the correct oil level, the inlet for the pump will be submerged in oil with the engine running whilst the bike is on the side stand.

Taylor, your neighbour is wrong. Feel free to point out the error of his ways and ridicule him publicly in the local pubs he frequents.

[richfzs]

I seem to recall that there was an issue with one of the early jap big bikes, where running it on the sidestand caused the rhs to run dry. Maybe the cbx 1000, was a long way from one side to the other on that

I've always started every bike I've ridden, on the sidestand though, no problem

[hightower]

I'm not the smartest tool in the shed, and learning all the time. But I had my sump off last week, and on FZS the alient looking suction tube for the oil pump is about the centre and it seemed to sit nice and deep in the sump - not sure what it's like on other bikes but I would have thought so long as you have enough oil in the sump then it will still get what it needs.

[taylor]

lol I thought he was talking shit, hes about 55, his son was a premiership speedway rider and he rebuilt that after ever race, hes got about 10 bikes around there all concourse, so he knows his stuff, hes rebuilt them all, but I think he goes over the top sometimes.

[Super_Monkey]

For what its worth, I picked up a TDM850 cheap as it had a big end bearing issue, pulled the engine out, stripped it , looked at the rods and sure enough one of the bearings was fucked, the other was fine, spoke to a mate who's been a bike mechanic for longer than time itself (yeah yeah I know) and he said that that is a known problem with TDMs as some owners run the engine and leave it ticking over on the sidestand , all the oil does run to one side of the engine and causes the very problem this engine had.


Bollocks??? What do you think?

[stevierst]

It's that tdm engine, it's renown for it, and it's not always the same big end bearing that seizes. They burn oil for fun, and most owners do neglect to check it before it's too late.

[unfazed]

Despite the ridicule this poor fellow is getting and being of the same vintage, I know he is partially correct. There were issues with some of the older engines mostly singles with regards the design of the oiling of the cam shaft and valve train. If left on the side stand and then started the right side was starved of oil because the oil had drained away as there were no places to hold the oil until the oil pressure built up after starting. It eventually caused the cam or valve train to seize. However if they were started when upright there was sufficient oil within the cam and/or valve train to feed the bearings while the oil pressure built up
Particular dodgy ones were the early 1970s Honda OHC singles. The cam ran directly on the flat machined alloy head with no slots to hold the oil and it drained away from the area when on the side stand. Eventually the head and/or valve train or cam could be junk. Some enterprising fellows machined brass inserts to fit if the cam, head and or valve gear were salvageable.
Thankfully it is no longer an issue nowadays.

In reply to the problem with the TDM and the TRX before it was that it had a dry sump and many did not fill them or check them for oil properly. Some were inclined to burn oil and left run low on oil,  which many owners did as they were unsure or did not know how to check the oil level properly. With the oil low and then if it was left idling on the side stand you could starve the pick up of oil and destroy the cam or crank.