Tupperware Tip for Maintenance (also, check those CVT filters and kickstands!)

Picture perfect Saturday in South Florida so I spent it doing maintenance on my GT.

New BMW coolant. New Motul oil and BMW filter. Checked the belt and cleaned both CVT filters.

Unfortunately, that requires taking off most of the tupperware. Not my favorite task but it's a necessary evil. With tupperware, I've never ended up with the same number of screws and bolts when I'm finished. They appear to multiply like rabbits and I end up with a couple leftovers. I have also wasted too much time trying to fit bolts and screws into the wrong-sized holes. With each bolt, I'd take my best guess and see if it fit.

Today, I figured out a way to overcome that. As I removed each screw or bolt, I took a cell phone pic. The screws and bolts are either T-30 or T-25, both round heads (the one exception I saw is flathead bolts for the metal plates on the running boards).

Each pic showed me whether I used a T-handle screwdriver (T-30) or a small ratchet and bit (T-25). When I went to reassemble, I scrolled through my photos to find each bolt and used the correct one. Voila. I ended up with 0 screws and bolts left for the first time ever.

IMPORTANT TO CHECK CVT FILTERS

My GT is a 2015 with 5,250 miles. I was surprised at the amount of debris on my CVT filters. I dry-cleaned both by hand and used a leaf blower to remove dust. It's so important to keep these filters clean. The first filter is inside the black cover of the belt case. The second filter is tucked away above the right side of that black case. You have to peer in to see it, like looking into a cave; it's the triangular area above the filter in the photo. Press the tab in the center up or down (can't remember which) and it slides out like a drawer.

When I opened up the belt case to check the belt, I used the leaf blower to remove rubber dust. A good sized puff of black dirt came out.

ANOTHER OVERLOOKED ITEM: THE SIDESTAND

I once had the sidestand on a BMW R1150R come completely off and clatter to the ground as I was parking the bike. With no one in sight, I had no choice but to lay the bike on the ground and deal with it. Thus I may be overly sensitive to loose sidestands, but they happen. Torque for the sidestand screw is 41 Nm (30 ft.lbs) and 30 Nm (22 ft.lbs) for the mounting bolts. Definitely didn't see a description in the service manual of "barely hand tight" for mounting bolts.

This is the second GT I've owned where the sidestand mounting bolts felt a little "casual," and I believe they work loose over time. Something to keep an eye on. With all that expensive tupperware, no one wants to see their GT or Sport topple over.

My side stand bolts were bent, a grade 8 bolt is not a good fit as they are strong, but brittle. After I broke one of the grade 8 bolts, I replaced them all with grade 5 bolts and keep an eye on them. I'm not happy with how far over the bike leans when on the side stand, I purchased a wider foot that I had hoped would add to the length of the side stand, and though it helps with the soft asphalt in the summer it doesn't help the bike sit any taller. I think the PO probably stood on the bike to mount when it was on the side stand, I can't really tell if the stand leg is bent.

Last fall I was running errands when I stopped at a store. When I put the side stand down and leaned the bike down onto the bike tipped over about 10 degrees more than usual. I straightened it back up and looked down at the side stand. I touched it with my foot and it wiggled. I put it back up and rode straight to the dealership. Put it on the center stand there and got the service manager to look at it. Out of three bolts on the side stand one was missing, one was broken, and the last one was loose. The broken one was sticking out far enough to get pliers on and came out without a problem. He then tightened the loose one and found two bolts that would work until the correct ones came in. When the three new bolts came in he changed them out himself and didn’t even charge me any shop time.

I forgot to say that now every time I put the side stand down I try to wiggle it with my foot before I lean the bike down to it.

"I purchased a wider foot ... it doesn't help the bike sit any taller."

I've never been happy with the lean angle from the sidestand. It looks extreme and seems like it puts unnecessary stress on the sidestand. I created a simple parking pad.

I use two paving stones to stand the bike up straighter (photos). They are eight pounds each and don't move a millimeter when the bike is resting on them. Before I bought my current home, I had a garage and used those paving stones and a plank of wood to make the bike sit at around 80 degrees.

"I touched it (sidestand) with my foot and it wiggled"

Funny story about the risks of neglecting the sidestand ....

There is a great restaurant in downtown Rochester, New York called Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (photo).

It has a big courtyard reserved for motorcycles. The courtyard is surrounded by outdoor tables, so as you roll in through the gate on your bike, everyone sees your arrival. It's a perfect opportunity to show off your ride (mostly big, loud Harleys; my black BMW R1150R bat cycle was a rare exception).

One day, a tall, skinny guy glides in on a new Harley V-Rod. It was gleaming silver, more spaceship than motorcycle, Harley's first big attempt at high tech.

The rider parked that sleek machine in the center of the courtyard so everyone could see. He dismounted in slow motion, dramatically, then paused to admire the V-Rod from front to back, and headed toward the bar for a beer ... two, three, four steps and the bike fell down with a crash. He didn't put the kickstand down all the way! Hopefully his ego was bruised more than his motorcycle.

Between my kickstand falling off, two coming loose and the memory of that V-Rod, I always, ALWAYS double-tap my sidestand to make sure it's fully extended.

Delray said:

He dismounted slowly, admired his bike from front to back, and headed for the bar for a beer

Click to expand...

One safety rule I have is to never drink a drop of alcohol when I ride a motorcycle.
But then in Florida you don't have to wear a helmet either, so safety is a different concept there!
I will have to inspect my sidestand now, never paid attention to it.

Delray said:

"I purchased a wider foot ... it doesn't help the bike sit any taller."

I've never been happy with the lean angle from the sidestand. It looks extreme and seems like it puts unnecessary stress on the sidestand. I created a simple parking pad.

I use two paving stones to stand the bike up straighter (photos). They are eight pounds each and don't move a millimeter when the bike is resting on them. Before I bought my current home, I had a garage and used those paving stones and a plank of wood to make the bike sit at around 80 degrees.

"I touched it (sidestand) with my foot and it wiggled"

Funny story about the risks of neglecting the sidestand ....

There is a great restaurant in downtown Rochester, New York called Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (photo).

It has a big courtyard reserved for motorcycles. The courtyard is surrounded by outdoor tables, so as you roll in through the gate on your bike, everyone sees your arrival. It's a perfect opportunity to show off your ride (mostly big, loud Harleys; my black BMW R1150R bat cycle was a rare exception).

One day, a tall, skinny guy glides in on a new Harley V-Rod. It was gleaming silver, more spaceship than motorcycle, Harley's first big attempt at high tech.

The rider parked that sleek beast in the center of the courtyard so everyone could see. He dismounted slowly, admired his bike from front to back, and headed for the bar for a beer ... two, three, four steps and the bike fell over with a crash. He didn't put the kickstand down all the way! Hopefully his ego was bruised more than his motorcycle.

Between my kickstand falling off, two coming loose and the memory of that V-Rod, I always, ALWAYS double-tap my sidestand to make sure it's fully extended.

View attachment 3299View attachment 3300View attachment 3301

Click to expand...

Delray said:

"I purchased a wider foot ... it doesn't help the bike sit any taller."

I've never been happy with the lean angle from the sidestand. It looks extreme and seems like it puts unnecessary stress on the sidestand. I created a simple parking pad.

I use two paving stones to stand the bike up straighter (photos). They are eight pounds each and don't move a millimeter when the bike is resting on them. Before I bought my current home, I had a garage and used those paving stones and a plank of wood to make the bike sit at around 80 degrees.

"I touched it (sidestand) with my foot and it wiggled"

Funny story about the risks of neglecting the sidestand ....

There is a great restaurant in downtown Rochester, New York called Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (photo).

It has a big courtyard reserved for motorcycles. The courtyard is surrounded by outdoor tables, so as you roll in through the gate on your bike, everyone sees your arrival. It's a perfect opportunity to show off your ride (mostly big, loud Harleys; my black BMW R1150R bat cycle was a rare exception).

One day, a tall, skinny guy glides in on a new Harley V-Rod. It was gleaming silver, more spaceship than motorcycle, Harley's first big attempt at high tech.

The rider parked that sleek machine in the center of the courtyard so everyone could see. He dismounted in slow motion, dramatically, then paused to admire the V-Rod from front to back, and headed toward the bar for a beer ... two, three, four steps and the bike fell down with a crash. He didn't put the kickstand down all the way! Hopefully his ego was bruised more than his motorcycle.

Between my kickstand falling off, two coming loose and the memory of that V-Rod, I always, ALWAYS double-tap my sidestand to make sure it's fully extended.

View attachment 3299View attachment 3300View attachment 3301

Click to expand...

Delray said:

"I purchased a wider foot ... it doesn't help the bike sit any taller."

I've never been happy with the lean angle from the sidestand. It looks extreme and seems like it puts unnecessary stress on the sidestand. I created a simple parking pad.

I use two paving stones to stand the bike up straighter (photos). They are eight pounds each and don't move a millimeter when the bike is resting on them. Before I bought my current home, I had a garage and used those paving stones and a plank of wood to make the bike sit at around 80 degrees.

"I touched it (sidestand) with my foot and it wiggled"

Funny story about the risks of neglecting the sidestand ....

There is a great restaurant in downtown Rochester, New York called Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (photo).

It has a big courtyard reserved for motorcycles. The courtyard is surrounded by outdoor tables, so as you roll in through the gate on your bike, everyone sees your arrival. It's a perfect opportunity to show off your ride (mostly big, loud Harleys; my black BMW R1150R bat cycle was a rare exception).

One day, a tall, skinny guy glides in on a new Harley V-Rod. It was gleaming silver, more spaceship than motorcycle, Harley's first big attempt at high tech.

The rider parked that sleek machine in the center of the courtyard so everyone could see. He dismounted in slow motion, dramatically, then paused to admire the V-Rod from front to back, and headed toward the bar for a beer ... two, three, four steps and the bike fell down with a crash. He didn't put the kickstand down all the way! Hopefully his ego was bruised more than his motorcycle.

Between my kickstand falling off, two coming loose and the memory of that V-Rod, I always, ALWAYS double-tap my sidestand to make sure it's fully extended.

View attachment 3299View attachment 3300View attachment 3301

Click to expand...

I’m surprised that you haven’t added a larger base to your sidestand. I got tired of mine sinking into the asphalt at my work parking lot. Since it was a metal fab shop I made my own.

"I’m surprised you haven’t added a larger base to your sidestand."

A wider base is a brilliant mod with hot weather and soft asphalt. I never ride on days that hot. Same as I never ride in rain. Just too miserable for words. When it's 91 degrees/feels like 108 with the sun beating down in a cloudless sky, that's when the air conditioned Prius is my friend.

"One safety rule I have is to never drink a drop of alcohol when I ride a motorcycle.
But then in Florida you don't have to wear a helmet either, so safety is a different concept there!'

Another brilliant idea. According to NHTSA, 43% of fatal motorcycle accidents involve alcohol. I don't drink at all so that's another non-issue for me. As for helmets, I love the choice. If I'm riding ten blocks to a grocery store on quiet streets at 30 mph, it's great to throw on a baseball cap and go. But I won't ride on I-95 without a helmet. Safety is safety, no matter what state you're in.

This week in the town where I live a rider was killed by a car turning left in front of him. That is the #1 cause of motorcycle accidents and fatalities. As I've said before, I view every car turning in front of me like this is the one that won't see me, so I have to avoid an accident. I view it that way every single time.

I slow down, move to the right, weave the bike. It's incredibly annoying when they keep rolling, ready to accelerate into their turn after I pass. Only I can't tell if they see me, because I'm watching the front tire, not their eyes. When they keep rolling, I keep slowing, and I've slowed to the point where I almost had to put my feet down and stop. Foul language ensues.


UPDATE: Went from writing this post to scanning local news online and there's another one (boldface italics mine) ....


Motorcyclist, 17, killed in crash near Boca Raton

"PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A 17-year-old motorcyclist was killed Monday in a crash with another vehicle west of Boca Raton, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

The wreck occurred at 3:03 p.m. near The Oaks at Boca Raton subdivision, on State Road 7 and Bridgebrook Drive just north of Clint Moore Boulevard.

A 79-year-old resident of the Oaks community was driving a 2020 Audi SUV west on Bridgebrook Drive, preparing to turn south onto U.S. 441/State Road 7. The 2009 Honda motorcycle was traveling northbound in the left lane on U.S. 441/State Road 7.

PBSO said the driver of the Audi violated the motorcyclist's right of way and entered the roadway, causing the collision.

The motorcyclist struck the vehicle and the rider was ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office report said charges are pending in the case."

I read that same statistic Mike, about in how many motorcycle accidents alcohol was involved. Like you, I watch for every small indication that a car may make a wrong move. Happened to me once, that a car did not see me and ran into me, fortunately it was a minor crash that time (now 45 years ago, when I was ... seventeen). I watch dashcam videos from time to time as 'education' of what to expect in typical situations.
Now back to sidestand and tupperware tips !

Happy to go back to sidestand and tupperware tips, but we can never get enough safety reminders.

I've had zero accidents in 44 years. But I still remind myself to be diligent on the road, and scold myself when I let down that guard. Too easy to breeze through an intersection with the green light, when I should be checking both ways for that one time in my life when someone runs a red light at 60 mph and I'm in their path. Too easy to speed past side streets and blind driveways, when I should be ready for someone to pull out suddenly. My style of riding can be a PITA, but I guess it balances out. There's always a place to kick back and enjoy the ride.

Dashcam vids ... good wakeup calls. Years ago I saw a dashcam video of a tire bouncing across a median and hitting a motorcyclist in the head, fatally. It's still a vivid memory. You can't unsee that.