[Capt. Steubing]

So a little story..........Last summer I was at my sister's hardware store, I'd left the Monster parked there after consuming a little......O.K. a lot of alcohol . I was parked inside of her storage half of the store, and didn't want to stink up the place while I was letting it warm up, so I tried to put the motorcycle in first gear and roll 5 feet forward with the sidestand down, and when I tried to let the clutch out, it died....."what the fu<k?", obviously didn't give it enough gas......tried again, died again......"piece of Italian sh!t" ......
tried again, lots of gas, same results........"oh, oh, I'm fu<ked". So I rolled the motorcycle outside and left it for a while and tried a little later, but this time I put up the sidestand when I tried to move it, and it took off fine......."must have fixed itself, I'll pray to God when I get home and I'm sure it won't happen again"..................... Fast forward to a couple of days ago, I am in the garage dreaming of actually taking a ride, and I fire up the Monster and try to pull forward, and the bike dies again, and I have a "moment of clarity" and realize that there is a safety feature on the Monster that won't allow me to take off with the sidestand down. I know that there used to be a safety switch on the sidestand that most people bypassed that wouldn't allow the motorcycle to run with the sidestand down, and I know that there was an auto retracting sidestand on some Monsters, but I'd never heard of the safety feature that I'd discovered (it doesn't help that I didn't get an owner's manual, and am too lazy to download one off the Ducati website {56K, would take 4 hours}) So I'm really feeling like Lewis and Clark, and I feel that I've discovered something new, so I think that I'll name it the Steubing Sidestand Safety Feature (S.S.S.F.) . Actually it makes me wonder if Italians are really stupid, and prone to riding with the sidestand down? I've done it a time or two, but soon realized that it wasn't a good idea, and subsequently stopped. Thoughts?

 

[jiro]

I'm glad my Monster has this feature. I've ridden off with the stand down in more than one occasion (with my old Yamaha). Lowers the risk of getting myself into an unwelcome event.

 

[S4_newbie]

One thing the MSF class has drilled into me is

put equipement on first
hold brake
mount bike
start bike
take kickstand up


After rehearsing those excersises in class for 30 times, for some reason, I go through the exact same procdure now over and over whenever I ride.

 

[jiro]

put equipement on first
hold brake
mount bike
start bike
take kickstand up

On a cold day, my routine is this.

start bike
put on equipment
hold brake
mount bike
take kickstand up

[smiley=grin.gif]

 

[Norm]

That's one of the 1st things I disconnect on any bike I own. I hate having the bike think for me.

 

[test-reg]

On a cold day, my routine is this.

start bike
put on equipment
hold brake
mount bike
take kickstand up

[smiley=grin.gif]

i bet many MSF instructors follow that procedure when no one is looking. the evo harness went on my bike almost immediately.

 

[Skier]

""Actually it makes me wonder if Italians are really stupid, and prone to riding with the sidestand down? I've done it a time or two, but soon realized that it wasn't a good idea, and subsequently stopped. Thoughts? """


Well now,
I 100% sure this is a safety feature that Italians had nothing to do with.

Capisci ?

Skier

 

[johnypebs]

Back in 1979 I was a bike mechanic in David Paul motorcycles in Cornwall (England). I was rebuilding my '67 450 Honda and was interested in a mangled 500T for parts that we had in the basement, lying beside all the other insurance write-offs. The tank was flattened and I was curious to know what had happened. One of the other mech's told me that the owner rode out of a petrol station at Carnon Downs with his side stand down, went into a left hander and was launched under the wheels of an oncoming car and killed. I'm a bit superstitious, my mum was from Lewis, so I didn't use any of the parts.
Sorry to labour the point with all the detail, I just want you to know what I know for sure, that side stands can kill. Leave the switch alone.

 

[maxpower]

I agree JohnnyPebs - I just wish the switch worked like this - sidestand down, gear engaged, engine killed. Sidestand down, neutral never hurt anybody and has probably warmed up more than a few engines sufficiently. I don't think anyone would be unhappy with that switch (that is what was on my last H*nda).

I will leave the factory switch on, and continue suit up while sitting on the bike during the warming up process.

 

[mitt]

""Actually it makes me wonder if Italians are really stupid, and prone to riding with the sidestand down?

 

[Capt. Steubing]

There was no offense intended to Italians, it seems to be one of the weird little things about this motorcycle (like the handy tool kit ;D). I am a big fan of safety features in general, my little boredome inspired diatribe was mostly just an observation more than anything. And am I mistaken, or is this different than the safety feature on some other Monsters? I thought that I read that you could not have the motorcycle in neutral and have it running with the sidestand down, which is not the case with this Monster, it will run until you let the clutch out in gear with the sidestand down. Am I mistaken?

 

[iamic]

...I just wish the switch worked like this - sidestand down, gear engaged, engine killed. Sidestand down, neutral never hurt anybody...

Maybe I'm missing something in this discussion, but why not just get the sidestand interlock wiring kit? It's only $40, takes minutes to install, and does exactly what monkey1boy1 is describining.

Monster sidestand interlock

 

[maxpower]

Iamic - I think you are right I am confused. I always thought that evoluzion dealio was purely sidestand stand warm up - but didn't kill the engine when a gear was engaged. I obviously confused myself.

I was also wondering out loud why that would not be the factory installed kill switch. Everyone loves warming up their bikes with the side stand down - and not too many people like riding off with the stand down.

 

[test-reg]

Iamic - I think you are right I am confused. I always thought that evoluzion dealio was purely sidestand stand warm up - but didn't kill the engine when a gear was engaged.

 

[Rhoades]

My 636 only kills when you put it in gear with the stand down, neutral is fine.

 

[Gman86]

I thought the 2003's had the ability to idle with the side stand down, but would kill the bike if you tried to take off. This was in response to the complaints about the earlier models that prevented you from starting the engine with the kickstand down at all (like mine.) Maybe you have a late model 2002 with this feature. I prefer your version because it sucks having to sit on the bike while it warms up. But I tolerate it because it beats pole vaulting the Monster!

 

[Mikec]

It's a good feature. Leave it alone.