It only took a single incident. Just off the road in what looked like firm gravel, I put the bike on the sidestand. As I climbed off, the sidestand sunk another inch into the gravel, and I instinctively tried to catch it. It stopped, so I didn’t need the “save” of a 600lb machine, but the scare was serious, and the Adrenalin was pumping. The 2016 sidestand foot is inexplicably narrower than the previous generation. Is this weight-saving? A nod to the aftermarket? Why would such a premium machine not have a more substantial footprint?
Back home, I began to look around for a solution. T be fair, it is not just a BMW problem, as there are options for many bikes. For the RT-LC, there are plenty of solutions which will set you back $60-$100 ! Many more cheaper options for the prior generation. It is almost as if there is collusion to ensure the aftermarket gets $60 for something that should not be needed. Clearly there is room for a larger footprint when the sidestand is retracted. It would probably cost $1 in material for the larger part. Clearly lots of people need one.
After calming down and resigning myself to a purchase, I found one by Givi on sale. It cost $50 to my door, and took all of 5 minutes to install with some blue loctite. Compared to the narrow stock profile, it is much improved, and should work well on softer surfaces like sand and hot asphalt.
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