Side Stand Orientation

Janet · Post by **Janet** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:38 am

quote: Janet, sidestands are on the right, regardless of which side of the road you drive on, because most folk are righthanded--that is the way to mount a horse!!
Mr Jennings, firstly, my totally unfounded guess is that you meant 'left' and not 'right'.
I was querying Crawsue's post which, if totally correct ( He is right when he says the Japanese drive on the left )would have had all non-British European countries, USA, and some others fixing their sidestands on the right so that they were away from the traffic. I know from experience of my own Guzzi that this is not so.

Regarding handedness, horses etc, I respectfully refer you to my first response in this thread ( post 5, I think )where I put this forward for discussion, even to the point of explaining why "that is the way to mount a horse". Thank you for agreeing with me. 0/10 for not reading the only well thought out, serious contribution I have made on this forum.

I can go off people.Edited by - Janet on 08 Nov 2008 06:39:29 AM

alanjennings · Post by **alanjennings** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:21 am

Sorry, Janet, my left and right w ere somewhat confused!! When you reach a certain age-and I have, one often looses "the thread!!" I'll go and polish a bike as punishment. I have a nice photo from 1968 to put up- if I can persuade my dear wife to do it, as it is beyond my skills.

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:59 am

Creep

crawsue · Post by **crawsue** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:57 pm

Janet you have made a very good job of rubbishing my well thought out and completely WRONG argument!But let's throw this into the argument as well,every car I have ever driven LHD or RHD has had the pedals orientated the same way,so can we assume that whatever manufacturing country came up with the original idea ,then everyone else followed suit? Or could it be that all manufacturers wanted to gain access to the biggest single market of the early motoring (and motorcycling) market of the 20th century....the British Empire,where with the exception of Canada ,everyone drove on the left? Doesn't explain H-D ,though..(although Davidson was a Scot).

Eric · Post by **Eric** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:17 pm

Its not true about the pedals on cars either, there are/were many that you probably have not driven with different arrangements.

I think the most common other setup was with the throttle/accelerator in the middle.

Can you imagine transferring from one to another?

I do think the side stand location is a carry over from the mounting position for a horse but can anyone tell me how the USA came to drive on the wrong side of the road?

Every western film I have ever seen has the stagecoach driver sitting on the right with the gunman on the left. When they pull into town the passengers alight from the left onto the sidewalk.

itma · Post by **itma** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 6:19 pm

some french cars had the accelerator in the middle I think, and did not Ford model T the same?
I have also seen pre war French cars with a steering wheel in the MIDDLE

rex.webb · Post by **rex.webb** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:07 pm

Having a friend with a 1935 Morris car i find the cantral accelerator pedal confusing.I have only once been driving and forgot at a junction it got verry exciting .The owner trying to stop the car on the Hand brake as i tried to sort out my feet.

thomthom · Post by **thomthom** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 12:00 am

After posting the question I went away for a few days to Italy (working) Honestly.

All that time and no verifiable answer.

I think that Janet is probably right with the rider not wishing to become tangled with their sword.

In the meantime I also wondered which control gear is most consistently placed in the same position on motorcycles.

So far, apart from the Vincent, it would seem that the side stand on the port side is nearly universal. Gear and rear brake controls have moved all over the place, as have engine speed controls/throttles.

Has the front brake lever always been on the starboard side on the handlebar?

itma · Post by **itma** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:43 am

No, Vintage Sunbeams fitted them on the left bar

poplargreg · Post by **poplargreg** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:15 am

I think that it's just positive discrimination in favour of the majority of right-handed people. If you dismount on the left and hold the bars ready to tilt the bike onto the the stand (which you then lower using your right foot), then your right (stronger) arm is fully extended and flexes as you lower the bike.

Your left arm does very little, being by your side. I've experimented leaning to the right with my heavy bike which weighs half as much again as a G3 and if feels very precarious (allowing for the psychological fact it is being lowered onto nothing).

Also, the isn't much to damage on the left if it falls, apart from a manky leaking pressed steel chaincase and a brake pedal. On the right you have all the pretty bits plus gear and kickstart levers, pipes and mirror. On pre-war bikes there would also have been a very vulnerable hand operated gearchange on the tank.Edited by - poplargreg on 09 Nov 2008 10:33:35 AM