The high side is the right side to avoid going down with the ship if your bike falls over .
to make fun of you , but like I ’ ve said a thousand times , you bring that crap on yourself .
So , from now on , follow my little parking ritual : Shut off the bike , put it in 1st gear , deploy the kickstand , turn the handlebar full- lock left , gently ease the bike over onto the kickstand , and step off the high side of the bike . If you need a little assistance with your dismount , grab the front brake and use the handlebar for leverage . And while the process is simple enough , give it a few dry runs in the garage first . Practice makes perfect , though I can ’ t promise you won ’ t get weird looks from your friends . holding your Milk Duds . But in motor school , I learned the best way to get on and off a motorcycle : from the “ high side .”
Perhaps it ’ s obvious , but in case I lost you , allow me to explain . For the most part , kickstands are deployed from the left side of the motorcycle . If you put your motorcycle on its kickstand , the bike will settle , or lean , to the left . Therefore , if you were to stand directly behind the bike , the “ high ” side is the right side of the bike , or the side where your throttle and front brake lever are located . Since the bike is leaned over on the stand , the seat is higher on the right side . Make sense ?
Keep in mind that all vehicles in the United States travel on the right side of the road , with opposing traffic on the left . Now , let ’ s imagine you are riding along and need to get that super tight blue sweatshirt that you love to show off out of your saddlebag . You pull to the side of the road , kick your stand down , and start getting off the bike . But on this particularly cruel day , your bike begins to roll off its kickstand , resulting in the bike falling to the left – or “ low ” side – and toward traffic .
Adding chaos to the scenario , it turns out your right leg is the one with a wonky ACL and two meniscus surgeries , so you decided to plant your left foot on the ground and started your dismount on the left ( low ) side of your bike as it began to fall . Regrettably , your bike starts falling directly onto your one good leg , potentially knocking you into oncoming traffic as it wraps you up and takes you down with it . Not great .
Now let ’ s put on our mirrored rainbow glasses and imagine you dismounted from the “ high ” side as your motorcycle started to fall off the kickstand . Not only will you look fabulous , but your right leg will remain planted so your left leg can gracefully swing over the seat like a gazelle ’ s , safely clearing you from the bike as it ponders what parts and pieces to destroy as it slams to the pavement . Embarrassing and costly ? Absolutely , but pretty low risk to you physically .
The good news is this technique pays dividends not just when parked on the road but also
in parking lots , your driveway , or anywhere else you throw that kickstand down . I can ’ t promise that your buddies won ’ t find some other reason
BONUS MOTOR SCHOOL TIPS
As the late , great Billy Mays used to say , “ But wait , there ’ s more !” Here are a couple more tips to help you out there on the street .
Curb appeal : If you find yourself in a situation where you need to ride your big heavy bike off a curb , accelerate off rather than tiptoe and duck walk the front wheel off the drop where the lower fairing , oil pan , or pipes could get smashed . I ’ m not suggesting you channel your inner Daniel J . Canary , the man who invented the wheelie , but ride off like you would accelerate from a typical stop : in a straight line with smooth , assertive throttle ( as shown in the photo below ).
And yes , I know firsthand what a great tip this is because I once watched a fellow motor officer gingerly roll his new BMW R 1250 RT- P off a tall curb at a DUI checkpoint . After hearing a gut- wrenching pile- driver concussion , I watched as hot oil spewed out onto the pavement . Oof .
Brake time : If your bike has been sitting unridden for a while , be sure to work your brake levers and pump up the calipers before you take off . When I first heard this suggestion from an old motor cop , I laughed out loud . But then he walked me over to my bike , gently pushed on my front brake calipers with his boot , and asked me to grab the front brake lever . With a cocky gleam in my eye , I pulled the lever , only to have it bottom out at the throttle grip – the brakes didn ’ t work at all . Turns out the fluid in your brake calipers can be forced back into the master cylinder if bumped or pushed hard enough , causing the brakes to need some pumping up before they work again .
Find Quinn at PoliceMotorTraining . com . Send feedback to rider @ ridermagazine . com .
It ’ s not if but when you ’ ll be faced with navigating a tall curb . Heed my advice and avoid immeasurable personal ( and costly ) anguish .
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