Thruxton R Side Stand: Boot Lever Extension

I took a Thruxton R for a demo ride yesterday and placed my order directly afterwards. Collection is in two weeks. Can't wait.

I have until then to solve the problem that ended in my calling for help after the demo; no matter which face of my riding boots sole or heel that I present to the side stand, I couldn't get enough purchase to push the lever down. The boot simply slid off.

I can't be the only one with this issue, so before I start having a stub of metal braised on to my pride and joy, is there an off-the-shelf solution I can purchase, please?

Cheers,
CR

 

Thanks for the welcome! After 20 years with a high revving Four, the Street Cup I had on loan during my bike's annual service seduced me to torquey twins but was too breathless - so I tried the R which I loved on looks alone anyway, and after a twisty, open country, demo ride I was sold. The R Nine T Racer S didn't get a look in.

To my problem; I had the same issue on the demo R I rode and both secondhand Rs in the showroom. On all three I needed help to get the sidestand down as my boot wouldn't engage the small lever. All three appeared undropped too.

Six month old expensive all weather Alpinestars - so they ain't about to be replaced and I need to find a mechanical solution. I see on the web that I am not alone with this. Any other ideas therefore welcome. At the moment I'll be picking up my shiny machine wearing my ancient Frank Thomas boots!

Cheers,
CR

 

Many thanks. Yes, I can temporarily remove the stand to machine a flat, add an extension or heat and bend the boot lever, but I preferred to check first in case this was a well-known issue for which an off the shelf solution such as aftermarket side stand with longer lever existed. Others have the problem too from what I can find online, but it looks like I need to pursue one of the aforementioned home-made solutions (so long as I can find out which paddock stand to buy first!)

Cheers,
CR

 

I just took another good look at my boots to see if I could modify them without creating a safety hazard but it seems I am stuck with a side stand mod. The heel of the boot is very chamfered with a pronounced angle all around from the vertical, and the sole is very curved towards the edges and completely devoid of anything even remotely approaching a lip. On my current bike (1998 Honda Hornet) I can juuust get the sidestand down using the sole adjacent to my big toe (no chance with the heel) but on the Thruxton R, neither!

Now to find a paddock stand for the R so the side stand can come off for a bit!

 

Back to the boot lever on the side stand.

I wore my old boots to pick up my Thruxton R a few days ago and as expected, extending the side stand was easy.

Back home though, and with my wife on hand to help, I tried my new boots and had the same problem as on the demo bike; I cannot get the boot toe in the gap above the boot lever nodule, and neither will my heel touch it. The latter is because the boots have a substantial ankle plate that contacts the static fixing for the footpeg. As I push down, the boot is move further and further out and away from the side stand nodule. Add that the boot heel is heavily chamfered and it never comes anywhere close to making contact.

The boots are Alpinestars SMX Plus like these: http://www.dhautos.co.uk/ekmps/shop...estars-smx-plus-gore-tex-boots-[3]-8453-p.jpg

I'm currently looking for a length of tubing to fit over the side stand lever to make it half an inch longer.

 

Six months old and for 300 squidlets so they are not going up for sale; they are ace, and everything I want in a boot - part from incompatibility with the Thruxton sidestand!

They work just great on every other bike I have ridden with them (GS 1200R, Honda Hornet 600, Triumph Street Cup), and it is only the proximity of the side stand nodule to the foot peg that causes an issue.

I am very reluctant to modify the boots (a) for safety (I don't want something digging in to the road if I am sliding down it) and (b) to avoid interfering with riding the bike safely, so will continue down the modified lever route when I am back from work travel abroad for the next two weeks; I'm just back from my final ride before travel - and wore my old boots!

Cheers Guys.

CR

 

That may be so, but with my boots as written in this thread, it is physically impossible because a combination of cut-away heel and the proximity of the footpeg base means the heel never gets anywhere near the sidestand level - even with my wife pushing on my foot to bend and twist it to unnatural positions! There is always a gap of several millimetres.

 

I tried to do exactly this but the spare fuel pipe I have is too small in diameter. I'm currently in Sri Lanka but when I return home I will look for a length of plastic tube that I think I have in my box of "I might need that one day" junk.