[slapshot2516]

So I have seen a few different stories about people leaving there bikes in a parking lot only to return and see that their beloved bike is laying on its side... I feel like parking your bike in the right spot is one of the lessons of motorcycling that doesnt require years of experience to learn. I figure alot about the best place to park is common sense (avoid parking anywhere near the beat up XL extended bed pickup truck) but I was curious if anyone had some words of wisdom that they have picked up about where to park.

 

[trixter]

60 Second Lesson: Parking Lots - YouTube

 

[Aufitt]

-Park wider than a door away from cars, 100 yards away from any vehicles is even better!
-Leave it in 1st gear.
-Park with sidestand on the downhill side if not level ground
-park with front wheel on the uphill side with rear tyre against kerb
-Put crushed coke can (etc) under side stand.
-Park near security camera if possible when at servo's or carparks.

And most importantly, Insure your motorcycle, they will at some stage go down.
If it does go down, learn from it, we've all had it happen or seen it happen and there are ways to try and limit the risks.

Bash anyone that so much as even thinks about touching your motorcycle

 

[Rio]

-Park wider than a door away from cars, 100 yards away from any vehicles is even better!
-Leave it in 1st gear.
-Park with sidestand on the downhill side if not level ground
-park with front wheel on the uphill side with rear tyre against kerb
-Put crushed coke can (etc) under side stand.
-Park near security camera if possible when at servo's or carparks.

And most importantly, Insure your motorcycle, they will at some stage go down.
If it does go down, learn from it, we've all had it happen or seen it happen and there are ways to try and limit the risks.

Bash anyone that so much as even thinks about touching your motorcycle

All good points. You learn these very fast with a bigger, heavier bike! With the CBR250r you can still get way with it sometimes if you park nose into the kerb, but with a middleweight even you'll be cursing yourself the first time LOL

 

[CBRad]

If you are pulling into a spot front wheel first, don't pull all the way in. You don't want a car to come whipping in only to find a bike taking up the front half of the spot. Make sure your bike is as visable as possible.

And remember, others are coming and going. You may pull in next to a smart car and an Fiat 500, but you may come out to find youself next to a Suburban and an F350 Dually.

 

[thaicbr]

if you really worried get a proximity alarm with voice

Buy Cheap Talking Car Alarms - Reviews UK

 

[Pete]

-Park wider than a door away from cars, 100 yards away from any vehicles is even better!
-Leave it in 1st gear.
-Park with sidestand on the downhill side if not level ground
-park with front wheel on the uphill side with rear tyre against kerb
-Put crushed coke can (etc) under side stand.
-Park near security camera if possible when at servo's or carparks.

And most importantly, Insure your motorcycle, they will at some stage go down.
If it does go down, learn from it, we've all had it happen or seen it happen and there are ways to try and limit the risks.

Bash anyone that so much as even thinks about touching your motorcycle

Agree with everything except the insurance part. Even riders whose bikes go down will, if they keep riding, pay far more in premiums than they will ever collect. The only reason to insure a bike is if it is your sole means of transportation and you have no savings. Otherwise "self insure" - set aside some $$ each month for the fall you know will eventually happen just as you do for all the other bad stuff you know will happen sooner or later. You pay insurance companies a HUGE premium to do your financial planning for you. Remember - unless you have a very expensive policy you won't get a new bike or even a repaired bike - just market value given age and mileage.

 

[eil]

The only reason to insure a bike is if it is your sole means of transportation and you have no savings.

Or if your country/state requires it.

Otherwise "self insure" - set aside some $$ each month for the fall you know will eventually happen just as you do for all the other bad stuff you know will happen sooner or later.

If it were up to me, I wouldn't insure a bike (or car) past a certain age and mileage. You'll never get a claim payment equal to what it would cost to replace the vehicle. But if you wreck a newer bike, and your insurance company isn't a piece of crap, the claim payment will be fairly close to what a new bike costs. To me, it's well worth the couple hundred USD per year to know that if I binned my shyt (as Aufitt would put it) within the first few years, I'd get a fairly nice check with which to go shopping for my new bike. With the self-insurance method, you would end up paying for two bikes and effectively having one.

Also, although it's much harder to cause a serious accident involving other cars on a motorcycle, it can happen. If you don't have insurance (or the right kind of insurance), you can be ordered to pay the other party's medical expenses. Which will consume money that you could have used to buy a new house or three...

 

[Empty Sea]

Agree with everything except the insurance part. Even riders whose bikes go down will, if they keep riding, pay far more in premiums than they will ever collect. The only reason to insure a bike is if it is your sole means of transportation and you have no savings. Otherwise "self insure" - set aside some $$ each month for the fall you know will eventually happen just as you do for all the other bad stuff you know will happen sooner or later. You pay insurance companies a HUGE premium to do your financial planning for you. Remember - unless you have a very expensive policy you won't get a new bike or even a repaired bike - just market value given age and mileage.

As a matter of clarification, I don't think Pete was advocating riding without any insurance. If he was, he's a boob and I don't think he's a boob. I think he's saying that there may not be a need to insure the damage to the bike itself. I tend to agree with this, but it depends upon the bike's value, the rider's budget, and whether or not the bike is financed. However, if you can afford to take the risk, at least you know the downside (about $4,000 for a CBR250r).

I don't think that Pete is advocating that anyone ride without Liability or Medical Payments coverage because that is a potential expense that is impossible to know. You can cause a considerable amount of damage to another person or his property, even on a bike. Also, the state in which you live probably requires a certain amount of Liability coverage (however, they don't care about the damage to the bike itself).

Bottom line is that if you don't have to insure the bike and you have enough dough to buy a new one, then you don't need to insure it. But definitely buy the highest Liability limits you can afford.

 

[Pete]

Yeah, to clarify I was talking about collision/damage, not liability for damage you cause to others. I don't think any state or country requires any insurance for vehicles beyond liability.

 

[Michael]

I don't know about the big bike aristocrats, but no insurance for plebs around these tropical parts. I doubt that any insurance company would even consider covering us.

Among the small bike joys is easy parking.

When I had my mate's BMW K100 for a couple of weeks it was a dream out on the open highway, but finding a place to park a quarter ton of bike was a drag.

Quarter litre bikes rule in the practicality stakes.

 

[Rio]

I don't know about the big bike aristocrats, but no insurance for plebs around these tropical parts. I doubt that any insurance company would even consider covering us.

Among the small bike joys is easy parking.

When I had my mate's BMW K100 for a couple of weeks it was a dream out on the open highway, but finding a place to park a quarter ton of bike was a drag.

Quarter litre bikes rule in the practicality stakes.

No quibble with what you said.
Way back, the first time I rode a HD - softtail - i was looking for a parking spot in a crowded part of Denpasar and just instinctively dove in nose first like I do on a smaller bike. When I came out of the restaurant and got on it was kinda humbling to have to ask the parking attendant guy to haul me out backwards LOL.

But what surprises me is that you can't get insurance for your bike in Thailand. Is that just because your farang? I definitely have insurance, but also think foreigners can get insurance here in Indonesia too, I should ask some of my expat friends. Though Thailand can sometimes be complicated (couldn't have proper bank account in a Thai bank when I lived there) it would seem like a lost business opportunity.

 

[Scotty]

I don't know about the big bike aristocrats, but no insurance for plebs around these tropical parts. I doubt that any insurance company would even consider covering us.

Among the small bike joys is easy parking.

When I had my mate's BMW K100 for a couple of weeks it was a dream out on the open highway, but finding a place to park a quarter ton of bike was a drag.

Quarter litre bikes rule in the practicality stakes.

Of course you can get insurance in Thailand, the dealer should offer it when you bought the bike. I was offered 3 different quotes, all about the same price, 2800 baht fully comp for 1 year.

 

[trixter]

-Leave it in 1st gear.

Turn the wheel to the left and lock it.

-Park with sidestand on the downhill side if not level ground
-Put crushed coke can (etc) under side stand.

If dirt or hot asphalt (which gets really soft) use some type of item under the stand but in the US (or at least some states in the US) do not use an old beer can you found!!! people have been charged and convicted with "open container in a motor vehicle" violations for that.

Here is another option:
60 Second Lesson SideStand Sinking - YouTube (same guy as before, Capt Crash Idaho, mostly cause I like his lessons and its useful stuff )

 

[trixter]

Or if your country/state requires it.

I think he meant insure the bike against damage - most places you have to insure for the damage you cause others, their medical, perhaps your own, but not your own vehicle.

If you have a loan on the bike you have to insure it for the full value almost always (bank rule to get the loan).

Also, although it's much harder to cause a serious accident involving other cars on a motorcycle, it can happen.

Well in some places (at least the US) if you drop your bike and cars freak out and swerve to avoid it and side swipe 10 other cars you are liable for all of that. Were it not for your bike they were trying to avoid the other 10 cars would not have been taken out. That can get very costly very fast.

You can also take a curve too fast, slide out and end up going into someones living room cause the house was way too close to the street. Damage to the house wall can be quite expensive.

Even though the bike is small, lightweight, etc does not mean you cant be found liable for heaps of damage.

 

[Michael]

Of course you can get insurance in Thailand, the dealer should offer it when you bought the bike. I was offered 3 different quotes, all about the same price, 2800 baht fully comp for 1 year.

I guess you are talking CBR250R, in which case you are into the lower echelons of big bike aristocrats in Thailand. Obviously, someone buying any new bike on term payment would have to have insurance cover; my guess is that would be built into the terms.

We plebs get around on small bikes, bought second hand. I paid 15,000 baht nine years ago for a bike worth maybe 5,000 baht now.

Other than those still on time payment, few small bikes are insured (other than the 300 baht compulsory cover for basic medical care for anybody injured, and that is only valid if the rider is on a Thai Licence). Certainly no one that I know of insures their little scoot.

More than a few tourists who rent motorcycles here discover the lack of insurance to their cost. Crash a rental and you will be up for the cost of repairing or replacing it (up to say 50,000 baht / $US 1,600 for a small bike) and the damage done to someone else's vehicle, if deemed to be at fault.

Fortunately an added advantage of lightweight bikes is that they carry less kinetic energy, so do much less damage than a bigger machine.

In addition the one at fault will be hit for medical costs and damages, usually as determined by a police officer (who will expect a cut). Foreigners tend to be at fault, by default.

No wonder road accident reports in Thailand often end with the words "The driver fled".

 

[CBRad]

@ Michael - in the States, we need basic coverage to cover whatever we hit. You only need to cover your bike for damage to it, if it's financed. Is that the same as Thailand?

As of today - I see that $15,000 bhat = 476.3415 US dollars. I'm jealous!

 

[spdklls]

Turn the wheel to the left and lock it.

If dirt or hot asphalt (which gets really soft) use some type of item under the stand but in the US (or at least some states in the US) do not use an old beer can you found!!! people have been charged and convicted with "open container in a motor vehicle" violations for that.

Here is another option:
60 Second Lesson SideStand Sinking - YouTube (same guy as before, Capt Crash Idaho, mostly cause I like his lessons and its useful stuff )

Funny...I have one of the metal covers shown in this youtube video..when I got the bike and started riding it to work and after only 2 hours on the pavement in 80 degree weather, there was an indent from my kickstand...it scared me enough to get a couple of these and always use it ...It fits perfectly in a little slot right in front of where the brake light bulb is under the seat so it doesnt even really take up any storage space under there...its almost like that little slot was made for it

 

[Michael]

@ Michael - in the States, we need basic coverage to cover whatever we hit. You only need to cover your bike for damage to it, if it's financed. Is that the same as Thailand?

As of today - I see that $15,000 bhat = 476.3415 US dollars. I'm jealous!

In many (probably most) developed countries Third Party coverage is compulsory. However in my home country, New Zealand, it is (or was, I don't know about now) not required, but most people have it.

Here in Thailand no basic cover for a vehicle is required. It's up to you.

 

[Aufitt]

At $18.53 pm / $222 per year comprehensive , $400 excess and full replacement for 2 yrs, accessories covered, riding gear covered... I'd be mad to not insure.

Not hard to write off a bike when someone drives over it (stolen /anything)in their SUV they cant see out of, if you cant afford insurance you cant afford the bike... OR you can afford to throw $ away.