[Jack the Lad]

Welcome! Let us know how the project progresses. And please measure the amount you cut off so we'll know "for next time"...

 

[R12RFS]

Hi,

I’m in the UK.

If you run out of options and you’re desperate for the shorter stand I’d be happy to buy one here and ship it to you. I doubt it would be cheap though...

Cheers

Jack

Hi Jack, I sent you a Private Message/Conversation re the short side stand.

 

[Jack the Lad]

I've sent you a PM as I see nothing from you. A bit odd, perhaps one of the vagaries of the subspace ether...

JtL

 

[Breacher]

I emailed BMW customer support. Surprise, no response. If there were some design or incompatibility problems surely they would at least respond with that information??? A bit disappointed in BMW's lack of customer support.

 

[Jack the Lad]

In my experience just about any kind of even vaguely technical question and the response is that you have to contact your dealer.

The easisets solution for parts questions is just to look things up on parts fiches at Max BMW or any one of a number of others.

The electronic manual - if you can get one - will tell you far more than you ever wanted to know. I have one for the RT and it will tell you which parts go on every model version for all BMWs regions, along with ALL the service details.

 

[Breacher]

I ordered and received mine from Bob's BMW, not my local dealer, and it was in fact listed in the parts fiches.
I dont have a lot of faith in my local dealer. They didnt even know about the fob-less extra key you can use for your side cases. But, if there was a design issue that would put either bike or rider in jeopardy, I would hope BMW support would at least come forward with that tid bit of info!👍

 

[Fazerboy]

I've sent you a PM as I see nothing from you. A bit odd, perhaps one of the vagaries of the subspace ether...

JtL

Hi,

I don’t see a PM anywhere...

 

[Fazerboy]

Hi Jack, I sent you a Private Message/Conversation re the short side stand.

I never really check PMs and the alerts don’t show up very well so it’s good you posted on the thread. I’ve replied now...

 

[Fazerboy]

I’m going to look into perhaps buying a couple of the short stands in the UK (if my dealer will still supply them) and shipping them over to one person in the US who can then send on the spare one. Not looking to make any money on this of course - just a service to the US folks on here.

Could be expensive though, as the stands cost about £140 to start with and shipping of a relatively heavy item won’t be cheap.

Give me a couple of days to research it...

Jack

 

[basstodave]

Finished my side stand project.
1) bought a salvaged side stand from a 2016 RS. Slight damage to the part that your toe pushes to deploy the stand. Not structural damage.
2) had a fabricator cut off the foot and toe thingy, slice 3/8" off the shaft, and weld foot back on.
3) mounted the side stand to make sure it was good to go, foot angle correct.
4) painted
5) installed
Not a visually, perfectly neat, weld. But the fabricator did it free hand and got the foot angle right. It may not be pretty but I have confidence that it is structurally sound and a strong weld. The used side stand came with the switch, too.
I used a piece of tape and angle to show the lean with the stock and shortened side stands. A small reference but there is a huge difference. Look at the Left cylinder head. Nearly horizontal with the OEM side stand. I can now turn the bars all the way to the right and the bike is rock steady.
This modification makes a huge difference for me. So much easier to get on and off without the added tension of will she topple or not!?

 

[Breacher]

Okay, so I did get a response from BMW. There seems to have been a little lost in translation but it's something. I am going to contact them again with a bit shorter and to the point email. But, it was good of them to respond. I would suggest everyone, even if like me you already have one, write and or call their customer service.
So here is their response;

Dear Tim,



...Regretfully, the BMW Short Side Stand is no longer available in the United States. While we currently have no information regarding plans to offer this part in the future, our product team continually evaluates our product offerings.

We always enjoy hearing from our BMW Motorrad enthusiasts and appreciate the time you have taken to write to us. BMW is fully committed to providing our riders with the ultimate products. An integral part of this process involves incorporating feedback from our valued owners. Please be assured that I have already shared your thoughts internally and your wishes for the Short Side Stand will be heard.

 

[Breacher]

I replied to BMW Motorrad and simply asked why isnt this BMW part available in the US market. Below is the reply to this question. I think I have beat this dead horse as much as I can. I would suggest everyone write it, spread the word to anyone else to write in.

Dear Tim,

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to advise of the reasons that the short side stand is available in other markets and not in the United States. However, as I mentioned in my previous correspondence, I've shared your wishes to make this part available in the U.S. with our product team as they continually evaluate product offerings

 

[Breacher]

Well, after exchanging a few emails with no real answers, I pressed Customer support for the simple answer to the question of "why isnt this available to the US market, and was there any else I could contact that could answer this question"? This is the response I received from BMW Motorrad Customer Support.

"Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, we have no additional information to provide regarding this matter.

Should you need to contact BMW Motorrad Customer Relations and Services again, you can reach us at 1-800-831-1117 Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET."

Speaks for itself about the level of support BMW offers.

 

[Thisnobody]

Like many others on this thread I had to modify a stock one. I bought one off eBay, just in case. I made a wood jig to hold the stand in position off the bike. Then cut the foot and support bracket off. I cut half an inch off and mounted it to the bike. Leaned the bike over on the stub and marked a level line with the cement floor. I ground this line in. Then mounted the stand back in the wooden jig. I tacked on the foot and support. Mounted back on the bike to ensure proper placement. Removed it and welded up solid using MIG welding. Zinc wire sprayed it. Enamel primer and paint. Works like a charm. 4 degree lean angle change as measured at the luggage rack. Easy enough if you have access to the tools, know a good welder, or willing to pay a fee bucks. (The zinc wire spray, that is extra anti-corrosion insurance, in lieu of that a zinc rich primer will work just fine.)

 

[padler643]

I have ordered one of the BMW shorter sidestands and will report back once I have it fitted to my R1250R.

Can you update us on your success with a shorter side stand?
Many thanks.

 

[Fazerboy]

Can you update us on your success with a shorter side stand?
Many thanks.

It’s perfect.

I don’t understand why they didn’t supply them with the OEM shorter stand in the first place. Unfortunately BMW have stopped supplying these shorter stands now.

I posted some pics in another thread about this somewhere on these forums.

Jack