Parking in gear

[..]

As far as parking goes, I don't give it much thought.
I Never had a bike roll away, so I guess I'm parking correctly.
As far as stopping Left foot down.
As far as shutting the bike off. I was always taught to use the kill switch, so I always have. I pocket the key.

I watched a guy back flip an interstate in the middle of a crowded parking lot at bike night at a local wing joint. He pulled up and started walking the bike backward into a parking spot that was slightly uphill, he had the bike in gear, clutch pulled in. He started to fall to the left and in his effort to hold the bike up he twisted the grip to full throttle. He couldn't hold the bike and when he let go of the clutch the bike SHOT forward and wheelied over backward while hitting the curb on the island across from him. It actually flipped in mid air. The fact that it missed all the people and all the bikes was amazing. The bike was totaled. The guy standing next to me said "not again!" He said the guy had just gotten the Valk because he wrecked another bike the same way. WTH??

Friend on a Goldwing did the samer thing BUT he didn't let the clutch out. Blew the engine.

I keep the bike in gear so IF I start to tip over I can let the clutch out, move forwad and straighten up.

Sounds like the guy on the I/S needs more practice on 2 wheels. Maybe with some training wheels ?

[NCGhostrider]

Another good observation... backing up.   I go to neutral to make sure that if I screw up, the I/S doesn't become a self propelled weapon of mass destruction!!  It goes back in gear when it is parked though.

Craig
NcGhostrider
99 I/S

[BigBF]

I always parked in gear... in 2004 or 2005, I met Murdoc in Ohio and we went out for lunch. We parked on fresh pavement up level and after lunch he come out and saw his bike dig in pavement then he saw mine did not dig in? He asked me why your is not dig in? I said in gear he said oh...

[rainman]

I cannot imagine any circumstances where a rider is forced to park the bike on a downhill slope.

Any time I park on an uphill slope

make up you mind do you or do you not park up hill