Mounting / dismounting

[Jagster]

......What I never do is stand on the pegs to mount any bike, it just doesn't feel stable - probably just me but there you go!

I tend to agree about that.
In fact i'm not 100% sure that an aluminium side stand that's already supporting a 350kg bike has the safety margin to consistently take the added strain of me + leathers (...say 135+kg), but some aspect to that is what angle the bike is leaning and how heavy handed I might be, climbing aboard etc..

That's why I tend to do either the 'John Cleese method' or the resting the knee on the seat and holding the lower leg back against my upper leg to clear the luggage.
The John Cleese method is my default method, but I can imagine it's not for everyone.

When I owned a KTM 990 Adventure S, and rode with a lot of luggage, that was a bit of a challenge, but If the curb height was significant enough, I could still do it. If not, then i'd put it on the centre stand and clamber aboard via the foot rest. Mind due, the bike was so tall on the centre stand I sometimes found it almost impossible to push it off the stand while sitting astride the bike.

 

[Tripps]

I've never stood on pegs either. I just always felt it was lower because it was leaning left? Obviously just psychological. Plus when I started riding, I got on from the right side once, and a friend teaching me said that's the wrong side, you get on from the kickstand side, I just said okay.
I've never lived in or near cities, so I really never have a traffic side to speak of, don't really ever park on the road.

 

[Tripps]

Another thing I've always noticed, if I circle around in a parking lot, or make a U turn, I always circle counterclockwise, never clockwise, if at all possible, no real idea why.

 

[Sparky59]

Ya'll just like going around in circles....like a bird up in the sky....

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Obviously just psychological. Plus when I started riding, I got on from the right side once, and a friend teaching me said that's the wrong side, you get on from the kickstand side, I just said okay.

I find it hard to believe someone told you something and you just said OK. Young Tripps seemed more agreeable and less skeptical than 'slightly older' Tripps. What happened?

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Another thing I've always noticed, if I circle around in a parking lot, or make a U turn, I always circle counterclockwise, never clockwise, if at all possible, no real idea why.

Because realistically you never make right U turns in the USA. You make a ton of left turn U turns but no right U turns. The UK guys I would think are just the opposite. I practice tight right/left U turns when I get bored and am better at left U turns than right.

 

[Tripps]

I find it hard to believe someone told you something and you just said OK. Young Tripps seemed more agreeable and less skeptical than 'slightly older' Tripps. What happened?

When I'm right, I'm right, but when I'm ignorant on a subject, I have no problem taking direction. I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.

 

[Jagster]

Another thing I've always noticed, if I circle around in a parking lot, or make a U turn, I always circle counterclockwise, never clockwise, if at all possible, no real idea why.

I have the same habit. I think (in my case at least) it's because going anti-clockwise allows me to fully commit to feathering the rear brake knowing that if for some reason I have to get my foot down to steady the bike, my left foot is ready to do so much more quickly than my right foot would be able to, if i'm covering the brake lever.

I think my habit might have come from my earliest years of riding, as I was riding mostly on wet grass, gravel, or rutted and muddy tracks.

 

[MIG]

I actually mount from the left, put my left hand on the left hand grip and (If I'm not feeling all too flexible) use my right hand to lift my right leg up and over in front of me... over the riders seat. This way I don't scuff the seat or tank. You have 15 years on me though...
-MIG

 

[RazMan]

Just had revelation and I've now solved the problem of scuffing the panniers when mounting my steed ....................... wait for it ................ I SOLD THE PANNIERS
No more monkey dancing for me I am going to use the Tail pack (a9510469) when I need to carry anything (which I rarely do anyway) and when my mrs comes along for a ride, the tail pack can go on the rack.