Side stand or centerstand for an earthquake?

Something I've been wondering about since I moved back to California six years ago, and since the question was raised regarding hurricanes, I thought I'd ask about earthquakes.

I've been through many, but not with a moto, or at least not strong enough that I thought of it. In the six years I've been back, there haven't been any. Still tho, which do you recommend? Preferably based on experience, not conjecture.

 

My '83 was in the garage in Glendale, probably on it's side stand (bike leans a lot more than '14), during the Northridge quake, did not go over. Lost the top of our chimney and some cracks in the stucco, that was about it for us, still, pretty scary. I think it would depend on a lot of factors, unlike a hurricane where you would know the wind direction, earthquakes can be rollers or shakers in unknown directions. Totally unpredictable, no warning. At least they have plenty of warning in FL.

 

Pure conjecture, but I would say keep it on the side stand, parked perpendicular to the direction of the San Andreas fault, leaning south if you are west of the fault and leaning north if you are east of the fault.

 

There is nothing that makes you feel more insignificant and helpless than an earthquake. Great web site for keeping track of earthquakes in your area:

http://earthquaketrack.com/us-ca-concord/recent (this is for our area, all you need to do is reset your location)( you will note, he have had 588 earthquakes in the last year)

Also, there are a lot more faults in addition to the San Andreas fault, the Hayward fault is one in our area.

 

Anybody having significant data on how to park a bike in a tsunami or a plague of locusts should post it up including pix.

 

Don't know anything about earth quakes, but I can tell you to leave the garage door shut when the inlaws and nephews turn up.

 

Many times the two are interchangeable especially if the inlaws and other relatives are well fed.

There is a lesson there somewhere.

 

Most pragmatic and happiness inducing way to handle it is to move out of Kalifornia......; )

Actually, I live near the New Madrid fault which most people don't know is still very active. Went through a small 'quake 10 years ago and never gave my bikes a thought. If it's bad enough to knock over a bike, there will likely be other things worry about first. But, I understand...the bike must be attended to right there in importance with the wifey or girlfriend.

 

Having lived in California almost my entire life I have not experienced a quake that has toppled over any of my bikes yet but had a shelf up of books nearly land on me while I was shaken out of bed during the 1994 Northridge quake. I'm more worried about the stuff above my bikes/car doing something similar, unfortunately they can't get up move out of the way on their own!

 

What about a tether to the ceiling of the garage. something that would keep it from falling past its balance point.

 

Risk management. Earthquakes of significant magnitude are rare and unpredictable. Tethering would be good if we knew when one was going to hit. Keep stuff secured above where you park is much easier and less of a hassle every time you went for a ride.

 

A shitload of earthquake whatever you want to call it in California is pork barrel legislation or just plain BS.

Two cases.. There's a warehouse in Long Beach that was built in WWI to house munitions. The city wanted to tear it down for some reason or another. It's still there because to tear it down proved too expensive.

There was a high school in the LA harbor area that the City of LA decided needed torn down because of earthquakes. The school had survived a bigass quake in 1933. The politicians won and three demolition outfits went tits up trying to level the building.

For the doom sayers and those who need a daily freakoot, There are sites that list quakes on an hourly basis. California has had 4-5 already today. Not much on those locusts. Soon California will be newly populated by grasshoppers..

 

Show us your P waves!

 

I use earthquaketrack.com because when we had the 6.0 Napa quake (16 miles away) a little over 2 years ago, it shook the shit out of my place at 3:20 in the morning. It took till 6am to get any information on what happened. Checked the internet and local TV was slow to respond. I only check it every once in awhile, but a great resource. Today we have 3 so far, but normally around 1.5 to 3.0, barely perceptible. For every increase of 1 in magnitude equals a factor of 10 in energy. The earthquake in Japan a few years ago was over a 9.0. That would be 1000 times stronger than the Napa quake! Enough to move the earth off it's axis a little.

 

I always wanted one of these:

http://quatr.us/china/science/seismograph.htm

Old Chinese dudes win again..

For the music lovers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaaiwsNFCTE

 

Had a lowered gixxer many years ago. Never bothered to make the side stand shorter, and it did tip over during a small shake.
I think the best option is on its side stand and in gear.

 

Bolt a wheel chock to the ground.

 

When I buy my house, I'm going to do this. Alas, I'm in an apartment now, so I doubt they'd be happy with me drilling their parking area...
Of course, when I buy my house, it's going to be out of California, but it's still a great idea. Pull the bike right into it in the garage. Even if it gets bumped, it will remain upright.

 

My old Yamaha fell over from the side stand in the Northridge quake in '94.
It was on the second level of a 2 level parking garage. That probably did not help.
At least the thing did not cave in.