Motorbike Stand

[Robotstar5]

Decent bike beginning with a D = DKW

 

[norlander]

Decent bike beginning with a D = DKW

Wankel engine model (or something like that) has got quite a following in Germany but then they originate from those parts so Germany is bound to have a lot of wankels on the road.

 

[norlander]

Decent bikes that begin with D.... nope I'm stuck.

Douglas Dragonfly of course.

 

[Wedg1e]

good points from bb and Wedg1e -though Krams bike probably does not have a centre stand-quite a lot of bikes are like that now and quite a few have the exhaust routed underneath which causes problems with some bike lifts and blocks on the sump.

I know, I was being facetious Over on the various bike forums (fora, forae...) it sometimes turns into a moanathon about how x or y job can't be done on such and such a bike because some design feature makes it impossible: usually on sportsbikes which have been built in response to market demand over the years. So no centrestands, when once upon a time all bikes had them. Engines that are inaccessible: well since you wanted your bike to look like a grand prix racer it has to have the fairings, what did you expect? Components that don't last long: well you can have light weight or you can have long service life, they're usually not compatible (certainly not with cheapness).
My ST1300 has a centrestand, the engine can be serviced without removing any fairings, there's no chain to adjust, it has a fuel gauge, water temp. gauge, adjustable seat, cruise control, heated grips, armrests and ashtrays and it can go 320+ miles between refuelling. The trade-off is that it's a bit weighty and not quite as chuckable as a sports bike, though it does a bloody good impression of one when you need to press on, or get carried away.
Everything's a compromise

 

[Wallace]

There are the occasional nice features you find where some thought has been put in at the design stage for ease of servicing, often overshadowed by the committee design features that everyone moans about!