A graceful balance.

There is no reason for the Honda's balancing act depicted below other than to illustrate something ingenious, which dad discovered when he was getting new tires fitted (thanks for that, by the way!).

If you look closely, there is a sturdy metal loop welded to the right-hand underside of the frame, this is true for all of the "mono-backbone" Hondas (FX, or Vigor, SLR and FMX).

I had noticed it in the past and wondered what it was for, but never would I have guessed its true purpose: since you can't lift the bike on a jack or platform using 'Y' stands, and since the engine cradle part of the undercarriage is not flat and doesn't allow for a secure lifting point (go on, ask me how I know this...), that loop is there as a stand, which together with the retracted side-stand, means you can lift the bike safely to get the wheels off the ground. So neat.

On the left hand side, the side stand bracket has been designed so that the part which acts as a stop for the actual side stand, also provides a sturdy counterpoint to the aforementioned loop. Really, this is so neat!