Fionn -

You are right of course. The trick with handling a bike at rest is balance and you need to be able to have good footing.

One of the things that surprises novice riders is just how stable a motorccle is, especially if they don't know a few basic principles of physics. Each of a motorcycle's wheels is actually a gyroscope. The wheels mass; rim, inner tube and tire is concetrated at the outside of the wheel. The inner part of the wheel is either spoked or has a lightweight structure holding the wheel in shape. As is the case with any gyro, the faster it turns, the more stable it becomes. This is why even when the wind is blowing from the side at 35 or 40 mph, a bike is stable. Even a gust will make it wobble only for a moment. It will soon return to straight.

On the other hand, motorscooters, with their little wheels with solid centers, even though they are easy to hold up while at rest, are inherently less stable.

Sourdough