Speaking of center stands

[storm 64]

Still can't do it??? Maybe have your wife do it for you! 😀

[Boriqua]

ok that is funny ... evil .. but funny!

[earlfor]

The rear tire is closer to the stand than the front tire. That means when you place the same piece of wood at the rear tire, the stand will travel further down before contacting the floor. That means you have less remaining travel to overcome as you lift the bike back.

One thing that makes it super easy to put the bike on the center stand is when the bike is on the cenerstand, measure the distance from the floor to the center of the rear tire tread. (On my bike, when its on the centerstand, the rear tire is 2 3/8" off the floor.) I cut a 16" long piece of 2 x 8 and glued a same size piece of 1/2" ply wood on top of that resulting in a 2" thick board. Now when I run the rear tire up on the board, I only have to lift the bike 3/8" for it to be on the center stand. It's a two finger deal. heh

[Hinermad]

No, my wife can't do it either. She died 11 years ago this Friday.

I'll try 2BRacing's suggestion of holding the rail with my palm facing the seat. But in the long run I'm pretty much resolved to remove the sissy bar. Just not this week. It's COLD out there!

[earlfor]

No, my wife can't do it either. She died 11 years ago this Friday.

I'll try 2BRacing's suggestion of holding the rail with my palm facing the seat. But in the long run I'm pretty much resolved to remove the sissy bar. Just not this week. It's COLD out there!

I just put my right hand, palm up, under the seat frame while putting weight on the center stand ear with my left foot.
I had a 79 750E and it was not difficult to put on the center stand. My best guess is your shocks are worn out and the bike is sitting too low which could make it near impossible to get on the stand. Or, someone put shorty shocks on it.

[Hinermad]

My best guess is your shocks are worn out and the bike is sitting too low which cold make it near impossible to get on the stand. Or, someone put shorty shocks on it.

My money's on old shocks. They're already on my todo list.

[storm 64]

No, my wife can't do it either. She died 11 years ago this Friday.

I'll try 2BRacing's suggestion of holding the rail with my palm facing the seat. But in the long run I'm pretty much resolved to remove the sissy bar. Just not this week. It's COLD out there!

I'm sorry about your wife. I was just being a idiot with my comment. Please accept my apology.

[Hinermad]

I'm sorry about your wife. I was just being a idiot with my comment. Please accept my apology.

No worries, and no apology necessary! I know you meant it as a friendly dig. I've said similar things myself. No harm done.

Call me morbid, but I make jokes about it if someone says they'd like to meet her. I tell them they're going to need a crystal ball or a shovel.

[Boriqua]

Eek .. I feel like a dork now too!! It was just friendly ribbing. I don't know what life without my wife would look like and I dont want to find out.

back to your issue.

I assumed you were doing it palm in from the beginning which is why I wasn't getting your dilemma. When my wife gets home I will try and get a couple of pix of my technique. bio mechanically its actually much easier if you treat it like a bicep curl instead of a shoulder shrug. Just palm in wrap your hand under the rail. You dont have to grab the rail .. just kind of hook it.

Still... I use very little upper body. So long as I can get both of the center stand feet on level ground, most of the reason to hold it at the bars and grab rail area, I can just lever it up mostly by pushing down with my foot. I am 200lbs though but I am not standing on it just pushing. If you are a lot lighter than I am .. then standing on it would work once you have both center stand feet planted. That is the most important part of the process for me. Get the two feet on the ground. The front and back hand are really just to keep it steady and start it moving.

Why am I so stuck on you doing it as designed .. because while wood blocks and such will certainly help .. when you have to look for tools and other aids get involved we just tend to "skip it this time"

If you get the technique down then you will do it whenever you think its relevant.

[salty_monk]

When you get your new shocks go 1/2" or so long (if you can take the extra standover). Makes the bike perform better & the centre stand will be super easy to deploy as a bonus.

As for technique the handhold really should only steady the bike, the foot does all the work. I weigh 160 ish & have not had a problem with either of the 1000's I've had once I got the technique down.

[Hinermad]

I'm over 300 pounds so I thought just standing on the center stand peg (and maybe rocking the bike back a bit) should have popped it up onto the stand. No dice. I suspect my rear shocks are shot. They don't feel too bad when I'm riding, but with my weight I'm sure I'm compressing them pretty well as it is when I'm mounted.

Salty_monk, I'll keep your advice in mind about the longer shocks. How does that improve performance? My impression is that a lower CG makes the bike more stable, but clearly I'm not the expert here.

Boriqua, I took it in the same way you meant it, in fun. My history is not your fault. Still buds! But for some reason I assumed I needed a palm-down grip to actually lift the bike (I know, fat chance with a 750) onto the stand. As a previous poster pointed out, as long as both feet on the stand are planted the bike won't tip, so I can turn toward the back and get more leverage on the sissy bar rail. (I learned on a 450 which I could -almost- pick up and carry by myself. I'm sure I learned a few bad habits that way.)

[Boriqua]

I am currently in love with my new Hagon shocks .. they are only 1/4 inch longer than stock but priced right and a nice ride so far. I was already kind of balls of feet at lights if I try and put both feet down but I am a one foot down guy anyway so the height usually doesn't bother me much. Except for dropping the bike off the center stand I rarely have both feet down.

http://www.davequinnmotorcycles.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/HAGON_TWIN_SHOCKS.html

[Boriqua]

I'm over 300 pounds so I thought just standing on the center stand peg (and maybe rocking the bike back a bit) should have popped it up onto the stand. No dice. I suspect my rear shocks are shot. They don't feel too bad when I'm riding, but with my weight I'm sure I'm compressing them pretty well as it is when I'm mounted.

Salty_monk, I'll keep your advice in mind about the longer shocks. How does that improve performance? My impression is that a lower CG makes the bike more stable, but clearly I'm not the expert here.

Boriqua, I took it in the same way you meant it, in fun. My history is not your fault. Still buds! But for some reason I assumed I needed a palm-down grip to actually lift the bike (I know, fat chance with a 750) onto the stand. As a previous poster pointed out, as long as both feet on the stand are planted the bike won't tip, so I can turn toward the back and get more leverage on the sissy bar rail. (I learned on a 450 which I could -almost- pick up and carry by myself. I'm sure I learned a few bad habits that way.)

At 300lbs you can certainly just lever it up with the center stand. Just get the 2 feet of the center stand on the ground solid and stand on it. That is critical. Use your hands just to keep the bike steady. It will literally POP onto the center stand.

Now about those leaves in your bike in the pic ...
I think we need to talk LOL

[Burque73]

If I ride up onto both 1.5" thick blocks, push down on the stand lever with my left foot, and rock back very firmly at the same time it's not even necessary to get off the bike to raise it up on the center stand. I'm much lighter than most here too and with original shocks they're pretty tired and saggy. The angled cut on the end really helps.

[Hinermad]

At 300lbs you can certainly just lever it up with the center stand. Just get the 2 feet of the center stand on the ground solid and stand on it. That is critical. Use your hands just to keep the bike steady. It will literally POP onto the center stand.

No it won't. I've tried repeatedly. That's why I asked. I suspect the shocks are shot, and it sits too low for that to work.

Now about those leaves in your bike in the pic ...
I think we need to talk LOL

This is a bike that's already been stored for winter. There was 3" of snow on the ground at that point, and we got another 8" last night. I only peeled the cover back to take the photos that someone else requested.

Just be glad there weren't any walnuts in there. The local squirrels love to store nuts on a covered motorcycle.