• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Center Stand go bye bye?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mortation
  • Start date Start date
t3rmin said:
Agreed. There's a definite technique to center stand usage. I've taught several folks who've been riding many more years than I. Apparently it's *not* common knowledge...
Click to expand...

Well thats definitely why I never used it to begin with :P I can never get that damn thing up on it alone. So I just slide the jack under and pump the pedal a couple of times ;)
 
How to apply chain lube on a 929 that does not have a centerstand.........
Tilt bike onto the kickstand until both wheels are off the ground, Hold bike at a 45 deg angle with your left hand on the handlebar grip. Take the can of chain lube from your right front pocket with your right hand. Kick rear tire round and round with your right foot while balancing bike with your left hand, standing on your left foot and bend over a spray chain lub onto the moving chain.

Keep the centerstand.

Earl
 
earlfor said:
How to apply chain lube on a 929 that does not have a centerstand.........
Tilt bike onto the kickstand until both wheels are off the ground, Hold bike at a 45 deg angle with your left hand on the handlebar grip. Take the can of chain lube from your right front pocket with your right hand. Kick rear tire round and round with your right foot while balancing bike with your left hand, standing on your left foot and bend over a spray chain lub onto the moving chain.

Keep the centerstand.

Earl
Click to expand...

Time to get a set of 8 mm swingarm spools for the 929 so you can get a spooled swingarm stand. Makes lubing the chain a snap. :D Not only that, but the bike is very stable using this kind of stand. You'll see MotoGP racers sit on the bike while their mechanic pops up the bike on the stand, changes a rear rim/tire in .00002 seconds, and then drops the bike and rider back to the tarmac.

Then you're talking:

spooledrear.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'd keep the center stand. That's what I use at work everyday plus, as many have already said, it's generally the first maintenance "tool" that I put into use when working on the bike.

If you don't use it because you've never been taught the proper technique, learn the technique and you'll be amazed at how easy it is. I was fortunate to have learned the proper technique early on...it does make a huge difference. Of course, if you don't use it out of sheer preference, they you may as well remove it. No sense in carrying around an air conitioner on the bike either, right? ;)

I've noticed that on most new bikes the center stand is an "option". That has puzzled me for a while now, but after reading here, I guess there are a lot of folks that just don't want or use them. Also, I can understand not having one on one of the many 900+ lb bikes. But on my bikes, I'll always want the centerstand.
 
I have an electric hoist in my shop. I just slip two straps through the frame and pick the whole bike up to whatever height I want it to work on it. LOL
Its funny being able to stand up and reach up to unscrew the oil drain plug. LOL

Earl


80GS1000 said:
Time to get a set of swingarm spools for the 929 so you can get a spooled swingarm stand. Makes lubing the chain a snap. :D
Click to expand...
 
OK, we have several votes here for losing the stand because you have a jack in the garage, and now even an electric hoist. :shock:

All well and good, but they won't do you ONE BIT of good, two or two hundred miles down the road when you are checking your rear tire for pressure and lack of foreign material. 8-[

I have a jack in my garage, too, but ALL the bikes here have centerstands. One of them never came with a side stand.


.
 
Loosing weight always seems beneficial.

I had one on my first bike a 1980 GS750ET, but it almost catapulted me off many times when it smacked the pavement cornering hard. The bike had S & W Street Strokers out back, but maybe they were junk.

I always stick a rock under the side stand when I park.
 
When your bike sinks in hot asphalt and falls over you WILL wish you had learned how to put it up on the centre stand or that you still had it on. I'm a small guy and can put a new gold wing up on the centre stand in 10 in seconds
 
Adjusting the rear suspension will often make a HUGE difference in how easy it is to get the bike on the centerstand. On my 550L with the shocks at a softer setting the bike sits lower, which makes it much harder to get on the centerstand. The moment you adjust the suspension to the firmer settings it sits higher and consequently it's very easy to get on the centerstand.

I imagine that some people who have lowered their bikes wind up having a REALLY hard time getting it up onto the stand. The only thing I can recommend is that if you've custom lowered the suspension you should also shorten the center stand, which will allow you to still easily use it. Obviously it is helpful to have access to a welder if you need to do this.

Regards,
 
I've been riding for 25 years of which 23 have been without a centerstand and my bike has never fallen over from sinking in asphalt.

I think centerstands are fine if you have one, like it and doesn't interfere with cornering.

I saw a beatiful R100 or R75 BMW with the sunburst orange gas tank tip over on the side stand in hot asphalt at a downhill skateboard contest in 1982. I saw it sitting there in the morning looking pretty, then a few hours later it was laying there on its cylinder with the handlebar cocked over to one side.

Another time on a ride to Laguna Seca from Washington I saw a smaller guy on a big 94 ZX-9 pull up to the gas station, park his bike on the side stand on a slight slope hop off quickly and run into the minimart.

I was sitting on the curb having a snack thinking, hope he put it in gear, when it creaped forward and fell over. Gas was pooling on the asphalt, he came running out trying to pick it up, but he was burning shoe rubber in the gas puddle slipping all over the place.

I ran over and helped lift it up.

So yeah a tip over can happen if your not thinking of where that side stand is going.
 
Why didn't *I* think of that?

Why didn't *I* think of that?

earlfor said:
How to apply chain lube on a 929 that does not have a centerstand.........
Tilt bike onto the kickstand until both wheels are off the ground, Hold bike at a 45 deg angle with your left hand on the handlebar grip. Take the can of chain lube from your right front pocket with your right hand. Kick rear tire round and round with your right foot while balancing bike with your left hand, standing on your left foot and bend over a spray chain lub onto the moving chain.

Earl
Click to expand...

What a great technique! I'm going to put that in my little book of motorcycle tips. :-D

You guys are so smart!

FWIW, when using the center stand, think more about pushing down on the stand with your foot than lifting the bike with your hands. Forgive me if I state the obvious. 8-[

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Last edited:
First item I ordered for my Katana was a brand new centrestand, and a stop rubber, so it wouldn't rattle.

Dink
 
rphillips said:
If your grab handle is missing, replace it.
Click to expand...
BikeBandit lists it as Discontinued. I can't see any mounting points for it on my '82 either.

I've been toying with making a custom handle to mount instead of the helmet lock which I never use.
 
If you've never used it, do all of your maintenance without it, then you might as well remove it.
 
Hey Pete, If bike bandit shows it as discontinued, It must have been there when it was new. Should be able to see from the diagram where it goes. What "82" do you have?? surely someone here can help. Post in the wanted section here, keep a watch on e-bay, or find one at a bike salvage yard. They sure are handy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top