Getting Bike on Centre Stand

[salty_monk]

Well I weigh about 160 & the bike weighs at least 500 wet so without taking up residency at McDonalds how do I get it on the centre stand??

What's the trick? I haven't tried in earnest, a half hearted attempt threatened to have it on the floor...

Cheers,

Dan

:-D

 

[Tarbash 27]

took me a while to get it. i was able to do other bikes easy.

what i do is get my right foot ready on the center stand and left foot ahead of it.

grab the front brake, lurch foward a bit than yank back hard while releasing the brake lever.

try grabbing the brake as you stop so the bike doesnt roll foward on you. it takes some practice.

 

[Guster750]

Note to self: Make sure the tires are inflated adequately. Very difficult to do otherwise. Ask me how I know.

 

[wizard]

Put the bike on the side stand. Stand on the left side facing forward.
Put your left hand on the handlebar and your right hand under the frame beneath the rear or middle of the seat. Straighten your right arm. With your right foot, bring the center stand down to the ground as you pivot your bike up straight. It will stabilize with both legs of the stand on the ground and both wheels on the ground. Pull up and straighten out your right leg. It should roll right up onto the stand.

 

[Tom MLC]

Well I weigh about 160 & the bike weighs at least 500 wet so without taking up residency at McDonalds how do I get it on the centre stand??

What's the trick? I haven't tried in earnest, a half hearted attempt threatened to have it on the floor...

Cheers,

Dan

:-D

Dan, stand on the left side of your bike. Left hand is on the handle bar, right hand is holding the grab bar under the left side of the seat. Step down gently on the center stand with your right foot. Make sure both legs of the center stand are on the ground. You'll know it...the bike will feel balanced.

It doesn't take a pull or heave. Just step down hard on that center stand while holding the bike as described. Put all your weight on the right foot. The bike will pop right up. And forget about holding the brake. You want the bike's front wheel to roll back slightly.

After you do it a few times, you'll wonder what the challenge was.

 

[courier11sec]

I cheat and drive the back wheel up on a 2x12 I keep in the garage. Makes it a bunch easier to pop it up the rest of the way.
Of course my bike is a bit low, so there's my excuse for doing it that way.
me=120lb bike=600lb

 

[Guest]

Here is an old thread on the subject. The technique that is described is the one I use and it works pefectly, everytime.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=66624&highlight=Putting+bike+centerstand

 

[Jethro]

With all your weight on the stand, even at 160 you should be able to get it on the stand fairly easy. The 2x4 trick works nice.

 

[dpep]

Every bike is different in the degree of difficulty getting it onto the centerstand. My 1100Gk is much easier to pop up than my yellow 850. The other two 850s are in between. It has to do with how low to the ground pivot point of the stand is relative to the length of the stand. If the point is too low, no particular technique will overcome that.

Roll the back tire up on a board before you lift. Just about any technique will work if you do that.

 

[salty_monk]

Woohoo... got it up there this afternoon on the 4th or 5th try.... right leg worked for me

 

[tomcat24551]

Every bike is different in the degree of difficulty getting it onto the centerstand. My 1100Gk is much easier to pop up than my yellow 850. The other two 850s are in between. It has to do with how low to the ground pivot point of the stand is relative to the length of the stand. If the point is too low, no particular technique will overcome that.

I can't argue against the physics of your point, but I don't think its the real issue here.

My '79 850 is a real S.O.B. to get up on the centerstand, but my '83 850 is much easier. The pivot point appears to be the same on both bikes--about 12 inches from the floor. The difference is the length of the piece that you put your foot on to apply leverage to the centerstand. On the '83, it's longer and it extends farther back (5.5" vs 4", approx.) toward the rear of the motorcycle than the on the 1979. Longer bar equals more leverage, equals less force needed to get the 1983 bike up.

Both bikes are "standards", not "L" models.

 

[argonsagas]

I can't argue against the physics of your point, but I don't think its the real issue here.

My '79 850 is a real S.O.B. to get up on the centerstand, but my '83 850 is much easier. The pivot point appears to be the same on both bikes--about 12 inches from the floor. The difference is the length of the piece that you put your foot on to apply leverage to the centerstand. On the '83, it's longer and it extends farther back (5.5" vs 4", approx.) toward the rear of the motorcycle than the on the 1979. Longer bar equals more leverage, equals less force needed to get the 1983 bike up.

Both bikes are "standards", not "L" models.

If you are referring to the length of the stand itself, then Don addressed the point, in mentioning height being relative to length.

When I last lifted my bike (GK) onto the stand I put very little effort into pressing the stand against the ground. All you really need to do with your foot is hold the stand firmly against the ground and let the bike roll up and back as you lift it with the right hand.

I do not weigh even 160, and the GK comes up quite easily for me.



A second note here, for GK owners

Using the wood is a VERY good help when you want to change your rear wheel. (GK's have a fender/mudflap extension that makes final removal difficult)

First get three of pieces of 2x6.

Second

Place one piece where you can put the sidestand on it, then

Third
Place the second piece of 2x6 behind the rear wheel and roll the bike on to it.

(Of course, you could just put the wood on the ground and drive onto it beforehand, but you still must have the other piece in position to accept the sidestand)

Fourth

Then put the third 2x6 under the centrestand and roll the bike back and upwards onto it.

Fifth
Now you can remove the second piece from under the rear tire and have extra clearance for wheel/tire removal.

 

[omaharj]

I have it easy! GS650GL-Ride into garage,use left heel to push center stand to ground. Hook left heel on center stand "tang" and push left foot down while simultaneously pulling up and back on handlebars.
Now I can step on the pegs to get off the bike. Once I started doing this it's so much easier. I know I have a low bike but I appear to lack flexibility. Using the sidestand I have to lift my right leg as high as I can and hop to the left. I look (and feel) like I'm gonna fall.
Using the center stand while on the bike has one drawback- IF you lose your balance LEFT you're probably gonna dump it. So far so good. I guess my balance is better than my flexibility.

 

[Mike_H]

i have been using Omaharj's method as well. Seems to work for me, but I'm a big guy (6'2" 210 lb) I think I am going to try the right foot thing though. Couse, right now, I don't need a center stand, as I can pick the whole bike up by hand...

 

[Guest]

piece of cake

piece of cake

on the GS650GLZ - just stand on the lever and thrust backwards while on the bike.

on the GS1000LN - not a chance in hell. it's lowered so much you have to back the wheel up over a curb to get it.

on the GS1000GT - just raise the pressure in the rear gas shocks to about 100 psi and it lifts enough to make it easy. don't forget to lower the pressure before riding again.

 

[salty_monk]

Got it up again today...

 

[Giblet]

Swapping your standard 16" GK wheel for a 17" 80-81 model wheel makes it even easier. Although I weigh 190 +/- my GK is very easy to roll up on the center stand, just a bit more effort fully loaded for a trip. Practice makes perfect.

Oh, and a big DITTO on not sqeazing the break!

 

[nichols750]

I cheat and drive the back wheel up on a 2x12 I keep in the garage. Makes it a bunch easier to pop it up the rest of the way.
Of course my bike is a bit low, so there's my excuse for doing it that way.
me=120lb bike=600lb

DITTO, THIS WAY IS EASY

 

[jm_foote]

I am 160 lbs (was about 150 when I first got the bike), and NOW have no problems getting it up without wood ( ).

balance it with light weight on the stand (just enought to make sure that both stand legs are touching the ground). Then with your left hand on the handlebar and your right on the lift bar under the seat, put all your weight on the stand and lift up on the lift bar (NOT the handlebar). Up she pops. It took me a long time before I got it and managed to crush my toes several times (do not wear sandals, duhhh).

Ohh, yeah, and it goes without saying that it must be on flat concrete/asphault.

 

[ikazuki]

good thick soled shoes or boots also give you a little more. i balance the bike on a hard surface then face the seat , place both hands under the seat take a deep breath then straighten up, there is this really distorted look on my face at the height of this. and then the feeling of accomplishment afterward.
ikazuki