Is there a point to the center stand?

[posplayr]

I think they're called "paddock stands." I have a rear one, cost $30 on sale. I use it for chain maintenance and checking the oil.

Even on the street, a pound is a pound, but I guess it's largely a psychological difference. At first I planned on installing one, then I planned on looking into whether it could be easily removed and re-installed.

I've dropped those plans. For me, less is more.

I have a center stand that was easily installed and removed by using quick release pins.now I mostly just use the rear wheel stand.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

SO in the most difficult of situations a side stand may allow you to lash it to the deck of a rolling ship with greater aplomb.
BAH!
On solid ground or even gravel sod etc the centre stand is more stable. Think no sinky in ground or hot ashphalt.

I have never come out to find my bike has fallen off its centre stand. lost two signal lights the other way on two seperate occasions.

 

[BigD_83]

They each have their uses, but if I was to only have the choice of ONLY a sidestand or centre, I think I'd go with the sidestand, and use paddock stands or a lift in the garage. That being said, I routinely use my centrestand here, where road temperatures rarely get to the point of having to worry about sinking in.

I recall carrying in my tankbag a thick rubber, rectangular pad with a depression in it to keep the sidestand from slipping, and it also kept it from sinking into hot tarmac. I haven't seen one of those in years, but I think I'd be able to carve one out of a hockey puck with a Dremel tool.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

Yeah they used to sell them things in motorcycle mags.

 

[ryanrod]

You are aware you have to lift the rear of the bike up while you stand on the centrestand arm, right? It doesn't just flick down like the sidestand.

No I wasn't aware of that. This makes me feel the center stand is even more useless. I've gotta break my back lifting it just to get it on the center stand Psshh.

 

[BigD_83]

What bike do you have?

Neither my 650 nor the 550 take much effort to get onto the centrestand. Usually just stepping onto the lever is enough to move it onto the centrestand. I use my right hand on the luggage rack or handrail only when it is fully loaded.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

Yes you push the lever down you do not lift
lifting is not the proper method you lock yourself in position and push
voila bike up on its stand and stable.

 

[ryanrod]

According to the manual, you should have it on the center stand to check the oil. And like Todd mentioned, a host of maintenance tasks are much easier with a center stand, from changing a tire, to changing a fork seal. If your center stand seems too long, there are some things that can cause that:
Lowered suspension at either end.
Low tires, or smaller wheels/tires
Wrong center stand.
Wrong technique.

Getting an accurate oil reading is important as might be parking in gravel and dirt as another gentleman mentioned. The suspension is set on it's lowest setting because a friend and I changed the shocks substituting my back as the lift. God I love being 23. I guess I'd have to raise the suspension and compromise my low profile cafe look for this thing. Here's an upside down picture of what's happening right now (exhaust is off.) I've gotta thank the community here for all the replies. This is a great group of people. I don't get an ego vibe or anything, that you get with others who're riding cafe racers these days.

 

[wymple]

I use my side stand only occasionally when the ground is solid. They sink in to the ground too easily for me. I prefer the center stand as long as there is stable ground below it, otherwise I use the side stand AND a plate of some kind under it. When gassing up on trips I get more gas in the tank with the bike level as well. I've seen a lot more bikes go over from side stand use than center stand. If I can have only one, however, I'll take the side stand and something to keep it from sinking into the ground.

 

[ryanrod]

The bike is an '82 gs650 for those who asked
.

 

[jbird7262]

Nope, center stand fits fine with my V/H, helps with maintenance, chains, oil, brake work among other things.

 

[jeffgs]

I use Jeep's method with my index pulling the brake lever to keep it from going forward.

I have barely used the side stand. I used it once yesterday because I forgot to tighten my gauges down an the nut and washer fell off riding slowly doewn the street hence why I shake em down. I primarily use the center, in fact almost absolutely. I am like Jeep, i would have a heart attack if I found it on the ground from being lazy.

 

[JEEPRUSTY]

No heart attack but you try finding signal light for a 30 ish something motorcycle.
I always fuel up on the centre stand as well

Centre no center totally n'other thing

 

[jeffgs]

Lol

yes my bad

Ok I spoke for both of us. I would have a heart attack. You would get on the forum to find a turn signal.

 

[Steve]

On solid ground or even gravel sod etc the centre stand is more stable. Think no sinky in ground or hot ashphalt.

I have never come out to find my bike has fallen off its centre stand. lost two signal lights the other way on two seperate occasions.

Once again, I will have do disagree with the Jeepster.

I use my side stand only occasionally when the ground is solid. They sink in to the ground too easily for me. I prefer the center stand as long as there is stable ground below it, otherwise I use the side stand AND a plate of some kind under it.

Your experiences (both of yours) seem to defy physics. Let's assume a 500 pound bike with approximately equal weight distribution (without a rider).

With the bike on the side stand, you might have about 100 pounds of pressure on the side stand, leaving about 200 pounds for each tire. The side stand is rather small. maybe about two square inches, for a pressure of 50 psi. Each tire has a much larger contact patch, maybe about 4 or 5 square inches each, for a pressure of 40-50 psi.

With the bike on the center stand, there is only about 40-50 pounds of weight on the front wheel, leaving 450-460 pounds on the centerstand. Each foot measures about 1.5 inches square, for an area of 2.5 square inches each, or a total of 5 square inches that need to hold up 450 pounds. That is 90 psi, or about DOUBLE what any force is when using the side stand.

Personal experience: I have seen a bike that was parked on the center stand on (somewhat) fresh blacktop on a hot day (presumably for the stability of the center stand). When he came back to the bike, it had fallen over to the right side. Both feet had sunk, but the kick tab on the left foot then touched, increasing the surface area and stopped that side from sinking.

Personally, I use the side stand most of the time, but use the center stand to stand the bike more-upright in the garage (to minimize the real estate necessary for parking it) and for service work. My Wing has an aftermarket kick stand (chrome, of course) that is called "Big Foot". I have parked the bike on FRESH blacktop (just one day after it was laid) in the summer and there was not the slightest dimple. On the other hand, even being parked on the side stand, leaning into the wind, is no match for a breeze in Flori-duh that has gathered a bit of strength along the length of the hotel.

.

 

[Guest]

No I wasn't aware of that. This makes me feel the center stand is even more useless. I've gotta break my back lifting it just to get it on the center stand Psshh.

You don't lift, you leverage with the center stand. You would have to be a close cousin to King Kong to lift the back of the bike up to get it on the center stand using that method. Go out and practice putting the bike on the center stand, bet'cha within the hour you'll have it figured out.

 

[Steve]

From the picture he posted earlier, I think I see the fork tubes slid up through the clamps a bit.

Can't tell if the shocks are stock length, but they look like stockers, so the springs might be sagged a bit, lowering the whole bike.

In that condition, yes, it will be a bear, because you DO have to lift the bike.



If you insist on lowering the bike, in spite of what it does to the handling, you will just have to adapt your center stand (and possibly the side stand, too) to match the lowered height of the bike.

My son has longer shocks on his 650L. I don't know if he has actually succeeded, but he was talking about being able to ride to a stop and deploy the centerstand FROM A SEATED POSITION, without ever touching a foot to the ground. The longer shocks make all the difference.

I have recently installed a taller tire on my Wing that makes is VERY easy to put on the center stand. I can actually do it in flip-flops, have not yet tried bare feet.

.

 

[wymple]

"Your experiences (both of yours) seem to defy physics. Let's assume a 500 pound bike with approximately equal weight distribution (without a rider)."

You can be right as rain on the physics, but my GS850 gets real heavy real quick when it's leaned over much, and I find a lot of pressure on that little side stand. I have a bad leg and I'm short, so I like to climb on mine with the bike on the center stand, the rock it forward to take off. Holding a 580 lb bike upright while I get on is a chore. If I mount the bike while it's on the center stand, it threatens me mightily to tip over unless the surface is VERY hard. I weigh close to 200 lbs, and on the seat with the center stand down, I have to shift most of my weight to the back seat to lift the front wheel any. There is a lot more than 40-50 lbs on my front tire. That is with a Vetter setup all the way around.

 

[hillsy]

From the picture he posted earlier, I think I see the fork tubes slid up through the clamps a bit.

Can't tell if the shocks are stock length, but they look like stockers, so the springs might be sagged a bit, lowering the whole bike.

In that condition, yes, it will be a bear, because you DO have to lift the bike.



If you insist on lowering the bike, in spite of what it does to the handling, you will just have to adapt your center stand (and possibly the side stand, too) to match the lowered height of the bike.

My son has longer shocks on his 650L. I don't know if he has actually succeeded, but he was talking about being able to ride to a stop and deploy the centerstand FROM A SEATED POSITION, without ever touching a foot to the ground. The longer shocks make all the difference.

I have recently installed a taller tire on my Wing that makes is VERY easy to put on the center stand. I can actually do it in flip-flops, have not yet tried bare feet.

.

Not having a grab rail won't be helping you either when it comes to putting your bike on the centre stand.

 

[Rob S.]

That is one scary picture, Steve. How many (trucks:wink did it take to right it?