Trick to get Bike on Center Stand

[gorrbert]

My 1983 1100GL is the heaviest bike I have owned at 538 lbs. I'm not weak or small, but I have had a hard time getting this bike on the center stand. The only way I have had sucess is to put my foot on the stand and grab the frame and pull. I fail much more than succeed. I have realized that I filled both gear boxes with 90 weight while on the kick stand. Not good?
To make the job easier I applied teflon oil to the stand but that didn't do the trick. I don't have a bike jack, so I thought I could use a car jack with a piece of wood to get it up than just put the stand down and lower the jack. Any tricks or help appreciated. Gord

 

[Steve]

The trick is to use your weight, not your muscles.

Even if you are a relative light-weight, it takes the same technique.

Stand on the left side of the bike, lower the centerstand with your right foot.
Press down on the lifting tab, tilt the bike upright while pressing down on the tab, you will feel when both of the centerstand feet are touching the ground.
Put the lifting tab of the centerstand in a position under your foot where you will be comfortable standing on it.
Put your left hand on the left grip on the handlebar, your right hand on the lifting rail under the edge of the seat.
Lean over the bike, put ALL of your weight on your right foot. Yes, the bike will be stable.
Lift a little with both hands, the bike will practially jump onto the centerstand.

Portdave had problems lifing his 750, too. I showed him how to do this.
Then I had him do it with my 900-pound Wing.
Let's just say that he was surprised how easy it is to do with the correct technique.

.

 

[gorrbert]

Tried That no go

Tried That no go

I've tried putting my hands in every position possible and shifting my weight while lifting and the bike doesn't Jump at all. the only way I can get it on the stand is to stand on the centerstand tab, then lift like crazy at the rear of the bike. Not easy.

 

[1100E]

Maybe one of the GS'ers could show you, Steve's absolutely right that it just comes down to using the proper technique. I'll offer if you're nearby.

 

[DanTheMan]

Here's another method I learned (also found that new shocks on the rear helped immensely), roll your rear tire up on a 2 x 4, hold the front brake, (leaving sidestand down the whole time) stand on the center stand tab, pull back and it's on the center stand. Oh yeah, hard soled shoes are a must, soft soles will hurt.

 

[twr1776]

As Steve mentioned it is more pushing down with all your weight on your right foot than actually lifting the weight of bike up. Here are a couple You Tube videos to show the technique. I will put the stand down so you can feel both feet firmly on the ground, pause for a moment to stabilize the bike and my position and then push down hard with my right foot while lifting up and back with my right hand and it will pop right up. I find it easier to keep my right hand as close to my leg as possible for better leverage when lifting. I really only use my left hand on the bar to keep the wheel in line so the bike can go up evenly.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDNqCMNau9A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-8LM2Z_XIg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgLJUFSX5OY

 

[gggGary]

Roll the back tire up on a 2x4, turn the handle bar all the way towards you so you can get some rearward pull from the front hand as well as balance. The rear (right) hand and foot oppose each other. the lift with the hand increases the push with the foot. Realize you are lucky, my KZ1300 was the heaviest $%^&%$# bike I have EVER had to wrestle onto the center stand.

 

[Steve]

... Realize you are lucky, my KZ1300 was the heaviest $%^&%$# bike I have EVER had to wrestle onto the center stand.

I agree, the KZ1300 was a BEAST. I made it easier with mine by adding S&W air shocks.
That kept the rear of the bike at proper ride height, making it easier to get on the stand.

Evidently you never had the off-spring of the KZ1300? The Voyager 1300 was even heavier. So much so, Kawasaki came out with a two-stage centerstand. A real work of engineering. Flip down the stand with the small tab, both feet would just barely touch the ground. Step on the larger tab, it would lift the bike straight up very easily. The hardest part of using that system was realizing that it was a two-stage process. Many of the guys that had the bike did not know that.

Gorrbert, where are you? Maybe one of us can come over and show you how to do it.

.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Gimme a light bike, I intend to lift it?

Gimme a light bike, I intend to lift it?

Oh yeah, hard soled shoes are a must, soft soles will hurt.

I busted a boot sole gettin' my 1100G up there. Now I put a piece of scrap lumber under my boot, 'cept once it slipped over and wacked my ankle.
Just get a 550!
Bill

 

[jbs80106]

okay...

okay...

reach beneath the seat and grab the handle next to the frame. Stand on the center stand foot area. While pulling on the handle, and lifting/standing on the center stand she'll pop right up....

Opps...thats how I do it with my BMW...


STILL struggle with the GS. Best luck I've had is sitting on the bike. lean forward w/front brake on....left foot on center stand.....compress forks....release brake, pull back on handle bars...stand on center stand...hope momentum is enough to get on stand....


Every time I try to do it from the side I risk tipping her over opposite me. Still working on technique..

But credit to the germans. EVERY time, 1 pull on handle gets Beemer on center stand.......

 

[Spyderman]

ask gssuzukixxx how easy it is he was having trouble until i showed him the proper technique once he tried it after i showed him how to do it he was amazed at how easy it was

 

[dpep]

There is nothing new under the GSR. I just did a search and found the very first thread I ever started after joining the forum eight years ago. It was in Tips and Tricks and it was about using the 2x under the back wheel to help get the bike onto the centerstand.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=70003&highlight=centerstand

Yes, technique is important, but for some motorcycles you can have picture perfect form and still throw your back before you lift your bike. It is all in the angle which the centerstand forms with the ground prior to the lift. The higher the frame is off the ground, the more vertical will be the angle and the easier it will be to get the bike up on that stand.

Imagine a bike with the frame, including the centerstand pivot two inches off the ground. You would have to lift the bike with brute strength (5-600 pounds unbalanced weight, good luck) to allow the centerstand to swing through vertical and support the bike. Now imagine a bike with a frame whose distance from the ground is only a quarter inch less than the length of the centerstand. The stand is almost vertical before you even start the lift.

Most bikes are easy to get on the centerstand when they are new. Over time the springs start to sag and the frame drops closer to the ground. Or sometimes aftermarket suspension may just be shorter. Whatever the reason the bike becomes a bitch to get on the centerstand. Just rolling the back wheel up on a block of wood raises the frame and centerstand pivot and compensates.
.

 

[John Cross]

Tab extender. A short piece of steel with a two prong fork on one end to catch the leg of the center stand and a foot pad on the other end to provide a no slip area to put your foot on. This will increase the mechanical effort of the tab and therefore reduce the effort required to lift. Patent Pending but feel free to develop your own version.

 

[979roadrunner]

Over time, it's not always the bike's center of gravity that changes, making it harder to lift it up on the stand :-\\\

Sorry, couldn't resist

- JC

Well, MY center of gravity is verry centered (around my waist) I haven't tried getting my 850 on it's centerstand yet, but I've never had a problem with any other bike, even when my weight was less centered (and less, period)
I'm a bit out of practice, though, so I'll remember the 2X4 sudgestion.

 

[COGS]

reach beneath the seat and grab the handle next to the frame. Stand on the center stand foot area. While pulling on the handle, and lifting/standing on the center stand she'll pop right up....

Opps...thats how I do it with my BMW...


STILL struggle with the GS. Best luck I've had is sitting on the bike. lean forward w/front brake on....left foot on center stand.....compress forks....release brake, pull back on handle bars...stand on center stand...hope momentum is enough to get on stand....


Every time I try to do it from the side I risk tipping her over opposite me. Still working on technique..

But credit to the germans. EVERY time, 1 pull on handle gets Beemer on center stand.......

I agree the K-series lifting handle is a marvelous device (even though I had the plastic covering that you hold on to come off in my hand one time!)...but, the secret is in having your right leg slightly bent when you step on the centerstand tab...then, as you lift with your right hand on the grab rail and left hand on the left handlegrip, straighten your right leg as you put all your weight on it! It's about 50% mental process (to me anyway) to "commit" to lifting your bike onto the centerstand...but, do it mostly with your right leg. jbs...I'd be happy to stop by and help you get used to your GS if you're up for it? Don't think there's a heavier example of a GS than my GK...

 

[jonn1963]

I'm 5ft 7, 140 lbs soaking wet and have found the easiest way is to push the the front tire a few inches up one of my car ramps, push down the center stand with my right foot and pull straight back on the handle bars. Pops right up. Then slowly pull the ramp forward so the tire spins with it and remove the ramp. This method works great when you need to remove the back tire. Have a short piece of 2x6 or 8 near the stand, push the bike up the ramp high enough so you bring the stand down on the wood and pull the bars back. The extra 2 inches you gain in the rear after you remove the ramp really makes it alot easier for the rear tire to clear the fender when removed. You may want to block in front of the front tire to make sure it doesnt roll forward and come off the stand. I've used this method on alot of bikes including my 1200 venture.

 

[ddaniels]

I used to be able to get my '95 Kaw GPZ1100 on the centerstand barefooted. No way with the GS.

 

[Maddog209]

If you can't get your own bike on it's centerstand maybe you should consider a smaller bike. Sorry to sound rude but this isn't rocket science. Sorry, just my opinion.

 

[dpep]

I have had as many as five GSs at one time, all with centerstands. Each one was different in how much was required to get the bike up. That is with exactly the same person (me) using the exact same technique each time. My heaviest bike, the GK, is probably the easiest. One of my 850s was almost impossible (but not the other two).

Line up a half dozen bikes. Give me a tape measure and somebody to hold the bike vertical while I measure. I will tell you which bikes will be the easiest and which the most difficult to get on the centerstand regardless of who is doing the hoisting.

Compare the distance from the centerstand pivot to the ground to the length of the centerstand. If you want to make the lift easier either increase the distance from the centerstand pivot to the ground (very easy to do) or decrease the length of the centerstand (very hard to do).

Anyone who thinks that it is all in knowing how is mistaken. Only some of it is in knowing how. The basic physics has to be within tolerance.

 

[Guest]

The best trick is to push the rear tire up onto a "2-by", and from there it should be do-able using the proper technique given in the previous posts.




I had a 1980 GS1000G that was nearly impossible. It had air shocks and when they were set so it was rideable it was nearly impossible to "get it up."

Shocks all the way aired up - no problem. Problem was I didn't carry an air compressor with me.