What the hell am I not doing that I cannot get this beast on the Center Stand!

This bike with this stand sucks! Great bike, shitty placement of the center stand with the entire weight of the bike so close or above. I have succeed only 2 out of 5 attempts with solid weight on the stand to get it upright, firm pull with one hand on the handle bar and another on the rear and as much upright pressure on the stand with all of my weight to get it up!

 

First, step on stand and make sure both legs of stand are square to the ground, and bike is vertical.

Then reach down and grab passenger peg bracket, lift hard while applying foot pressure on stand. You have do both, still not easy, I am 73 and not as strong as I used to be, and I can do it.

 

I had one heck of a time, but it got much easier when I put the bike in neutral.

 

First make sure it isn't a lowered bike, if it's new to you.

Bike in neutral, stand down with both legs touching the ground, steady the bike with left hand on the bars, right hand on the frame with decent grip, press your right foot down and through the floor. Don't lift, that makes it much harder. You want to press the stand into the ground, when you do that you will naturally use your right hand to increase the amount of pressure on the centerstand. It will pop right up. I can put mine on the centerstand with flip-flops on my feet.

Just remember: you don't lift the bike onto the centerstand.

 

Near empty tank helps as well--- trust me


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My 83 is much easier than the 8th gen, my 6 th gen was easier that the 8 th gen, I weigh 240 and it takes both weight on stand and lifting! No way you are going "pop up" an 8 th gen in flip flops!

BTW: I just went outside to work and tried to get my 8th gen on the stand by just standing on the foot lever, no dice, no way.

 

Yea, it's more push down with your foot than it is lifting - unless you can lift 500 pounds one handed, and I'm guessing 99% of us cannot. Your right hand does nothing more than steady the bike. And with a full tank it is positively more difficult. Stand on the stand, guide it with your hand.

 

All technique, once you get the knack it is easy.

 

Personally I have no problem with my 5G, but my ST1100 was a real beast to get onto the stand UNTIL I replaced the back tyre and put on the standard size. The standard size has a taller sidewall, so the back of the bike starts higher and the stand has less work to do. This is still a very heavy bike (50% more than a VFR more or less) but easy enough with the right technique; push down with the foot, and lift up and back.

For you 8G riders that are complaining, here's a suggestion that might help. If you slip a shim between the top shock clevis and frame you will lift the back end of the bike upwards, and I'm sure that will make it much easier to get onto the stand. It will raise the seat height, and will steepen the steering geometry a little making for faster steering. Shims are cheap and easy to install, easy to take out if you don't like it, I have exactly that in my VTR1000.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHOCK-SHIM-...ash=item25cf76cbfb:g:s2sAAOSwOgdYoaXS&vxp=mtr

 

I am not complaining, I have developed a technique that works, and trust me my right hand does a lot of lifting straight up while my foot presses down. It does alot more than steady the bike, everybody will have their own technique which suits their weight, height and strength.

 

Sorry, no offence intended. What I was trying to suggest (and re-reading my post, not entirely clearly) was that the effort to get onto the stand has a lot to do with how far up off the ground the back wheel has to go. If it is a shorter distance then the effort is less. On my ST1100, changing the back tyre from a non-standard 160/60 size (160mm x 60% = 96mm tyre height) to the standard 160/70 (160 x 70% = 112mm tyre height, difference of 16mm) made a massive difference to the effort needed to get that bike onto the stand.

The same result could be had on a VFR by shimming the shock so the wheel sits lower to the ground when it is lifted onto the stand. My 5G has a DMR shock which (IIRC) results in 25mm ride height added, so that would make it an easier bike to put onto the stand.

Or you could just put a piece of 25mm lumber on the ground, roll the back wheel onto that and then lift the bike onto the stand. I bet that would make it very easy.

 

Thanks everyone, I found my own technique today to be. #1 Be sober! #2 Have a boot on! #3 Don't have the soft luggage on! #4 Don't grab the plastic on the tail piece. #5 Stare her down a bit and tell her that if she co-operates that she will benefit greatly while waving a bottle of new synthetic oil at her face. Done! ;-) Then I twirled her around 360 degrees on the bike stand so she felt pretty I mean she is only 3yrs old! But, she is still a bitch to get off the ground compared to others I have had.

 

Definitely have to figure out your technique--- my bikes lowered to so with my right hand on the grab handle lifting, my foot pushing down on the stand and my left hand pulling on the left grip at full lock --- works for me
Oh easier wearin my glove on my right hand, less slippage on the handle


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Only had mine a couple of days but on first day I wanted to adjust the preload so had to use the Centre stand. Struggled at first using the Pillion Grab handle so I then used the Boot guard of the Pillion foot peg as the RH lifting point, and it worked a treat for me. I don't think my 66kg on the centre stand alone would have too much effect.

 

I'll tell ya she does not want to be off the ground unless it is because of a low level to high level incline at 80 mph on a long sweeper! I'm fine with that as long as she keeps her tenacity with the center stand and not coming down!;-) I prefer this! My GPz1100 was easy to bring up while standing still on the stand and even with spring changes she still wanted to put her little feet down in the same scenario. Scary. Almost high sided twice in one ride. This was and is the only downside of having a center stand IMO.

 

C'mon Bubba!