Girlyman can't get it up on centerstand....

[jonsmyth]

Anyone else have this problem? My 87 is too friggin heavy to get it up without assistance. I am ready to chop off 2 inches so t will be usable in a parking lot at least. Or should i bring a come-:179:along and park near a girder or streetlight?

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/images/smilies/179.gif

[Holly]

Do you have CLASS, if you do, run rear up to limit, then try it. Works for me on my 83.

 

 

Daryl

[Kregerdoodle]

Ponch and a few others pull the rear wheel up on a 2x4 block and then lift it up on the stand.. i saw them do it and it worked great!!

[jonsmyth]

both good suggestions. I was thinking of maybe making a "ramp" out of a 2x6????

[bull463]

Hi

I just stand on the stand and lift and lean back a little seems to work for me. Its all about the leaverage.

Bull463

[utadventure]

Same here. I place my right heal on the center stand, make sure that both sides of the center stand make contact with the ground and lift up on the passenger grab rail.

 

Good luck!

 

Dave

 

Hi

I just stand on the stand and lift and lean back a little seems to work for me. Its all about the leaverage.

Bull463

[dynodon]

Jonsmyth, How to you try to do the centerstand?

 

the way I do it is to stand with my right side to the bike, facing front. I put the arch or ball of my foot on the stand and put the stand on the ground while righting the bike and then feel for the center stand to be on both feet so the bike isn't leaning at all.

 

Then grab the passenger hand rail beside the passenger seat with your right hand while still facing forward. Then just think in terms of trying to spread those two things apart!

 

As you apply weight to the stand with your foot, pull up hard on the hand rail. As you get to a point of being able to straighten your leg a little, then the bike will just go up on the stand.

 

I then ease off on the hand rail and actually use pushing back down on it to keep the bike from banging onto the stand. I can keep the front wheel up for a moment and let it back down easy.

 

Give this a try, and the advice to raise the suspension to the max is also good, do both front and rear.

 

One other thought, you might get a welding shop to put on a short extension on the foot pad of the stand, that might give you a bit more multiplication. I haven't looked, but there might be room for a small extension, and it won't take much.

 

Too bad Yamaha didn't do something like Kawasaki did with the same vintage Voyager. That stand is double jointed and is SUPER easy to operate.

[skydoc_17]

I am 6' tall but weigh 175 soaking wet! I handle on average 2 of these bikes a day and on some days, 3 or 4. I cut a piece of 11/2" pipe about a foot long and slide it over the "Horn" of the center stand. The pipe multiplies my weight nicely and I can carry it in my side bag for on the road. The technique that works best for me is left hand on the handle bars, right hand on the passenger grab rail, knuckles in, right heel on the pipe (slid over the horn) straighten right leg, lean back towards rear of bike and the center stand will lever the bike up. I always remember to remove the pipe as soon as the bike is up on the center stand. (don't ask why!)

Hope this helps,

Earl

[MiCarl]

Jonsmyth, How to you try to do the centerstand?

 

the way I do it is to stand with my right side to the bike, facing front. I put the arch or ball of my foot on the stand and put the stand on the ground while righting the bike and then feel for the center stand to be on both feet so the bike isn't leaning at all.

 

Then grab the passenger hand rail beside the passenger seat with your right hand while still facing forward. Then just think in terms of trying to spread those two things apart!

 

As you apply weight to the stand with your foot, pull up hard on the hand rail. As you get to a point of being able to straighten your leg a little, then the bike will just go up on the stand.

 

I then ease off on the hand rail and actually use pushing back down on it to keep the bike from banging onto the stand. I can keep the front wheel up for a moment and let it back down easy.

 

Give this a try, and the advice to raise the suspension to the max is also good, do both front and rear.

 

One other thought, you might get a welding shop to put on a short extension on the foot pad of the stand, that might give you a bit more multiplication. I haven't looked, but there might be room for a small extension, and it won't take much.

 

Too bad Yamaha didn't do something like Kawasaki did with the same vintage Voyager. That stand is double jointed and is SUPER easy to operate.

 

This is the technique. It is critical that both legs of the centerstand touch down, if they don't it's almost impossible to lift. As you push it down rock the bike back and forth and you can feel them touch down.

 

I like to approach it as if I am pushing the lever on the stand into the ground with my foot. Point is, your leg should be doing most of the work.

 

With the right technique a girly girl can do it. Girly man should have no problem.

[autopilot]

I agree with Daryl. I was having similar trouble with my '90 Goldwing. Remembered the air system, ran the pressure up on the rear. Made it a whole lot easier.

[Yammer Dan]

All good advice. the more you do it the easier it is. Air in the rear works a lot if you have class. If not use the block. After you do it a while you won't need help.

[Marcarl]

Sometimes it's just how someone says it. It all means the same, but to get it through ones head is often the kink.

If I were to tell you, it would sound like this.

Grab the passenger hand rail with your right and the handle bar with your left. Put your right foot on the 'horn' or 'handle' of the center stand, rock the scoot so that both feet of the stand touch the ground. NOW you push the stand under the bike with the instep of your foot. The less you worry about lifting and pulling, the easier it will pop up. Now that was easy!!!!!

[ediddy]

Hey Girlyman,

Man you scared me. I was scanning through all the threads and I saw Girlyman can't get it up and I thought this is going to get banned, then I read the rest, on the centerstand.

[jonsmyth]

I have had many bikes, most would go up as described, but this is the heaviest. I'll practice before i go welding anything.

[bongobobny]

both good suggestions. I was thinking of maybe making a "ramp" out of a 2x6????

 

That's exactly what I did! I tok a piece of 2x6 about a foot and a half long and put it into my sadlebag. Once the back tire is on the 2x6 just put your right foot on the stand and jerk up/back and it will pop right up on it...

 

PS make sure your centerstand is well lubricated!

[Condor]

It all depemds on how low close the rear end (bike's) is to the ground. I have a big advantage in the leverage dept, but some of the bikes that I have don't have any air pressure from sitting for a long while. I can't even get my big toe on the rocker pad and it's a two man job. So either get that rear end up, make a ramp, or invite a friend over for a beer....

[mother]

or do the RandyA mod, and cut both legs 1/2 and inch and weld the left foot on and replace the right side with a wheel. i used a ball bearing and made a 1/2 inch dia shaft, drilled a hole in the sidestand, welded the shaft into the right leg of the sidestand, and shortened the right leg a little more so the wheel rides on the ground. this is great for turning the bike around.

[Guest Ken8143]

All good suggestions - I found in addition I want to have the handle bars straight because if there is a turn it is the dickens to get on center stand.

[Moakster]

The key to getting the beast off the ground is the press down on the stand. It's not so much the pull up but the press down that lifts the bike. I found this after watching a guy who weighs 150 lb lift my old first gen with no problem. After he demonstrated several times it came easy. Level the stand, place your right foot on the stand, right hand grab the passenger rail, left hand on the handlebar, face straight ahead, press down HARD on the stand while lifting up with your right hand. The press is the key to getting the bike on the stand. It will work.

 

Moakster

[ddoggma]

When I first got her I was having trouble getting er up...lol The above method does work after you do it a couple times. Also make sure you have boots on I tryed it in my sneekers and dang near broke my foot. Just from pushing on the horn. One of those little bones in my foot moved or something. Hurt like the devil for a week or two.

[Bob Myers]

I'm no brute at 200 pounds, and even with broken ribs I can and did put my 87 on center stand. Using the aforementioned method of knuckles in, left hand on the bar, instep on the rocker. My problem is getting it down from there. I usually have to stand on the foootboards, lean back and rock it forward. Usually it just scoots first 4 or 5 times. Then when it does come down, I have less than ½second to get my feet on the ground. I would hate to imagine what would happen if it took a full second to get my feet down there.

[Condor]

Another thing you might think about is... take the bike out of gear. It makes that first backwards motion much harder.

[Guest HdHtr]

I always remember to remove the pipe as soon as the bike is up on the center stand. (don't ask why!)

Hope this helps,

Earl

 

I gotta ask Earl ... Why?

[skydoc_17]

Well Steve,

When you are sitting on the bike and rock it forward to get it OFF the center stand, when the center stand flips up, it shoots that pipe RIGHT UP YOUR PANTS LEG.........THATS WHY!

 

 

Dang Doughnut Munchers!

Earl

[Venturous Randy]

My bike does not have Class and being inseam challenged, I don't run much more air than I have to. As Mother noted, I removed a 1/2 inch from each leg and it makes it A LOT easier for me. Also as noted, make sure you are in neutral as that can make a big difference. I have also considered adding about 1 1/2 inches to the foot lever.

What makes my bike harder for me is I have Markland passenger foot pads and they really get in the way of pushing straight down on the lever pad.

As far as taking it off the center stand, with the side stand down, I rock the bike once and then push it forward and it drops off very easy. I have never understood trying to get it off while on the bike. Some say don't have the side stand down as it will hit and cause the bike to fall away from you, but mine never does that.

RandyA