Stupid question....center stand

[bowcop]

Today I put the bike up on centerstand and it fought me going up....it went up hard, and that is when I realized it was in 1st gear....did I hurt the bike?

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

It's safe to say most people put them up on the stand in 1st. It's just easier to get off and hold it in gear, it doesn't want to roll away that way.

[vizhip]

For some reason I have a tough time getting mine up on the center stand... and typically I will find the front facing a bit left when I finally get it there... and sometimes when I don't get it there... sigh...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[Mark G]

I have the same prob. I am 190lbs and still have to wrestle this bike up, but i find the more i do it the easier it becomes, except for today...my Harley buddies just laugh.

[VinnyR11]

For some reason I have a tough time getting mine up on the center stand... and typically I will find the front facing a bit left when I finally get it there... and sometimes when I don't get it there... sigh...

 

Regards -

-Bob

 

It may be helpful if you focus more on pushing down with your foot on the stand than lifting the bike. This push does most of the lifting. Also, I find that your hand is more of an angled pull up and back (maybe more back than up) on the bike.

 

If you try to just muscle it up, it's going to be very difficult.

[John Dickens]

It is certainly a knack.

 

As Vinny says pushing down on the stand levers the bike up morer effectively that trying to lift with your right hand.

[Boffin]

Push DOWN on the foot lever and pull BACK with a little UP on the hand lever. These bikes are designed to roll up onto the stand.

[Haynes]

.......did I hurt the bike?

 

There's absolutely no chance that you did any damage to the bike. The amount of torque that you could put through the drive-train by manpower is negligable.

The only damage that's remotely possible is damage to the centerstand foot lever. If it's still intact, you're fine.

[bmw_rider]

Take it out of gear! Put it in neutral, put the side stand down, get off the bike, lower the center with your foot while you grab that handle and put your weight on the centerstand tab while simply steading with the handle hand. Unless your parked at a large downhill angle the bike will pop right up onto the centerstand.

 

More directly to your question - no you didn't hurt the bike by centering in gear.

[T__]

Today I put the bike up on centerstand and it fought me going up....it went up hard, and that is when I realized it was in 1st gear....did I hurt the bike?

 

bowcop, you didn’t hurt the bike (not even a little).. You could have hurt your back though.. The bike won’t roll when in gear so getting it on the center stand must have been a real fight for you..

 

Twisty

 

[bowcop]

Thanks for all the replies! I have had this bike for two years now, and every time I park it, it goes on the center stand.....This is the first time though that I neglected to put it in N before popping it up. I thought you were not supposed to have the bike in gear when doing it.....I heard heard that or read it somewhere...

 

It's alot harder getting it in CS when it's in gear!

[MrHondamatic]

You can always leave it in gear, and pull the clutch in instead. Works for me.

[Dave39]

I always put on stand in 1st gear. I make sure bike is firmly seated on the center stand, place my right foot on stand, and make one great back heave with all of my 155lbs, pushing down with my foot and pulling up and back on the lever.

[Unhofliche_Gesundheit]

re "place my right foot on stand" -

right foot? - i find much easier with *left* foot - that way you are positioned to the back of the bike - and positioned with your right shoulder over/slightly-behind the lifting handle - and you are not trying to lift with your legs crossed (very weak and unstable....)

 

(and actually i don't even think i could get my right foot on the stand without getting cross footed see as you are constrained by the handlebars ....)

 

and for me makes sense to have bike in N - not 1st - why make it harder than it has to be?

[pickersgill1]

Hi I agree, stand on with foot and press down with your weight on the centre stand, one hand on handle bar & pull up slightly on grab handle the bike will go easy onto centre stand (bike in neutral).

[Dave39]

Hmm. Have always used right foot. No problem.

[omaharj]

You can always leave it in gear, and pull the clutch in instead. Works for me.

+1 I also look for a parking spot that's a wee bit uphill. When I go to leave I lean back add a bit of throttle,ease out the clutch some... and I'm off the centerstand. I just have to make sure the centerstand gets locked in the UP position.

[Dave39]

I was so curious about left foot vs right that I went out to the garage and tried the left foot...couldn't do it. With right foot I can pull straight up and back, but with left I had to twist my body awkwardly to the right and loose leverage. Different strokes, I guess.

[flat_twin]

I always put on stand in 1st gear. I make sure bike is firmly seated on the center stand, place my right foot on stand, and make one great back heave with all of my 155lbs, pushing down with my foot and pulling up and back on the lever.

 

OK it's always in 1st gear but you DO have the clutch pulled when you put it on the center stand, right? Your statement reads as if you're fighting the drivetrain and engine compression while you roll it back onto the stand.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Never have clutch in, always 1st gear, never any problems fighting compression. 185 lbs, 508, right foot, right hand on pop out lever, left hand on hand grip, no pinkies extended.

[Selden]

I have the same prob. I am 190lbs and still have to wrestle this bike up, but i find the more i do it the easier it becomes, except for today...my Harley buddies just laugh.

It's technique, not strength; I'm 5'6", less than 150 pounds, and at 63, not as muscular as I was 20 years ago, but even a Gold Wing floats up pretty easily, and my RT, thanks to the lift handle, has one of the easiest centerstands I have ever worked with. The most important part is to stand on the tang of the centerstand, which helps lever the bike up. Practice with a spotter, if necessary.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

did I hurt the bike?

 

Look at it this way:

 

With your best effort pulling upward/back on the bike, you maybe exerted 100 pounds total with your arm on that pull handle, so maybe 70 pounds parallel to the ground (fighting the driveline), right?

 

When you go WOT in first gear, the driveline is pushing you (and the bike) forward with about 750 pounds of force. The driveline is designed to accept forces of this magnitude without complaint.

 

You didn't hurt a thing.

 

(but next time, pull the clutch in, it'll be easier. )

[bowcop]

Thanks Joe,

 

I did not mean to sound like a rookie with the question....I have put my bike on CS thousands of times...without an issue....this is the 1st time I did it in gear......I thought I might have twisted something....thanks for all the imput.

[vizhip]

I did not mean to sound like a rookie with the question....I have put my bike on CS thousands of times...without an issue....this is the 1st time I did it in gear......I thought I might have twisted something....thanks for all the imput.

 

I think I was the one with the rookie question / comment in addition to your post... yours was fine...

 

Course... the only thing I can think of to hurt the bike in that situation is if you miss and DROP the bike rather than get it up on the stand...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[DrPaul]

Another step worth mentioning is to be certain that both feet of the center stand are on the ground and equally supporting the bike as it pops up. After pressing down on the stand pedal, be sure the bike is vertical and doesn't rock side to side before giving it the big whoomph!