How to use the center-stand.

[Ligonier]

Yep, another new owner with a "low on the learning curve" type question. This one seems self evident enough but I've been trying to get the bike on the center stand and have yet to figure out how to successfully do it.

Push down on the center stand with my right foot, one hand on left side of hbar, other hand on rear rack, heave backwards....nope. It tries but never gets there. Anything sound "off" in this approach? I even got a rolling start a time or two and it gets closer to "there" but still no luck. Push down on the stand harder with my foot? More muscle? I'm a pretty big guy.....no Olympic weight lifter or anything but stout....I'm puzzled I can not manage this.

It's proving significantly harder than I imagined. Figure I'm fundamentally doing something incorrectly. And once I know how- I suspect I'll laugh about having to even ask. But I never had a center stand before and my ego can take it;-).

 

[Napom]

It's all in the foot . . . Push down as hard as you can on it while easing it . . . yes easing it back . . . I have racks for the panniers that I grab on to . . . probably gives a better point than a naked Himmie . . . But it's all in the foot . . ..

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

Pushing down with my right foot while pulling up with my right hand works for me.

 

[Ligonier]

Ok.....more right foot....ease up and or pull up. Roger that. EMudd, where are you grabbing onto with your right hand?

 

[Roy Gavin]

It is all in the geometry, and there is not much in it, just the small increase in height from a new and perhaps higher tyre can make all the difference.
Of a difference in shock preload.
Or an adjustable length shock, just about the only benefit you get with a YSS
Bouncing it a bit can help too, give it a good heave as far as you can go, let it drop again then heave on the bounce.
Running one wheel up on to a bit 30mm thick timber or whatever works for some.
Not uncommon , so when I laid the floor in my bike shed I ramped up the floor up at one end and I have needed it on most bikes.
Except the heaviest, a Honda VFR , the stand legs had a large snail cam bend on the end and just a prod on the pedal and the bike ran back three or four inches and popped up onto the stand!

 

[OldGuy]

The way I've always done it (right foot pointed towards the front of the bike, with your arch on the center stand pad) doesn't work too well on the Himmie. Turn your foot around towards the back of the bike, with the ball of your foot on the pad. Left hand on the bars, right hand on the frame kind of low, then push down and pull back and up. It goes up pretty easy, and I'm not particularly strong. For some reason, the leverage on the center stand is better with your foot turned around.

The first couple times I tried it this way, it felt ass-backwards, but it works.

 

[Dinosword]

It's not about pulling back...its about pulling up!!

 

[Bulldogfour]

It's about pulling up AND back. One without the other makes it very difficult.

 

[Ligonier]

It's not about pulling back...its about pulling up!!

I believe *this* is my fundamental error. More "foot" or down force on the center-stand and more UP, not back on the bike. Thanks to everyone for the help. I'll try it as soon as I get to the garage.

 

[nmroadrunner]

Make certain that BOTH feet of the centerstand are touching the surface before applying upward/backward force...the human tendency is to tilt the bike towards you but attempting to raise on only on one centerstand foot complicates your efforts.

 

[Bulldogfour]

Think about the geometry of the centre stand. When you push it down the pivot point of the stand is in front of the ground contact points. When it is on the stand the pivot point is behind the contact points (otherwise it won't stay where you've put it). You'll not get the bike up on the stand if the contact points slide therefore they must 'stick' to the ground and the bike has to have been pulled back as well as up.

 

[Morgan60]

A lot of good information above.

Question, didn’t the dealer you bought the bike from show you how to put the bike on the center stand? Did the they adjust the handlebars, clutch, brake levers, and the mirrors for you at delivery time of your new bike?

They should have also open the Owner Manual and went over the motor breaking procedure, oil level check, and show you where the fuse box is?

 

[SherlockOhms]

A lot of good information above.

Question, didn’t the dealer you bought the bike from show you how to put the bike on the center stand? Did the they adjust the handlebars, clutch, brake levers, and the mirrors for you at delivery time of your new bike?

They should have also open the Owner Manual and went over the motor breaking procedure, oil level check, and show you where the fuse box is?

Think you are asking a bit too much there. I would venture you are in the minority if you get that type of service in the US.
Recently went to my local ag tractor dealer, asked a question about a model on the lot. They didn't even know they had that model sitting outside.

 

[BruceH]

Pushing down on the legs doesn't do anything once there's enough force to keep the legs from sliding back. After that it's all "lift". Getting a good grip is important, I use my pannier racks which do give a solid lift point to generate power. I'm more like the "before" picture on the muscle man ads so you should be able to get it on the stand but it certainly doesn't put itself there, it requires a fair bit of effort. Do make a point of getting both legs on the ground first so the bike is standing relatively straight up before you try the lift, then just heave like all get out. it'll go.

 

[Laserman]

My Himalayan's stand only requires me stepping on it's lever. There's no need to lift or pull on the bike - I was shown this when I bought mine.

 

[RotorWrench]

Good advice above. Several of my bikes have had centerstands and I've found the technique had to be adapted to each one due to different geometries, weights and cg.

I'm 5'6" 155lbs and I've found what works easiest for me and a little different than my previous bikes is to place my right foot on the stand, and because of my height, instead of grabbing the rear rack grab handle I grasp the lower forward horizontal pannier support tube, left hand on the tank guard rear tube, start putting weight on right foot while pulling up on the pannier support to stand straight up and as soon as the rear starts rising I pull back on the tank guard until the bike pops into place. It's a timing thing and works well for me.

After I put the Givi engine guard on I found it was just as easy for me to grab the rear of the Givi bar with my left hand instead of the tank guard.

If you don't have panniers on I've found leaning back more while lifting helps the bike cam over even easier.

To get a feel for technique and experiment, roll the rear tire up on a piece of 2x4 or 2x6, makes it much easier.

Before I had my technique down and especially when the bike was fully loaded, I carried a 4" piece of 2x4 on my F800GS to be able to get it in the stand.

My F650GS Dakar was the easiest. I literally just grabbed the rear grab handle, stood on the stand pad with all my weight, barely lifting and leaned back. It would pop right up regardless of loading.

Keep at it, you'll get it.

 

[RotorWrench]

My Himalayan's stand only requires me stepping on it's lever. There's no need to lift or pull on the bike - I was shown this when I bought mine.

I wish! I tried that when I first got it but I don't have the weight.

 

[Morgan60]

Think you are asking a bit too much there. I would venture you are in the minority if you get that type of service in the US.
Recently went to my local ag tractor dealer, asked a question about a model on the lot. They didn't even know they had that model sitting outside.

That’s odd my dealer Paradise H-D/Royal Enfield in Tigard Oregon has people on staff that make sure things are all adjusting to you and you know how to work them, before you ride off with your new bike. I would think every dealer would do it as a liability thing.

I also got this same great service from the Guzzi dealership, Moto International in Seattle WA. when I was riding Guzzis. Now that I think of it. When I rode into Roughneck Harley-Davidson in Longview TX last September to by a new taillight bulb, there was a guy from the dealer going over a new bike adjusting things for the new owner as-well.

 

[johnny42]

My problem is I can get the bike "up", but I just can't get it to fall backward onto the center stand. So instead of frustration, I just roll the back tire onto a 1X or 2X. It's still a challenge but that's the only way I can do it.

 

[RotorWrench]

My problem is I can get the bike "up", but I just can't get it to fall backward onto the center stand. So instead of frustration, I just roll the back tire onto a 1X or 2X. It's still a challenge but that's the only way I can do it.

What methods have you tried? What are your grab points?