What's up with my centre stand?

[chuck hahn]

probably so..it struck me as someone taking a picture of how he was trying to get it up there...

[sedelen]

Stand on it with the ball of your foot and grab the hand grip ..push down with the foot and lift the bike up and rearward at the same time by the rail..45 or so seems about the right angle to me.

Sounds so easy doesn't it? I have read test reports about the difficulty folks have about getting the 1000 on a centerstand. My GS1000E is a PIA to get on the centerstand, it takes all I got.
A friend told me to put a 2X4 under the front wheel, ride up on it, and it's much easier, I haven't done that yet as I've so far been able to get the bike on the centerstand, sometimes after a couple of tries (I'm a lightweight).
My 1000E weighs in a 516 dry. But still I don't have any problem with the '82 GS1100E which weighs 526 dry, it pops right up on the stand very easily. I think it's inherit in the 1000's design. Sagging shocks don't help though.

[hjfisk]

Awesome, thanks Daniel. I'll see if the shocks match your figure there, and yes please, the fork and center stand measurements would be great. Very nice bike BTW! Great photo too.

As far as technique goes guys, thanks for the descriptions, I could easily get my last bike up on the stand doing as you described and when fully loaded tipping the scales at over 700lbs so I think I can rule out that now I tried balancing with all my weight (165lbs) on the lever and the bike didn't move, even slightly!

what was your last bike? if it were a Kawasaki Voyager they have a 2 stage lift , and take almost no effort .The GS 1000 goes up pretty easy though unless you centerstand is damaged or something.

[DanTheMan]

Sounds so easy doesn't it? I have read test reports about the difficulty folks have about getting the 1000 on a centerstand. My GS1000E is a PIA to get on the centerstand, it takes all I got.
A friend told me to put a 2X4 under the front wheel, ride up on it, and it's much easier, I haven't done that yet as I've so far been able to get the bike on the centerstand, sometimes after a couple of tries (I'm a lightweight).
My 1000E weighs in a 516 dry. But still I don't have any problem with the '82 GS1100E which weighs 526 dry, it pops right up on the stand very easily. I think it's inherit in the 1000's design. Sagging shocks don't help though.

Roll the rear wheel up on the 2x4, not the front. That gives you more space for the centrestand.

[tkent02]

Buy new longer shocks. You know you want them.

[rustybronco]

My 82 GS850G goes up on the center stand very easily. My 80 GS850G is difficult to get on the center stand.

[Steve]

The only bike in our stable that has even the slightest hint of being difficult is my wife's 850L.

The only reason it is difficult is because the suspension is shot, front and rear, allowing the bike to sag quite a bit.

Other than that, all of them go up rather easily.

Hjfisk, yeah, I agree that the Voyager was a piece of cake. Amazing that you could put a 900 pound bike on the centerstand while wearing flip-flops.

.

[GelandeStrasse]

Finally got internet access again.

With my stand issues, turns out it was a few things, one of them bit embarrassing! First the rear tire was a little under inflated, I had kicked it and thought out was ok but it was only at 10psi. Second the forks needed air too, pumped them up to 20psi and that made up another inch or two. Finally the embarrassing bit on closer inspection and a lift of the carpet, I noticed a distinct hump in the concrete floor right under the stand! Doh and double doh!
Thanks for the input guys.

[JimmyR]

I was having a lot of trouble getting my GS1100 onto it's centre stand. Almost impossible while on the bike, but now really easy if I dismount and use one hand on a grip and the other under a frame rail at the rear of the bike.

So if I am on the left side of the bike I have my left hand on the left grip, a foot on the side stand and I use my right hand to lift the back of the bike onto the stand. It is surprisingly easy this way - which is handy because I don't have a side stand at the moment!

[Starboard M]

Sounds like you got it figured out, but heres a "tutorial" on how to put a bike on a center stand:

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

I struggled to get my 750 onto its stand until I found that video. Now its a 5 second process.

Biggest thing for me is to lift the rear and pull the front back to you.

[sedelen]

And should you drop it while trying to put it on the centerstand here's a tutorial on how to pick it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeLkrPkjimo&feature=related