Is there a point to the center stand?

[derwood]

It also provides what many feel is a more secure way to park your motorcycle.

Bad advice, or just BS.....What many feel?
Never met any rational person that thinks the center stand is more stable (or secure?)
well not anyone who rides a motorcycle.

[JEEPRUSTY]

The centre stand is more stable and secure than the kickstand.

[Rob S.]

The centre stand is more stable and secure than the kickstand.

Derwood, meet JEEPRUSTY.

[Steve]

The centre stand is more stable and secure than the kickstand.

The laws of physics will tend to disagree with that statement.

The three points of contact when using the side stand cover a larger area and are much more stable than the triangle formed by the center stand and the front tire.

.

[trevor]

The centre stand is more stable and secure than the kickstand.

We take ferries all the time living where we live. Some of the ferries can experience quite rough water and those vessels require you to rope up your bike. They never allow you to use your centre stand as the bike on the side stand is more stable, if the centre stand was more stable then after many many decades of crossings with millions of motorcycles aboard they would let you use them. Just my opinion of course. We'll and BC ferries lol.

[posplayr]

I think they're called "paddock stands." I have a rear one, cost $30 on sale. I use it for chain maintenance and checking the oil.

Even on the street, a pound is a pound, but I guess it's largely a psychological difference. At first I planned on installing one, then I planned on looking into whether it could be easily removed and re-installed.

I've dropped those plans. For me, less is more.

I have a center stand that was easily installed and removed by using quick release pins.now I mostly just use the rear wheel stand.

[JEEPRUSTY]

SO in the most difficult of situations a side stand may allow you to lash it to the deck of a rolling ship with greater aplomb.
BAH!
On solid ground or even gravel sod etc the centre stand is more stable. Think no sinky in ground or hot ashphalt.

I have never come out to find my bike has fallen off its centre stand. lost two signal lights the other way on two seperate occasions.

[BigD_83]

They each have their uses, but if I was to only have the choice of ONLY a sidestand or centre, I think I'd go with the sidestand, and use paddock stands or a lift in the garage. That being said, I routinely use my centrestand here, where road temperatures rarely get to the point of having to worry about sinking in.

I recall carrying in my tankbag a thick rubber, rectangular pad with a depression in it to keep the sidestand from slipping, and it also kept it from sinking into hot tarmac. I haven't seen one of those in years, but I think I'd be able to carve one out of a hockey puck with a Dremel tool.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Yeah they used to sell them things in motorcycle mags.

[ryanrod]

You are aware you have to lift the rear of the bike up while you stand on the centrestand arm, right? It doesn't just flick down like the sidestand.

No I wasn't aware of that. This makes me feel the center stand is even more useless. I've gotta break my back lifting it just to get it on the center stand Psshh.

[BigD_83]

What bike do you have?

Neither my 650 nor the 550 take much effort to get onto the centrestand. Usually just stepping onto the lever is enough to move it onto the centrestand. I use my right hand on the luggage rack or handrail only when it is fully loaded.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Yes you push the lever down you do not lift
lifting is not the proper method you lock yourself in position and push
voila bike up on its stand and stable.

[ryanrod]

According to the manual, you should have it on the center stand to check the oil. And like Todd mentioned, a host of maintenance tasks are much easier with a center stand, from changing a tire, to changing a fork seal. If your center stand seems too long, there are some things that can cause that:
Lowered suspension at either end.
Low tires, or smaller wheels/tires
Wrong center stand.
Wrong technique.

Getting an accurate oil reading is important as might be parking in gravel and dirt as another gentleman mentioned. The suspension is set on it's lowest setting because a friend and I changed the shocks substituting my back as the lift. God I love being 23. I guess I'd have to raise the suspension and compromise my low profile cafe look for this thing. Here's an upside down picture of what's happening right now (exhaust is off.) I've gotta thank the community here for all the replies. This is a great group of people. I don't get an ego vibe or anything, that you get with others who're riding cafe racers these days.
photo 2.jpg

[wymple]

I use my side stand only occasionally when the ground is solid. They sink in to the ground too easily for me. I prefer the center stand as long as there is stable ground below it, otherwise I use the side stand AND a plate of some kind under it. When gassing up on trips I get more gas in the tank with the bike level as well. I've seen a lot more bikes go over from side stand use than center stand. If I can have only one, however, I'll take the side stand and something to keep it from sinking into the ground.

[ryanrod]

The bike is an '82 gs650 for those who asked
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