1981 GS850G Center Stand too Tall?

[SteveR]

My 850 is really hard to get on the center stand. I use a block of wood and roll the bike up on it. Then I can lift it in place. It's like the stand is too tall.
Are all 850 like this? Is there a shorter center stand?

[Dogma]

Are you using stock suspension and wheel/tire sizes? Could the difficulty be explained by the bike weighing about 600 lb?

You say you can "lift" it in place if you use a block of wood. Are you using proper center stand technique? Stand on the lever while rolling the bike back and lifting. Sorry if you already knew that, but your post count indicates you may be a noob.

[Dave8338]

Mostly technique. Stand on the left side of the bike with your hand on the left handle bar and your right hand under the shock mount or grab bar, or what ever you want to call it. Now, using your right foot, step down on the center stand tab and in one motion, lift up with your right hand, and push down with your right foot on the center stand tab and....you bike will hop right up on the center stand.........or..........fall over on top of you, or tip to the other side or......you get the idea.

Use your body weight to counter act the dead weight of the bike.

[shadowfist]

I have a 1978 gs750 and mine seems like its about 10 feet tall. took me about a week to figure out how to get it up on it.
what kept trying was to roll it forward and then roll it backward and slam the center stand down (doesn't work well, and you may end up under your bike).

what i do now is i just stand on the arm of the center stand (put all your weight on it and the pressure will hold the bike up) and then find something to lift the back end with (for me i grab the luggage rack) and don't just lift the bike but push your legs and arms apart. so you are pushing the back end of the bike away from your feet which are on the center stand.
again don't worry too much about whether the bike will tip over because once you have all your weight on the center stand and are pulling up the bike will become amazingly stable.

I was having trouble getting mine on the center stand and i asked a guy with a harley to show me how he gets his bike on the center stand. and he was like "sure".. so i watched as he hefted his bike onto a center stand that looked about 5-6 inches tall. :-D

[Larry D]

AAaahhh.......the center stand trick.

Easy to do, actually. Even a small person can do it with the biggest of bikes.

[jmanz6]

There was a Youtube video that did a good job of showing how to do it that was linked here not long ago. Search for center stand on this site and see if it comes up. Or go to Youtube and search for the same thing. I'm sure there are more than one video showing it on there.

[shadowfist]

here's a pretty good one, pretty much the way i do it. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hem08a355w

[mighty13d]

i'm yet to have mastered the center stand also. I can sometimes get it alright and other times I can't get it at all. I need more practice and maybe longer arms!

[salty_monk]

I can't do my 1000G when it's fully loaded to go on one of the rally's.... other than that I'm ok. I just don't have enough weight.

Dan

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Putting my 850 on the center stand is not problem at all. I park using the side stand. I leave the side stand down, just in case. Then I use my right foot to lower the center stand while simultaneously using my left hand on the left handlebar grip and my right hand holding the frame right at the rear shock. I then make sure the bike is perpendicular and both legs of the center stand are touching the garage floor. Then, standing very close to the bike, I put all my weight on the center stand while lifting with my right hand. The left hand on the handlebar is just to keep the bike upright - not for pulling or lifting. The bike jumps on the center stand. Remember to push down with your right foot as much as you lift up with your right hand.

I'm so used to my (heavy) bike that when I borrowed Mr. Griffin's 750E, I practically threw it across the garage the first time I put it on the center stand.

It's mostly technique and doesn't really require an inordinate amount of strength. Practice makes perfect. Once you get it down, it will be easy.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC6jGdzn4V4

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[76FJ55]

What everyone else said plus one small addition. when you go to put it in the centerstand get the bike stableon with both feet of the center stand touching. then before lifting straightne the front wheel. if you go to lift it with the wheel turned, as the bike moves backward the centerstand feet or the front tire will be forced to slide on the pavement, as the bike is actually trying to turn as it rolls. straightning the front wheel will make getting it up noticably easier.

[shadowfist]

What everyone else said plus one small addition. when you go to put it in the centerstand get the bike stableon with both feet of the center stand touching. then before lifting straightne the front wheel. if you go to lift it with the wheel turned, as the bike moves backward the centerstand feet or the front tire will be forced to slide on the pavement, as the bike is actually trying to turn as it rolls. straightning the front wheel will make getting it up noticably easier.

yes that makes it far easier, i can't believe nobody mentioned that yet.. oops

[SP-GS1000GL]

My previous bike was a heavier Honda Magna V65 which was much easier than my current GS1000 to get on the centre stand. There must be some weight balance or height differences that make the GS harder to put on the stand

Fortunately the part of the grab rail that runs parallel to the seat is a good place to lift and pull back on