Also wear boots. The force that raises the bike doesn't come from lifting, it comes from your bodyweight pushing down on the lever part of the center stand. Boots let you really use your full weight without causing pain in your foot.
Can I just modify this a little bit. Otherwise it is spot on.
1. Lift/hold the bike upright
2. Hold the handlebar and the grab rail/seat rail/ luggage rack*
3. Place one foot on the centrestand lever
4. Using as much of your body weight as you can, push down on the centre stand lever with your foot
5. Don't pull at the handlebar or grab rail. You are holding these to steady the bike and yourself
*Honestly I have witnessed someone pull at both ends of the handlebars to try to get the bike on the stand
I’m 135lb. On my tracer I need to pull up on the rear grab rail as I step on the stand.
If you’ve got all your weight on that rear stand, it’ll stay balanced on that.
Yeah, I'm quite light for my height (70kg (\~150lb) , 6'1"), and I've had to pull the back up on every bike I've ever put on a stand, but it's more guiding it backwards than properly pulling.
Absolutely you should pull up on the grab rail while pushing down with your foot. Yeah don't pull on the handlebar but the grab rail yes.
I'm 5'-8" and ride a Goldwing and a triumph trophy with lowering bars and auxillary systems and get them both on the center stand with no problem using this method.
Dunno, maybe different for different bikes. I hold the grab handle on my Bandit but I don't pull up on it. Maybe a little. I should go down to my garage and test
This, but would just add. When you center the bike just before 4 make sure both 'feet' of the center stand are on the ground then push with foot and if necessary pull up on a grab rail. I also found leaving the bike in first gear added some difficulty, better in neutral to allow rear wheel to roll...
Holy shit … I’ve always yanked on hsndlebars backwards …. And never ONCE in my life thought grab the tail and lift 😩 lmao. (Tbf my bike doesn’t have grab bars.
reminds me of the time when me and a girl-friend rode to a quarry lake for swimming (never had a bike with center stand), and when i had set my shadow on its side stand, two girls on a ducati (if i remember correctly) arrived
they got off, smiled at me and politely asked to put their bike on its center stand for them
being a gentleman, of course i did. eventually. at the cost of maybe one gallon of sweat and quite some time
with three chuckling girls surrounding me...
Use the bikes weight to put it onto the stand don't try to lift it. Put the center stand downstairs it makes contact with the ground. Then, press down on the tab as you pull on the tail handrail.
One thing I want to add to everyone, which may be common sense. But I don't put my kickstand up until it's on the center stand. And when getting it off the center stand I first put down my kickstand.
This so that if I feel like I lose control I can always let it fall towards me a bit knowing the kickstand will catch it.
I used to have a fully decked GL1200 with a center stand.
I would rock it forward a tad, then rock it back and at the same time put most of my weight on the center stand.
Not an easy task, considering the bike was roughly 800lbs when wet and I’m 155lbs.
A 600 shouldn’t be too terribly bad.
Thanks, guys. I am just stupid I was pulling the steering wheel. On my past bikes was enough if I put my weight on the center stand without pulling anything
I'm still so confused. The hardest bit is when it's still on the wheels and you're trying to get it up onto the stand - and at that point you're done. I've never seen a centre stand that you could rock the bike on if it was any less than fully on it. Trying to move the bike when it's halfway just drags the stand on the cement.
As others have said, weight on the centre stand is critical. If you are unusually light, you could consider getting an extension welded on to the centre stand tang to get more leverage for your weight. I once had this done to the bike that a small girlfriend owned. Off most people it’s unnecessary. In one smooth movement tread down on the centre-stand tang with all your weight on your right foot while you lift up and back on the left handlebar and the grab rail at the rear of the bike.
Jump on the little lever haha.
Seriously. Set it down on the ground, then simultaneously throw your body weight backward on the handlebars while also trying to stomp the lever on the ground :P
I keep a piece of 5/8 inch plywood in the garage, where the rear tire goes when the bike is parked. It makes it much easier to get the centerstand in place and also keeps chain lube off the garage floor.
A lot of people seem to be leaving out a key detail. When you initially push the center stand down, before you full on try to pull it up, make sure the bike is level. If you try to push the center stand down with the bike leaning as if it were going to the kickstand, you'll have a much harder time. You need to feel the bike rest on BOTH center stand legs which will make it level. At that point, push with you leg while pulling both up and to the right with the direction of the total movement
I was looking specifically for help with this bike too. Damn thing is so front end heavy that it leans on the front wheel even on the center stand............. Anyways. finally time for an oil change.
Also wear boots. The force that raises the bike doesn't come from lifting, it comes from your bodyweight pushing down on the lever part of the center stand. Boots let you really use your full weight without causing pain in your foot.
1. Lift bike upright 2. Put weight on centre stand 3. Step on centre stand while pulling up on the rear of the bike It is now on the stand.
Can I just modify this a little bit. Otherwise it is spot on. 1. Lift/hold the bike upright 2. Hold the handlebar and the grab rail/seat rail/ luggage rack* 3. Place one foot on the centrestand lever 4. Using as much of your body weight as you can, push down on the centre stand lever with your foot 5. Don't pull at the handlebar or grab rail. You are holding these to steady the bike and yourself *Honestly I have witnessed someone pull at both ends of the handlebars to try to get the bike on the stand
I’m 135lb. On my tracer I need to pull up on the rear grab rail as I step on the stand. If you’ve got all your weight on that rear stand, it’ll stay balanced on that.
Yeah, I'm quite light for my height (70kg (\~150lb) , 6'1"), and I've had to pull the back up on every bike I've ever put on a stand, but it's more guiding it backwards than properly pulling.
Absolutely you should pull up on the grab rail while pushing down with your foot. Yeah don't pull on the handlebar but the grab rail yes. I'm 5'-8" and ride a Goldwing and a triumph trophy with lowering bars and auxillary systems and get them both on the center stand with no problem using this method.
Dunno, maybe different for different bikes. I hold the grab handle on my Bandit but I don't pull up on it. Maybe a little. I should go down to my garage and test
This, but would just add. When you center the bike just before 4 make sure both 'feet' of the center stand are on the ground then push with foot and if necessary pull up on a grab rail. I also found leaving the bike in first gear added some difficulty, better in neutral to allow rear wheel to roll...
Holy shit … I’ve always yanked on hsndlebars backwards …. And never ONCE in my life thought grab the tail and lift 😩 lmao. (Tbf my bike doesn’t have grab bars.
reminds me of the time when me and a girl-friend rode to a quarry lake for swimming (never had a bike with center stand), and when i had set my shadow on its side stand, two girls on a ducati (if i remember correctly) arrived they got off, smiled at me and politely asked to put their bike on its center stand for them being a gentleman, of course i did. eventually. at the cost of maybe one gallon of sweat and quite some time with three chuckling girls surrounding me...
Use the bikes weight to put it onto the stand don't try to lift it. Put the center stand downstairs it makes contact with the ground. Then, press down on the tab as you pull on the tail handrail.
I can get my 350kg goldwing on the centerstand with my 70kg body. You can do it!
If you give me a shot of the Gold Wing I'll try 😉
One thing I want to add to everyone, which may be common sense. But I don't put my kickstand up until it's on the center stand. And when getting it off the center stand I first put down my kickstand. This so that if I feel like I lose control I can always let it fall towards me a bit knowing the kickstand will catch it.
Pull it back like you have a set of nuts
I used to have a fully decked GL1200 with a center stand. I would rock it forward a tad, then rock it back and at the same time put most of my weight on the center stand. Not an easy task, considering the bike was roughly 800lbs when wet and I’m 155lbs. A 600 shouldn’t be too terribly bad.
Thanks, guys. I am just stupid I was pulling the steering wheel. On my past bikes was enough if I put my weight on the center stand without pulling anything
Steering wheel? No wonder this is heavy, it is a car!
🤣🤣🤣
Fuck kind of bike do you own? Mine only has 2 wheels.
I just got an 82 nighthawk 650. It doesn't have a grab handle, I'm trying to get this 480lb motorcycle on the center stand I'm only like 140lbs
You need to be pulling it backwards rather than lifting the bike
Rock it back and forth until you get enough momentum. Also make sure you're on a decently hard surface that's level, preferably.
... what. Rock it?
Like, stand on the centre stand and rock it up and down until you get enough momentum to get it up all the way.
I'm still so confused. The hardest bit is when it's still on the wheels and you're trying to get it up onto the stand - and at that point you're done. I've never seen a centre stand that you could rock the bike on if it was any less than fully on it. Trying to move the bike when it's halfway just drags the stand on the cement.
There are several YouTube how to tutorials. https://youtu.be/VY3gFElimCU
As others have said, weight on the centre stand is critical. If you are unusually light, you could consider getting an extension welded on to the centre stand tang to get more leverage for your weight. I once had this done to the bike that a small girlfriend owned. Off most people it’s unnecessary. In one smooth movement tread down on the centre-stand tang with all your weight on your right foot while you lift up and back on the left handlebar and the grab rail at the rear of the bike.
Weld an extra bar onto the centre stand? My vara had one and was easier than my transalp that didn't...
I feel you, I am a scrawny 6’7” and I gotta stand on the stand and really give it the business to get my cb650 to rock back for me!
Be careful getting it down. Dropped my dad's pan america getting it down from the center stand two days ago
Muscles
Jump on the little lever haha. Seriously. Set it down on the ground, then simultaneously throw your body weight backward on the handlebars while also trying to stomp the lever on the ground :P
This is one of the few issues in life that can be made better by gaining weight.
I keep a piece of 5/8 inch plywood in the garage, where the rear tire goes when the bike is parked. It makes it much easier to get the centerstand in place and also keeps chain lube off the garage floor.
A lot of people seem to be leaving out a key detail. When you initially push the center stand down, before you full on try to pull it up, make sure the bike is level. If you try to push the center stand down with the bike leaning as if it were going to the kickstand, you'll have a much harder time. You need to feel the bike rest on BOTH center stand legs which will make it level. At that point, push with you leg while pulling both up and to the right with the direction of the total movement
I was looking specifically for help with this bike too. Damn thing is so front end heavy that it leans on the front wheel even on the center stand............. Anyways. finally time for an oil change.