1983 R80RT center stand very difficult to use

I have ordered the springs and the holders and will try them first when I get them. I will let everyone know what the result is.

If this does not work I will try and put a piece of key stock between the stand pivot point and the angle bracket on the lug attempting to move the stand just past center. If this fixes the problem I will remove the center stand and have the ends built up by welding. This should do the trick.

Thanks again to all.
Jim

Crazy

BMW side stands and center stands generally do their job. Their kind of an afterthought. When new, they work. With the addition saddlebags, trunks, tank bags and all the other accoutrements the bike is now heavy. We ride to a stop, kick the side stand down, lay over kinda hard, it’s now heavy. Get ourselves braced up , take our foot and shove the center stand down, put our boot down hard on the backend of the stand. We push down hard with the boot, grab the handlebars and yank back to pull the bike up on the center stand. Then we kick the side stand back up into it’s resting position so we don’t hang up and trip on it as we walk around the bike. At the same time we’re watching our companions do the same procedure. Mainly to see if they’re as good at it as we are. It’s a kinda of unspoken race. Meanwhile all the local bikers already there watch this in utter amazement. Ya’ll don’t trust Ur side stands. Well actually it’s the unspoken center stand...... aww forget about. ‘U BMW riders are totally crazy.’

Stock stand

As mentioned, BMW never designed the stock stand to be applied with the rider on the bike. It was never a ride off stand, so a lot of guys trying to ride off, end up screwing it up. The proper way to use the center stand is to get off the bike and lift it with the handle using a foot on the supplied point of the stand. To get the bike off the stand, again NOT getting on the bike rock the bike off the stand then mount the bike. The same goes for using the side stand, it also was never intended to be used while on the bike.

Before I got rid of my stock stand and went to a ride off stand, I never had a problem deploying the center stand. Where I had a problem was with the bike falling over while on the stock stand in soft pavement or grass. Likewise I never had a problem deploying the side stand either. The only problem was again with the bike sinking into pavement or falling over in the wind.

The Renyolds ride off stand eliminated the use of the side stand and since I installed it 20 or more years ago, I have never had my bike fall over or dig. Because it is easy to use, I rarely use the side stand at all now. The ride off is far easier to hoist the bike up onto and off of. Only pain comes with changing a tire on the side of the road and that is very rare.

A lot of center stands get damaged by people using them incorrectly. I myself would have never changed my stock stand if someone hadn't told me how much more stable a ride off stand is. Now that I have the ride off stand, I won't willingly go back to the stock system not because the stock system is so hard to use but because it is not as stable while parked. As for the stock side stand, I have never considered changing it because for me, it works just as it should when deployed as intended. While a Brown stand may be fine for guys who want to deploy the stand while on the bike, I don't think it is that much more stable when down. The biggest complaint I hear about the stock side stand is the quick retractability. Sorry, that has never been an issue with me, as I get off the bike and deploy the stand as it was designed. I don't give it a chance to retract back.

So, I ruffled a few feathers here, I will agree BMW should have designed the stands to be easier to use but they didn't. Thankfully Reynolds years ago solved my problems. Too bad they are not still in business. St.

I added a piece of key stock .250 inch thick by welding on the stops of the center stand. This was closer to the center and was easy to take the bike off center, but still hard to raise the bike on the stand. I took about .025 off the key stock. Again was easy to come off but difficult to raise.The springs and holder arrived today. The fiche showed different sprongs so I ordered both sets. The long set is the same spring that is on the bike. The shorter spring with the holder is about 1.5 inches longer than the ones on the bike. This will not work.so I will see if some one has a 1983 rt center stand or can give me some dimesions. Will let you know how it comes out.
Jim

I replaced the bushings, #16 in the diagram, every 2-3 years. That helped a bit.

/Guenther

I Have had the bushing hole bored to the diameter that the stock bushings fit. Also cut the two cross over tubes (7/16 inch) and welded so it is 8 inches between the bushing mounts which is the same as the stock center stand. This hooks up nicely. Then there is the springs. I will need to add springs attachments to the Ride off Stand.
So I put the stock stand back on for now, Used new springs and lubricated the bushings. Works much better putting the bike back up. Ground a little more off the welded keys and now the stock center stand os just forward of center and sturdy.

I have ordered new bushings and will have something to attach the springs to on the ride off stand, and see how it works.
Jim

Almost there...
Not sure if the pictures will attach.
Jim

Just to add to what two others have said about the center stand deployment. I am very late to this discussion but I have 1970, 1980, and 1984 Airheads. All three use the same technique to deploy the center stand. As some have already implied, you stand beside the bike, drop the center stand using the tang sticking out from the left side. DO NOT use this tang to put the bike up on the stand! I have seen people try to do this and bend the tang. One person I saw was so pissed that the bike would not go on the stand when he put his weight on the tang. He was 6 feet and over 200 lbs. I told him to stop a minute, then demonstrated how I, a 150 lb guy, could do it easily. The look on his face was priceless.

When the stand is down, place the ball of your right foot on the pad, that is on the end of the curved left part of the support, and using your left hand on the handlebar and right hand on the lifting loop below the seat, put all your weight on the stand and lift gently. VOILA, the bike is now on the center stand. Easy peasy.

HTH,
Kim