Centerstand ooomph

36654 · Mar 13, 2017

PGlaves said:
It is not that I can't put a bike on the centerstand. I am simply rejecting the notion that was stated in more than one post above that you do it all with weight on the stand. Maybe true for the 250 or 300 pounders - not true for us 165 pounders.

Come on. The NYC Ballet part was funny...........

jamesevans · Mar 14, 2017

AlanColes said:
James, it's very unfortunate that you hurt your calf so badly, but that could not have occurred from attempting to place the bike on the center-stand as I had outlined.

If you had/have to "heave" (which one should not do) than you are doing it all wrong. The "pull up and back with your hands" should be an effort much less than lifting a 40 lb box. As I pointed out if the procedure is done correctly, it "shouldn't require a lot of effort". The liflting (heaving) work is done by the center-stand itself not by the rider.

The idea is to put your body weight on your foot, virtually nothing more.

Please don't suggest to people that they use their instep, the instep is the weakest part of the bottom of your foot and the easiest to damage. The ball of your foot is designed to hold your body weight and much more. Your injury was to your calf, not your foot, which would further suggest that there was way too much pressure put on the leg by actually trying to lift the bike up rather than rock it backwards onto the center-stand. There is a link to a video of the proper procedure further up in this thread, I think you'll see that they are likely using the same technicque that I described.

Here's another link to Chris Harris doing it. Notice each time he uses the ball of his foot not the instep.

I hope that helps demonstrate the procedure better than words can.

On another note (I watched Chris' video to make sure his foot position was visible), he also used a technique that I've used for many years when working on my bikes wheither it's on the center-stand on the floor or the lift. You'll see that he uses a tie-down strap from the front wheel to the center-stand. If anyone isn't familiar with the strap Chris is using in the video, it is a BMW factory "crate" strap. They've been used for many, many years to secure the bikes being shipped from the factory. Several BMW dealers sell these straps. I have several in my garage and always have two on my bike. They've come in handy for many purposes over the years.

Sierra BMW sell 4 for $5. http://www.sierrabmwonline.com/product_info.php/bmw-motorcycles-factory-lashing-tiedown-straps-straps-used-bmw-r1150gs-strapon-p-645?osCsid=qiij4fc6ka9pkvljkhml2jltp6

I should know how I did it - I HEARD the ****ing tendons pop! Don't be such a know-all: sure your technique works - my point is that you can use your instep and not risk the damage. I've been doing it this way for five years.
I did the damage on the first day I had the bike - sure, I'm more experienced now and wouldn't heave against the ball of my foot again. I just want to warn other riders unaccustomed to centrestand technique - which is what the start of this thread was about - that by using your technique they CAN injure themselves. Your comment about the instep is quite irrelevant if the rider is wearing boots (although I've done it in sneakers with no problem, not that I'd recommend it).

How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise!

HOMER, The Odyssey

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/h/homer_quotes.html#YTOxXHJ55fQ1Qr0q.99

rjamt · Mar 16, 2017

PGlaves said:
So how much do folks weigh that this is so easy for? I weigh 165 and can put all of my weight on the stand on my R1150R - that is the other foot off the ground dangling in the air - and the bike will not go all the way up on the center stand without significant lifting with my arm/upper body.

Maybe heavyweights can do it with the foot alone. At my weight standing on the stand does NOT do it.

And if standing alone is supposed to do it, why did BMW put a lift handle on the bike?

6' 0" and 180 so kinda skinny. I have a new 1200 GSA and have no problem using the "rock it back while putting all my weight on the stand" technique. No real lifting needed. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right but it pops up easily once you get the hang of it. Worked on my previous non-BMWs also and some weighed much more than the GSA.

Kinda like me driving a golf ball 200 yds while a pro the same size as me drives it 300+. Its all about technique.

wbrownell9 · Mar 19, 2017

PGlaves said:
It is not that I can't put a bike on the centerstand. I am simply rejecting the notion that was stated in more than one post above that you do it all with weight on the stand. Maybe true for the 250 or 300 pounders - not true for us 165 pounders.

I agree, all your weight does is make the stand touch the ground. There's not enough mechanical advantage designed into the stand to lift the bike just by putting weight on it - think about it: if a friend stabilized the bike while you stood on the centerstand (not touching anything), would it go up? Of course not, no matter how much you weigh.

A different way to think of the proper technique is to use your arms to stabilize yourself while using your leg muscles to push the stand down/lift the bike up. I think people run into difficulty when they step on the stand, straighten their leg, then try using their arms to lift the bike up. Legs are much more powerful than arms.

bwalker33467 · May 5, 2017

AlanColes said:
Not sure how similar the GSW center-stand is to my RTW or my other bikes, but the real trick, is that it is mostly your body weight that is used to get it up on the stand.

This is what I do, it is fairly simple and if you're already doing it, sorry to not be of help.

Place the ball of your right foot, with boots or hard-soled shoes on the center-stand tab (move the stand down to the ground and rock the bike side to side lightly until you feel both feet of the center stand firmly on the ground). The left hand grips the left handlebar and right hand grips the bike or railing near the rear passenger area. Then, as you put most of your weight on your right foot, pull up and back with your hands. Shouldn't require a lot of effort, as much as a smooth and fluid motion. The BMW center-stands are designed to do most of the lifting part from your body weight going through your foot.

Perfect description of what to do. Very, very few bikes are very difficult to get on the center stand when using this method. The vast majority go up easy as pie despite large frames and engine sizes.

Dp1guzzi · May 5, 2017

Having never owned a GS, I never put one on a centerstand. My 2017 R1200RT goes up very easily, much more easily than my 2002 R1150RT with the hinged handle did. But my 2016 Triumph Tiger 800, which weighs 100 lbs less than the R1200RT is an absolute bear to get on the centerstand. Of course nothing is easier than my R80RT. I wonder if it is the design of the GS or Tiger type of a bike with a higher seat and taller suspension that makes that type of a bike hard to put on the centerstand.

azgman · May 5, 2017

AlanColes said:
Not sure how similar the GSW center-stand is to my RTW or my other bikes, but the real trick, is that it is mostly your body weight that is used to get it up on the stand.

This is what I do, it is fairly simple and if you're already doing it, sorry to not be of help.

Place the ball of your right foot, with boots or hard-soled shoes on the center-stand tab (move the stand down to the ground and rock the bike side to side lightly until you feel both feet of the center stand firmly on the ground). The left hand grips the left handlebar and right hand grips the bike or railing near the rear passenger area. Then, as you put most of your weight on your right foot, pull up and back with your hands. Shouldn't require a lot of effort, as much as a smooth and fluid motion. The BMW center-stands are designed to do most of the lifting part from your body weight going through your foot.

What he said! (I weigh 165lbs)

alancoles · May 6, 2017

jamesevans said:
I should know how I did it - I HEARD the ****ing tendons pop! Don't be such a know-all: sure your technique works - my point is that you can use your instep and not risk the damage. I've been doing it this way for five years.
I did the damage on the first day I had the bike - sure, I'm more experienced now and wouldn't heave against the ball of my foot again. I just want to warn other riders unaccustomed to centrestand technique - which is what the start of this thread was about - that by using your technique they CAN injure themselves. Your comment about the instep is quite irrelevant if the rider is wearing boots (although I've done it in sneakers with no problem, not that I'd recommend it)...

James, (and Paul), at the risk of being redundant and upsetting you, but in the interest of people knowing what to do and not to do, it is proper technique, not significant muscle and/or weight that is required to put a GS on the center-stand.

To drive this point home (hopefully for good), last week I was at our local dealership with a friend and his wife and she was looking for a new bike that would be comfortable for her. She is 5' tall (if that - but that is what she claims) and weighs 100 pounds, so inseam is a limiting factor.

When we were looking at bikes and trying the fit, the sales person suggested that a specific model might be easier for her to put on the center-stand than the one she was on, to which her husband responded -

she can put my R1200GS on its center-stand so it likely won't be a problem

I talked to them about this (recalling this thread) and sure enough, she uses basically the same technique that I described earlier without issue. This is a 30-something 5-foot tall, 100-pound, mother of three., so significant weight and/or muscle are simply not needed.

jamesevans said:
... my point is that you can use your instep and not risk the damage. I've been doing it this way for five years...

James, the fact that you haven't damaged your instep is anecdotal and to say that "you can use your instep and not risk the damage" is very misleading because only half of it is correct. Can that be done? Sure. Are you subjecting the weakest part of your foot needlessly to the risk of injury? Yes. So, why do it?!? Follow a proper technique, learn to do it well and naturally and use the strongest part of your foot that gives you the most adjustability - the ball of your foot (your heal is stronger with the right footwear, but you lose flexibility).

strataj · May 6, 2017

My Wee Strom 05DL650 goes up very easy, never had any other bike easier. My 02R1150RT was difficult, more so when loaded with luggage. My 14R1200RT is not bad but still harder then the Wee. The 02R1150RT was almost perfectly balanced on the center stand, it would rest on either tire. This was great when it comes to wheel removal. The Suzuki Wee Strom keeps the front tire planted down, to remove the front wheel I put a 50 lb sack of feed over the rear luggage rack and even then it isn't planted until the front tire is removed. If I ever had to remove the front tire on the side of the road I'm not sure how I would accomplish without aid.

Because of the difficulties I had with the 02R1150RT I only put all my bikes on the center stand when parked in my shop. I've also found very little to no different filling with gas on the sidestand vs centerstand. While traveling I keep the bike on it's sidestand, you may not agree but the bike is less likely to fall over when parked this way especially if you park it leaning correctly with the wind. Be sure you have a good footprint for your sidestand for the surface. The surface also matters with use of the centerstand too, I came back to my bike with the centerstand lowered into the ground both wheels touching, with a good hard breath it could of come off the centerstand falling to the surface. So be careful.

Jay

Centerstand ooomph

36654

New member

jamesevans

New member

rjamt

New member

wbrownell9

New member

bwalker33467

New member

Dp1guzzi

MOA 27106

azgman

Addicted to curves

alancoles

Dress for fall & avoid it

strataj

Member

Similar threads

Forum statistics

Share this page