Stupid Question of the Week

Ok, I have to ask because I'm getting tired of trying to get my girl to sit on the bike with her foot down on the stand while I push from the front -

How the heck do I put my bike on it's center stand???

:laugh:

I'll take my lashings, but I really need to know how people do it without buddy aid

Put one foot on the center stand, left hand on the bars, the right hand on the rear grab handle or on the frame, place all your weight on the foot that's on the center stand, lift with your right hand and pull back with your left at the same time.

Works for me anyway, but I'm 6' 3" and 225 lbs

Stand, feet shoulder width apart, facing the side of your bike with your right foot pointing towards the foot of the stand. Push the stand down with your right foot until it touches the ground. With your right hand grab something solid on left rear of the bike (passenger bar, frame rail...) and with your left hand grab the left grip. Keep the bike vertical (off the side stand). While pushing down with your right foot pull up and back with your right and left hands and rock the bike up and onto the stand.

Beat me to it :side:

If you are a little on the lightweight side, find a crack in the pavement, wedge the feet of the center stand in it, the pull the bike backwards by the handlebars.

Yeah, it would seem more logical to push the stand with your left foot while lifting and pulling back on the bike. But, just as has been said, you want to use your right foot. It might seem awkard at first, but it works. Once you "feel" the leverage thing it'll make you wonder why it seemed so hard before.

By the way, stradle your bike when taking it off the center stand. It can easily fall over if you try it from the side. Don't ask me how I know.:blush:

When parking the bike, can pull the rear tire onto a square piece of 2x12 (or 2x-anything) whereby the rear end is higher. Makes it easy to raise onto centerstand. My square section of 2x12 has one beveled edge so the rear tire easily rolls up onto it. While on the centerstand, the support may then be removed to free the rear wheel.

Good Luck!

I know a guy who can't for the life of him get his bike on the center stand. His clever idea is to ride the front tire about halfway up one of those auto ramps, stop, shut the bike down, pushes the center stand down with his left foot and slowly lets the bike roll backwards and right up onto the stand. Then he gently kicks the ramp the rest of the way out. Yankee ingenuity..... :laugh:

That auto ramp idea requires far to much balance and coordination to be useful to some of us. :blush:

one thing to remember...

Put the bike in neutral. I struggled once for 5 minutes thinking I needed to go to the doctors because I lost all my strength.

Then I realized

It's all about forces and leverage. I'm 5'8" and an office weenie (not a ton of muscles), but pushing down with my foot on the center stand and pulling up on the grab bar, I can get my kz1000 up. I have work at it. It's not easy to balance the bike. Remember to have the bike vertical when you start. If you try to get it on the center stand and only one side of the stand it touching down it will be much harder.