Working out as a last resort!

Almost embarassed to say but hey just askin what someone else is afraid too,I hope. I have a '82 Maxim 650. I'm only 160 lbs soakin wet and my bike weighs...uh..uh...alot! I'm having trouble putting the center jack up on my bike.Grunting does'nt help, nor cussing.kicked it once but only hurt my toe! :roll: Any tricks to help this weakling? You could say I cried "uncle" :lol:

 

You're not the first to ask this question -- a search of the forums will show this -- and I doubt you'll be the last. In fact, I had to show my roommate how to do this with my bike, as he had found it necessary to move it, and was having trouble as well.

 

That's a great thread. It has become automatic for me over the years.

 

With your foot on the canter stand, grab the rear grab bar with your right hand and the handle bar with your left hand.. Stand on the center stand pad while pulling up on the grab bar. My wife is 5'5" and she can put the XJ1100 on the center stand.

 

The center stand is designed for pushing straight down with your foot.

Just stand to the left of the bike, push down on the centre stand and rock the bike side to side until you are sure both feet of the stand are on the ground... Push down with your foot and pull up on something solid, directly above the centre stand if possible.

Very easy. I used this method to show my Dad how to lift his 1500 goldwing on to the centre stand when I was 17... and about the same weight as you are.

You shouldn't need to rock the bike back and forth for momentum, and you definately don't need to sit on it and rock the hel out of it... it's like lifting 15 - 20 lbs (more like 50 with the Goldwing).

Also, get on youtube and search for a video. Should be some good stuff on there.

 

It makes it a little easier if you have the bike in neutral or pull in the clutch.
Also just let the center stand do the work. Put all your weight on the foot rest of the center stand.
my 550 seca is not real easy to put up on the stand. My BMW weighed 200 pounds more and was much easier to jack up.
ken k

 

Go figure,

All these years I've been muscling mine up on the center stand while sitting on the bike. Low and behold there IS an easier way.

Thank you again XJBIKE Forum!

 

The 550 Seca has a handle on the left side of the frame specifically for that purpose...

 

I've been trying to determine which method is easier... It's definitely easy to roll it up while standing next to the bike, but.... what if the bike is facing slightly up or down-hill? now you have to worry about it rolling away, too.. :?

I found it easier to roll it up without getting off the bike.. I put all my weight on the center stand peg with my left foot, grab the handle under the seat with one arm and the throttle with the other, and pull back. now I hardly ever use the side stand since it got so easy just to roll it up on the center stand... less chance of dropping the bike, too. It does help to be taller (6'2" here).

it's all a matter of preference, I s'pose...

 

hah. Honestly i'm 6'2", 140lbs soaked, and I can put my xj750 on the center stand with no issues. Make sure the stand hinges are lubed up well so that the stand travels easily (made a HUGE difference for me, my stand was REALLY stiff to try to move at first).

Like ease said, touch the stand down, rock the bike side to side to make sure both feet of the stand are on the ground, step down with foot on stand peg, lift with right hand on grab bar under seat, pull back with left hand on left-side handlebar, bam, up on the stand! =)

My 750 SECA weighs in at close to 550 lbs and my skinny little butt can heft it up there! Not that hard either honestly .... except for that occasional thing where you don't get it quite all the way up onto the stand and have to do it again after catching the bike, hah.

Edit: To be honest when I first got this bike I had never put one onto a center-stand, not even once. I watched videos on youtube. There's some suprisingly good instructionals up on there!

 

While on the subject of center stands... the rubber bumper that mine hits on the bottom of the exhaust has fallen off. Anyone else run across that? Is it a part I can even get? Should I try to find an adhesive that'll stick rubber to metal? Should I just not really worry about it?

 

One difference I would suggest to the majority of the responses:

Do all the work with your leg. Right arm straight to your grab point, knee bent. Push down on the center stand rather than lifting on the bike. I can pop my 800lb Venture up like nobody's business using that method.

Getting the Venture back off the center stand is an entirely different matter.......

 

im anemic and on dialysis and can put mine on the center stand.

 

Then it probably shouldn't be on the center stand. The side stand is much more stable in general (wider spacing between the contact points).

After seeing a couple of bikes on center stands fall over in not-very-strong wind conditions, the only place I'd leave my bike unattended on it is my garage!

 

"The side stand is much more stable in general (wider spacing between the contact points)."

Agreed. I would never leave mine on the center stand other than in my garage... it seems to me it could easily be knocked over by some nimrod.

 

Also, if you're on side stand you can leave it in gear and it won't roll. Having it in gear on center stand will make sure it stops after it falls off the stand.

 

That rubber bumper is still available from Yamaha and I'll bet you Chacal has them too...

 

To be that slim again would be great. My bike would fly. 5'9" 189lbs.

Sorry to hear about your anemia and dialysis guy from Zodiac and Brokeback Mountain movies. I am glad you can get your bike on the centerstand my friend. You forgot to tell them you also Sumo wrestle too. Amen to your quote!

Did anybody mention it is easier wearing shoes verses flip flops to push down on centerstand as I sometimes do?

 

Indeed he does.

Chacal's Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers:

HCP2639 Bumper, each: $ 7.00

 

Excellent! That'll probably work better than trying to get a screw in there and then into the bumper...



A buddy of mine has an 86 Virago 1100 - he can only use his center stand, since he leaks oil on the side stand.