'79 R65 Center Stand Replaced with New BMW Part

[bruce_launceston]

Just wondering if your dificulty with the centrestand could be technique. You shouldn't need strength or height to get it up onto the stand. The 'work' is done with your foot, your hand (and back) shouldn't have to do much more than a slight lift and guide it back.

We all assume that everyone knows how to do it but that's nor always the case. I remember getting my first road bike, a CB900F, and thinking at the time that there was no way I could get that huge bike up onto the stand untill someone showed me the correct technique.

This is how we instructed novice riders to do it:
Stand close to and facing the side of the bike. Left hand on the handlebar, right hand on the lifting handle and right foot firmly on the centrestand.
Push down firmly on the centre stand with your right foot while holding the handlebars straight with your left hand and lifting up and back with your right hand.
Things to check: Front brake off, bike in neutral (it needs to be able to roll back).
If the bike feels like it might fall away from you during the process just push down hard on the centrestand and the 2 feet will keep it level.

Cheers

[Barry]

Just a thought

Operation of the center stand is also a function of ride height so if for example you have lower profile tires or sacked or shortened springs or shorter shocks then the bike will sit lower and lifting the bike onto the stand is going to be harder.  If any combination of these factors are significantly lowering the ride height then the only real solution is to shorten the stand.

[wildknits]

Bruce - that is pretty much my technique. Bike harder to get off (aka next to impossible for me alone) the stand then on. One too many drops (and subsequent solo lifts) and I don't even try any longer to get it off the stand by myself.  

My husband also says it is harder to get on and off the stand then his bike (he rides a R75/6).

If the bike starts tipping away I have little I can do to hold it up past a certain degree of lean. Just not great leverage when the bike is almost as tall as I am - if you include the windscreen.  :-)

One added factor - I live on a gravel road and have no true off-street parking. The flood this summer resulted in a lot of new gravel being dumped on the road to repair damage and a softer parking area. On the plus side - I have ridden my share of loose gravel at low speeds since late June!

Barry - the shocks are standard but are set on their lowest setting so I can reach the ground. I don't think the bike is riding any lower then normal for the R65's.

Will be taking a look at the bushings and bolts as well this winter, may be that it is a simple fix after all.

[wildknits]

Have the bike on the lift for various winter maintenance work, including a look at the center and side stands.

New bushings on the way for both as that seems to be the main issue. Otherwise the stops looked good.  

I hadn't really noticed issues with the side stand, but then I can't deploy it while on the bike anyway (makes other's nervous to watch me dismount and deploy   )

It has been fun to get a look at the interior workings of the engine and drive shaft. I am not the mechanic in the family so have a barely adequate knowledge of how engines work. Am learning a lot, and haven't annoyed the chief mechanic too much with stupid questions (I hope).