Setting Bike On center stand

I have a 2007 and just found a hand hold on the left side which may be used to set the center stand - yes/no. being vertically challenged and no Hulk does any one have tricks for setting the bike on the center stand and taking it off , don't want to have it fall over ya know.

Welcome to a classic...You are not officially a FJR rider until you do this.

Remember, its not the lift, it is making sure both legs of the center stand touch down, then stomping on the center-stand to lift. The handle is just a stabilizer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6H9sqzDwQI

Best regards

Surly

h34r:

TomInCA said:

Welcome to a classic...You are not officially a FJR rider until you do this.

Remember, its not the lift, it is making sure both legs of the center stand touch down, then stomping on the center-stand to lift. The handle is just a stabilizer.

Click to expand...

Exactly how I do it.

To learn how to get it off the stand, simply play the video backwards

Personally, I always sit on the bike and rock it forward.

Al

kamal said:

TomInCA said:

Welcome to a classic...You are not officially a FJR rider until you do this.

Remember, its not the lift, it is making sure both legs of the center stand touch down, then stomping on the center-stand to lift. The handle is just a stabilizer.

Click to expand...

Exactly how I do it.

To learn how to get it off the stand, simply play the video backwards

Personally, I always sit on the bike and rock it forward.

Al

Click to expand...

Hate to disagree BUT it is "the Lift" Ever tried to put a KZ1300 on the center stand??? Stomp all you want, if you do not lift you will leave your balls on the pavement. The "trick" as I see it is to lift the bike straight up while pushing down on the stand. I think where most people screw up is to try to rock the bike back which doesn't work with a heavy bike. When you lift up the mechanical forces basically make the bike go back & up onto the center stand. JMTCW

If your a lard-ass it's easy to get on the center stand For Sub-200 lb. guys its a little more difficult.

For me it was mostly mind over matter. I was afraid of dropping the bike so I wasn't getting the bike properly vertical when putting the center stand down. It is key to get both legs of the side stand down, then just like the video shows, step up firmly, grab hold and pull at the same time...and she comes right up.

It does take some getting used to to at first. Then like anything else in life, once you get the hang of it...its no big deal.

TomInCA said:

Welcome to a classic...You are not officially a FJR rider until you do this.

, its not the lift, it is making sure both legs of the center stand touch down, then stomping on the center-stand to lift. The handle is just a stabilizer.

Click to expand...

Having the nose pointed up a slight incline helps as well. :lol:

I found out after my shoulder surgery that I had indeed been lifting as well as stomping on the center stand.

But as you say both points/legs of the center stand must be touching or you are in for a struggle.

At 5'8" and 180 I have no problem getting the fat GenII on theCstand.

When I put my FJR on it's center stand, the motion is one of pulling the handle on the side of the seat in the opposite direction of the foot pedal on the center stand in an effort to increase the distance between the two.

As a consequence, the bike just lifts up on it's center stand.

I still say it is all technique. And what *makes* the technique is to not think of pulling up, or stomping down, but to imagine you are moving the bike *backwards* as you press down with your foot and gently pull up with your hand.

TomInCA said:

Welcome to a classic...You are not officially a FJR rider until you do this.

Remember, its not the lift, it is making sure both legs of the center stand touch down, then stomping on the center-stand to lift. The handle is just a stabilizer.

Click to expand...

+1

Not to discount what others have said... believe me they didn't get to where they are without having done this. but...

No matters whether you 'feel yourself pushing down' or 'feel yourself lifting up' or a 'combination of both'...

It ain't gonna happen if both pegs of the center stand aren't touching the ground first.

and YES! this is where it becomes scary. If that big heavy bike leans too far away from us, it's going to fall! That's why beginners have trouble, they are justifiably afraid it will fall so they keep the bike leaned towards them, where they can potentially control it from falling. But... that's the problem, right there, it's no more complicated than that.

Get BOTH pegs of the center stand to touch down, then step on the peg (with all your weight) with your foot, it will go right up. Guaranteed.

If you're new to the bike and working on the technique a few suggestions: take off the side bags, run your tank out. There goes 50 pounds or so. Wear a stiff-sole boot. It helps a lot. If you're really struggling with it, carefully drive the rear wheel up on a 1 x 4 piece of wood, but be careful with the sidestand once it's up there as you'll have a more extreme lean angle. With the rear wheel up there it's really easy. Until you get the technique down the Gen II is not easy to center-stand IMO.

azitlies said:

It ain't gonna happen if both pegs of the center stand aren't touching the ground first.

Click to expand...

Actually it will. And it is not necessarily the most comfortable feeling process. Nothing like a teeter-tottering FJR while it's going up on the C-stand.

After putting a rented goldwing on it's centerstand, I almost launched the FJR, the first time i put it on the centerstand. It traveled back a several inches...or so it seemed. :lol:

But now that I am old and decrepit, I don't send it back so far anymore.

wheatonFJR said:

The after putting a rented goldwing on it's centerstand, I almost launched the FJR, the first time i put it on the centerstand. It traveled back a several inches...or so it seemed. :lol:

But now that I am old and decrepit, I don't send it back so far anymore.

Click to expand...

After my FZ1, the FJR is a beast to get on the centerstand. And yea, I have both pegs on the ground and stand my full weight on the lever. I don't even want to try a goldwing now.

gixxerjasen said:

After my FZ1, the FJR is a beast to get on the centerstand. And yea, I have both pegs on the ground and stand my full weight on the lever. I don't even want to try a goldwing now.

Click to expand...

I'm telling you, it's all technique. I weigh 170 lbs and have no problems 'getting it up'. After my old Kawi Concours (10), I too launched the FJR backwards several inches the first time I put it on the C-stand. I don't do that anymore, but then I don't use near the effort. Once you get the *technique*, it's easy. Simply lifting and pushing down you are fighting gravity and the bike and it's NOT easy. It's all about technique.

Look at what the FJR does when putting it on the C-stand - is it going up? Yes. But it is also going *backwards*!!!!! So think of it as moving the bike backwards while pushing and lifting.

The only tip that I would add to the video that Tom & Surly posted is a "double tap" on the side stand to be sure it's fully deployed before putting the bike's weight on it. Without that crucial step, the centerstand technique might be replaced with the "How to lift off the ground technique"!

Don't know what you mean by double tap. If you're talking about tapping it with your foot, I don't know what you're accomplishing. When it touches the ground it can be thought of as "fully deployed."

You push the centerstand down until it touches, then rock the bike away until you feel the other foot touch. That step is why I actually placed the camera on the other side of the bike for that cut shot when I made the video, and then included that step from the straight-on shot that it finishes with.

GeorgiaRoller said:

If your a lard-ass it's easy to get on the center stand For Sub-200 lb. guys its a little more difficult.

Click to expand...

At WELL under 200 lbs, I can put a stock Feej on the centerstand.

Now, my lowered FJR....not so much

As many of you have said, get both of the centerstand feet down. Our problem when we learned the technique required for the FJR was that to make both feet touch, it feels like the bike is leaning too far to the opposite side. Before that right side foot touches, it feels like the bike is going to fall away from you in an uncontrolled drop, pulling you over with it. Like Skooter said, it can be done without both feet touching first but for me it takes a little more determination.