Center Stand

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It''s all about pushing the stand down as opposed to lifting the bike up. I must say the Feejer is one of the more tough bikes to get up on the stand and since I don't trust the kickstand I always deal with the centerstand. :dribble:

 
I guess it's all relative. I find that the design of the FJR's center stand makes it easier to operate than that of my old Honda V45 Sabre. The tang that you step on gives a hole lot of leverage!

Lowering it from the center stand is the harder operation, especially if there's any up hill component, as FJRmogul pointed out. But there's another gotcha. My garage floor is pretty slick, and the first time I tried to lower it from the center stand (while sitting astride the bike) all I succeeded in doing was scooting the bike, still on its center stand, across the garage. :haha: Now in my garage I have a non-slip pad under the bike...

 
If it's an early model be very sure the stand is in good condition first.

The stand on my 02 collapsed a few months ago, a known problem. Yamaha replaced it for free, but as it was out of warranty would not pay for the scratches on the boxes to be repaired. :angry:

 
My garage floor is pretty slick, and the first time I tried to lower it from the center stand (while sitting astride the bike) all I succeeded in doing was scooting the bike, still on its center stand, across the garage.
Interesting visual there NightShine. :lol:

On a separate but related note, has anyone tried the "Tail Swinger" for sliding the rear end of the bike around in a tight space?

 
Haven't you heard? With the new technology helium now has 3 forms, Liquid, gas, and solid. Go to Home Depot and purchase 4 helium bricks. Place 2 in each saddle bag. Each one makes your bike 50 lbs. lighter. It's a snap to get it on the center stand. :jester:

P.S. If you fail to remove them before your next ride, when you twist the rubber thingy on the right handle all the way towards you, it will resize your rear tire to something less than desirable. :bye:

WARNING: Always work with helium bricks inside a closed garage. They are easy to store. Just stack them on the ceiling. Don't stack them high enough (or should that be "low" enough) that the garage door hits them when opening. Don't ask me why I know that. :haha:

 
I guess it's all relative. I find that the design of the FJR's center stand makes it easier to operate than that of my old Honda V45 Sabre. The tang that you step on gives a hole lot of leverage!
Lowering it from the center stand is the harder operation, especially if there's any up hill component, as FJRmogul pointed out. But there's another gotcha. My garage floor is pretty slick, and the first time I tried to lower it from the center stand (while sitting astride the bike) all I succeeded in doing was scooting the bike, still on its center stand, across the garage. :haha: Now in my garage I have a non-slip pad under the bike...
V45 Sabre.....Ha.... I just sold mine to buy the FJR. It was a good bike but too heavy and underpowered.

 
V45 Sabre.....Ha.... I just sold mine to buy the FJR. It was a good bike but too heavy and underpowered.
That was my experience as well. Before selling my V45 Sabre shortly after I bought the FJR, I was struck by how much work it was just to get the Sabre up to highway speed. I'd loved that bike for many years (bought it new in 1982), but it was probably a mistake to keep it for so long given the pace of innovations in motorcycling...

Back to thread...

FWIW: I'd been riding my 05 for almost 3 months, when Gerard pointed out that there's a recessed rail just forward of where the left saddlebag mounts. I had instead been using the passenger grab rail to guide the bike up onto the center stand, which is a bit awkward... :p

 
Hey teerex51,

Does your centerstand method also work on a lowered VMax on a slick garage floor? :beee:

That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen you attempt.

Chow.

JW

 
Don't put it up on the center stand fully loaded with the bike pointed uphill! Don't ask how I know this :lol:
Why?

Besides being difficult to get back down again?

I can imagine it could be somewhat interesting to point it downhill.

I basically follow Stef's method, and I did find the secret hidden handle above the pillion footrest. Trouble is, I can't get my hand in there with the side cases on, so I just use the passenger grab rail.

You don't need to exert any brute strength getting it up. The hand on the left handlebar and on the back are just to balance the whole thing. You just stand your whole weight down on the curly bit on the sidestand, and with a gentle rocking backward kind of force, it does all the work and it pops up nicely.

Getting it down, I just sit on it, rock forward, backward, forward, backward, forward and it rolls off generally. No idea what I weigh, but it doesn't seem like that matters to much. More a matter of the rocking and using the bike own weight.

If I used my weight, I could get it down with just forward, backward, forward.

I'm going to try the sitting on the bike method, mainly because I can't for the life of me believe that's possible :D

 
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Roll the rear wheel up on a 3/4 in scrap of wood. Then getting it up becomes very easy ..even with fully loaded cases and trunk.

 
Trouble is, I can't get my hand in there with the side cases on, so I just use the passenger grab rail. 
Now you have confused me. Why can't you get your 4 fingers in the "secret hidden handle?" Do you have enormous fingers or extra large side cases? :blink:

 
Side bags and a Givi46 topcase fully loaded. I straighten out the front wheel, hold the handlebar with my left hand and my right hand in the lifting recess, I lower the centerstand with my right foot while keeping the bike balanced. I then put my entire weight (all of 140 lbs) on the centerstand tang with a slight upward lift on the lifting recess and voila it's on. Sometimes I rock it slightly forward and back - works every time. Once while parked facing uphill I made the mistake of putting it on its centerstand... I had a ***** of a time rocking it off the centerstand. I made a note to myself --- don't do it again!!!

 
Ask the dealer or the seller to show you how to put the bike on center stand. If you didn't get that briefing, ask to watch a good mechanic do it when you are in for service. We will jaw about it here forever, but until you see it done, you may not get it. Come on--using a block of wood as a prop?? No, no! Step away from the scrap lumber...

As for where to grab, after watching a top gun mechanic at Sunnyside flip the FJR on the stand easier than flipping a burger, I use the passenger grab rail. Better angle than the cut-out, especially with bags on.

 
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Just stand on the center stand with all of your weight while you pull the bars back. The bike will hop up on the center stand very easy.

To get it off of the center stand, hold some front brake and when it is about to fall foreward just feather the brake. It will go off of the stand quiet and easy that way.

Dont forget to put the side stand up when taking the FJR off of the center stand. I almost smashed my foot as it came off of the center stand with my foot under the side stand. :eek:

If that dosnt work then just ride her doggy style and thrust her foreward. Use one hand on the bars and slap the tank a little with the other. Some FJRs like it rough. Most FJR's just like it fast.

If you cant do it Doggy style, do it hostile! ;)

 
What they said and also (after grabbing & placeing foot on stand) twist to the right to face the rear & make your press, pull, lift etc. towards the rear of the bike. Try it, you'll like it. You'll look so kool cause it's so easy. Later,,,De :agent:

 
Trouble is, I can't get my hand in there with the side cases on, so I just use the passenger grab rail. 
Now you have confused me. Why can't you get your 4 fingers in the "secret hidden handle?" Do you have enormous fingers or extra large side cases? :blink:
Well, I wear XL gloves, but they're not out of the ordinary huge or anything. :alien:

It's more that, I generally find my right hand is more for balance (when putting the FJR on it's centre stand), and also that the passenger guard rail works better for me.

When the side cases are on, I have to squeeze between the cases and my right leg to reach in there, and it just doesn't feel secure at all. Much better, for me, to use the grab rail.

As someone said, it's all about pushing down on the side stand tang, not about lifting the bike up.

P.S. I'm a Dave also. Too many Daves around for me to be just plain Dave :haha:

 
Geeze. I guess it is all based on perspective.

I remember reporting back in late 2002 about how I nearly threw my 2003 across the garage the first time I put it up on the center stand. It was so much easier than on my 98 GL1500 that the FJR went up on the stand and then scooted back about 2 feet before coming to rest. It was SO EASY!

 
ZagZyg<snip>Posted on Jan 17 2006, 11:47 AMGetting it down, I just sit on it, rock forward, backward, forward, backward, forward and it rolls off generally.
And....they wonder why they have center-stand failures?
Yambone<snip>Posted on Jan 17 2006, 08:30 PMAsk the dealer or the seller to show you how to put the bike on center stand. If you didn't get that briefing, ask to watch a good mechanic do it when you are in for service.

As for where to grab, after watching a top gun mechanic at Sunnyside flip the FJR on the stand easier than flipping a burger, I use the passenger grab rail.
It'd be interesting to see how the "top gun mechanic" removed the bike from the center-stand. I'll bet he didn't sit on it and repeatedly rock the bike back and forth till it fell off the stand. He probably knows the physics involved and that method is just a recipe for increased wear in the joints and stops and, ultimately, breakage. FWIW, stand next to the bike, parallel, and remove the bike in reverse order to deploying the center-stand.
 
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