Getting My Bike on the Center Stand

[Squirrel]

Hi, I live alone and am a fairly strong female, but not strong enough (or coordinated enough) to get my bike on the center stand without it trying to tip over.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could do this without having to bother my neighbors every time I want to put my bike on the stand?

I'm a newbie and appreciate any help.  Thanks!

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Rock the bike forward, then when it goes to rock back, stand on that stand, and pull.

Hold one hand on the bars, and your dominant hand on the grab rail at the back. That's how I do it. I'm a 5'3, 130lb male, decently strong, I suppose, and I can do it ok.

[hmmmnz]

get a bit of wood and ride the back wheel on to it, that way when you put the center stand down its almost there all you have to do then is just help it that last little bit,
once its onthe stand pull the bit of wood out,
alternivly ride the front up on to a small ramp or littl hill put the stand down and use the bikes own weight to help it get on the stand when it rolls back
hope that helps ya

[pandy]

Welcome, Squirrel! 

I did a search, and *I* had a hard time sifting through all the info, so here are a few threads from the past on this subject:

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=10272.0
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=6073
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=14212.0
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=10178.0

I'm a wimpy girl, and my boyfriend successfully taught me how to put the Baby G on his centerstand. I just had to make up my mind that I *could* do it; I wasn't at all convinced when I started trying. My bf spotted for me to be sure that I wouldn't drop the poor bike (again....    ).

If you're still confused after reading, ask more questions! It's what we're here for! 

[Kasumi]

Stand on the left of right hand side of the bike: The following instructions are for standing on the left of the bike.

Stand next to the bike, hold the bike with both hands on the bars to steady the bike, if your slightly worried about it falling away from you lean it ever so slightly towards you. Now with your right foot push the centre stand down till it touches the floor without the bike on it. Put reasonable pressure on it and let your hands adjust on the bars as the bike becomes leveled by the centrestand. (pushing with a resonable force will square the bike up with the ground without lifing it on to the centre stand. The bike should be secure so long as you keep force on the centrestand and steady the bars. From a squared position (level) move the right hand to around the back seat of the bike on the side you are stood, keeping your left arm on the bars. Find something fairly solid to hold onto (the grabrail, subframe) anything solid but not the plastics. Now really stand on the centre stand whilst pulling upwards with your right arm. The combination of all the weight on the centrestand and pulling up on the back should coax the bike back onto the centre stand. This is the way it was taught to me when i had to pass my bike test and the person who showed me it was a female about 5'4" and wasn't particularly muscley. It sounds like alot of strength but the key bit is standing on the centrestand, it is not about strength. If you can get your neighbour round to help you practice im sure you can crack it. Its one of those things that is technique not strength.

[Alphamazing]

There is a trick to it, I believe.

• Get off the bike with the kickstand down
• Put your foot on the centerstand and ush it until it just hits the ground
• Push on it harder and help the bike up until you feel the second leg of the centerstand touch and balance
• The bike should now be upright with the wheel straight, your foot pushing down slightly on the centerstand, and both feet of the centerstand on the ground
• Stand up on the centerstand, pushing down with your feet. Use the luggage rack bar (the thing to hook bungee nets to) to pull up and back. Hold the bars to keep the front wheel straight
• Kick the kickstand in, your bike should be up now

[pandy]

This is the way it was taught to me when i had to pass my bike test and the person who showed me it was a female about 5'4" and wasn't particularly muscley. It sounds like alot of strength but the key bit is standing on the centrestand, it is not about strength. If you can get your neighbour round to help you practice im sure you can crack it. Its one of those things that is technique not strength.

Yeah, I'm 5'4", and not particularly muscled, either.  I recall that one thing I had to do pretty much was almost stand up on the centerstand. I'd hold the handlebar and the passenger tail piece, and I'd get the centerstand to touch the ground, and then I'd just about stand on it with my right foot, while sort of guiding him backward with the passenger tail piece.

My SVS doesn't have a centerstand, but putting him on the rearstand can be just as exciting....   

[RVertigo]

I do it almost like Alpha...

GS on the Side Stand, bars all the way left (or even locked if you want).
I put my left hand on the left bar grip and my right on the bungee rail  (below the rear plastics).

With my right foot, I put the center-stand down (Still on the side-stand) until one side hits...
Then I angle it up until both feet on the center-stand are on the ground...

In one smooth movement I push down on the center-stand with my legs (pretty much all my weight) and pull back on the bar and bungee rail (towards the back of the bike) with both hands.

It takes very little upper body strength.  But...  I weigh 180...  So, it might be easier for me.

[pandy]

Stand up on the centerstand, pushing down with your feet. Use the luggage rack bar (the thing to hook bungee nets to) to pull up and back. Hold the bars to keep the front wheel straight

Yeah, what he said! 

[RVertigo]

I don't get the straight wheel thing...   Having it locked left makes it WAY easier for me.

[Alphamazing]

I don't get the straight wheel thing...   Having it locked left makes it WAY easier for me.

Too much of a potential for it to fall over, methinks.

Do y'all want a video or something??

[RVertigo]

Really?  I don't see the difference in falling over.....   I mean...  You can actually use the handlebars to balance it when they're locked.   AND you can use them to pull back.

Trying to do anything with them while they're centered just seems like more work.

[Alphamazing]

Really?  I don't see the difference in falling over.....   I mean...  You can actually use the handlebars to balance it when they're locked.   AND you can use them to pull back.

Trying to do anything with them while they're centered just seems like more work.

When the bike goes up on the centerstand it is rolling on the front wheel. If the wheel is locked to one side, the bike is going to try to roll in that direction.

[RVertigo]

When the bike goes up on the centerstand it is rolling on the front wheel. If the wheel is locked to one side, the bike is going to try to roll in that direction.

But, how would that make it easier to drop?  It just ends up a little angled from where you started...  Which is easily resolved by turning it a little while it's on the center-stand.

[Alphamazing]

When the bike goes up on the centerstand it is rolling on the front wheel. If the wheel is locked to one side, the bike is going to try to roll in that direction.

But, how would that make it easier to drop?  It just ends up a little angled from where you started...  Which is easily resolved by turning it a little while it's on the center-stand.

It doesn't place equal force on the centerstand feet, and when it does come up it can wobble on the feet as it tries to stabalize itself. If it wobble to obadly, it might be too much for a smaller, weaker person to be able to keep from falling off the centerstand. It also makes it a lot easier to get onto the centerstand without all that working against it coming up in its natural direction.

[RVertigo]

  Mine sits on the feat evenly...     I'd show ya', but it's not worth the plane ticket.