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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: Bulwark on November 18, 2006, 01:14:04 PM

Title: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Bulwark on November 18, 2006, 01:14:04 PM
I not sure if they all come with them or not.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: RiderX on November 18, 2006, 01:42:31 PM
Yes.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Old Mr. Wilson on November 18, 2006, 03:49:58 PM
Unless it's (the stand) been "stolen" or something has "happened"...............YES HELL YES
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: starwalt on November 19, 2006, 11:01:04 AM
+1 to the above.

Most likely one of the previous owners (PO) took it off for better ground clearance.

It seems to be a "mod" that knee-draggers like to do.

I hope never to get that far over on the street, though it would make a low-side less kinetic as far as the initial impact is concerned... :o
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: dgyver on November 19, 2006, 03:05:54 PM
What's a center stand? 

:icon_mrgreen:




btw...I have several of them if you are wanting one.

Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: cafeboy on November 20, 2006, 06:54:15 AM
Quote from: RVertigo on October 04, 2006, 09:04:57 PM
Only the kewl kids take off their center-stands...

I still have mine...  And I use it. :thumb:
                 :laugh: :laugh: :thumb: :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Alphamazing on November 20, 2006, 01:43:09 PM
I hope I don't miss having a centerstand.

If you don't want to bother with the centerstand, you can get swingarm and front axle spools and use bike stands instead (i.e. PitBull)
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Chuck on November 20, 2006, 03:35:28 PM
I don't miss my center stand.  Because I put it on any time I need it.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Bulwark on November 20, 2006, 03:40:27 PM
Well, I like the center stand,hehe.  I figure it will be alot safer when its in the shed than just a kick stand.

Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Alphamazing on November 20, 2006, 04:57:33 PM
Quote from: Bulwark on November 20, 2006, 03:40:27 PM
Well, I like the center stand,hehe.  I figure it will be alot safer when its in the shed than just a kick stand.

Actually, the bike has more support on its sidestand. It has a bigger "footprint".

With the centerstand, you have two points of contact, roughly 6" apart. Then you have the front wheel, a couple feet in front of that. That creates a triangle with a base of 6", and a height of (let's say) 24", a little less than half the wheelbase. So that equates to an area of 72 in2.

Now, with the sidestand, you have a point of contact roughly 5" (guess) off the centerline of the bike. But then you have two points of contacts at the wheels. That means there is 55.3" between the two wheel contacts. That equates to an area of 138.25 in2.

72 in2 < 138.25 in2

By a factor of ~52%
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: NiceGuysFinishLast on November 20, 2006, 05:05:57 PM
Brian, with the math FTW!

Oh, and I hate you for your signature. I hate you so much.  :mad: :mad: :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: pandy on November 20, 2006, 08:03:06 PM
I miss having a centerstand. My commuter GS had one, but my SVS didn't come with one, so I use a rear stand when necessary...  but it's a pain in the boo-tay. I want my centerstand back!!!  :cry:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: gsJack on November 21, 2006, 09:07:48 AM
Quote from: pandy on November 20, 2006, 08:03:06 PM
I miss having a centerstand. My commuter GS had one, but my SVS didn't come with one, so I use a rear stand when necessary...  but it's a pain in the boo-tay. I want my centerstand back!!!  :cry:

I've never had a bike without a centerstand and hopefully never will.  The list of bikes that come with them grows shorter each year but the list of available aftermarket centerstands grows longer.

The SV650 remains on the acceptable list because there is a stand available for it.  It would be the first thing I added.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/175/202/

If I was a half century younger and half as agile as I was then, I might consider the front and rear stands available but they're kinda hard to take along on trips.   :laugh:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: Admiral Crunch on November 21, 2006, 09:18:03 AM
I've always felt my bike was more stable on the centerstand.   :dunno_white:  I use it all the time.  I'd hate to not have it.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: pandy on November 21, 2006, 09:20:32 AM
Quote from: gsJack on November 21, 2006, 09:07:48 AM
The SV650 remains on the acceptable list because there is a stand available for it.  It would be the first thing I added.
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/175/202/

gsJack, I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :kiss3: This is going on my list of things to get!  :icon_mrgreen:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: mjn12 on November 21, 2006, 01:12:41 PM
Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on November 20, 2006, 04:57:33 PM
Quote from: Bulwark on November 20, 2006, 03:40:27 PM
Well, I like the center stand,hehe. I figure it will be alot safer when its in the shed than just a kick stand.

Actually, the bike has more support on its sidestand. It has a bigger "footprint".

With the centerstand, you have two points of contact, roughly 6" apart. Then you have the front wheel, a couple feet in front of that. That creates a triangle with a base of 6", and a height of (let's say) 24", a little less than half the wheelbase. So that equates to an area of 72 in2.

Now, with the sidestand, you have a point of contact roughly 5" (guess) off the centerline of the bike. But then you have two points of contacts at the wheels. That means there is 55.3" between the two wheel contacts. That equates to an area of 138.25 in2.

72 in2 < 138.25 in2

By a factor of ~52%

::::DISCLAIMER Not trying to start an argument or be mean spirited - just for the sake of academic discussion (too much anger on the board already):::

While I dont disagree that the bike is harder to push over if its on a side. I dont think the bikes footprint or "shadow" is really relevant in how hard it is to push over.  Its more a question of center of mass in relation to the width of the base paralell to the force pushing on the bike and directly under the COM.  The centerstand has a narrow width and actually raises the center of mass a few inches where as the sidestand lowers it while moving it over to the left. Theres also the question of how much easier it is to pivot the bike on the two rounded tires vs. the flat contact point of the side/center stands.   Regardless of the area of any base you could distribute the center of mass of an object in a way that it would take a smaller force to topple that object than an object with a smaller base and more ideally distributed center of mass.

Sorry, couldn't resist a phsysics/statics conversation.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: scratch on November 21, 2006, 01:31:05 PM
Alright then, I'll give you a real world experience on the "stability" of a bike on the centerstand vs. the sidestand.

California earthquake of '89: of the five bikes that I owned at the time of the earthquake, the one that was up on its centerstand, fell over.  Of the other bikes on their sidestands, none of them fell (including the '78 Triumph).

Of all the bikes that were on the showroom floor of the motorcycle shop that I was the salesman at, none, except the one dirtbike (with the removable sidestand), fell over.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: mjn12 on November 21, 2006, 10:07:02 PM
hey i wasn't disagreeing - I said sidestand wins.  Now we have empirical proof.  Fortunately here we don't get earthquakes - But I would take a few earthquakes over snow any day.
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: pandy on November 21, 2006, 10:21:13 PM
I wonder if the fact that my SVS is pretty severely lowered would make it impossible to install the centerstand.....  :cry:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: mjn12 on November 21, 2006, 11:05:28 PM
I thought you kept your bike on its side?? Are your trying to keep someone from setting it back up?
:icon_lol:
Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: gsJack on November 22, 2006, 08:10:39 AM
Quote from: pandy on November 21, 2006, 10:21:13 PM
I wonder if the fact that my SVS is pretty severely lowered would make it impossible to install the centerstand.....  :cry:

How much lower is pretty severly lowered?   :)

Shouldn't make it impossible to install the certerstand, you could put the bike on your rear stand while doing it.  There could be possibly a difference in cornering clearance if your dragging stuff while cornering.

It will definetly make it harder to put the bike up on the centerstand.  The more you lower it the harder it becomes as the stand will be further from vertical when it touches the ground to put the bike up.  I put 1 1/4" lower links on my GS and noticed the difference. 

I remember the GS500 was harder to put on the stand than some of the heavier bikes I'd owned, could be I was just getting older.   :cry:  I put a 130/90 touring tire on the back years ago that raised the bike an inch in the rear and it just jumped up on the stand with ease with the taller tire.  You can always try the old trick of pushing the rear tire up on a 1 or 2" thick board positiond so the centerstand will contact the ground rather than the board to make it easier to get it up.   :thumb:

Title: Re: Do the GS500's come with center stands?
Post by: pandy on November 22, 2006, 08:53:54 AM
Quote from: mjn12 on November 21, 2006, 11:05:28 PM
I thought you kept your bike on its side?? Are your trying to keep someone from setting it back up?  :icon_lol:
:flipoff:  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


Quote from: gsJack on November 22, 2006, 08:10:39 AM
How much lower is pretty severly lowered?   :) ... Shouldn't make it impossible to install the certerstand, you could put the bike on your rear stand while doing it. ... You can always try the old trick of pushing the rear tire up on a 1 or 2" thick board positiond so the centerstand will contact the ground rather than the board to make it easier to get it up.   :thumb:
Before he was lowered, I could barely tippy-toe...now I can flat-foot it (HALLELUJA!). I believe they were 2" lowering links, but I could be full of hot air (no comments from the peanut gallery). Presently, we do use a rear stand, but I'd love to be able to use a centerstand again....so much easier. I'm going to have to talk to my suspension shop and see what they say.  :thumb: