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Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:48 am
by scooter78666
My next bike will be one with a centerstand. No center stand, no-in-the-running for my cycle dollar. I am not a big cruiser fan anyway, since I think motorcycles should be made more for going somewhere than showing someone. My Harley FLHTCUI weighs 780 lbs, and has a belt final drive. But you wouldn't believe how often I wish for a center stand on it for maintenance purposes.
EVERY TIME you read in an owner's manual which starts out "with the motorcycle in a vertical position.......etc etc etc", you are gonna wish for a center stand. Name for me how many meaningful things you can be doing with your other hand while holding a heavy motorcycle "in a vertical position". Someday, someone smart will figure out how to make getting heavy cycles on center stands a piece of cake. Right now, cycle manufacturers have their designers too busy designing the next generation of doo-dads to worry about something practical.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:45 am
by DivideOverflow
scooter78666 wrote: Someday, someone smart will figure out how to make getting heavy cycles on center stands a piece of cake. Right now, cycle manufacturers have their designers too busy designing the next generation of doo-dads to worry about something practical.
Get a rear tire stand... they work fine, and are like $100-150.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:45 am
by jmmcadoo
Big B wrote:i'd hate to think of the hernia i'd get trying to pull my 750lb bike onto a center stand
It's all in the technique. My Vulcan 750 pops right up on the center stand...as long as you do it right.
Joe
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:58 am
by DivideOverflow
jmmcadoo wrote:Big B wrote:i'd hate to think of the hernia i'd get trying to pull my 750lb bike onto a center stand
It's all in the technique. My Vulcan 750 pops right up on the center stand...as long as you do it right.
Joe
The 750 vulcan is a lightweight.... it is barely over 500lbs wet.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:38 am
by macktruckturner
I weigh a whopping 126 pounds - and can quite easily put my Dad's GL1800 on the centerstand. I need to buy an aftermarket centerstand for my SV.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:49 am
by runsilent
As long as people will buy bikes without centerstands they will make them that way, it's cheaper.
For those that want one, there are a lot of aftermarket stands available for all types of bikes including some cruisers like these:
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productlist/180/
Also there are quite a few factory accessory stands available at extra cost. There was one for the Nighthawk 750 and there is one for the 919 I think, I was suprised recently to find one is available from Suzuki for the Hyabusa.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:50 am
by Big B
jmmcadoo wrote:Big B wrote:i'd hate to think of the hernia i'd get trying to pull my 750lb bike onto a center stand
It's all in the technique. My Vulcan 750 pops right up on the center stand...as long as you do it right.
Joe
and so did my 750 nighthawk, wayyy different beast than my vtx.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:04 pm
by scooter78666
[quote="Get a rear tire stand... they work fine, and are like $100-150.[/quote]
Sounds good for "conveniently" putting your bike up on your driveway or in your garage. What about when you are a thousand miles from home? Hey, in my own driveway, I have all kinds of devices for jacking up/blocking up my cycle, NONE of which can go with me to Rocky Mountain National Park. Claro?
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:43 pm
by DieMonkeys
I could get my dad's BMW R1150 up on the centerstand back when I was 15. I don't know how much it weighs but it wasn't easy the first time.
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:21 pm
by BuzZz
A properly designed centerstand will lift the bike it's inteneded for, even when operated by the smallest individuals who may have any need to ever use it. This is because the stand will use leverage to help lift the bike, so you don't have to lift 7-800 pounds of bike. Because no one can reasonably lift that much, or even slightly less than half of it, as I'm sure someone would have pionted out.
