[IsleyMusic]

I appreciate all the advice and knowledge I’ve gleaned from lurking about these parts for the past several weeks after acquiring my ‘06 VN750 (which I am madly in love with, BTW).

I cannot for the life of me get the damn bike up onto the center stand! So... what is the secret touch to getting the bike up on that stand? I’m a fairly strong and not small (205lb) guy but this thing is making me look like an idiot. LOL

This is my first bike by the way, so I don’t have any experience with other center stand bikes to draw from.

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[roadpouring]

The way I do it:

Turn bike off.
Put bike on side stand in neutral.
Hold left hand grip on handlebar with left hand.
Stand on left side of bike facing bike, with left foot next to center stand pedal and right foot next to rear tire.
Place right hand under chrome bar which is directly behind upper shock mount and directly under seat.
Stand bike up and balance against your right upper thigh.
Leave side stand extended to catch bike in case of losing control.
Losing it to the far side(right) is the worst case.
Press down the center stand pedal with the left foot and maintain steady pressure and balancing the bike until you feel the stand rest on its two pads. This is more difficult if the bike is off balance and only resting on one pad.
When you sense the two pads, you can then apply strong downward pressure on the pedal while simultaneously lifting the rear of the bike with the right hand.

To practice, it would be good to have someone stand on the right side of the bike to avoid losing it, until you master the technique.
If you have no help, then, do it next to a wall with boxes stacked on the right side of the bike to catch it if it falls.
You can leave the side stand extended throughout the process.

To get off the center stand, sit on the bike in neutral with hands on the bar grips and feet on the floor.
Then lean backwards and then heave your body forward and the bike will roll off the stand as you balance the bike with your feet.
It's best that the side stand be folded up when doing this.

PS: A question is not stupid when sincerely seeking the answer to an unknown.
What would be stupid is to not ask the question and get hurt or damage the bike.

 

[Spockster]

Yup, I do it the same as roadpouring said.

Just concentrate on putting all your weight on the centerstand pedal, and give a little tug with the right hand on the grab bar. It should pop right up.

 

[mmart]

I honestly have issues doing this. I too am a fairly strong guy but I’m 5’8” and I feel like I can’t get the leverage. My go to is my 330lb 22yr old neighbor lol. But I’ll admit I have given up plenty of times when I’ve been on my own because I always feel like I’m going to lose control. I realized that because the pavement isn’t exactly level I may be fighting gravity more than I need to. I’ll have to try with the bike facing the other way and maybe I can’t get it to fall back into place.

 

[TonyO]

The trick is to push down on the center stand pedal as hard are you can while lifting with your right hand, legs muscles are way more powerful and the stand pedal also gives you leverage.

I have been putting bikes on center stands for years, barely need the right hand for lift, just stability.

Keep practicing, you will find the technique.

 

[mmart]

I figured it’s a technique thing and not brute strength because my mechanic can’t be more than 150lbs. But I want to figure it out because it’s getting cold in the northeast and I want to get the tire off of the concrete if it’s going to sit for a while

 

[Spockster]

It can help to have the bike moving a bit rearward before you stab the centerstand down, but you have to be careful not to get off balance. Especially if the stand slides instead of digging into the ground. I sometimes roll about 12-18" before I put my weight on the pedal.

Sometimes my left foot is off the ground when it pops up on the stand. The weight on my right foot does about 90% of the work. I'm 5' 11" on a good day, and about 195-200lbs.

 

[michiganteddybear]

thats the right technique, I have see videos of small light women putting big monsters up on center stand.. Not saying they where weak, just probably around a buck 20 in weight

 

[roadpouring]

I usually use my left foot to push the pedal down because my right leg is sorta' gimpy and lacks the strength for the task.

 

[Knifemaker]

It also can help if you roll the bike backwards over a 2X6 or something to raise the rear tire up some first. I just used a portable car ramp....I’d sit on the bike and paddle the bike backwards up the ramp, pull in the front brake to hold it after it went up the ramp some and just pushed the center stand down with my left foot while still sitting on the bike.
For my FJR I found a 2 foot length of Unistrut that fit over the the foot pad of the stand that effectively increased the leverage so all I had to do was step on it and it popped right up.
My issue was having a bad lower back it hurt to bend that tiny bit to grab under the seat.
It is important to have the bike level so both feet of the stand are touching the ground.
I suggest having a friend spot the other side of the bike while you try the suggested technique from roadpouring so your not nervous about dropping the bike until you get it mastered.

 

[Chris and Shim]

I use my right leg instead of my left. Feels more natural to me. And yes, you have to PUSH down.

Don't feel bad. I am the original owner of mine and had the bike for years and couldn't do it until I, like you, finally asked here how to do it.

 

[IsleyMusic]

Thanks for all the responses! Time to go practice...

 

[Thorn]

I'm 145 lb, so I can't put a lot of weight on the foot lever.

I stand to the left of the bike, face the handlebars, put my right foot on the lever, right hand under the frame, and then basically act like I'm ripping the bike apart, using muscle to increase the distance between the lever and the frame, pulling rearwards and up. Lifting the frame from the floor accomplishes nothing, so I don't use my left foot for anything but balance. All the force is between the lever and the frame.

Trying to harness rearward momentum, it's easy to have it get away from you if you're not 100% going to have both pads of the centerstand hit the floor at the same time. I don't recommend learning that technique without a safety net!

 

[VN750Rider/Jerry]

Strength has very little to do with it. My oldest daughter easily put mine on the centerstand. You don't LIFT the bike onto the centerstand, you "rock" it onto the stand, using the stand itself as leverage. It's a little difficult to explain. I use my right foot on the centerstand, my left hand on the left grip, and my right hand under the left seat rail. Hold the bike upright, push down on the stand while pulling backwards at the same time. It should not take a great deal of effort. I figure if I can do it in my condition, anybody can do it. I've had a couple of Goldwings, and never had a problem getting them on the centerstand either. But I have read on some Goldwing forums about older riders wanting an electric stand. My feeling is if you can't get it on the centerstand, it may not be safe to ride it either. I would no longer try to ride a Goldwing, out of fear that I would drop it in a parking lot or at a traffic signal.