1 Centre Stand Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:35 am
Born Again Eccentric
Life time member
OK, here's one for you learned people.
I have notice that recently that I seem to be having more and more trouble getting my K100 onto her centre stand. I have looked through previous posts on the subject but really don't want to start humping a chunk of wood around with me and am also quite sure that it is nothing to do with my "technique".
Rocking the bike backwards and forwards does achieve the aim, but it is a lot more effort than really necessary and I find that it needs me to press backwards with my right leg against the pannier, whilst putting as much weight as possible on the centre stand foot peg, as well as lifting the grab handle and heaving back hard on the handle bar grip.
All other things equal, my level concrete garage floor hasn't changed, neither has my local filling station forecourt. I was starting to think that it was me being inflicted with gross weediness (my weight hasn't changed either - since I was 16!), but watched my local bike mechanic struggling with it yesterday when he was doing the annual mandated vehicle inspection (MoT in the UK). Incidentally, the bike passed with flying colours...always a relief!
Assuming that I haven't suddenly become weak and feeble, or that the bike has suddenly become much heavier in the last month or two, is this a sign of worn bushes, bearings or impending centre stand failure? The centre stand is situated in a pretty grotty place on the bike (pictures below bear witness to this) - subject to all the mud and cow shit that my friendly local farmers can spread on the road and the salt and grit that the local council occasionally scatter during icy weather. I can't see any grease nipples, so assume that the bushes and bearings are a routinely neglected part of the bike.
I have a different centre stand on my donor bike which I am tempted to fit to the newer bike - my current centre stand has always been a little harder to use than the previous one, I assumed it was just down the variance in design. I assume that the donor bike variant is the more "modern" version - I think it was changed by the PO.
Picture 1: Centre stand on donor bike (on 1990 LT)
Picture 2: Current centre stand (on 1991 LT)
There is no noticeable lateral play in the centre stand and it rotates freely by hand when unloaded (i.e. when the bike is on the side stand).
Any suggestions, gratefully accepted?
I have notice that recently that I seem to be having more and more trouble getting my K100 onto her centre stand. I have looked through previous posts on the subject but really don't want to start humping a chunk of wood around with me and am also quite sure that it is nothing to do with my "technique".
Rocking the bike backwards and forwards does achieve the aim, but it is a lot more effort than really necessary and I find that it needs me to press backwards with my right leg against the pannier, whilst putting as much weight as possible on the centre stand foot peg, as well as lifting the grab handle and heaving back hard on the handle bar grip.
All other things equal, my level concrete garage floor hasn't changed, neither has my local filling station forecourt. I was starting to think that it was me being inflicted with gross weediness (my weight hasn't changed either - since I was 16!), but watched my local bike mechanic struggling with it yesterday when he was doing the annual mandated vehicle inspection (MoT in the UK). Incidentally, the bike passed with flying colours...always a relief!
Assuming that I haven't suddenly become weak and feeble, or that the bike has suddenly become much heavier in the last month or two, is this a sign of worn bushes, bearings or impending centre stand failure? The centre stand is situated in a pretty grotty place on the bike (pictures below bear witness to this) - subject to all the mud and cow shit that my friendly local farmers can spread on the road and the salt and grit that the local council occasionally scatter during icy weather. I can't see any grease nipples, so assume that the bushes and bearings are a routinely neglected part of the bike.
I have a different centre stand on my donor bike which I am tempted to fit to the newer bike - my current centre stand has always been a little harder to use than the previous one, I assumed it was just down the variance in design. I assume that the donor bike variant is the more "modern" version - I think it was changed by the PO.
Picture 1: Centre stand on donor bike (on 1990 LT)
Picture 2: Current centre stand (on 1991 LT)
There is no noticeable lateral play in the centre stand and it rotates freely by hand when unloaded (i.e. when the bike is on the side stand).
Any suggestions, gratefully accepted?
__________________________________________________
Paul
"Heidi" K100LT 1991 (Grey) (VIN 0190172 Engine No. 104EB 2590 2213) - 5th owner. January 2014 (34,000 - 82,818 miles and counting....)
"Gretel" K100LT 1989 (
"Donor" K100LT 1990 (Red) (VIN 0178091 Engine gone to Dai) - 6th & final owner (crash write-off now donor bike). June 2012 (73,000 miles) to November 2013 (89,500 miles)