Center Stand help.

[fishmeister]

If anyone has it I'd like to see a video of one of you "riding" your bike off the center stand. For those of us that just swing our feet in the air when the bike is up on the cs being able to do that would be a great help. I gotta admit I am terrified to actually try it though..... 

Burgi:

I just finished repairing the R/R on my bike and remembered that someone here wanted to see a video of us "rolling off" the centerstand, so I grabbed my cheapo $40 videocam and recorded this brief video of me doing it. The bike is on a slight incline. Does this answer your question, or do you want me to try something different?

Now for scene2, another video of putting it up on the centerstand.

[Burgi]

Thanks for that Green but I get the impression some of you are saying you have your feet on the pegs and actually ride the bike down? For those of us that can't touch the ground when the bike is on the center stand I am wondering if there is any option besides standing next to it?

[green427]

I don't think it can be accomplished safely, there is not enough forward momentum to prevent us from falling to the side if we did that. Every time I rock it off the centerstand I have to catch my balance with my feet.

If anyone here can do it without removing feet from the pegs I would like to see it on video, especially on a flat surface....then I can bow down to them.

[happycommuter]

I did this today.  Put the bike in first, pull the clutch in and rock it forward.  Then just keep going with the bike's own propulsion.  Bike is already rolling before the rear tire touches the ground or takes a load.

I'm a shorty and can't really touch ground with both feet while on the center stand.  This technique is actually easier than having to stop the bike as it lowers forward.  I'll try to do a video, but self-video is trickier than this move.

Note that I'm a person that tries to keep their feet up in stop and  go traffic, 'stops' at intersections, etc.  I can crawl fairly slowly.  If not confident at walking speed riding, results may vary.

[ERAU-944]

i've done it too.  i will say that you need to be confident in your abilities before you try it, but it is pretty slick!

[bajakirch]

Once I learned this technique for getting the bike up on the centerstand, I couldn't believe how easy it was. I'd be embarassed to post a video of the way I used to do it.

Now that I do it pretty regularly, I've noticed 2 things that seem to make it easier.

1. Apply downward pressure on the foot-stud while lifting. You'll actually be able to feel the leverage at work and you won't have to lift hard at all.

2. (This may only apply to the 550 -- it appears the aluminum rail on the side of the 750s don't extand as far forward as they do on my bike). Grab the aluminum rail in front of the rear shock. I used to grab rear of the shock, but moving my hand to the forward position greatly increased the ease of getting the bike up.

After reading this I can't wait for my next ride -- I'm going to try that 'riding off the stand with feet on pegs' thing.

Once I got good at this, I wanted to show off. I called SOQS out to the garage to show her what I'd learned. Her response was underwhelming.

[Bumblebee]

Coming off the centerstand with feet on the pegs and riding away without taking your feet off the pegs is very doable and safety is not an issue. On any kind of reasonably flat hard surface when planning to just ride away, I do it about 3/4 of the time that I'm coming off the centerstand. In confined spaces, off camber, uphill or soft/mangled surfaces it ranges from reasonably doable to not going to happen. In those situations, I come off the stand and put my feet down before continuing, otherwise it's generally drop down on two wheels and ride away.

Gear up, get on the bike, put your feet on the pegs and start the engine. Put the bike in 1st, pull in the clutch, rock it back for momentum and when it comes forward, stay balanced as it comes off the stand and don't touch the brakes. Then before it stops rolling ease the clutch out and away you go. It's really not very difficult at all on a flat hard surface. If you put your feet down, it's because you're not balanced or have the front wheel aimed off to the side or terrain related or won't let yourself do it for assorted reasons.

This is all basic slow school parking lot skills which includes little ups and downs on non pristine surfaces such as riding off a low curb.
Try balancing while stopped at traffic signals and stop signs even if all you do is alternate toes that barely touch the ground just to keep it at the edge of being balanced. The idea is absolute minimum to no force being required to keep the bike from toppling over. Use brakes and handlebar position to turn the front wheel as needed to help. The longer you can stay up without touching the ground, the better your balance.
Also instead of doing the squidly foot drag half a mile routine, when starting to move from a full stop or coming to a stop; just before the bike starts moving or right after it comes to a full stop, it's both feet up to the pegs or down to the ground.
Super slow straight line and turning skills do wonders for overall balance.
If you can do that, you can ride off the centerstand.

[cptgrits]

If you think getting a 500 lb NH on the centerstand is tough, you ought to try a 700 + lb ST1300.  The board under the rear tire trick works every time.  It's amazaing how much easier it is using the board.  I can get the bike off the centerstand standing beside it or sitting on it.  I put the bike in first gear when I do that.

[LOKi]

While you might not be able to touch the ground when the bike is on the center stand you can certainly touch when it's on the ground. If not you should do something about that. So if your not sure about rolling off the stand and just riding away you can come off the stand then put your feet down like you normally do when the bike comes to a stop. Go to a parking lot and practice just coming off the center stand then stop and put down your foot or feet. Do that a few times to get the hang of it. Then try to just let out the clutch and keep going. Something that might help. Give it a little gas. 2K rpm and feather the clutch as your rear tires hits the ground. If you stall and your expecting to go forward, the sudden lack of power can cause you to fall right over.

 

[Option13]

Once I learned this technique for getting the bike up on the centerstand, I couldn't believe how easy it was. I'd be embarassed to post a video of the way I used to do it.

Yeah, for me it was three guys scratching furrows in the asphalt for about 5 feet until it stuck. Then some violence as we pulled it up. And then I found this thread.