Centre stand advice

[stevecarr]

Hi,

After arriving home at the end of my first ride on my new 1200GS, I put my baby on her centre stand and then spent all night wondering how on earth I'm going to get her down again!

Can any of you offer this moron any advice as to the best way to get her down from the centre stand, either sat on or stood beside her.

Thanks

 

[Nutty]

Hi,

After arriving home at the end of my first ride on my new 1200GS, I put my baby on her centre stand and then spent all night wondering how on earth I'm going to get her down again!

Can any of you offer this moron any advice as to the best way to get her down from the centre stand, either sat on or stood beside her.

Thanks

I thought the same when I got mine! Put the side stand down while it's on the centre stand, then left hand on the left handgrip, right hand on the pillion grab rail, then rock the bike until it moves forward. It's a bit daunting at first as the bike is so big, but once you've done it a few times, you'll be fine.

With the side stand down, as long as the bike leans towards you when its off the centre stand, it will rest on the stand, rather than crushing you!

 

[Steptoe]

Please tell me this is a joke and i've missed the punchline...

 

[Big Lee]

Honest to god!!! It`s easy, just throw your leg over it and with both feet on the floor push forward and it will drop off just nicely. If you can`t straddle it while its on the centre stand with both feet touching the floor, not on tiptoes, you`re too much of a shortarse and shouldn`t have bought it in the first place, get something that you can manage and leave GS`s to the big boys

 

[Womble]

If you're too short, just lean back until the rear tyre touches down and then ride the sod off the stand. Although be prepared to buy new stands and bolts occasionally, particularly if you try this with pillions or luggage on board

 

[stevecarr]

Thanks for the advice guys, especially rt001.

I was once told there was no such thing as a stupid question, only a stupid answer. How true...

I'm glad I was able to amuse you "big guys" with my question

 

[Womble]

On a serious note, be VERY careful where your feet are if you pop the bike off the centrestand with the sidestand down - DAMHIK

 

[C-J]

Another tip, following on from the rocking the bike forward with one hand on the bar and another on the grab rail...

Use your foot... Not to kick the fecker forward.

Place the ball of your foot over the centre stand, just as you would when you are raising it onto the centre stand.

This mean that when it rocks forward off the stand, you still have pressure on it, and the legs are still on the ground, balancing the bike and stopping it moving forward.

 

[stevecarr]

Cheers C-J and Womble et al.

I'm grateful to you all for the advice and now feel confident to attempt to get her off the centre stand. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it without dropping her on the garage floor.

 

[joness7]

I always put it in 1st gear. Pull clutch in as you pull the bike off, then release clutch when both wheels back on the ground.

Stops any worry about rolling forward or back.

 

[elevensies]

Please tell me this is a joke and i've missed the punchline...

i think he was bein serious!!!

feck sake, im guessing this is your first bike then..............

 

[elevensies]

look

just grab the bars and push forward, if it falls over pick it up and start again.


but please have a video recording throughout, and then post it up so we can help further.

 

[muppix]

First gear

2500 rpm

Pillion seat

Pop the clutch

 

[Pathologic]

No worries

GS bounce realy well. DAMHIK

Did you buy your engine bars yet?

you'll be fine.

Regards,

Path.

 

[stevecarr]

Thanks for all of your positive comments and advice.

After taking a deep breath I lowered my new bike off her centre stand without any difficulty or wobbling. I've now tried various methods and feel competent in them all, bith sat on and stood beside my ride.

The advice I have received was very much appreciated and helped me out a great deal, so cheers all.

 

[Tusky]

Thanks for all of your positive comments and advice.

After taking a deep breath I lowered my new bike off her centre stand without any difficulty or wobbling. I've now tried various methods and feel competent in them all, bith sat on and stood beside my ride.

The advice I have received was very much appreciated and helped me out a great deal, so cheers all.

Yup you got a few harsh answers there.... got to agree with you... for example, if you come from a history of handling smaller sportsbikes to a GS, then there is a huge difference.....

I'm a pretty strong guy but key is technique, personally I like to grab the steel tube by the pillion footrest with my right hand and the left hand on the left hand grip... It amazed me when I saw how well an 8.5 stone 'weakling' handled it on and off the stand at the dealers

As for riding it off the centre stand

 

[karnevil]

Thanks for the advice guys, especially rt001.

I was once told there was no such thing as a stupid question, only a stupid answer. How true...

I'm glad I was able to amuse you "big guys" with my question

I'm sure it wasn't a stupid question.
If it were I doubt BMW would bother to put a section on how to use the centre stand in the owners manual now would they

 

[tunnie]

just love some of the harsh comments in this thread, why both replying with that crap?? idiots...

GS is a big mama on the centre stand, when you step back it does look a bit of a mission, unlike most smaller bikes which are no ware near as high.

I have side stand out, just incase! Foot in front of the side stand, grab rear grab handle and left handle bar, then rock the bike forward, sometimes it takes 1 or two small rocks to pop it off the stand, let it roll forward a tad, then rest on side stand.

Keep your body forward on the bike about level with petrol tank, have better control i find.

And for the morons who posted earlier, a lot of newer smaller bikes don't even have centre stand, so its a valid question!

 

[stevecarr]

My new GS is not my first bike but is by far the biggest and most expensive.

I have never dropped a bike, ever. Unless of course you wish to include some off-roading during some fun-in-the-mud weekend stuff on a military Harley D, but I doubt that counts as a drop in the true sense.

There have been some good, honest posts to my question, so once again, thanks. I am now confident to get her off the centre stand either sat on or stood beside my bike, but prefer to stand on the left and rock her forwards with my right hand on the rear rack and the side stand down just in case.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

As a 9 stone weakling, I too was very worried about heaving it off the stand.

I now usually sit on the bike (in 1st gear, clutch in, engine running) with both feet on the pegs. I then rock the bike forwards and it pops off the stand onto both wheels. I then gently release the clutch and pull away as normal.

All without putting my feet down.

PS. When a pillion wants to get on, I leave it on the SIDE STAND. They hop on. I then turn the bars to the LEFT, and the bike then lifts up onto the wheels.