[d00dge]

Just bought a Bonnie SE and it has a centre stand. I have never owned a bike with one before and I can't get it up!! Or more precisely I did manage to get it up once, but have now knackered myself trying to do it again. There has to be a knack to it, that I obviously don't have. So what's the secret guys?

 

[geoffmcmanus]

Not the easiest bike to get on the center stand. Stand at 90 degrees to the bike, grab the rear footrest hanger and try to push the center stand through the floor. I believe the problem is that the stand location is the same as the original t100's and therefore the pivot point is less than optimal due mostly to the smaller wheels.

Geoff.

 

[Papa Weeley]

As mentioned, stand at 90 degrees (facing the side) of the bike with one hand on the near side of the handlebars, the other hand clutching the upper frame bar at the bottom/side/rear of the seat (I do this on the left side, since I'm right-handed?) Push the centrestand down with your foot (in my case, the left foot) so that the feet of the stand on both sides are touching the ground, and carefully allow the bike to come off it's side stand, and be "steadied" in place by the feet of the centrestand. Press down with the foot on the stand as hard as you can, while pulling upward and back with the hand on the frame tube in one big grunt of a movement, and the bike should slide backward, and the stand downward and snapped into place. Ta-da!
If you can get a buddy to steady the bike in its upright position while you try this the first couple of times, it'll make you feel a lot more confident. After you've down it a couple of times, you'll wonder why you found it so intimidating at first.
Best of luck!

 

[plasma]

Run the back wheel up a one 1" block of wood and it will go up no probs.

Plasma.

 

[bluesman77]

Using the passenger footpeg outrigger as Geoff suggested will give you the best grip & most leverage IMO. Also, the board trick works really well in the garage - it almost goes up by itself.

Jim

Not the easiest bike to get on the center stand. Stand at 90 degrees to the bike, grab the rear footrest hanger and try to push the center stand through the floor. I believe the problem is that the stand location is the same as the original t100's and therefore the pivot point is less than optimal due mostly to the smaller wheels.

Geoff.

 

[Tut]

My Scrambler is the same way, although it's a little higher off the ground. I've only had the center stand for about a week. I have the chrome passenger rear grab bar installed, so I grab that and the left handgrip, push down on the stand to steady it so both of its feet are on the ground, and like Geoff said, try to push that thing through the floor while pulling up with your right hand. A slight backward roll can sometimes help. I only weigh 125lbs, so it's a chore.

Also, getting it down can be nearly as tricky. The stand wants to slide on my garage's smooth concrete floor, so I put my left foot right in front of the stand to keep it from sliding, grab the left handgrip and rear grab rail and pull forward on that, making sure to keep the handlebars straight so it doesn't get too close to me and start to fall away from me.

I sure did get spoiled throwing those little 250cc Suzukis around during my MSF classes.

 

[Trophy4]

As Tut said, if you have the rear rack installed, you've got a very secure spot to grab hold of that's higher up on the frame than the passenger footrest. Less problems on your back. I have the rear rack, and my method is almost exactly the same as Tut's stated above.

 

[d00dge]

Run the back wheel up a one 1" block of wood and it will go up no probs.

Plasma.

Man, that works!! Thanks for the tip.

 

[truckdude]

I can't get it up!! Or more precisely I did manage to get it up once, but have now knackered myself trying to do it again. There has to be a knack to it, that I obviously don't have. So what's the secret guys?

Viagra

 

[Hiltz]

Pull mostly back rather than up. Should be no problem.

 

[vzshadow]

I have a rear grab rail which is useful when putting it up on the center stand.