The BSA A7-A10 Forum
Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => Frame => Topic started by: Bitsarider on 03.07. 2018 15:44
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Hi there,
I was wondering if anybody out there is having the same trouble as me. I've recently bought an a10 and it is eye bulgingly, hernia givingly difficult to raise it onto its centre stand.. Is this normal for this model or do you think it could have the wrong stand fitted. I have an a7 of the same year and it's a piece of cake to drop it on its centre stand....
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...eye bulgingly, hernia givingly difficult to raise it onto its centre stand...
*welcome*
I cannot answer your question but I really enjoyed that sentence. *smile*
Please will you go to Introductions and tell us a little about yourself and your bikes.
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G'day Bitsarider.
There should be no difference if their both the same year. What year are we talking about? Some were more difficult than others.
Cheers
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My ‘55 plunger is a bloody hefty pull.
The ‘58 SA is a bit easier.
A good trick is to place your foot well on the centre stand extension and put maximum weight on it. A slight pull at the same time will get it on the stand without to much effort.
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Morris - 'without too much effort'? I can't get my '58 onto its centre stand. Good job it has a side stand.
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What Morris said. I now have bulging biceps to match my bulging belly - heh. *smile*
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there is a certain element of confidence v fear involved, when we were younger we had stacks of the former and little of the later.
I have some of those Halfords rubber interlocking 60 cm squares on my shed floor (kind of protects my new knee), I cut out a section where the centre stands goes, this means the bike is about a half inch higher then the floor where the centre stand, makes quite a difference
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When it's up, have a look to see how high the rear wheel is off the ground. The higher it is the harder it will be to get on because you have to lift higher as you roll it back.
Higher profile tyres can make a difference, rear shocker length too can be an issue. (I have a Suzuki like this -they probably use the same stand across several models so the stand is a compromise height), so first I roll the back wheel (only) onto a sheet of 1/2" chipboard, then put the stand down - much easier.
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This is what I do, the block of wood is 1in thick, I tried 3/4in first then increased it to 1in that 1/4 in made all the difference, much easier. I had to put a bit of stick on emery to stop it sliding when rolling the bike up no to it.
Peter
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....have a look to see how high the rear wheel is off the ground....
I checked that this morning, and on a 'possibly flat' concrete driveway, the rear wheel is just off enough to spoon.... (Plunger with non-standard springs and Comical front-end)
I sometimes need to heave (haul) a bit, but when I remember and can find one of several timber wedges about 40-50mm high and ~six inches long, and they work a treat...then if I need more height/ground clearance, I lean the bike on one stand leg at a time and put some packers under each other one, that also works a treat
**edited 'each other one' 3/8/18, 23:37:57
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Is the bike fitted with 18" or 19" wheels? 18" will make it harder. Mine is on 19" and hard enough that I'll always use the side stand from choice. Main stand is for when I'm doing maintenance only.
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I just call the wife *smile*.
(Edit): On a more serious note, make sure that both feet of the stand are on the ground before you attempt to pull it back.
I was only saying to my wife yesterday while putting my GF on the stand that when I had my GFs in the mid 60s - mid 70s I could get them on the centre stand without thinking about it. Her reply was that it was over 50 years ago. I can do it ok but I always make sure the bike is balanced with both feet of the stand on the ground and with left hand under the dual seat and the right grabbing the side of the carrier I give it a good yank back. Usually my wife is with me and when she is she will help by also pulling back on the rear carrier *smile*.
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...Is the bike fitted with 18" or 19" wheels? ..
Good point; mine is 18" rear, 21"front... kinda like a Scrambler, except the only scrambled bit is the rider...
Attached is a pic of ' the wedge ' much like a variation of the other packie-uppie ideas...
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I have more trouble with getting the prop stand out when sitting on my bike. I always wear motorcycling boots (actually they are heavy, tough GDR army jack boots) and find I can't get enough of my heel or toe of the boots on to the stand's foot to hook it out from under the exhaust pipe. My answer was this modification, it's a bit of a cobbled up affair but it works ok and not too noticeable when the prop stand is up. There's a 2mm thick rubber liner (to give extra grip) around where it clamps around the prop stand leg. When the stand's foot is on the ground the modification is off the ground by about 12mm - so no weight on it.
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I think I make it harder for myself. I always put the centre stand on a piece of old 3/4" floor board then lift it. It is a bit heavy but I guess I'm a bit younger than some *smile* Was much harder before I discovered one of the feet was twisted inward *eek*
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I just call the wife *smile*.
(Edit): On a more serious note, make sure that both feet of the stand are on the ground before you attempt to pull it back.
I was only saying to my wife yesterday while putting my GF on the stand that when I had my GFs in the mid 60s - mid 70s I could get them on the centre stand without thinking about it. Her reply was that it was over 50 years ago. I can do it ok but I always make sure the bike is balanced with both feet of the stand on the ground and with left hand under the dual seat and the right grabbing the side of the carrier I give it a good yank back. Usually my wife is with me and when she is she will help by also pulling back on the rear carrier *smile*.
I was going to say Rog, do you call for the wife when you want to get it up? Or when you want to go down? ;)
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My wife can get it up easier than me, she's 30kg heavier. *sick*
My plunger is the hardest to get up. *whistle*
Yes dear, I'll do the bathroom after the dishes! *shh*
Cheers
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........ I always put the centre stand on a piece of old 3/4" floor board then lift it. .......
*conf2*...... *bash*
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So the rear wheel clears the ground duTch *????* *????*
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..So the rear wheel clears the ground duTch *????* *????*..
did you read my earlier story...? ** nb I need to edit it to 'each other one'
....then if I need more height/ground clearance, I lean the bike on one stand leg at a time and put some packers under each one, that also works a treat
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Sorry mate, didn't read that bit - good point though. I just hoick the beast straight onto the wood. Have to be careful if one of the feet hits the edge of the wood though, as I have to try to catch her before the big crash (oooerr). Always have to be careful removing the rear wheel as I have to pull it to one side before persuading it to come out (and without the brake plate falling out and getting scratched on the floor - grrrrr, will have to put a load of old blankets on the floor next time). Mine has a desire to try to fall off the stand before the wheel's clear of the mudguard. I do believe El Plungo's has a hinged mudguard??
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I was going to say Rog, do you call for the wife when you want to get it up? Or when you want to go down? ;)
*smile* Note, I was careful to say centre stand and not get it up! (I know what you lot are like from down under ;) ).
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I was going to say Rog, do you call for the wife when you want to get it up? Or when you want to go down? ;)
*smile* Note, I was careful to say centre stand and not get it up! (I know what you lot are like from down under ;) ).
Am I on the right site :o
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I have more trouble with getting the prop stand out when sitting on my bike.
Actually mine is tucked away far enough that it isn't accessible from the saddle at all. I'm always standing next to it poking around with my toe under there until it pulls forth. Kind of works for me.
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Roger - agree about 'finding' the side stand whilst sitting on the bike. I welded a 2" long stud to the foot of mine, which just sticks out past the exhaust. Looks pretty neat too. I guess, as others have said, this is an age thing. I could carry car engines in my forties - now struggle to carry a bike engine. I can still lift a hundredweight (just) but no way can I get the GF onto its centre stand. My rear wheel is around 2" off the ground - after my son has put it on its stand. Position doesn't help either. One really needs to be more behind the bike than beside it to lift, but having one's foot against the stand means you're distinctly beside.
I see the idea of wood blocks, but one shouldn't have to do that. And what happens when you're out? Send the wife ahead with wood planks in the car?
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My rear wheel is around 2" off the ground - after my son has put it on its stand.
That may explain a thing or two. Mine was about 1/2” off the ground when I had a 3.50x19 tyre on. Since I have a 4.00 on, the wheel still touches ground when on the stand. Tyre ground clearance would of course also depend where the centre stand “stop” is, but 2” is a lot
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.....Tyre ground clearance would of course also depend where the centre stand “stop” is, but 2” is a lot....
My Gutzzly rolls on the centre stand too easy, but I've had that issue with it, and also the pivot bolts were not only wrong for the job, but loose for a while and wore their plates *pull hair out*, a bit of weld is fixing that (work in progress) but that's way off topic so ...
.......I see the idea of wood blocks, but one shouldn't have to do that. And what happens when you're out?..........
.. when I'm out, I deal with shit as need be- but when you're out the possibilities are endless..... *smile*
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Well. All this conversation graphically demonstrates my original point. It's just about how high the rear wheel has to lift:
If your bike is difficult to roll onto the centre stand, probably, the problem is that your rear wheel has to lift too far.
Just need to think about why this might be the case... Shocker length... tyre Diameter... etc etc.
If your rear wheel is more than half-inch above the ground when it's on the stand, something is out of whack.
All you need is to be able to rotate the rear wheel when it's on the stand... wot... 1/4"-ish? Just dead easy to roll onto the stand.
If you have problems "when you're out" I suppose you have x2 options...
A: USE THE SIDESTAND
B: FIX THE ORIGINAL FAULT
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I was going to say Rog, do you call for the wife when you want to get it up? Or when you want to go down? ;)
*smile* Note, I was careful to say centre stand and not get it up! (I know what you lot are like from down under ;) ).
Heehee Roger, with that name, tempting an Aussie could be dangerous!!! *fight*