A10 centre stand

[Bitsarider]

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....

[Greybeard]

...eye bulgingly, hernia givingly difficult to raise it onto its centre stand...

 

I cannot answer your question but I really enjoyed that sentence.

Please will you go to Introductions and tell us a little about yourself and your bikes.

[muskrat]

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

[morris]

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.

[RDfella]

Morris - 'without too much effort'? I can't get my '58 onto its centre stand. Good job it has a side stand.

[Worty]

What Morris said.  I now have bulging biceps to match my bulging belly - heh.

[bsa-bill]

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

[Joolstacho]

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.

[Peter in Aus]

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

[duTch]

 

....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

[Butch (cb)]

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.

[RogerSB]

I just call the wife  .

(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  .

[duTch]

 

...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...

[RogerSB]

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.

[Worty]

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   Was much harder before I discovered one of the feet was twisted inward