Centre stand

[jhg1958]

I have bought a new centre stand for my 1961 A10.  Included on the kit and expanded drawing is a tube.  I presume this tube fits between the two lugs on the frame.  However, the tube is too long, or the lugs too close together. The stand fits fine and I can cut the tube.  Should I cut it?

What function does the tube perform?  I see on the exploded  diagram there are 2 grease nipples but the centre stand must turn in the  frame lugs not the tube so the grease would probably never get to the moving parts.

Can anyone help me understand what the tube does.

John

[beezermacc]

The design of the centre stand was not BSA's finest hour! Just fit it all together, cut the tube if you need to, ideally on a lathe so the ends are a snug fit , then fill everything with grease and forget it! regrease occasionally and that's about it!

[Jules]

John, there is quite a lot of various threads about centre stands but one thing that came up recently from Trev was a reminder that the centre stand (on my 56 s/a anyway) was designed to rotate on that long bush which should be trapped between the 2 lugs when you bolt it in place, the grease then goes between the inner "bearing skin" of the stand and the bush - does that make sense??
Trev seemed to say it much clearer a short time ago!!
I used a stainless steel bolt with nyloc nut through the bush on mine and found that I could tighten the bolt such that it gripped the bush and allowed the stand to rotate on it OR could tighten the bolt only sufficiently that the tube could rotate on the bolt - Trev's clarification came JIT for me..
I'd suggest that unless the bush is drilled through for the grease to pass through it then the design of your stand would be the same function as mine, the stand rotates around the trapped bush...

[beezermacc]

Jules, the later centre stand is different and inferior to the 1956 version.

[jhg1958]

The more I get into BSA engineering the more I realise why Japanese bikes stormed the market. 

A stand is so simple that it would have been Easy get it right. Saying that, my Honda has a good design but no maintenance and When I bought the bike The stand was just about seized. 

Given that there is no wear on the frame lugs I conclude the pivoting point is between the spindle and the stand holes.  The tube just keeps a bit of grime away from the spindle. I do not have a lathe so it is a hacksaw job then slowly grind or file it down to a interference fit.  In the freezer to shorten it, fit and paint with lots of Hammerite.

Many  thanks for all your feedback

[beezermacc]

Given that there is no wear on the frame lugs I conclude the pivoting point is between the spindle and the stand holes.  The tube just keeps a bit of grime away from the spindle.

Many  thanks for all your feedback

The stand will pivot wherever it feels like on the day because there is no 'fixing' to secure any part of the swiveling bit rigid. Scientifically the stand will pivot where the resistance (friction) is least. As soon as you put weight on the stand and start to rock the bike back there is weight on the spindle, frame lugs, and stand eyes, all of which rub against each other and will eventually wear. The bits which rub the most will wear the most!

[chaterlea25]

Hi All
On my own SR the stand and frame was thrashed when I got the project 30 years ago
No internet or online parts back then and phoning UK cost a mint
I set to and welded up the worn stand and frame pivots and got the holes back to 1/2in, round
I drilled through a piece of round bar to make the tube, Then I welded the tube in place between the frame lugs to provide a long bush to support a new spindle, which has a nut instead of splitpins the spindle is now locked to the stand and has 4in. of support, a grease nipple is fitted to the middle of the bush
This was probably the first job I did on the bare frame and a long time before I got the bike on the road, Its been fine for the last 18 years

John

[Butch (cb)]

Despite having been assembled about as well as it could be it's a right heave ho on mine to stick it up on it. I pretty much always use the prop stand unless I'm conducting maintenance.   

[Billybream]

Having cut off the stand assist lever years ago, agree its very hard work to heave the old girl on to the centre stand,  but a tip of putting a piece of timber under the rear wheel, really makes light work of getting her on the stand.

[RDfella]

So does getting someone else to put it on the stand for you ... I can't manage it on my own. Most of the problem is that you're standing beside the bike trying to both lift and pull backwards, when pulling from the rear would make life easier. But then you can't reach the stand with your foot. Rubbish design.

[berger]

I must admit unless I've had my roast beef I struggle to get mine on centre stand nowadays, but I don't have the lifting handle, I have to grab the frame between the front of the seat and the back suspension and as we know they are heavy--- don't like it-- I used to just throw it on no bother.