getting bike up on center stand HELP!?

so ive got a 1980 midnight special, 850cc. i can not for the life of me and the human race get the bike to get up on the center stand.

is there a trick to this thing? the side stand seems to not extend out far enough to get the bike to lean to stability either.

but i need to get the bike on the center stand and ive tried me and another big guy pulling the bike backwards and lifting up, to no avail.

any tips would be great!

I'm 5'8" and I use to weight 155, at that time in my life I had a ZX10 (a large spot/touring) with a center stand. I tryed everything to stand that bike up and just could not do it. My brother after watching me tug and lift until my face was blue showed me how. Take hold of your handle bar with your left hand put your right foot on the center stand and with your right hand next to your right hip hold on to the left side frame. In ONE motion lift up, pull back and push down on the stand with your right foot. It's kind of like patting you head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. Trust me, once you do it once, you'll be stunned at how easy it is. Kevin P.S. You may drop a nut but atleast the bike will be on the center stand....HeHe

I was going to recommend almost the same thing, except the version that always worked for me was to put the stand down to the ground, and then stand on the peg of the stand with your left foot. Use your left hand to pull up on the frame right under the saddle, and your right hand to pull back on the center of the the handlebars while keeping the center stand stationary by standing on it.

That's sort of the same type of technique I use when loading and unloading passengers. Put the kickstand down, but have the bike upright. Then firmly press down on the kickstand base with your foot so that the bike can't move. No amount of passenger jerking around will toss your balance.

Has the bike been lowered any at all? There is no chance for a stock center stand to work on a motorcycle that has been lowered. Also I have found that steel suspension springs don't do as well after 20 years, clutch springs too. The old springs sag and don't have as much strenth. Lastly it is hard to get a dresser on the center stand, they are heavy. I have been looking to get a spare center stand and cut it down
1-1/2" The last thing to try is to run the front wheel up a ramp, putting down the center stand and pulling the ramp out. Be carefull with that one, you will need a place to stand and help to do it.

Once you figure out the technique..it's very easy. Don't think of it as trying to lift the bike....just position yourself as stated in the above posts...with your foot on the centerstand peg...push down on the stand while your body lifts the bike. It's hard to explain but easy once you get the hang of it.

I ride a '99 Royal Star Venture that weighs close to 900 lbs. fully fueled and etc. It did not come with a centerstand but I made my own. I can easy get it onto the stand.

Don

thanks for the tips guys.. im going to see if its easier to get up on the center stand after i get some nice new tires, the ones ive got now are pretty worn and rotted, so i think that might be dragging it down, plus some bad technique in pulling it up on the stand.

i have a 72 xs2 650 with center stand. For awhile I struggled with it then finally figured it out. I put my left hand on the handlebar right hand somewhere around the seat to hold it up and my right foot on the the stand. I then roll it backwards a few steps and use the rearward momentum to put it up there when I press down on the stand. Good luck and dont forget to hold your mouth just right when doing it. :usa: