Getting My '83 R100RT Up On Center Stand Difficult

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All,

It takes a lot of effort getting my 83 R100RT up on it's center stand. All of my strength to get it to raise up to the point it sits back on the center stand.

Anyone else have this issue? Assume it has something to do with mechanism being worn? Any pointers to remedy??

Thx in advance!

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Getting an airhead up onto the center stand is difficult at best. But there are some things that help. My technique is to drop the center stand down and then place your foot solidly behind the left foot of the center stand. Then, grabbing the handle above the L/H battery cover I do my best job of both lifting up and pulling back on the handle. The lifting gets harder as the bike is lifted up and toward the rear, but you must maintain your energy.

Nothing new, really.

A Reynolds ride-off stand, in lieu of the stock center stand might help, if you can find one. I don't know if you're one who almost always 'needs' for the bike to be up on the center stand (I tend to be one of those guys myself), but the bike doesn't always have to be on the center stand.

Using the stock side stand can be a pain in the ass as well. I'm lucky because I have a long inseam and I can sit on the bike as I stiff-leg the side stand and lean the bike over, counting on the bike to become stable when it touches the ground. Once I wasn't paying attention and I stopped in my dirt lane (to open my gate) as per usual. What I hadn't noticed was that there was a slight pot hole exactly where the side stand would come to rest.

It's a major pain in the ass to try to lift an airhead lying on it's left cylinder and with my feet on some loose sand over some hard clay.

I then noticed some gas dribbling from the L/H carb.

So I doubt I've helped you any, but hopefully I amused you with a mental picture of me wrestling with my airhead.

Ken

[barryh]

....Anyone else have this issue? Assume it has something to do with mechanism being worn? Any pointers to remedy?

When the stand tips or contact stops on the frame wear the bike goes too far over centre on the stand and although it doesn't seem logical, that makes it feel as if it's hard to put on the stand. They can be repaired by building up with weld and grinding to fit.

If your stand sits at an angle like this then it's badly worn:

Worn Stand.jpg (58.77 KiB) Viewed 4163 times

After repair it should be much nearer vertical like this:

Repaired Stand .jpg (92.91 KiB) Viewed 4163 times

[Steve in Golden]

Been a while since I put an airhead on the centerstand but in addition to Ken's suggestions, can you also press down on the curved "foot" part of the stand with your foot at the same time as you lift? This is what I do on my R1200GS and it helps enormously. I do the reverse when letting it off the stand to gently lower it rather than having it "fall off" the centerstand.

[ME 109]

The 83 c/stand should be 240mm from the centre of the pivot hole to the bottom of the feet. The 81 c/stand is 250mm.
The 10mm difference was an 'upgrade' from the 81, to make it easier to use.
Repairing the stand as in the pics below won't make it easier to get up on the stand, but it will make it a hell of a lot easier to get off the stand.
The Reynold ride off stand used the 'shorter leg length' concept to make it easy to use.

Repairing the stand is not so easy to do if you can't weld. It takes some accurate work to do properly.

[bbelk]

I have not seen it listed here, and it seems obvious, but I have seen it done wrong lots of time.

As Ken said, get the stand down, plant your foot behind the stand, LEAN THE BIKE AWAY FROM YOU UNTIL THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STAND HITS THE GROUND, and then lift an pull back.

It feels weird leaning the bike away from you, and if the ground is not level it can be bad. If you don't get both feet of the stand on the ground, it is MUCH harder to lift the bike. It is really pretty easy done correctly and I am a wimp.

[sprints@pldi.net]

I'm in agreement with Steve - I've had several Airheads and oil heads along with other brands and stepping down on the tang helps lighten the load.
If you go with a side stand, get a Brown's, they sell them new at Max's

[Steve in Golden]

"tang" - that's the word I wanted but couldn't think of.

[Kurt in S.A.]

Unless I missed it, the tang is only used to lower or raise the center stand. Stepping on the tang for the purposes of getting the bike up on the center stand will only bend the tang or break it off. You actually step on the center stand curved foot and press down to help with the leverage.

Kurt in S.A.

[SteveD]

It takes a lot of effort getting my 83 R100RT up on it's center stand. All of my strength to get it to raise up to the point it sits back on the center stand.

Anyone else have this issue? Assume it has something to do with mechanism being worn? Any pointers to remedy??

The stand is crap, and after some use and wear, it becomes a problem.

Two things.
1. Check it's current condition as described in the replies above.
2. Technique. There is a best way, not perfect but better.

Technique. Best used if the bike is unloaded.
1. Stand at the clutch side.
2. Left hand on the handlebar, right hand on the lift handle.
3. Left foot forward of the stand, lower the stand with the right foot and place the right foot on the end of the left stand leg, not on the lowering tang.
4. Simultaneously- right foot pushes down on the stand, right hand lifts the bike vertically, left hand guides it back.
5. Avoid "clunking" the bike onto the stand, preferably guiding it to it's resting position. Once it's over the high point of the procedure, it's easier.

Practice helps, as does choosing a flat surface.