Heavy bike centrestand problems.

[gotoole]

6" of 2 x 1. Simple place behind the rear wheel and reverse the wheel over it. Then use the main stand as required.
I have been doing it on various bikes for more years than I care to remember. I have never carried it with me but it is possible the tie on if necessary

[56G80S]

As a recommendation, Rob's stand makes it all a heck of a lot easier. On the single it might be best to adjust it a bit before fitting, shorten the length of the part parallel to the floor and put the falp where one's foot goes at an angle.

One of the best buys I got for the Matchless, setting aside the BrightSpark condensor and the Avon handlebar fairing.

Johnny B

[Group Leader]

I'm 5'2" (if I stand up very straight), this method works for me without any funny bits of wood etc.

http://www.jampot.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... nd#p175955

Alan

[REW]

No more bits of wood for me: I have just fitted a "Swift@tm" easy on centre stand to my M20. It works an absolute treat, strikingly so; it is hard to understand why the factory didn't try a bit harder in the first instance.

As an aside, at first the tip at the top of the left hand leg fouled the protruding end of a gearbox plate stud which required quite a bit of tedious filing to correct. Taking off the primary drive and oil pipes to remove the stud first did not appeal.

Finally, the stand bushes fit the new stand quite well (the old stand's eyelets were oval and very sloppy) leaving barely a mm of play at the stand's feet. Are new bushes recommended or even indicated by this?

[ajscomboman]

No more bits of wood for me: I have just fitted a "Swift@tm" easy on centre stand to my M20. It works an absolute treat, strikingly so; it is hard to understand why the factory didn't try a bit harder in the first instance.

As an aside, at first the tip at the top of the left hand leg fouled the protruding end of a gearbox plate stud which required quite a bit of tedious filing to correct.

Not an uncommon issue if the stud has been fitted with washers under the nut and the new studs are a tadge long compared to the originals. I've had to do the same to one of the bikes I inherited as even when the washer was removed the stud was too long to allow clearance. Grinding away at the stud was just to awkward so I relieved the inside of the ear like you.

[REW]

Rather than start a new thread, more on a new main stand:

Fitted and operating perfectly BUT the springs don't hold the new stand up firmly. Neither spring is new, but held original stand ok.

So, on its own, how strongly should the big centre spring keep the stand up in the horizontal position?

Does a new blade spring hold the stand up even if the centre spring isn't in place? Mine does not - I can bend it with my fingers.

Will all this be solved with new springs? If those who now enjoy the new stands could share their experience of spring strength I would be grateful.

[56G80S]

Hi Ron

I hhad a bit of a problem with this.

I think that the blade spring has slots and adjust up and down a bit to ensure the crosspiece fits into the bend in the bald spring.

It will still drop a bit if I go over a pothole but stays up enough to keep off the road on the coil spring and I just pop it back into the balde spring when I stop.

Johnny B

[REW]

Hmm, sounds like my flat spring is no good John, as it won't even hold the stand up without the coiled spring.

How much do the coil springs lose their tension over the years?

[dave16mct]

Yes mine went on ok but the new stand is twice as heavy as the original and the old spring couldn't keep it in place. I took it off again and did the trick with the jubilee clips and a split tube to wind it around one more turn. I had a hell of a job doing this but it now clips up with a good old clang! I think it would be best to fit a new spring with the new stand.
Dave.

[REW]

Wow Dave, an extra turn! So effectively 1 1/4 turns when at rest rather than the original 1/4 turn? I can imagine the effort to achieve that with jubilee clips etc!

I think you are right, a new spring at least ought to provide some extra heft plus a blade spring that works, hopefully. Are the blades spring steel or just mild steel?