RIVCO CENTERSTAND

[Cyclejohn]

        Hello everyone, my name is John and I am fairly new to the VRCC. I have a question about the Rivco Centerstand use. I installed the stand today on my 97 Tourer. I followed the instructions on the installation sheet as far as proper technique for engaging the stand but I cant even come close to getting the bike to come up. Could someone with a Rivco Centerstand please walk me through how to do this? I'm 5'8", 170lbs. The lady who took my order at Rivco said she is 5'6" 130lbs. and she can lift it easily. Thanks in advance for any help.   

[roboto65]

As with any center stand you use your body weight

Lets start from the beginning with your bike off the kickstand and balanced stand on the side with the peg for the center stand and put your foot on the peg and push it down till both feet touch the ground then put all your weight on it and lift on the side of the bike and it should pop up it is kinda a push pull move but it is not hard once you get the hang of it !!!

[DFragn]

I've either gotten lazy or weakened in the last few years. So, I stage a 1x into a 2x4 (about 10" long) and then it comes right up. When you roll up onto [rear wheel] the 2x4 make sure it's not close to rolling off before you put your stand down and hoist. Maybe the 1x would be enough on it's own for you. This involves not only side to side balance, but adds fore & aft too. Don't use anything wider or your stand could end up standing on it.
When my health improves I'll probably still do it this way. Yeah, I like lazy...

Once up if it gets lodged under the tire you can knock it out rearward with a block or hammer.

Maybe a good idea to have a spotter the first few times.

[Rocketman]

It helps to remember that you're not lifting it straight up, but rather up and back at the same time. Same concept with the push-down force with your foot.  Down and back. 

[R J]

I did a quick roll back, stomp on the center stand and yank  up & back on the grab bar in one quick motion.

Came up for me that way.

When I  1st put mine on I struggled grunted, cussed and said a few nasties.

Experiement, you will get used to it or the knack, what ever you want to call it.

I have retired mine now for a cross over pipe in my exhaust.........

[John Schmidt]

As stated earlier, you press down on the peg and you have to "feel" for both feet touching the floor. If you try to raise it any other way, you'll play "heck" getting it on the stand and you'll strain more than your back doing it....trusses aren't comfy. Second....never press down on that peg with any part of your foot forward of the center of it. If you try it by pressing with the balls of your foot, you'll eventually tear up a calf muscle. Place your foot on it either at the heel or just forward of the heel. Believe me, experience is a most painful teacher in this case. Early in the use of the stand, I tried horsing it up when only one foot was making contact with the sidewalk, and I did it by pressing down with the toe of my boot. About halfway up, my calf "popped" followed by excruiting pain. After not riding for about three weeks I tried it again, this time with both of the stand feet making contact and pushing down with the heel. In a single motion up and back it came up quite easy. It's a bit more difficult with a load on in back such as when traveling.

You might want to have someone with you the first couple times while getting the "feel" of rocking the bike to the right so you can feel both feet touching the floor. Lastly, straddle the bike and rock it off the stand when ready to ride. I've seen too many riders take a bike off the centerstand by standing on the left side and walk it off, only to lose it to the right. When I commented to one person about it, he informed me of doing it that way hundreds of times, so I suggested Murphy's Law is waiting in the wings. About a week later, it happened in his garage, the bike dumped to the right and into his new Lexus. I've noticed he now straddles it when unloading it off the centerstand.

[Ricky-D]

The Valkyrie is a very heavy bike for a centerstand.  Maybe that's why Honda didn't put one on it.

Seems to me there was a centerstand on my Goldwing. That's from a long time ago.

If you need a centerstand I would try to fing a place to install a pull up handle to aid the exercise. Trying to pull up the Valkyrie merely with the handlebars is fraught with danger. I agree both feet of the stand need to be fully planted.

i haven't ever looked at nor have had a chance to inspect the Rivco stand but I assumed it's attached to the motor at the same points my lift accessory fastens to. Those two holes on each side on the bottom of the motor.  I'm not convinced that those are good points to fasten a stand. Anything happens and you can potentially break out the bottom of the motor.  Not sure, just sayin'.

***

[Cyclejohn]

    Thanks to everyone for replying. I took the tips from all posts and armed with the newfound knowledge I just knew I could "Get er Done". The Valk is such a big & heavy bike it's hard to balance, pull the handlebar, pull on the grab rail, push down on the foot bar, and go up and back at the same time. But I did try and try. Almost got it one time but I was worn out and it almost flipped to the right. I'll take the advice and wait till I have a friend (spotter) over to perfect that technique. I finally tried DFragns' advice and put a 10" 1x6 in front of the rear wheel and pushed the bike on it. Using the same technique as before, the Valk went up so fast I almost flipped it over backwards LOL. Simple always works best Huh. I wanted the centerstand to hold the bike upright doing cleaning and maintenance without the lift or wheel chock in the way. The Rivco bolts to the welded crossmember that goes across the bottom of the frame. The same one the kickstand is bolted to. Once again Thank You for the advice and tips.  John     

[Bone]

Now that you can raise the bike on the stand with the 1x6 Practice. Raise and lower the bike several times with the 1x6. Soon you will get the feel of the bike and it will become easy.
I had a 85 Goldwing and almost hurt myself the first attempt. After reading the correct procedure posted on the GWRRA site by experienced riders I could do it with little effort and much more safety.

[DFragn]

   Thanks to everyone for replying. I took the tips from all posts and armed with the newfound knowledge I just knew I could "Get er Done". The Valk is such a big & heavy bike it's hard to balance, pull the handlebar, pull on the grab rail, push down on the foot bar, and go up and back at the same time. But I did try and try. Almost got it one time but I was worn out and it almost flipped to the right. I'll take the advice and wait till I have a friend (spotter) over to perfect that technique. I finally tried DFragns' advice and put a 10" 1x6 in front of the rear wheel and pushed the bike on it. Using the same technique as before, the Valk went up so fast I almost flipped it over backwards LOL. Simple always works best Huh. I wanted the centerstand to hold the bike upright doing cleaning and maintenance without the lift or wheel chock in the way. The Rivco bolts to the welded crossmember that goes across the bottom of the frame. The same one the kickstand is bolted to. Once again Thank You for the advice and tips.  John    

Ya know, with the heavy experience I've had and no trouble with GoldWings and their centerstands, it stands to reason [in mind anyway] that if our Valks centerstands were mounted just a 1/2" more rearward they would pop up 100% easier. Look what lifting the rear 3/4" does.  It practically flies up on its own.
But, there's no way to reposition it. It is what it is...Rivco done as good as can be and maybe why Honda didn't put one on - the Valk doesn't lend itself to adequate positioning of a mounted C-Stand for reasonable deployment.

[Earl in Pensacola]

I've been using the Rivco Ctr stand for over 10 years and I've been using a 1X6X24 for most of that time.  The one thing I'll add is, once the bike is up, I put the side stand up and start the engine then drop into 1st gear and ease out the clutch.  She spits out the 1X6X24 very nicely.  Oh yea, one more thing, be sure that the side stand is back down BEFORE you roll her forward and off the ctr stand.  Failure to do so, "locks" the side stand up behind the ctr stand and you have to start all over from scratch.

[stude31]

This is great... I just picked up a 1998 Tourer and it came w/ a center stand.  I tried to get it up on their and after much effort and heart racing a buddy came to my rescue.... I am no small guy 6'1 and 210lbs.  I managed to get it up by myself but my goodness should it be that tough.  We put his 96 goldwing on it's center stand and then put the tourer on it and compared the two... I don't know if you have access to a wing but the wing has less clearance from the ground to the rear tire than on the tourer...  That stand lifts the rear up much higher and that too could be part of the problem.  It was good timing for this post and I will try the 1x6 technique. 

Thanks again guys..

Stude

[Udo]

Shorter shocks, a smaller tire, load on the bike (full bags), lots of accessories, all makes it harder, to put the bike on the centerstand....been there...i always use the piece of wood...

[Rocketman]

The Valkyrie is a very heavy bike for a centerstand.  Maybe that's why Honda didn't put one on it.

If you do it right, it's actually pretty easy to get up on the stand.

If you need a centerstand I would try to fing a place to install a pull up handle to aid the exercise. Trying to pull up the Valkyrie merely with the handlebars is fraught with danger. I agree both feet of the stand need to be fully planted.

I didn't buy mine from Rivco (it was installed when I bought the bike), but every Valkyrie with a center stand I've ever seen has had the same grab bar on the left side of the rear seat.  I believe it came with the stand.
I can't imagine doing it without the grab bar.  I keep my left hand on the handlebars, but I don't put any real force on it.  Pulling on the handlebars would pretty much guarantee you drop 'er.

i haven't ever looked at nor have had a chance to inspect the Rivco stand but I assumed it's attached to the motor at the same points my lift accessory fastens to. Those two holes on each side on the bottom of the motor.  I'm not convinced that those are good points to fasten a stand. Anything happens and you can potentially break out the bottom of the motor.  Not sure, just sayin'.

As for mount points, it's a frame member, not the motor.  No worries.

Mark

[Daniel Meyer]

i haven't ever looked at nor have had a chance to inspect the Rivco stand but I assumed it's attached to the motor at the same points my lift accessory fastens to. Those two holes on each side on the bottom of the motor.  I'm not convinced that those are good points to fasten a stand. Anything happens and you can potentially break out the bottom of the motor.  Not sure, just sayin'.

Not mounted to the engine. Does have a rubber bumper that touches the engine, but it's not going to do any damage to it.

IOh yea, one more thing, be sure that the side stand is back down BEFORE you roll her forward and off the ctr stand.  Failure to do so, "locks" the side stand up behind the ctr stand and you have to start all over from scratch.

This statement is incorrect. Correctly installed, the center stand does not interfere with the sidestand in any position.



http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/10/27/centerStand.html