Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Sly on June 03, 2014, 08:27:54 PM
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I have seen a few of the you tubes available, tried several times, no luck :o can someone please tell me what the secret is on the center stand...... :-\ how the f*** does this thing work? Merci
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If your bike has been lowered it will be more difficult to prop on the center stand. Handlebar straight. Left hand on left grip. Right hand on the pillion left handle. With your right foot, step lightly on the stand to lower it to the ground and make sure both pads are contacting the ground by rocking the bike left-right ever so slightly. When they are, step fully on the stand with your right foot putting all your weight on it (wear stiff-soled shoes/boots or it will hurt.) That's where most of your leverage comes from. Your left foot should be on the air. No luck? Try rolling the rear wheel on something about 1-2 inches thick to increase stand leverage. Don't forget to grunt.
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It is definitely technique more than muscle. I am not that big of a guy and could easily get my Gold Wing on the center stand with almost no effort. The Concours is even easier. Just practice and follow the advice in the previous post.
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The secret is to give it a "jerk" by lifting case holder on the right side by right hand while pushing central stand by left foot.
Left hand use for steady the bike and right foot for lever ;D
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Make sure both points are down before starting the lift. The bike can fall otherwise. Ask me how I know... :-\
I rock it once usually as I am light. Goes right up. Push straight down on it.
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I use the canyon cage bag guard, and the left bar. Get it upright, rock it slightly back just before jumping on it with all 6'3" 145lbs i got. Sometimes this takes a couple tries. I also lift on the canyon cage. 190/55 profile tires helped a lot.
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Thank you everyone, I'll give it a try later and let you know... :finger_fing11:
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If your bike has been lowered it will be more difficult to prop on the center stand. Handlebar straight. Left hand on left grip. Right hand on the pillion left handle. With your right foot, step lightly on the stand to lower it to the ground and make sure both pads are contacting the ground by rocking the bike left-right ever so slightly. When they are, step fully on the stand with your right foot putting all your weight on it (wear stiff-soled shoes/boots or it will hurt.) That's where most of your leverage comes from. Your left foot should be on the air. No luck? Try rolling the rear wheel on something about 1-2 inches thick to increase stand leverage. Don't forget to grunt.
^^^ this
It's about 85% technique 15% muscle. I'm 5'5" 160 lbs and I have no problem putting the big girl up on the center stand, even while wearing flip flops (I just did it yesterday when I washed and waxed my bike).
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Projeck D (sp?) makes a fold up handle that looks like a good piece.
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^^^ this
It's about 85% technique 15% muscle. I'm 5'5" 160 lbs and I have no problem putting the big girl up on the center stand, even while wearing flip flops (I just did it yesterday when I washed and waxed my bike).
...but can you do it bare footed...from the left side?
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...but can you do it bare footed...from the left side?
What's it worth to ya to find out? ;D
(RIP MG)
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8)
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(I just did it yesterday when I washed and waxed my bike)
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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Concentrate your effort on pushing down with your right foot, not pulling up with your right hand. The key is the foot push, not the hand pull.
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Concentrate your effort on pushing down with your right foot, not pulling up with your right hand. The key is the foot push, not the hand pull.
Exactly. The hand pull is only so you get more force on the foot. Once the bike is stable on both points of the center stand the other foot should not be touching the ground at all. All your weight plus whatever additional force you can apply by pulling with your hand.
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Concentrate your effort on pushing down with your right foot, not pulling up with your right hand. The key is the foot push, not the hand pull.
OK I get it!! it’s the opposite to self :censored: gratification :yikes: :)
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I will say that of all the bikes I've owned with a centerstand, the C14 is the most difficult to get on to the stand. By comparison my GL1800 Goldwing, at about 200 lbs. more, goes up almost effortlessly. But I agree, the key is foot pressure not arm strength. I also find that gripping the bar that supports the rack just above the passenger footpegs allows me to steady myself and the bike while standing on the lever on the stand.
It takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy.
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I will say that of all the bikes I've owned with a centerstand, the C14 is the most difficult to get on to the stand. By comparison my GL1800 Goldwing, at about 200 lbs. more, goes up almost effortlessly. But I agree, the key is foot pressure not arm strength. I also find that gripping the bar that supports the rack just above the passenger footpegs allows me to steady myself and the bike while standing on the lever on the stand.
It takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy.
Really? How old is your C14, and have you ever lubricated the center stand?
My previous bike was a 2004 BMW K1200LT (the year BEFORE the electro-hydraulic pushbutton center stand) and that thing was a MONSTER to get up on the center stand. Sometimes took 3-4 tries and lots of swearing. I disassembled and fully lubricated the center stand on it and it made it a lot easier, but still was a workout (and I'm 6'1, 250, so there was PLENTY of weight on the center stand activator).
First time I tried to put my new C14 on the centerstand, it snapped right up on the stand with almost no effort, I looked around the garage to see if someone was screwing with me.
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Really? How old is your C14, and have you ever lubricated the center stand?
It's an '08. No, I've not lubricated the stand but I'll certainly check it. As noted before, it seems like it's 90% technique and 10% muscle. I only had difficulty the first few times. Now it's 2nd nature. But still takes quite a bit more effort than the Goldwing. I note that the lever part of the Goldwing center stand is about 2X as long as the one on the C14. So that certainly adds a lot of leverage.
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I think of it like a rowing machine... push on the center stand with your leg(s), and pull on the rail with your arm(s). It's like fake exercise. Then you get some ice cream... just like a real workout!
But, there's lots of good advice in here. It won't make complete sense until you do it a couple times.
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seems like none of you guys ever owned a C10.... if ya did, you'd never think the C14 was tough...
all this talk about foot pressure, and no arm pull has me baffled, do you think this thing should jump up in the air by foot pressure alone? 10% arm pull??
It's a co-ordinated footpush-arm pull, and about the same as trying to stretch a bicycle inner tube between the right foot and right arm. If you ain't pulling up and back, it ain't going... ;)
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seems like none of you guys ever owned a C10.... if ya did, you'd never think the C14 was tough...
all this talk about foot pressure, and no arm pull has me baffled, do you think this thing should jump up in the air by foot pressure alone? 10% arm pull??
It's a co-ordinated footpush-arm pull, and about the same as trying to stretch a bicycle inner tube between the right foot and right arm. If you ain't pulling up and back, it ain't going... ;)
My 165# body weight was enough to get it up on the center stand with very little pull on the right hand. I would suspect that a 200# guy could almost do it without pulling up at all.
My new GS goes up really easily, but it takes an act of God to get it OFF the center stand. The dang thing will scoot all around the garage floor while I'm rocking it to get it down. Then, be very sure that your left foot hasn't worked its way behind the foot peg or your going to get a major rap in the shin. I've got bruises to prove it.
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My 165# body weight was enough to get it up on the center stand with very little pull on the right hand. I would suspect that a 200# guy could almost do it without pulling up at all.
I am only 145 pounds, and with my lowered Concours, it is nearly impossible for me to get it on the centerstand... even with a 2x12 under the rear tire. I gave up both times I tried and had to get someone to help. My ZRX didn't have a center stand, so I used an external bobbin lift thing, which was easy. And the EX250 before that was super easy to get on the center stand :)
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I am only 145 pounds, and with my lowered Concours, it is nearly impossible for me to get it on the centerstand... even with a 2x12 under the rear tire. I gave up both times I tried and had to get someone to help. My ZRX didn't have a center stand, so I used an external bobbin lift thing, which was easy. And the EX250 before that was super easy to get on the center stand :)
I'm going to speculate that most of the problem here is not that you weigh only 145 but that the bike is lowered. In lowering what leverage you have on the centerstand is reduced since it can't drop down as far as a stock one.
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I'm going to speculate that most of the problem here is not that you weigh only 145 but that the bike is lowered. In lowering what leverage you have on the centerstand is reduced since it can't drop down as far as a stock one.
Being lightweight doesn't help, for sure... but the lowering is certainly the major cause of my problem with using the centerstand. The only real solution would be to remove it, chop off an inch in the uprights, weld it back together, paint it, resinstall it, and hope it is all perfectly done. For something I rarely use, just not worth all the effort.
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Just take it OFF dead weight ;)
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^^^^^ that 8)
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seems like none of you guys ever owned a C10.... if ya did, you'd never think the C14 was tough...
all this talk about foot pressure, and no arm pull has me baffled, do you think this thing should jump up in the air by foot pressure alone? 10% arm pull??
It's a co-ordinated footpush-arm pull, and about the same as trying to stretch a bicycle inner tube between the right foot and right arm. If you ain't pulling up and back, it ain't going... ;)
That's the key, really. 1. make sure the bike is in neutral (I've seen plenty of people with the bike in gear, wondering why they are getting a hernia trying to put the bike up on the center stand) and 2. you're not just lifting the bike up, you're rolling it back and "up onto the center stand"
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PitBull rear stand, done. :thumbs: :chugbeer:
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/dfjedj.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/jaywilcox/media/dfjedj.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/photo7_zps7807efca.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/jaywilcox/media/photo7_zps7807efca.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/photo4_zps497e9e0f.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/jaywilcox/media/photo4_zps497e9e0f.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/CP7_zpsa2ee926a.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/jaywilcox/media/CP7_zpsa2ee926a.jpg.html)
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How to put a Kawasaki Concours on the Center stand
(with "Two fingers" and "Bare feet." / And being about 6' 5" tall.)
http://youtu.be/astp0sJSrWQ (http://youtu.be/astp0sJSrWQ)
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Learn how to put Kawasaki Concours 14 on centerstand
http://youtu.be/NCy2q05DTIA (http://youtu.be/NCy2q05DTIA)
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I'm not impressed, the guy can't even count--it was FOUR fingers!
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I'm going to speculate that most of the problem here is not that you weigh only 145 but that the bike is lowered. In lowering what leverage you have on the centerstand is reduced since it can't drop down as far as a stock one.
Agree there. When we lowered the 1100RT my 250 lbs was not getting that thing up without a 2x8 under it where previously it popped right up.
I remember scouring the old forum for instruction on getting the C14 on the stand and got it figured out when a shorter sttured female called someone out and explained the technique. I promptly went down to the barn just before midnite, flipped the lights on and stood on the centerstand....it popped right up and I delivered a few well chosen words out of respect.
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I'm a lightweight (6', 170), and a trick that works for me is to turn the handlebars to the left stop so that the end of the bar is closer to my body. Lets me put more weight in the right direction, and it doesn't seem like such a balancing act.
When I have the Corbin rear trunk installed, it's more difficult for me. I have to grab the passenger bar from inside, and the extra weight (especially when loaded up) doesn't help. But, as was mentioned before, it's STILL easier than my C10!