Main stand pivot greasing

[reillypadraig]

Not sure if too many people have done this but I gave it a go the other day, bike way really stiff putting onto main stand, so I decided to remove it ( as I have a habit of removing stuf on this bike and found the pivot bearing ( or basically a bolt) dry as a done. So I greased it and put all back together, now here's the tricky part, the Haynes manuel says to bolt all back together and then reattach the spring, I found my spring to be a little tense :rollin

Haynes manuel doesn't tell you that you can separate the springs, so I put bike center stand without spring then attached the top half of both springs to the main frame and the pulled the smaller inner spring down onto the hook on the stand then the larger one over it, mind you for this I had a second pair of hand and a long screwdriver so both of us pushed the spring down at the same time from both sides of the bike. Probably not the best way of doing it but worked for me with the limited tools (and of course limited brain capacity)

But hey it's perfect now.

Anyone ever do this??

[Dead Eye]

I did this with the help of Exupnut - huge kudos to anyone who has done this by themselves.

We did it the opposite way around though, reattached the springs then used the stand as leverage to get the bolts in to position. Worked out in the end

[darrsi]

One of my first ever posts on here 


http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php/topic,2879....l#msg22984

[Lazarus]

My spring broke on the centre stand so I removed the stand whilst I got a replacement (courtesy of sadlonelygit from here). put it back on and found if you attached the spring to stand and then to the bike, it was easier to manhandle the stand into place.

[packie]

mind you for this I had a second pair of hand and a long screwdriver so both of us pushed the spring down at the same time from both sides of the bike.

....that's why I periodically lubricate the centrestand and sidestand regularly!!  :nana

I do it at intervals something like every second chain lube. Only takes 2 minutes. Learned the hard way as usual. I did muscular damage to my back by constantly lifting a beast of an XJR1300 that I owned with a stiff centrestand. It took about 12 months to heal properly.

[reillypadraig]

Jasus packie, bikes haven't been very nice to you at all????

I did try it with the spring on and then pull the centre stand into place but just wouldn't go and got royally pissed of.

[packie]

Jasus packie, bikes haven't been very nice to you at all????

....ah you only hear the bad stuff here because 90% of forum activity relates to problems and problem solving. I have been blessed with wonderful experiences on my bike too. It gave me the oppurtunity to explore in full such wonderful places abroad on my bike.

It started with my first trip abroad to The Highlands Scotland in 2000 and I got the bug after that. I haven't drank or smoked in donkeys years, so I manage to put that money towards a decent holiday each year and treat myself. This included trips to Cornwall, England, The Pyrenees, St. Tropez, Canne, Drive the famous streets of Monte Carlo in Monaco, Black Forests of Germany, Northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria, a visit to my sister who lived near Alicante in Spain, Nostalgic visit across Normandy, the beautiful coast of Brittany....and not to mention some of the lovely sights on my own Island.

This year I'm going to try to get to the Giant's Causeway and go for a little putt all along that coast up there for a week. That was the plan last year but wasn't fulfilled when I crashed a month before my holidays and I was laid up for 3 months.

[Chris]

Was thinking of taking mine off as it's covered in muck and could really do with a good clean and paint. Thanks for the info before I needed it 

Chris

[reillypadraig]

Sounds amazing!! No wonder ya needed all that luggage on the bandit! Will have to vist some of those places my self, how did you find riding on the continent?

[reillypadraig]

Was thinking of taking mine off as it's covered in muck and could really do with a good clean and paint. Thanks for the info before I needed it 

Chris

Yea gave mine a quick spray painting aswel, could on put bike on stand myself after it was washed, had to degrease it due to the amount grease and chain lube on it

[packie]

Sounds amazing!! No wonder ya needed all that luggage on the bandit! Will have to vist some of those places my self, how did you find riding on the continent?

It was strange at first, but after a hour or so I got used to riding on the other side of the road. I just had to watch the traffic coming into the roundabouts from the opposite side.


Two things that I found that made life a bit easier but not necessary was:


(1) a passenger who acted as a second pair of eyes for me.


(2) On my third trip/year, I got a Sat Nav. This was the best buy ever. I got a dedicated expensive bike one which gives verbal instructions via an earpiece in the helmet via bluetooth. It would tell you in advance that your turn off was coming up or what exit you were looking for at a roundabout ect, ect without even having to look at the Sat Nav.


That took care of trying to look for signposts and figure out my exits were, which then enabled me to concentrate more on the road traffic instead. And even if I messed up and if I was too slow to make a turn-off, it would automatically find you an alternative route to get you back to my destination. Also, you could plan a route in advance and store it which meant no stopping here, there, and everywhere to get the map out to see were you still heading in the right directions.