[Mugszy]

Any reason why we cannot use 1st gear to ride off the centre stand when a pillion is aboard? The manual speaks only of rocking it of in neutral which seems to be more of a tip over risk.

Regards...

Mugz

 

[ArthurKnowles]

Didn't work for me. Tried it once after reading about people doing it with their RTs. Wheel didn't touch ground when riding two up.

Now, I just get the wife to help by both of us moving forward at the same time. When riding one up, I do it by myself.

 

[WildBil]

K1200LT does not have the rear wheel on the ground and so driving off the center stand does not work.

Generally, not being of the long inseam crowd, I find this works:

1) Do this one-up - your passenger will probably have an easier time getting on when its on the side stand, and the side stand, on solid ground, will hold you both. REALLY. Even though it does not look the part.
2) Lean to the right and plant you foot on the ground.
3) Use that foot to push
4) Sometimes it takes a rock or two - but with practice, it just comes off the centerstand.
5) Get back on the middle of the seat and plant both feet on the ground as you the bike lands and apply the brake gently if you are rolling forward.
6) Deploy the sidestand to warm it up, load passengers. set the Navigator, whatever else you do to get started.

Obstacles:

- Do not use the center stand with the front wheel uphill if its more than a slight slope. Its really hard to get of the center stand without help going uphill.

- I would hate to think what might come if you leaned the bike back far enough to get the rear wheel down, put it in 1st gear, got the back wheel to shove it off the stand with the front wheel in the air, had the front wheel come down, lifting the rear up as the centerstand snapped up and then the rear wheel came back down spinning faster than the bike was rolling. Now that sounds like a tip-over risk, plus you better hit the clutch and the brake before you hit somebody or something.

- You do need to make sure that the ground beneath your feet is solid, not sandy, full of garage dust, stones or leaf debree. That will be the only tip-over risk I have ever seen.

 

[Eric_R]

I ride off the center stand all the time with the SO.
No problems so far.

 

[Mugszy]

Thanx for your replies guys. I guess it is all in how much traction your pillion can create on your rear wheel. Mine will put enough wheight (don't tell her I said that) on it to make it work. Just wondered if doing so would stress out either the hydrolics or the FD.

Regards...

Mugz

 

[powwow]

Thanx for your replies guys. I guess it is all in how much traction your pillion can create on your rear wheel. Mine will put enough wheight (don't tell her I said that) on it to make it work. Just wondered if doing so would stress out either the hydrolics or the FD.

Regards...

Mugz

Wow, Mugz. You're a brave guy. Don't think I would ever have put that in writing....

 

[dwfindley]

Personally, I am NOW very gentle coming off the center stand. The very first day I had the 2008 bike I dropped the bike off the center stand. I mean there is ZERO pivot play in this bike, no recovery ever. The bike was in N and running. Today, I never have the bike running coming off the center stand (with back wheel turning). Call it neurotic but no way will I take that beast down off the center stand except in N and engine off. Ah!!!

 

[jzeiler]

Just wondered if doing so would stress out either the hydrolics or the FD.

Regards...

Mugz

Nope. The actuator resets after the stand comes down so it is out of the way for the retract. The rear drive is not going to care either

 

[ArthurKnowles]

Today, I never have the bike running coming off the center stand (with back wheel turning). Call it neurotic but no way will I take that beast down off the center stand except in N and engine off. Ah!!!

Umm, you know without the engine running you have very little braking power as the servo is not enabled?

 

[scurrie]

Mine will put enough wheight (don't tell her I said that) on it to make it work.

Man, I would never put that in writing!

-Scurrie

 

[Ghost55]

I have never ridden off the center stand, although, I think I could do it. Don't want to risk damage to the drive gear as it is a bit of a slam comming off the stand.

 

[cws]

mmmm, used to do this with my K75RT all the time, but no way with the LT due to the sheer weight and potential tip-over factor.
I like to keep both feet firmly planted on the ground when rocking off the c/stand.
Occassionaly when the bike hasn't been running long (1st startup) it can be a little rough on first throttle and not grab straight away, so careful clutch manipulation is required... that could be bad karma with no foot support to keep it upright!
Of course if your facing straight downhill so you'd roll forward anyway... it would be a lot easier. :bike:

 

[PSYCHO]

Personally, I am NOW very gentle coming off the center stand. The very first day I had the 2008 bike I dropped the bike off the center stand. I mean there is ZERO pivot play in this bike, no recovery ever. The bike was in N and running. Today, I never have the bike running coming off the center stand (with back wheel turning). Call it neurotic but no way will I take that beast down off the center stand except in N and engine off. Ah!!!

That is how I dropped my bike... pushing off the center stand and the parking space had a slight right slope to it... slight enough for the bike to immediately go right when it came off the stand. Made the mistake of trying to stop it from tipping... Pulled wrist and still hurts a week later (golfing did not help either)
Glad I got the whole drop thing out of the way... now I don't worry about it any more

 

[WildBil]

Do keep in mind that in some 2005 and all prior, no hydraulic center stand. You could do wild thinks like have the side stand deployed while you lifted it up onto the center stand. And it had a bit more ground clearance than the whopping 3.25" in 2006-09.

I don't believe the beast would get hurt riding off the Hydaulc stand - you just push it off anyway. It just sounds like a tip over risk as you tranistion from back to front to both. I guess that makes the driver (me) the biggest obstacle.


Things like the Park-n-Ride used to fit under the LT pre-hydraulics. Has anybody gotten that 5.75" park-n-ride under the LT with a hydraulic center stand?

 

[jzeiler]

I have never ridden off the center stand, although, I think I could do it. Don't want to risk damage to the drive gear as it is a bit of a slam comming off the stand.

If you can drive off the center stand, by definition your rear wheel is already on the ground so there is no slam.

 

[Tandemfusion]

We do it all the time. It's actually quite smooth.

There's also no particular tip over risk that I see, and I'm not a tall guy. (5'10", 32" inseam). I just cover the front brake, allow about the amount of throttle and clutch that I would on any start and ride off. It's no problem to either pick my feet up and continue on or stop within a foot or so.

 

[Mugszy]

I agree that it is no problem using first gear to get off the centre stand. When I am alone on the bike, I definately need to rock off. We have found it easier to have the SO mount the bike while on the CS and at first I was rocking it off as usual but felt that it could tip either way if I was not planted right. Then I noticed that the rear wheel was making contact with the ground when the passenger was on so I decided to use 1st gear and it realy improved stability since I can plant both feet while I gently ride off the stand. It is not a pop and go manouver. Just ride of the stand first then once off the stand, reasses what is required to be on your way.

By the way, I am 5'9 with a 30" inseem and can still plant both feet with my suspension set to high for two-up riding.

Thanx again for all your replies and ride safe!

Regards...
Mugz