ed Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Okay, this may be a dumb question, but other than chain and rear wheel maintenance, what good is a center stand?? I can use my harbor freight lift with some custom wood blocks to get the back end in the air. Any other reasons I should leave this big heavy ugly thing on my FJ-09? Thanks for your input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thruster8999 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Okay, this may be a dumb question, but other than chain and rear wheel maintenance, what good is a center stand?? I can use my harbor freight lift with some custom wood blocks to get the back end in the air. Any other reasons I should leave this big heavy ugly thing on my FJ-09? Thanks for your input![br If your going to tour its a good idea to have it on just incase you need to work on the rear or front like replacement of tires. Other then that it may just be a paper weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbooblivion Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Okay, this may be a dumb question, but other than chain and rear wheel maintenance, what good is a center stand?? I can use my harbor freight lift with some custom wood blocks to get the back end in the air. Any other reasons I should leave this big heavy ugly thing on my FJ-09? Thanks for your input!Removing the center stand is one of the first things I thought of when I saw the weight difference between the FZ and FJ. At least some of that is the stand. When you take yours off see if you can get an accurate weight on it ... and don't forget the big bolts! I'm guessing it's about 12 to 15 lbs. all up. Center stands are handy on tour for a couple reasons ... but you can certainly work around it. They do make it a bit easier to load up gear, keeping the bike super stable and level. If you ever have to pull a wheel on side of road ... well then the center stand is really handy. But given the FJ runs tubeless ... 90% of flats will be fixed with a plug. Sure, it's a bit easier with a C-Stand, but I've done it without several times. On dual sports I use a prop stand to hold up bike, leaning bike over on side stand, it works! My 1050 Tiger has no center stand, and at first I thought I'd miss it as I had one on my V-Strom for 90K miles. But after several 5000 mile tours on the Tiger I realize I do fine without a stand. Like you, at home I've got Pit Bull stands front and rear. I got into center stands from riding BMW too many years. But now I think I've broken free! No more Center Stands! Carving weight off modern bikes is very tough to do. Getting a free 15 lb. bonus seems like a good deal to me. On a long trip, about all my clothes weigh 15 lbs. ... so a bit of savings. Next up? Shorai battery! another 10 lbs. lost! Has anyone taken their Center Stand off ? Or thought about doing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyD Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 It doesn't weigh 15lbs. Don't get crazy with your estimates. 5-6lbs MAX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbooblivion Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 It doesn't weigh 15lbs. Don't get crazy with your estimates. 5-6lbs MAX Is that your estimate ? Or did you take yours off and weigh it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodan Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I'm on the other side... it's nice to finally have a centerstand again! I have front and rear stands, but a centerstand is really nice on the road, and even in the garage it's quicker and easier than a swingarm stand. As noted above, it makes loading the bike easier for touring, and even in daily riding, you can put it on the stand and the left side bag isn't pointed at the ground when you open it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctrlaltdl Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 It's only 3.5lbs, so not much of a weight savings. So taking a dump would probably save you more weight. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troll Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 pushing back from the dinner table earlier might help as well... Coming to you from the frozen wastelands of the barren north Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member wessie Posted April 29, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted April 29, 2015 Centre stand makes checking the oil easier (although it's used none in 2000 miles), especially on tour. Same applies for chain adjustment. Centre stand means my bike takes less space to park at work, especially with luggage fitted. The bike bay at work is not huge and if everyone uses a main stand we can get an extra bike in there. Same would apply for street parking and in my small garage where I can park against a wall. On the side stand, the top box leans half way across my single garage, where single means about the width of an original Austin Mini. In 1974, housebuilders in the UK assumed everyone would be driving tiny cars in the future. This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
advman Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Also makes it easier just for cleaning the rear wheel, worth keeping it for that alone IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbooblivion Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 It's only 3.5lbs, so not much of a weight savings. So taking a dump would probably save you more weight. ;-) Wow! 3.5 lbs. is light. If accurate, then probably not an issue! Funny, my Suzuki DL1000 Vstrom center stand weight 12.5 lbs. (5.6 kgs.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest branthopolis Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 It's only 3.5lbs, so not much of a weight savings. So taking a dump would probably save you more weight. ;-) Wow! 3.5 lbs. is light. If accurate, then probably not an issue! Funny, my Suzuki DL1000 Vstrom center stand weight 12.5 lbs. (5.6 kgs.) Not sure id call 12.5 lbs on a 500+ lb motorcycle an issue either.. IMHO, the only real compelling reason to take it off is if you're scraping it on the ground cornering.. Lots of good reasons to leave it on though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumbooblivion Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Wow! 3.5 lbs. is light. If accurate, then probably not an issue! Funny, my Suzuki DL1000 Vstrom center stand weight 12.5 lbs. (5.6 kgs.) Not sure id call 12.5 lbs on a 500+ lb motorcycle an issue either.. IMHO, the only real compelling reason to take it off is if you're scraping it on the ground cornering.. Lots of good reasons to leave it on though. That's true, there are some conveniences to center stand. Yamaha claim 462 lbs. Wet for FJ (note the "claim" part), My Vstrom with full tank, tools, rear rack, and tank bag? 526 lbs. Based on previous OEM "claimed weight" [span]quotes,[/span] I'm betting the FJ is a few lbs. more than claimed. But I basically agree, not big deal and if that 3.5 lbs. weight is correct ... then ALL GOOD! Patrick Northern California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FigJam-OhNine Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Putting it on the center stand makes for nicer photos. This is the killer app, all other center stand uses are just added bonus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Thanks for the input guys. I'll leave it on fo now, but it sure would clean up the look of the bike without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.