1100 Spectre centerstand

'83 1100 Spectre, really, really hard to get the bike on the center stand. Seems like a long way to have to lift the bike. I thought it might be the rear shocks needed air and the back of the bike was really low, but they have the correct air in them. Same for the forks, which also have the correct amount of air in them, not under pressured. I'm not a big person, but the thing is just about impossible to lift that much to get the stand to over center. Wondering about the forks, which seem to have springs in them out of a KD100 or something way too light. The bike falls on it's face when I take it off the side stand even. Is there a history of the forks springs dying on these bikes or being typically too soft?

I struggled with the centerstand for a while too. After several hours of experimentation, I found the following technique to work:

Get the rear tire on a 2x6 or 2x4 with at least a foot minimum sticking behind the tire when you start. Right foot with some pressure on the centerstand, both hands on the handlebars, and have your chest against the tank. Using the momentum and weight of your toso, pull back on the handlebars with everything you got while pressing on the centerstand with your foot. Once the bike is on the centerstand, the wood plank is removable from under the tire if need be.

It still might take me a few tries to do it on my 82 KZ1100, but this is how I engage my centerstand. Good luck!!

Yes I just did it that way, worked fine. But still, something's got to be wrong if I have to carry a block of wood around on the bike somewhere.... considering cutting the center stand tubes down and welding the feet back on about 1" shorter.

DGA wrote: Yes I just did it that way, worked fine. But still, something's got to be wrong if I have to carry a block of wood around on the bike somewhere.... considering cutting the center stand tubes down and welding the feet back on about 1" shorter.

You could always ask someone for help too, I had to the first time I attempted to use mine. My neighbor was lightly giving me crap about asking him for help, so I told him to try it himself and he changed his tune real quick. I don't blame you for thinking about chopping the tubes down at all, I think about 1/2" would make a big improvement myself. Now when people ask me why I carry a 2x4 with me I tell them "to hit people with stupid questions" lol.

Based on your experiences then I think I am going to cut mine down. I will let you know how much etc. Sounds like bad engineering on Kawasaki's part.

DGA wrote: Based on your experiences then I think I am going to cut mine down. I will let you know how much etc. Sounds like bad engineering on Kawasaki's part.

I really wouldn't because it could to crack and fail on you if you try welding it back together with even a average good weld. I mean you got 600+ pounds riding on a couple of what, 3/4" hollow tubes that also have to support weight at an angle as you're lifting the bike up? If I was forced to do it I wouldn't use anything less than a TIG welder. Then you also have the headache of cutting the tubes and welding them back together at the exact same length...there's a lot that could go wrong with this mod. I don't know if cutting the tubes down would impede certain maintenance procedures that require centerstand use.

Do what you want, but I ultimately wouldn't recommend cutting and welding the tubes.

I have same bike. When you put center stand down try this.. Hold your right foot on stand and when pulling bike back use front brake to hold your progress. That is pull back but also use the cam action of center stand by pressing down with body weight. If you don't get it first pull you use front brake to keep it in place, usually a easy pull is all that's necessary on second attempt. Most people just pull back on bars.. It's way harder that way.

You shouldn't have to "pull" a bike up on the centerstand. Its all about leverage and letting your weight do the work by standong on the centerstand peg or lever arm

Check this out.



I do the same for my 750 - ok I know its only a small 4 - but I have done it with a Goldwing with both feet off the ground.
of cake

My Virago was 495lbs stock, the 1100 Spectre is only about 60 lbs heavier, and the Virago is so easy to lift onto its center stand. The 1100 lifts way too high, has over 1.75" of rear tire clearance when up, so you are lifting too much distance, and because of the height, the stand starts out on too much angle. Think of it this way, put 2" high blocks of wood under the stand feet before you lift it, and then lift, much harder to do. The stand only needs to make the rear tire just clear the ground by about 1/4" or so after it over centers, not also have another 1.5" of tire clearance.

Ah, yes, now I understand the problem and why you want to shorten the stand.
thanks
Disregard my reply above

76KZ900 wrote: I have same bike. When you put center stand down try this.. Hold your right foot on stand and when pulling bike back use front brake to hold your progress. That is pull back but also use the cam action of center stand by pressing down with body weight. If you don't get it first pull you use front brake to keep it in place, usually a easy pull is all that's necessary on second attempt. Most people just pull back on bars.. It's way harder that way.

Confused with "cam action of center stand", but I'm pretty sure I tried this stopping halfway method a few times with no luck. The centerstand wouldn't stay in place because the angle was still too severe to hold up the weight and the bike would just drop back down when I stopped pulling mid-way. I get the idea, but it was just too fiddley for me as I just didn't have the coordination, that or I was just getting angry.

Well I removed my centre stand and cleaned the 30K miles of road grime and grease off it, also the stand lock. Sucks that you have to pretty much remove the exhaust to get the stand bolts out. Sandblasted it and cut 5/8" out of the lower tubes. You have to cut through two gussets at the same time, so I cut those and then cut up the original welds and saved them. Then TIG welded the tubes back together, also had to repair one of the caved in stand feet. After the tubes were fully welded I welded the gussets back on. Repainted it and fitted it back on. The stand assist arm is slightly forward now but still fits in the exhaust depression, and the stand up stop rubber still works ok. WOW, I can get the bike on its stand so easy now! I bet before I had to dead lift 200 lbs to get the bike up, now it might be 50 to 75 lbs. I have 1/2" of rear tire clearance still, all it needs. But so amazing, I still think Kawasaki screwed up their engineering on this if I was able to make it that much better. If you are able to fabricate and weld I highly recommend this mod.