New to me CB750K4

[heli_madken]

My GL1000 is impossible for me to get on the centre stand without a block of wood under the rear wheel. When I was 19 I could do it fairly easily but no chance now!. I also cant get the bike off the stand by sitting on it and rocking, I have to stand at the side and push it off, its actually quite scary to do.

By comparison the CBX is dead easy to put on the stand so to me it is all about the design of the stand, partly the weight of the bike and age!

I never leave my BMW twins on the side stand as oil seeps into the left hand cylinder. Is there any such issue with the Hondas?

Definitely an issue with the GL1000, smokes quite a bit if left on the side stand but no problems with inline fours

[Seabeowner]

I too think it is a problem with the design of the early four piper bikes as the angle of the stand is far from ideal to miss the pipes. Never tried a 750, but had bikes up to 850 ok in the past, but the 500s are a lump. I'm only 10st and broke my right wrist last year and still can't do my 500s. But the 550F with a tighter angle is fine and the 550K that is a later four piper is also OK. And I think the pivot is from the same spot.
Did I read that the Japanese had to pick their bike off the floor if it fell over as part of their test. Good job they didn't have to hoist it on the stand as well.

[MrDavo]

I used to take the centre stand off every bike I bought, as a younger version of me rode it like I stole it, and usually fell off due to a lack of ground clearance.

Now I'm close to retirement age, that's no longer a problem for some strange reason. 

[PHILIP2908]

Centre-stand; what I’ll be doing this weekend
Its coincidence this thread has popped up as I’m just about to modify my centre-stand on my K2.
I’ve had a grumble on here before as I find my CB750 hard to get on the centre-stand – the bike weighs in at a quarter of a ton and my 67 year old muscles just can’t pull it up & back. I didn’t have much difficulty back in 1988; I was a lot younger then but I don’t remember the rear wheel being so high off the ground, as it is now, when its finally on the stand. Its over 5cm.
The DK Special I bought came from the USA and the previous owner had removed the centre-stand in the interests of weight saving to give that extra 0.25 mph. So, I bought one off ebay and fitted it thinking they must all be the same. Wrong.
Looking at parts lists there are several different numbers and the one have is meant for a 750 with longer shocks or a bigger rear tyre – F1, Hondamatic, who knows.
Anyway, its too flippin’ long and I’ve decided to shorten it.
Using the skills acquired from my 1969 ‘O’ level in Technical Drawing, I drew a scaled plan which revealed that if I chopped out 3cm on each leg it would end up with the rear wheel just clear of the ground by a couple of mm. So less of a ‘lift’ for me.
Using my other 1969 ‘O’ level in metalwork, I set to with the angle grinder chopping out the required amount and then finding some steel tubing to act as ‘slugs’ to strengthen the points where they were to be rewelded.
I found an old worn wishbone pivot tube from my long gone Triumph TR3A which I’d kept, chopped off the case hardened ends and got a friendly local garage who restore pre-war Austins to turn them down to the required o.s. diameter so they fit within the tubes of the centre-stand.
Holes have been drilled into the separated pieces of the stand so that the ‘slugs’ may be plug welded through them to increase the strength of the joints.
The storm due down here tomorrow might interrupt proceedings, like if the garage roof flies off, the trampoline ends up next door, but I aim to start the welding, paint it and fit it to the bike and see if it works i.e. the bike doesn’t fall over.
Will report back.

[commando1954]

I have the same problem with my K3.I find the best way is to try and get all my weight (75kg) as far towards the rear of the bike when pressing down the stand with my foot and pulling on the chrome grab rail.