[ShadowRider]

While the bike was in storage for the winter I had the dealer add the heated grips (which are AWESOME, by the way) and the center stand. When I got the bike home from riding around a bit I tried to put it up on the stand, but was unable to do so. I just could not lift the bike up enough to get it to go up and back onto the stand.

I had a GL1200 for 18 years and it was almost ALWAYS on the center stand, so I'm not new to these things or to the technique to get the bike onto the stand. Yes, it has been awhile (10 years) since I had the Wing, and I'm older now, and the CTX is probably a bit heavier than the GL1200. But I think I should be able to do this. I'm going to get a friend to help me to see if I can do this, but obviously I need to be able to do it on my own.

Do you guys think maybe the springs are just really stiff since the stand is new? I'm hoping if I can move the bike on and off the stand a few times (with assistance) that it will get easier to do it by myself.

Any ideas?

 

[sleepngbear]

As I recall from the last bike I had with a center stand, it's a careful combination of leverage and a little momentum. Put your weight on the kick lever of the stand while pulling up and back (probably in the area they call grab rails next to the pillion seat on this bike). Neither one motion on its own will lift the bike. We've got enough other members with this stand here that I'm sure somebody will chime in, if for no other reason than to let me know I'm full of crap. But I do know it's just a matter of finding the right grab points and technique.

 

[Den]

The bike is heavier than your other one. It takes a little practice to be comfortable with doing it. Here is a video I posted before that might help. It helped me.

 

[sleepngbear]

The bike is heavier than your other one. It takes a little practice to be comfortable with doing it. Here is a video I posted before that might help. It helped me.
How to get a GL1500, GL1800, or any Goldwing on and off the center stand - YouTube

Thanks! ... And remember, it does make a difference which foot you push down with.

 

[ShadowRider]

The video might have helped a little, because I realized I might be standing in the wrong position to get the best leverage. I'll try it when I get home. My biggest concern, however, is that the Gold Wing has those solid grab bars made of metal, while the CTX has a very different configuration--plastic channels that have nothing to wrap your hand around. I am not yet convinced that they (or my arm) are strong enough to raise the bike onto the stand without breaking one of them.

But I have to believe Honda would not engineer something that was unusable, and obviously others have gotten this to work. And I realize now (as Bob said in an earlier post I just found) that it is your right leg that has to push DOWN, instead of my arm pulling it UP. Luckily my legs are VERY strong and if they can do most of the work then I should be all set.

Thanks for the info. I'll post my results later.

 

[Will B]

I have found that it's much easier, and maybe the only way possible, if the bike is in neutral before trying to get it up on the center stand.

 

[sleepngbear]

The video might have helped a little, because I realized I might be standing in the wrong position to get the best leverage. I'll try it when I get home. My biggest concern, however, is that the Gold Wing has those solid grab bars made of metal, while the CTX has a very different configuration--plastic channels that have nothing to wrap your hand around. I am not yet convinced that they (or my arm) are strong enough to raise the bike onto the stand without breaking one of them.

But I have to believe Honda would not engineer something that was unusable, and obviously others have gotten this to work. And I realize now (as Bob said in an earlier post I just found) that it is your right leg that has to push DOWN, instead of my arm pulling it UP. Luckily my legs are VERY strong and if they can do most of the work then I should be all set.

Thanks for the info. I'll post my results later.

There are metal rails under the plastic on both sides of the passenger seat. That's what Honda calls the grab rails, but they're there and they're plenty sturdy. When you lift it, you push down on the center stand while you pull up and slightly back on the grab rail. Think of it as more of a vertical spreading motion between those two points than a lifting motion, and you should be golden. But you definitely want to push down and pull up at the same time.

And yes, Will, you do want the bike in neutral for this.

 

[4401]

The video does a good job of demonstrating the technique. My only comment pertains to the right hand. The video shows him grabbing the grab rail on the Goldwing with an overhand grip, which is probably correct for that bike. I turn my right palm toward the CTX and reach underneath the grab rail. It is very solid and the lift is comparable to doing a bi-cep curl with weights.

My issue with the center stand (and it's only a small one) comes when I'm rolling the bike around while sitting on it in order to maneuver it out of the garage. Pushing backward is no problem, but when I push forward my left leg hits the foot thingy on the center stand. I have to keep my leg out pretty wide to miss it. But it's a problem I can easily live with for the joy of riding my CTX.

 

[HansenCTX]

I struggled with getting the bike up on the center-stand as well. After watching a bunch of the goldwing videos I had enough confidence to give it a go. I put my right foot on the center-stand's foot thingy, left hand grab the left grip, right hand grab the passenger seat rail, hold tight, and (using my legs... not my back) stood up pushing through my right foot. The CTX popped up, no issue. I installed the center-stand on the bike last September. Now, when putting the bike on the stand, everything is fluid and natural.