Centre Stand

How to fit the spring to a Commando centre stand without injury

The stretch method

The method that works best for me is to simply prop the bike up (leaning against a wall, or tied down to your workbench), undo the bolts and nuts holding the centre stand, attach the spring to the stand and frame, stretch the stand back against the spring pressure and quickly put one bolt home. Then simple leverage will allow you to stretch the other side, and run the other bolt home. Tighten up and you're done.

Mike Selvey (sidecar@iamerica.net) on NOC-L 22nd. Jun 1998

The monetary method

Since before there were Commandos, the easiest way to put the spring on has been to get a pile of coins of the same denomination, making sure you use currency made of a tough metal. Someone here in Japan tried this with five yen pieces which are brass and the result wasn't pretty. Steel washers work, too, but you can't make up as many drinking stories about washers as you can with money.

Bend the spring over one way and insert coins in the coils, then fold if over in the opposite direction and insert them in the opposite side of the coils. Install the spring with the stand in the 'up' position and the coins should all fall out when you put it down for the first time. If not, they won't be too hard to remove.

Charles Lipton (crlipton@iac.co.jp) on NOC-L 22nd. Jun 1998