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Any tips for installing center stand - return spring?

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Hi,

Before I resort to expletives, and hopefully not bloodied fingers, can anyone pass on some words of wisdom concerning techniques for installing centre stand/return spring on my MK1 850?

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks,

Keith

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Holding one end in a vice if you  have one bent spring one way and the the other pushing coins of washers in between coils. ( I got a bag full from screwfix) The spring will lengthen as you work up it.I taped round it last time to keep in place and also managed two washers in the middle coils. The fit stand and spring and when in place and removing tape if you have used it put bike on stand and the washers full out.

I also wear leather gloves.

 

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Its easier to fit the stand if its off the bike.

Once the spring it attached to the stand, attach the stand to the bike in the up (retracted) position. You need a mate or paddock stand to do this.

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Hello to fit a main stand spring  you need four-inch of old brush handle and a strong long length of wire now rap the wire round the brush shaft to make your handle end and a loop in the wire at the other end  and on the bottom end of the stand you should have a hook fit the spring to the hook and the length of wire to the other end of the spring and pull upward to hag the spring loop end over the spring bolt fitting in the engine plate  even I can pull a main stand spring on and I am  66 years old  

yours   anna j 

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I was able to do mine by connecting spring to gearbox cradle and using cable ties to hold stand in retracted position. Use a spring puller hook or vise grips around the spring tang that fits to stand to tension spring and hook into stand . The motorcycle must be secure and stable to do this, especially if you are working alone. Mine was on a lift table with a scissor jack under chassis and strapped down.

Be aware that some replacement springs foul on the upper radius of the stand where the end of the spring protrudes from the hole in the gearbox cradle. I had to re profile the upper end of my stand on the left side as it was acting as a cam and unseating the spring.

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I fitted the stand and put bike up on the side stand, I then fitted the spring to the stand and put a wire clothes hanger on the other end of the spring. Put on leather garden gloves and pulled on the hanger until I could get the spring book into the cradle hole. I then snipped the hanger wire and put it in the bin.

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I connect both ends of the spring, pull the whole stand to align one bolt hole & then can pull the stand easily to align the second hole.

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I wasted time faffing around with most of the other options above, all failed for one or another reason.

I found success by fitting spring to stand & frame, fit one of the bolts &  run the nut on to hold it in place (easy). You can then use it as a point to lever against & pivot the stand across to insert the other bolt & then spin up the nut - total time less than 5 minutes & minimal risk of physical damage to man or machine.

 

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Thanks,

I shall give this a try.

The spring is quite tough and the whole caboodle needs stretching to about twice its length.....also, the end that fits into the cradle won't push in just like that either!

Thanks for all of the suggestions. There must have been an easy way to o it that was adopted on the production line, one would think!

 

Keith

 


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