Hitchcocks Forum

350cc 1993 Bullet. The center stand needs a helping flick with my toe to get it to return fully when rolling he bike forwards off the stand. Once up it stay up but does bounce quiet easily. It's definitely not held up tight. Both springs are there and look in good condition so I don't know what it could be. It's not a major problem except for any extreme off road'ing I guess. Any simple fixes or checks? Anyone else experience this? Thanks. Just one of those little annoying things.

Yes Matt, mines the same, I even fitted some brand new springs and it still does it. It also sometimes clatters up and down on bumpy corners and potholes. I just live with it although I guess most people wouldn't.

Yeah, that's it Chris. Exactly as you describe. There's a rocky green lane near me and the stand clatters on the extreme bits but normal ridding and you'd never know. I wonder if anyone out there could solve our woes?

I have a 1968 bullet and had the same problem, the holes in the rear engine plates were elongated, this stopped the centre stand from fully retracting.

Ah, OK. Is it what this article is talking about? http://www.whfolk.co.uk/REOCHUMBER/Arti ... andfix.htm

Yes Matt, but my article is not a cure, it's to stop it happening in the first place.

My bike is a 2003 model which has covered 1500km from new (!) The centre stand is floppy and clatters up and down on rough surfaces. The springs are intact, and I would think that there hasn't been much wear on the pivots. It's basically a shoddy piece of design with inadequate spring tension from new. I'm going to modify mine so that it retracts further, and find some shorter or stronger springs with sufficient strength to hold it up properly.
By all means improve the pivot area to reduce wear, but I would suggest that the standard springs are poorly-specified and need uprating.

Mine (1992 500) sufferers the same. Like the others, I've learned to live with it, mainly because I don't like to struggle with the springs. However, I think that much of the problem is in the design and manufacture of the springs themselves and their geometric relationship with the frame. They need to be fitted so that the straight wire portion is at the front (as in the last photo in the link referenced by Matt). This ensures that the straight portion has clearance with the tubular ends of the rear frame stays (the ones which are aligned with the rearmost holes in the rear engine plates) when the stand is retracted. However, having replaced mine, I don't think that the straight portion is long enough so that there is a tendency for the coiled portion to clout the tubular ends. This ruins the geometry which relies on the tension ofthe spring being on a line which is above the stand pivot axis when the stand is retracted. I also found that with new springs that the material quality was somewhat lacking so that the washers-between-the-coils technique led to some permanent loss of tension - choose the washer thickness carefully!

BobF, the washers method also removes most of the paint. Use a suitable box spanner (or drilled bolt) through the bottom of the stand and a strong length of wire round the spring and through the bolt. As you wind the spanner/bolt with a ratchet and suitable socket the spring is stretched - works a treat. Sorry about the french, I lifted this from the net.

Hi guys---------- a Gallic "shrug" of the shoulders and all is well.... Magnifique !!...