Tom, take your GTS back, there is obviously something seriously wrong with the center stand ; )
Let's all compare notes on how to place the GTS on its center stand (from the riding position). 1. Lower side stand. 2. Allow cycle to lean left to weight the stand. 3. Dismount on left side. 4. Grab handle bars to straighten front wheel and erect the bike to balanced position. 5. With your left hand still holding the left handle bar reach down with right hand and grasp frame just under seat on left side of cycle. 6. Using right foot rotate center stand down from stowed position to contact ground. 7. Still holding on with the left hand at the left handlebar and the right on the frame, step on center stand and using body weight rotate bike backward, (this movement is upward and backward). 8. Lift Side Stand with left foot into stowed position. I'm not trying to insult anyone's intelligence on the list but the images that came to mind reading Tom's message brought up several safety concerns. The last thing Tom wants to experience is having to pick this 600+ pound pig off the ground, or worst, having it pulled off of him. (Let the lashing begin) Best Regards, Jeff B. -----Original Message----- From: tomatomt [mailto:tomatomt@;BLUEYONDER.CO.UK] Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 3:06 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Another new GTS'er Henry, Sorry for the delay in replying, been AWOL in the Big City. Now got 154 messages to deal with. Regarding the clutch, starting to find the sweet point and getting off the line relatively smoothly now. Throttle action still suspect, its like holding onto a grenade with the pin out. Will get there however. Lifting/levering the Z? The action is totally different to the GTS which seems to want to leap up onto the stand. The action of the Z is dead, the stand goes down and it ignores you. I have on occasions got it moved according to the handbook but discovered a long while ago that it wasn't worth the effort as my back complained too much. Even young burly workshop mechanics have difficulty shifting it and always express surprise at its reluctance to move. I have a rear rack and the mountings get in the way of the natural hand holds which doesn't help. I used the prop stand only for a long time until I found that I could get it on the stand relatively easily by standing alongside the rear wheel where I could get better purchase, and pulling the machine back towards me while holding down the centre stand with my outstretched left leg. It comes up quickly and without a great deal of effort, however it is not the most dignified of methods as the balancing the machine from this location is a bit fraught and I end up in a ridiculous position of leaning all the way back with my left leg fully extended. In its defence I feel happy and my glass back doesn't twitch. While I'm on remember our discussion re my 'body lean' steering which attracted a great deal of attention from other interested parties, I have quietly 'listened' to all that has been said and have little to argue with, but just to annoy you again and keep the pot boiling can I volunteer that since setting the hare running I have consciously considered my steering action and have to say that at no time do I deliberately push/pull, bang or thump the bars, but I am aware that I institute a turn by leaning my upper body in the direction I wish to go in, and control the turn by adjusting the position of my body. I accept that the action of moving my upper body may result in my pushing the inner bar, however the movement is in no way of an agricultural nature advocated by many. I also accept that I do not corner particularly fast or aggressively and get annoyed with myself if I cock up a turn for whatever reason and have to take panic action. This generally takes the form of shutting my eyes and praying to god. You will say that physically assaulting the bars will get the bike over quicker and sharpen the turn. I wouldn't argue having tried it, but it just doesn't feel natural to me. If I could ride around Donnington for a couple of days, by myself, I could be convinced. However. When ah was a lad on me bike, while you were looked on as being a big girls blouse if you rode during darkness with lights, you were considered to be a total divot if you rode anywhere with your hand other than in your pockets, behind your back or firmly clasped behind your head. It may be that selective memory is kicking in but I can't recall any difficulty in riding around corners other than a panic grab of the bars if you got your body position wrong when trying to straighten up out of tight corners. I carried on this steering method, the body leaning part anyway, when I got my first motorcycle, a BSA 250, in the mid to late fifties. I still may wobble a lot in corners but my success rate at getting to the other end is quite high. Excuse my inane ramblings but I quite enjoyed typing this out. Can I finish with an interesting quote from this weeks MCN made by a total fruitcake called Dave Coates who recently broke the record for riding backwards, on a R1, at 151.7mph. Daring Dave said 'although I'm used to riding backwards, it was hard to keep straight as I kept nudging the bars and couldn't work out which way to turn. In the end I let go of the bars and steered through the pegs.' It would appear that I am not the only barmy bugger. Henry, take a valium before you reply. Regards Tom T ----- Original Message ----- From: "Henry S. Winokur" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 3:44 AM Subject: Re: Another new GTS'er > > One good thing is that it is a piece of cake to put on its centre > > stand. The > > Z650 is considerably lighter but a pig to lift. > > I hate to sound like an expert, which I'm not--at least not in all things, > but at some things I guess I am. :-) but, Tom, if you're lifting, you're > doing it wrong--and you could hurt yourself. You should be levering. Can > you describe the process you go through to get the bike on the center stand? > > Regards, > > Henry S. Winokur > 94 GTS1000, R1100RT-P, AMA, MRF, > Nationally Certified Riding Instructor > Columbia, MD Ride for Kids Task Force > West Bethesda, MD USA
