Refitting SFC / RGS side stands

[sfc1000uk]

Years ago I took the side stand off my SFC because it was really bloody unstable and the bike kept falling over - it leaned too far over and would topple over on the left.

Moving the thing around the workshop today I've reached the conclusion I need to put the side stand back on (once I've found it) because I don't feel stable enough on my buggered ankles to jump off and balance the thing while I get it on the centre stand

My question is, do I need to have the engine out of the frame to reattach the side stand? I've no idea why I think this but I've got the idea from somewhere...

Mind you, I'd like to check the bracket isn't bent anyway

 

[sfcpiet]

The stand can be fitted with the engine installed, but it is a lot easier with the engine out...

It's all about tensioning the return spring. Without the engine, you have space to use the stand leg to pre-tension the spring. With the engine installed, you have to somehow pull the spring tang into its lug.

piet

 

[sfc1000uk]

The stand can be fitted with the engine installed, but it is a lot easier with the engine out...

It's all about tensioning the return spring. Without the engine, you have space to use the stand leg to pre-tension the spring. With the engine installed, you have to somehow pull the spring tang into its lug.

piet

Brilliant, thanks. First step is find stand and spring and have a look at it.

If I end up pulling the engine I may as well get the frame refinished st the same time, I've been meaning to do it for years

 

[Andy]

That sprung stand is almost harder than just using the centre, I think. My side stand broke a while ago and I don’t think I’ll fix it, unless I can’t find something better!

 

[Dellortoman]

It's a bugger of a side stand on the RGS. It's solid enough and supports the bike OK, but I hate stands that spring up as soon as you take the weight off them. If I had an RGS, one of the first things I'd do to it would be to fit a sensible side stand or modify the existing one so it stays put.

 

[Legs]

It's a bugger to do, lots of stuffing around; suggest you wear rigger's gloves if you don't want to have puddles of blood under the bike.
They say oil drips under a bike is just the way it marks it's territory, no need for you to do the same.

 

[sfcpiet]

I don't have any problems with the RGS sidestand at all. But then, I dismount the bike before I deploy the stand instead of deploying it while seated. This, I admit, is almost impossible unless the rider is 7'-something...

Self-returning sidestands were widespreadly mandated in Europe at the time, especially if no ignition cut-out was included.

piet

 

[Laverdalothar]

to pull the spring in position, I use a zip-tie. make a loop out of it, put the spring and sidestand on with the washer and the screw in position but not tightened. Position the spring so the hook that seats on the frame is seated and the one on the sidestand is not. now use the loop of the zip-tie to pull the lose end of the spring around the sidestand until it provides enough tension to hold the sidestand in place and fasten it to the seat of the spring on the side-stand. Now make sure you do not clamp in the spring between frame and sidestand while you fasten the screw - done.

Best done on a bike lift. It's then something like 2-5 minutes.

Never let the bike run while on the sidestand though. mine jumped of the sidestand and crashed the turn signals, which are made of unoptainium...

 

[Rob7]

A spring puller takes the pain out of it......a left over from the MX days.......

 

[Laverdalothar]

Spring Pull isn't easy to bend around the sidestand bracket... with the engine in place, you only have around 2-3cm between engine and sidestand. The zip tie can be looped around the sidestand and then you just pull the spring around with it and in position. If the spring has very high tension, the spring puller might be handy though for the last centimers. Just my 2 cents...

(BTW: remember well when i bought my sidestand from Andreghetto. He was very proud of his development and I asked him if it is easy to install. "Si, si" he said, layed down on the ground and tried to fit it. After 5 minutes or so he gave up, put the parts in my hand and said, I should try later myself...

The part was a reproduction part and had the stop that limits the angle when put down at the wrong place. You could basically move the stand around 180°

Back in Germany, I gave the bike to OCT for valve clearance adjustment and the side-stand to be fixed. They cut off the stop-bracket and welded it at the right place...

but since the bike fell off the stand 1 or 2 times, I never park it with the sidestand actually, at least not for long. I just do not have confidence in this sucker.

 

[Sir Sidney Ruffdiamond]

As above - even at 2m tall i can’t get the stand fully out while seated so I always get off - I like the spring retraction as I remember the first left hand bend in a Suzuki GT 750 with the we sidestand down - shitting oneself would be more pleasant

 

[Legs]

When I use the side stand I put a disc lock on and roll the bike forward so the lock just touches the caliper, then I extend the stand. The disc lock acts as a hand brake and prevents the bike from rolling off the stand.

 

[breganzane]

Mine got modified to work properly by my Dad in the late 80's. The stand itself has the basics of being fine, it tucks up out of the way and is on a good balance point of the bike. As usual it fails on the smaller details.
The angle of the foot is often wrong, and some tweaking of the length and stop tab (add weld, or grind away) makes it deploy properly and stay put. The self retracting spring is a nightmare, I have never successfully refitted a factory spring, I've always converted it. All 3 120's here use a small mod and a Velocette side stand spring to make it not self retracting. A cutout switch is required if protecting against the feeble minded, drop out a relay or use an Ignitech which has a side stand input switch. A slight extension to the tang makes it very easy to deploy when seated, even for shortarses like myself.

 

[Vince]

The mod done on Huskys to stop self retraction involved moving the upper spring mount, way less shin damage after that.

 

[sfcpiet]

A spring puller takes the pain out of it......a left over from the MX days.......

Won't get far with that in this case. No linear coil spring to pull here, more like a giant clockwork spring with a zillion kiloponds waiting to remove large chunks of your fingers the second your determination starts to wane...

piet

 

[andre g]

Made it several times and it was always difficult, but finally I could manage it but don‘t know how? Next time - next challange...

 

[piranha-bro2]

Sounds to me like Steve B is very much on the money - talk to him. Good on you for sorting it, Steve!

 

[Dellortoman]

I was thinking along the same lines as Steve. Chuck the horrible clock spring away and fit a coil spring. Obviously the coil spring mounting pins or hooks would have to be made and welded on to the stand and frame. A little thought would need to be applied to the spring hook locations so the spring will go over-centre when the stand is deployed, and stays down.

 

[andre g]

Made it

 

[breganzane]

Can't claim credit, Dad did this one, way back when the bike was only a year or two old. The spring bit is a very easy mod and works perfectly. The slightly extended tang and non-retracting nature makes it simple to deploy while seated, even for the short-arses like myself.
Some adjustment via adding weld or grinding away allows the stand to stop the appropriate amount forward of the pivot, and then some adjustment to the angle of the foot makes it sit nicely on flat ground. Length may also need to be tweaked to get the right lean angle. Make any adjustments to length down at the foot end, there is little bending on the stand down there so the weld is not stressed. Dad originally added a much larger foot area also, but I have brought that back to something approximating original.
I'll add the disclaimer that if you do this mod you should add an ignition cutout switch.

EDIT: Now I look at the photos I remember this is a newish stand that I fitted only a year or two ago. My original was very flogged out in the pivot bore and it was easier to get a new stand from WH and redo the mods copying what Dad did. You can see I've adjusted the length at the foot end, but not hard mods for anyone to make even if you have to get a local workshop to weld it.