Ok, you're out on a trip from here to there, and at some point you decide to check the oil in your transmission. You have the correct wrench to do it but how you gonna keep the bike upright and unscrew that cap.
Yeah, I guess it can be done but it is a lot easier if you have a Center Stand.


I've been riding for a long time and most of my Harley's have had center stands. Makes it easier for service, cleaning, and takes up less space in the Harley Shed, yeah some of you are fortunate ones that have a garage.


Anyhoo, my Heritage 2003 came sans center stand....so I started shopping around. Harley sells one for 329. and change, I am an old retired Marine with a wife and three dogs, and just don't have that much to spend in one chunk.


I found, on e-bay a little company named ZoomParts and they were selling what looked like the exact same stand for 113.00 plus 17.00 shipping, much more to my liking. Here's a link.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ADJUSTABLE-C...f9c1d6&vxp=mtr

I ordered the Center Stand and received it in about 3 days via UPS delivered to my door. The stand was very well packed, double boxed enclosed in those white peanuts, (Foam)
Ok, apparently I can't post pictures exactly where I want them. So I'll try and get buy best I can.

My softail is a 2003 FLSTC. I have Vance and Hines short shots which means it was easy to work on the area where the center stand would bolt up to. It took about an hour and 15minutes to put the stand on, by myself, taking pictures as I went along and taking breaks as it was very hot in my Harley Shed.

I took out the two plastic plugs on the left side of the frame just in front of the rear wheel which exposes two holes that are already drilled and tapped. If you have one older than 2000 I think you have to drill and tap your own.
On the right side, I removed the two nuts which secured the V&H exhaust plate and then loosened the nuts holding the exhaust pipes to the heads. Also loosened the bolts holding the V&H pipes to the exhaust plate. This allows the exhaust plate to move off the studs. Then using a 9/16's inch box end wrench I removed the studs. These will be replaced with the longer bolts in the Center Stand kit.

You'll have to look at the pictures and see the two studs that I am talking about.
I held the stand in place and put one of the short bolts in the rear hole on the left side of the Frame, see another picture. Ok, this picture shows both bolts in and a screwdriver sticking out the back of the stand. However, only put one bolt in the rear hole then go to the other side and put one bolt in the rear of that side also. Note the long bolts are used on the right side of the bike as they also hold the exhaust plate which goes on the outside of the stand. Also I used blue Loctite on all of the bolts installed.
Now, it is a little hard to get the front bolts in, however, the flatblade screwdriver inserted in the rear of stand as a lever makes it easy just press down on the screwdriver and the holes line up like magic.

Once you have the bolts in torque them down to about 30 ftpnds and retighten all the bolts and nuts you previously loosened.
and the last two pictures are what you end up with. It is easy to put her up on the stand, I adjusted the feet where there are eight threads showing on each leg and locked the jam nut.

Standing on the left side, I grab the frame rail below the seat with my right hand left on the handle bar, push down on the lever with my right foot, feel the stand, on the left side contact the concrete and the bike wants to upright itself continue putting weight on the leaver with the right foot and lift slightly with the right hand and the bike rocks back on its new stand. I am 71 years old and it is almost no effort to put it on the stand.
I wouldn't use it on hot asphalt or other soft surfaces unless some other item were helping support it like a piece of plywood etc.



Hope this helps and answers some questions.

 

Great write up on this. What keeps the c-stand up when riding? Is it spring loaded?

I am thinking I need to do this to my 2003 FLSTC too. All my previous bike if they didn't have a c stand I put one on it, mostly sport tourers and sport bikes. This is my first harley in 40+ years and I have a lot to learn about maintenance on it.

 

Hey Cognosticator, yes it is spring loaded and stays up nice when you are riding. It also has a zerk fitting so you can grease it. Really nice product. Fit and finish are really good also.
My next project this coming winter is to check my Cam Chain spring tensioners and replace them with 1. S&S gear driven cams, or if the runout doesn't support that then change to the new hydraulic tensioners.
Good luck and God Bless

 

Thanks Chaffee, looks like I have some maintenance check point to do on my '03. Should the cam chain tensioner be checked after x number of miles. Mine only has 22,000 miles on it.

Looks like more money on the c stand LOL

 

Yes sorry to be the bearer of bad news but some have failed between 15000 and 25000, and some have over 50000 with no problems. Get yourself a service manual and do some reading. Its not a big thing to check you have to pull the cam cover, the outer chain and tensioner are easy to check, the one on the back side of the cam plate requires an inspection mirror. Check on youtube for some info on twin cam tensioners also you will find a lot of info.
Here's a link for some info. Also listen for any noise coming from the lower right side of the engine, any scraping grinding sound, shut her down. When changing oil, a lot of folks saw the oil filter in two and look for pieces of plastic in the folds of the filter, this is an indicator that the plastic shoes are wearing.
http://blog.jpcycles.com/2012/11/i-l...ust-know-this/
Jim

 

Thanks for the information. I have a call into my local HD mechanic to see if I can get an estimate on changing mine to the hydraulic style. Damn Harley, only had the bike 3 weeks now I have to worry about it imploding on me on the road.

 

Rode over to the Harley Shop in Scott City Mo yesterday, several softail riders hanging around, sure were impressed when I put her up on the center stand.
They were all milling around and looking at how it was so rock solid standing up there.
More impressed when my wife climbed up on it when we were getting ready to leave, and the bike didn't even wiggle.
Think I got a couple of converts.

 

I put the center stand on my Heritage over the winter. I put the rear crash bars on it too. Makes a great hand hold for putting the bike up on the stand.

 

Chaffee, thanks for the heads up about the cam chain tensioner. I checked mine this morning and they both look great, but I will definitely get the hydraulic style this winter.

A c stand is on my short list too, as stated, it would have made working on my bike a lot easier this morning.

 

Gunny,

I ran a center stand on my Fatboy for years. Loved it! Had to remove it when I mounted Dual Exhaust.