Topic: Centre-stand removal, restoration, and re-fit

[toycollector10]

I can't find much in the FAQ section.

I want to remove my centre-stand, clean it, then paint it, re-zinc the spring, and refit.

Just looking at the job ahead all I can see is skinned knuckles and blood blisters.

The questions are, what's the tricks and tips to doing this, especially the refit of the centre stand spring?  It looks like a two man job.

Do I need to boil the stand in baking soda/baking powder to get rid of all the oil?

What's the preferred paint match for the frame (CB750 K0)

I need to remove the exhaust pipes to get the spindle out, right?

Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, TC

[Hush]

Hey TC, just done a refit on my 82 Custom as the PO had decided it did not need a centre stand.
Can't help with the pipes on or off question or the best cleaning method but can with avoiding skinned knuckles.
Removal is as simple as pull split pin and draw out stand axle, stand drops to ground and you unhook the wee swinger thing with spring attached.
That's the easy bit.
Not sure if the 750 side stand will hold the weight of the bike when you tip it slightly to work on the main stand but it did on the Custom.
When you want to replace the Honda stands (most I have dealt with have been pretty much the same) the biggest secret is replace the swinger and spring first , this will save at least half a pint of blood and much swearing.
I have found it much easier to slip the axle in last, the spring is too strong to attempt to attach stand then swinger.
It takes a bit of effort to line the stand up to wiggle the axle in but it will work.
Hope some of that helps and at least cuts down on blood loss.

[steve74]

I would bead blast then powdercoat it and use degreaser in the first instance to get ride of the oil and crap Will be doing mine and the rear swingarm next week!

[Trevor from Warragul]

Back the bike up to a telephone pole and when the rear tyre touches the gutter put it on the kickstand.  Fit the centre-stand and spring.  Loop some thin nylon rope around the base of the telephone pole, loop it around the centre-stand spring, then tie the rope together.  Put a thin piece of wood (small hammer handle) through the rope then twist it around and around.  If you have the bike lined up just right the spring will stretch and you can push it onto the centre-stand tang.  Easy-peasy!

[Johnie]

TC...I have seen guys take quarters and with the stand down slide them between the spring coils.  Then when you push the bike off the stand it is not tight and should come off easily. 
When I did my KO stand I used a wire wheel to bare metal, primed and painted with Rustoleum black.  Paint sticks fine and looks good.  When I put my spring back on I used a coat hanger with rag for a handle and pulled it back on.  I used a new spring here.  I had the bike on the side stand and braced my foot the foot peg for support and pulled the spring into position.  If at all possible it is a good idea to have a 2nd person there just to help support the bike.  And yes, you will need to remove the exhaust to get it off.

[736cc]

  Put the stand on frame including the pipe tube, attach 1 end of large "C' clip to frame, put the spring on the large "C" clip, hook a big-azz screwdriver to the other end of spring and catch the tang on the stand w/ the screwdriver and persuade the spring down onto the tang. Have a hammer handy. BOING! Takes me 1 or 2 tries in less than a minute.
  Just show it who's the boss!
  EZ-OFF oven cleaner will clean that yucky stand better than anything.

[CBNJ74]

Tried the quarter thing with no luck. I ended up just cutting it and ordering a new one from Honda. $8 shipped LOL

[bjbuchanan]

Use 736cc screwdriver trick. Anybody with low buck experience with drum brakes will share that tied bit. It works great

[70CB750]

I did a write up with pix on it. The trick is to install the pin as the last piece. If you chose to do the spring last, you will hve to fight it a lot.

The way I do it takes 10 minutes max.

[Johnie]

I know what you mean about the quarter trick...I think the quarters are to thick. So I went with pennies and dimes as they were thinner. Worked fine for a one man show. The next time I tried a auto brake tool used to put the springs back on the shoes. It has some nice bends with a hook on the end...sort of like the way 736 did it. That worked good too. Both times I had the pipe and stand already on the bike. The spring was the last thing I did.

[CoachDoc]

I used a double row of dimes, 1 on each side of the spring to keep it straight. The key use to use LOTS of them- the more you insert the more the elongation is maintained when the spring is released. This made replacing the spring ez-pz, and done any other way it is a #$%*. Trust me this works and works well, just be sure you insert so many that the spring is barely able to contract when released.

[Johnie]

Would be interesting to know how the Honda employees did it back in the day.

[dohcdelsol93]

I'm a small guy 6'2 and 150 lbs.

I did both kick and center stand with no help.

I used about 4 ft of nylon recoil rope. Looped around springs and pulled until the springs stretched enough to fit on the kick and center stand tabs.


Kick was harder than center.


I bead blasted mine and rustolium semi gloss enamel