Modern Vespa

Watch this video. Burgman 650 - 524 lbs dry. Young woman 110 (?) wet. Center stand easy as cupcake!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6VPeDqKSj5c

Dave

That is the way it works on the LX... body weight on the stand arm and the bike does the rest by itself. My GT requires more encouragement via the grab rail, but not a lot.

Very good demo for newbies Some bikes are better balanced though. I find that the GTS is a bit harder to coax onto its centre stand compared with the BV 500 or even BV 250.

That's because you're a lightweight!

Yes but so is that woman in the video. Hey wait a minute so are you Ian.

Hey, I'm a young woman, 110 lbs! Too bad I can't watch this at work (they've blocked YouTube). I'll have to watch it when I get home because I can't put that shit on the center stand to save my life.

aah, so that's where you're going wrong... you're not supposed to put shit on the centerstand... it makes it too slippery!

Muhahaha!!

yeah, it could be better balanced. the mp3 is probably the heaviest scooter we have in the shop and it's one of the easiest to get on the center stand. i can't get the x9 off the center stand for the life of me, but i can put it back on the center stand no problem.

There's also another video from a different viewpoint:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rQ2o3iv3ANE

The lady in the video (Teresa) is 5'4" and weighs 120 lb.

If you compare the two videos you notice that she basically does nothing but hold the handle bars straight with her left arm, and lifts the back of the Burgman with her right. As you can see she puts all her weight on the stand allowing the bike to balance on the two 'feet' of the stand itself. It takes very little force to pull the back end up if you do as she does and do it all in one fluid motion.
I'm not a small fry but I'm not Andre The Giant either and I can get My GTS on it's stand using about a 40 lb push from my leg and using only my pinky on the grab rail.

Dave

Hmm.. I find the X9 a doddle either way. I admit my normal way of getting it off the stand is to rock myself forwards whilst sitting astride it, but it is very easy from the side as well. Superbly balanced, it will gently rock on the stand in a breeze.

The most common error I've seen new riders make is not having the bike completely vertical when they try to get it on the centerstand. At an angle it's almost impossible to do.

The second most common error is to try and use arm strength to "pull" the bike up instead of using weight on the centerstand.

Plus some bikes are just easier than others. The GTS is, for some reason, much easier to get on the stand than the GT.

you bloody don't Jim,you use that fancy fangled electric thing!!

GT200's are the worst piaggio bike to get onto the stand. Worse than an X9 IMO. The lever is very small. They redesigned the stand for the GTS and it's loads easier. I wonder if it's a direct swap?

You know, come to think of it, I have found it harder to get the GT on the centre stand compared with my GTS. I always thought it was because of the harder to grip handles under the seat. But you guys are saying that it is the centre stand that is different, interesting.

Drew, do you think so? I don't have enough Vespas around to try it, but if you get a chance, please post. That would be a nifty mod.

It is the design of the stand.

I can get my Scarabeo 500 on the center stand in bare feet, or slippers without pain, but the GTS and GT require real shoes because of the counter weight required. The GTS feels about like my 500# touring bike.

My wife is able "hump" the GT off the centre stand, but is totally unable to put it onto the stand. She has to use the side stand instead, and wait for me to show up to do the deed.
She had no problem with the LX 150, a much lighter machine, and has a slightly different leverage point in relation to that of the GT.
I suppose I could weld an extension on, but that might introduce other problems. Better leave well enough alone.

Really? I find the GT200 to be rather easy... My method is to partially lower the stand with my right foot (and with my left hand braking) to get the scoot balanced on the stand's two points first, then after it's balanced I release the brake and pull the handlebars back (not up!) with my left hand to get some rearward motion going, while simply standing on the stand's lever. My right hand does no lifting, does nothing except press on the top of the seat when I'm getting the scoot initially balanced with the brake on. AFAIC the GT200 goes up just as easy as cupcake!

My old Honda Reflex usta work that way too, except I had to wear very hard soled shoes or boots or else the stand's lever would hurt my foot. But the GT200 I can easily swoosh right up with just lightweight sneakers on. The only part I hafta be careful with is the initial balancing act...

I'd hate to try and get a GTS on a stand... I have a heck of a time with my BV500. It just feels much more awkward than my old LX150. I suppose I haven't gotten used to it yet. Since I have the easy "out" of using the side stand instead of the center stand, I keep putting off practicing getting the BV up on its centerstand.

Those're exactly the mistakes I made my first few months with Raisin.

OK, I'm a slow learner.

Here' the woman in the centerstand video on her 650...the cat seen (barely) in the doorway is 'Larry'.

Geez, she blows away the myth about having to be able to 'flat foot' at a stop as well!

Dave

I heard Larry can get the Bergman on centerstand with one paw. He's yoked.

So, you don't lay the scoot on it's side, put the stand down then roll the scoot back up?

Maybe I should be more specific.. ALL piaggio bikes are easy to get on their centerstands, but the GT is the hardest, relatively. If it's the only one you operate on a regular basis, then I can understand. If you ever get a chance, try a GTS stand. Heavier bike, but easier on the stand. I can't vouch for the honda stands, though.

Also, I'll do research on the GTS stand conversion on a GT and let you guys know what I find.

I'm still not 100% confident putting my GT200 on its stand. Were you able to find out anything about this?

My experience (from being short and handling my GT & my husband's GTS)
is that the biggest difference is that it's hard to get a good grip on the handrails that are located under the GT's seat.

So, I'm not sure how much changing the center stand will help.

Best of luck there, Linda

Yea, I have to to that too to get my S off the center stand, and I'm worried if parked on a slope, I won't have the strength to get the scoot off the stand.

Any other suggestions on getting a LX or S off the center stand??

thanks

Whew! So it's not just me. I've gotten better at it with time, but putting the GT200 up on the center stand is surely not easy.

The mp3 has a center stand? 

Wait... what's a center stand, again?



I kid, I kid...

my only problem with putting my gts on the center stand after a long ride is the strain causes a gas release.
Seriously though, when I park my bike in the garage at night I pull in forward
when I want ti ride it out in the morning I grab it by the handle bar and slightly tip the bike toward me and spin it on one leg of the stand to drive out forward. This same technique could be used if you have a hard time getting your bike off the stand on a hill. Practice this move on smooth flat concrete.

thanks..i'm afraid I'm gonna park on a hill and not have the muscles to push it forward and up off the stand

When you park on a hill, what is the best direction to park - facing uphill, facing downhill, or facing perpendicular to the hill?

sometimes there isn't a choice. i do not ever park nose in to a curb..always rear tire to curb.

Actually, I find it much easier to lift an MP3 on its sidestand than a GTS250.

And the MP3 is over 120 lbs heavier.

That's an impressive trick considering the mp3 doesn't have a sidestand. 

I have no shortage of gravity , so getting my LX 150 on it's stand is easy (as everyone else has said here).

Here is my deal...getting it off while in my garage. The stand just skids across the smooth concrete. There is not enough friction between the concrete and the metal feet.

I usually put the outside of my right boot in front of the stand so as it rolls forward the stand snaps back, but I am scuffing up my good 'church' boots!

Has anyone every experimented with little rubber feet or boots on the end of the stand feet?

I don't go to church so I don't have to worry about it. Older Vespas had rubber boots, but I don't think they will work on newer models. How about that plastic stuff they make for coating tools? Or truck bed liner?