Modern Vespa

Hi:
I have seen several posts describing mishaps while putting the machine on the center stand.
Here is my method for what it's worth.
1)Select a level and hard surface.
2)Stand on the near side of the scooter (the left side, like a horse!)
3)Make sure that you are not leaning the scooter away from you. It has to be perfectly vertical or better still, slightly leaning towards you.
4) Holding the left handlebar with the left hand and the edge of the seat or the passenger hold rail with the right hand, lower the stand firmly with the right foot until the left stand-leg contacts the pavement.
Now, while pressing down with your foot, rock the scooter very slightly side to side until you feel both of the center stand-legs touching the ground.
5) Stand on the center stand lever while you pull the scooter back with your right hand. The scooter will go onto the center stand without a problem.
jc

I dont rock my scooter back and forth like that!! That seems like a really good way to drop her! Im only 5'4, 120lbs and I have no problem putting her on the center stand. I stand on the left side (you kinda have too!!) with the scooter against my right hip, put my left hand on the handle bar and my right on the bar that goes around the seat and push the center stand down with my right foot. When it touches the ground I lift up with my right hand and push down hard on the center stand! Pretty easy!

Key word is "slightly".
You have to make sure both center-stand legs are touching the ground before the final push, otherwise the the scooter will tend to pivot either to or away from you. I'm sure you do this automatically without thinking about it every time you use the center stand.
jc

Now catch it as your foot slips off the 'foot' of the stand lever which is bizarrely highly polished and in the process give the 570lb bike impetus away from you...

Oh, and at the time all your weight was on that 'foot', so you have no means of recovering your own balance.

If the above happens, pray it is on your own driveway with no-one watching. Luckily that was my circumstance...

Let me clarify a point because I also put on the center-stand another bike that weights about 480 pounds and it's somewhat top-heavy to boot.
What I always make sure of is that both legs of the center stand are very firmly touching the ground before the final pull and , in fact, when this happens, you feel the bike (or the scooter) firmly planted and under total control.
I don't know if I am explaining it well.
jc

You explained it very well - but that explanation assumes your boot won't slip on the stand lever. It always will here if it has been raining, not uncommon...

ahem.

so how do i put gas in this thing ???!!!!??

Whatever your method, don't do it in bare feet. I tried moving my scoot just a half a metre in my garage, slipped off the foot peg on the centre stand - now I have a purple and black 2nd toe

I think some people think you have to stomp on the centerstand - your right hand should really anchor you, and your leg should push against your body and be braced by your arm - which keeps you from going in the air.

I noticed this confusion when my friend was trying to put the LX150 up on the centerstand. She weighs 110 lbs and was thinking she had to put all her weight on it, which wasn't enough, she was bascially trying to balance herself on it! Then she anchored herself with her right hand and pushed with her right foot and boom - it popped right up.

The distaff half of our neighbor couple arrived the other night from Athens for a 4 day holiday (Oxi Day) weekend. Her hubby had put his Typhoon 125 in the living room, as we don't do garages here. He gave her vague instructions on how to get the Typhoon on and off the centerstand, and she was at a loss when it came time to move it. Thus, she came and asked my help.

The confusion arose because he referred to using her foot for both operations. Since floors here are typically marble (cheapest flooring available), she needed to block the centerstand with her foot to keep it from sliding while taking it off the stand. She thought he meant to stand on the stand lever.

I talked her through the process off and onto the centerstand, and she did it without any problems.

Al

The foot part on my fly 125 is smooth why
I have fitted a vespa px kickstart rubber on mine and work well with no slipping

I have put this lineX type rubber coat on about 20 scooters this year helps you grip and keeps it from getting all scrached up

Very good if its wet out your foot never slips

+10000.

This thread needs to start over.......
Yikes !!

SDG

Kinda like this? She's 5'4" and 117 lbs....the bike is a little under 600lbs as it sits with about a half tank of gas aboard. The cement pad is level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ2o3iv3ANE

This is very close to the technique the OP describes too, though she doesn't obviously rock the bike from side to side (not a good idea for a person of slight stature to do with this kind of mass), she is still careful that both centerstand legs are in contact with the surface before she begins to loft the machine.