Has anyone changed or demounted/mounted their center stand springs? How did you do it? I struggled and fought to engage the larger spring, but I am simply not strong enough. I tried using a brake spring tool, and that did not work either.
After half an hour of battle, I took a lesson from my brake spring tool (automotive) and made the tool pictured below. It is simply a piece of drill rod that I had on hand, heated one end and hammered it flat, then ground the rough marks off it and used a right angle grinder with a cut-off wheel to make the notch. I hooked the slot over the spring and used the crossbar on the OEM center stand as a fulcrum. Once it was close, channel lock pliers pushed the open end of the spring's hook over the centerstand anchor point and I was home free. The small spring is much easier.
I lowered my bike and had to shorten the center stand - I could not get the bike up on it alone, and two people worked hard to get it there. The whole idea for me is to have the stand in case of a flat - and then the rear of the bike would be a few inches lower yet, so shortening it was in the cards. The tool is about 8" long overall, I cut the length so that it would fit with maybe 1/2"clearance to the ground.
But, absent such a tool, is there a secret other than brute strength?
After half an hour of battle, I took a lesson from my brake spring tool (automotive) and made the tool pictured below. It is simply a piece of drill rod that I had on hand, heated one end and hammered it flat, then ground the rough marks off it and used a right angle grinder with a cut-off wheel to make the notch. I hooked the slot over the spring and used the crossbar on the OEM center stand as a fulcrum. Once it was close, channel lock pliers pushed the open end of the spring's hook over the centerstand anchor point and I was home free. The small spring is much easier.
I lowered my bike and had to shorten the center stand - I could not get the bike up on it alone, and two people worked hard to get it there. The whole idea for me is to have the stand in case of a flat - and then the rear of the bike would be a few inches lower yet, so shortening it was in the cards. The tool is about 8" long overall, I cut the length so that it would fit with maybe 1/2"clearance to the ground.
But, absent such a tool, is there a secret other than brute strength?