Sidestand question............

Greetings,

Today I finally got my lowering links installed and started to put on my shortened sidestand and hit a bit of a wall, or maybe just a bit of ignorance on my part.

Lying on the ground it did not seem like I could put a socket on the head of the bolt holding the sidestand on. In my case the head of the bolt is underneath the bike, not on the outside.

Is the switch in the way?

Am I missing something or was it a case of the sweat running into my eyes and my frustration while laying in the midday sun?



Slo_Rider

Sidestand...............

Greetings,

Have I stumped the collective? Didn't think that was possible but there have been no responses.

What I am trying to get to is bolt labeled #4 in the enclosed photo from Ron Ayers.


2018 Honda NC750XD AC STAND | Ron Ayers


Does what I assume is a switch screw into the bolt? Before it gets to 90 degrees plus here today I am going back outside to see if I can take another whack at it.

Let me know if I am overthinking this or if I am just a klutz........



Slo_Rider

Yes, the small bolt with 8 mm head (for sidestand switch) screws into the pivot bolt. After you remove the sidestand switch, you can get to that pivot bolt.

Sidestand..........

DirtFlier,

Thanks but I have given up.....I went to Walgreens and got a mirror to get a peek under there and finally figured it out.

Then I took out the small bolt and realized that I didn't have an open end box wrench thin enough to use to get a purchase on the nut I initially mentioned. I am trying to do this with the bike on the centerstand and the leg blocks access to the nut to some extent.

Enough. I have just gotten my shorter centerstand from Japan and tomorrow I am going to schedule an appointment to get the new centerstand and the shorter sidestand installed.

I am wasting riding time trying to do this myself and am getting very frustrated. Really should have done this sooner.

Thanks very much for the response and I knew someone would have the answer.



Slo_Rider

The kickstand install is fairly simple and straight forward, just have to understand what you are doing. If yours is a 750, I'm sure it is similar to my 700 in the kickstand area. I removed two bolts over to the side of it (which ended up being unnecessary) because I couldn't back the kickstand bolt out with the sensor on it, actually tried and ruined the sensor bc I couldn't hardly see what I was doing under there.

Little did I know that the 8mm bolt on the backside is actually a small bolt threading into the larger kickstand bolt to hold the sensor in place. If I had've left the nut tight on the outside of the kickstand bolt, I could have broke the 8mm bolt on the backside loose, removed the sensor without any issues, then removed the nut on the outside, then backed out the larger kickstand bolt. It is frustrating, but don't give up too easily. Once you figure out how to do it, you should be able to fully remove or install the kickstand in about 5-10 min tops.

Also, I did not use box end wrenches at all. Sockets with extensions are the key to working around the center stand being in the way.



Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Sidestand...............

TacomaJD,

Thanks. If the local shop can fit me in on Friday I am just going to let them muck with it.

I can easily see how the switch can be problematic and easily damaged. In my case, the wires were barely long enough to get it back together.

Thanks again for the help.



Slo_Rider

By the way, as a general rule open end wrenches are my last choice for loosening anything!

All they do is slip and bugger-up the corners of the bolt or nut! I only use the open end portion of a combination wrench (open on one end and box on the other end) after the fastener has been been loosened.

ps. The bolt for the sidestand lives in a well so you need to socket to get to it....and if you do buy a socket set, always buy 6-point sockets!

Sidestand.....

DirtFlier,

Although it has been almost 50 years since I was in a mechanics school in 1973, I thought they encouraged us to use 12 point sockets when and where possible. I am probably wrong, and do prefer sockets, but tend to use 12 point box end wrenches in tight spaces.

As I grew more frustrated I started to reach for the 'Tool of Last Resort', aka the dreaded vice grips. Fortunately I couldn't find my needle nosed pair and I think that's when I decided to call it a day.

Again, thanks for the help and in all honesty, I might be as frustrated by my diminishing flexibility as well as my seeming inability to do a job that would have taken just a few minutes when I was younger.

Ageing does beat the alternative but as Bette Davis is alleged to have said....'Getting old is not for sissies'.


Slo_Rider

That's odd. 12 point sockets don't allow you to apply as much torque as 6 point sockets before they begin to round the fastener. The exception is 12 point fasteners, which are unusual (I've seen them used for head bolts though).

They're more convenient in that they'll go on in more orientations, but that's about the only reason I know of to use them on a typical fastener.

Sidestand........

Junkie,

You make a good point and my memory of almost 50 years ago might simply be wrong. I never worked as a mechanic so beyond working on my own cars when I was younger I don't have a lot of mechanics experience.

In any event it is probably a moot point if the shop can fit me in.



Slo_Rider

After I wore out two sets of 3/8" drive, 12-pt sockets, I started to replace them with 6-point sockets and have lived happily ever after.

Sidestand.........

It's Alive........It's Alive.........

Just got back from the Honda shop and I can finally ride this damn thing.....

This week I finally got the lowering links on and that is when I started asking about the sidestand and I really appreciate all of the responses about that.

This morning I rolled the bike off the centerstand and the bike came to rest on the stock sidestand and it was almost vertical. As I got on the bike it tipped to the right but my stoop caught me and the bike. Not even a scratch on either of us. At 68 I probably would not heal quickly.

At the Honda shop they said thirty minutes to put on the new 500s centerstand and sidestand. Almost two hours later they said they had finally finished. It seems the tech wasn't familiar with the DCT model and there was some issue.

The head service tech, who is about 5'3" tall, was able to put it on the centerstand and to roll it off by himself, but he is about 40 years younger than me. He rides a Ducati Monster and showed me that he can't even get both toes on the ground on his bike.

Leaving the shop felt sooooo much better now that I am on the balls of my feet and not on tip toes.

I did notice that putting the sidestand down might take a bit of a learning curve since I put one of those GIVI sidestand feet on the new sidestand and it scrapes as I lower it.

The city slogan here in Columbia, SC for years was 'Famously Hot' and it is slated to be 100 or above all weekend, but I am going to try to get in at least a hundred miles.

Thanks again for everything and have a great holiday weekend.



Slo_Rider

Slo_Rider - maybe the school got a commission on all the 12-pt socket sets sold!

If you look at the working end of a 12-pt and 6-pt sockets in the same size, you'll see a much more substantial wall thickness on the 6-pt version. They are not only stronger but also kinder to the nut or bolt head because they won't slip.

Sidestand...............

DirtFlier,

As I said earlier, that was 1973 so you guys are probably right and I am probably just remembering wrong. But it was the GM training school in El Paso so who knows......mostly we just worked on each others cars.

The six point do seem to make more sense after all that you guys have said.

Hopefully I will not be doing much wrenching on the bike. It has been siting around for months gathering dust instead of miles. I do have some SW Motech pegs to put on but that should be doable, even for my ancient self.


Have a nice weekend.




Slo_Rider