Center Stand Help

So I am a total newbie and just bought my first bike, a 99 VFR800. I love the bike, and have been able to figure out most things from owners and maintenance manuals, but have had no luck trying to get the bike on the center stand. I am slightly vertically  and weight challenged (5"9 and 160 lbs) and have heard there is a "trick" to it, but don't know anyone else with this bike to learn from. Anyone willing to give me a pointer or two ?

im taller but lighter, 5'11 and 140 so adjust as needed but here is how I do it.

1: stand the bike up off the sidestand

2: push the centerstand down with your foot so it touches the ground evenly with both of its little feet. if you rock the bike side to side a little you will see what I mean.

3: with your right hand grab the passenger peg mount near where it meets the tail section.

4: transfer your body weight onto the center stand lever while lifting up and back with your right hand. so you are pushing with your whole body weight while lifting with your arm, almost like your arm is pulling you into the centerstand lever. that makes up for us being so light.
the only real risky spot with any centerstand is to make sure you have it flat on the ground on step 2, if its only on one of the little feet it gets pretty wiggly going up.

Youtube!   :smile:

I have tendonitis in my right wrist so I only use the centerstand when doing maintenance.
To help get the bike on the centerstand I have a piece of 3/4" board that I run the rear wheel up on before I use the centerstand.
Takes very little weight transfer to get the centerstand down with just that 3/4" headstart.

A time or two I wondered why using the center stand seemed to have gotten more difficult - like the bike had gotten heavier or me a lot weaker.  Then I realized it wasn't in neutral!

thanks for the tips, honestly would never have thought of using the passenger peg as a handhold or the board trick, will try them out this week

Make sure to push down hard on the stand with your foot.
I find it a good idea to wear riding boots, or something with a good solid sole to enable pushing without pain in my foot.

if your lifting the bike your doing it wrong.you only balance it while pushing down on the center stand lever.

All great suggestions.

I agree it's not really a lift at all.  Just a rocking motion backward with the push down of your right boot on the lever.  The only trick at all is to center the bike upright and steady it on the stand at the start.

I've a bad back so bending to reach the passenger peg mount is risky for me. I grab the passenger grab handles. Givi hard case mounting brackets have different  passenger grab handles; these work same as stock handles.