[tooseevee]

   Well, after all these years & 907.7 miles I discovered a new sound/noise/clunk.

   When I got on it this morning (on the center stand) to kick it over I decided to see how much more I could make my shoulders hurt so I stood up on the pegs & pulled & pushed them up & down like the true masochist I must be & OhShit! What the hell's that clunking noise? So I did it again.

    Then I dumped it off the center stand & the noise is totally gone with the weight on the forks.

     Is this an indicator of oil height? Oil weight?

     Is this a tale told by a fork, full of clunks & clacks, signifying nothing? I'm guessing there's a gap in there somewhere when the fork is extended & the closing of this gap is the sound/noise/clunk.

      I learn something about this bike almost every day if I pay attention  The best thing about it is it gets me away from C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Jay Carney and all the rest of the liein' bast.... Woops.

[RP McMurphy]

Tooseevee,

I think my '08 will do the same thing when it's up on the center stand. Bounces very easily, then sorta feels like the forks are banging against something. Not a very loud bang or clack, mind you.

Could be the tops of the forks "topping out" as high as they will go? The whole suspension really gets lifted up when the bike's on the centerstand. Those are just my impressions.

RP

[DanB]

Ditto.  I get the same thing and noticed the clunking when I was jumping on it to get the old oil out of the forks.  Felt like i was topping out;  put new oil in (which leaked out the lhs seal) and I havent noticed  clunking off the stand at all. Talked myself into 'this is a normal RE thing'.  I did check the stem bearings tho... just in case.   

[Arizoni]

You might want to check the adjustment on the steering stem (steering head) bearings.

If the adjustment is loose and with the bike on the centerstand, the fork head will be free to move forward/aft or side to side and this can make a noise when the load is applied and removed as it is when your pumping the forks.

When the bike is resting on its wheels the load on the steering head will be quite high and it is less likely to move when the forks are depressed so the likelihood of it making noise is reduced.

Another thing you should check is the condition of the front wheel bearings.
With the bike on the centerstand, try moving the front wheel from side to side without moving the fork.  If the wheel bearings are bad a movement will be noticeable.

[motomataya]

Some bikes has small top out springs to cushion the hit when they are fully extended. Some don't and you will get a noticeable clunk when they smack into the limiter. Normal. Or it could be loose steering head bearings.