[Willie]

The center stand on my 2009 RE Bullet 500 (G5) just slides (or scrapes) merrily on top of any parking surface when attempts are made to take the bike down off the stand.  No amount of pushing, rocking, bouncing, or otherwise trying to get the stand to retract will do.  I have to place a wedge of wood in front of the stand feet and hold it there with my foot in order to push the bike off the stand and have the stand retract.  I have observed that the feet on the stand are tubular, and there are no flat surfaces that contact the floor as there are on my other bikes, which come off the stand very easily.  I have tried non-skid tape and rubber wrap to give the feet some traction, but to no avail.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Has anyone solved this problem?  It seems that I may have to remove the stand and have some flat pieces welded where the feet rest on the parking surface.  Just in case there is a better/simpler/easier solution out there, I thought I would ask here first.

[Richard230]

I had a similar problems with one of my bikes. I solved it by buying a sheet of hard rubber padding designed to be placed over concrete in a garage from Amazon. That made all the difference and now my bike rolls off of its center stand without any drama just like it should. 

[Willie]

I had a similar problems with one of my bikes. I solved it by buying a sheet of hard rubber padding designed to be placed over concrete in a garage from Amazon. That made all the difference and now my bike rolls off of its center stand without any drama just like it should. 

THANKS!  Would you mind posting a photo if you get the chance.  I have tried non-skid tape and rubber padding that didn't work, so I am having trouble visualizing what and how you applied/fastened it.  I appreciate it!

[Richard230]

THANKS!  Would you mind posting a photo if you get the chance.  I have tried non-skid tape and rubber padding that didn't work, so I am having trouble visualizing what and how you applied/fastened it.  I appreciate it!

Here are a couple of photos. What I used was a roll of hard rubber mat that I just laid on top of my garage floor. I bought it from Amazon and it arrived at my door in a 5-foot wide, by 20-foot long roll and can be cut to the length that you want with a knife or carpet scissors . It is about 1/8" thick and has been very durable during the 10 years that I have been parking my motorcycles on the mat. Because it is not stuck to the floor it will occasionally move out of place, but I can just reach down and pull it back into position easily, like you might do with a throw-rug.  Just be sure not to buy any pad that claims to be cushion. Those are great for a person to stand on, but are not happy having a motorcycle center stand or side stand pressing on them. (Tough on the old cushion.)

[AzCal Retred]

It might be that the stand is a bit too far over center. There is a rubber stopper that may be worn/damaged. Maybe adding a plastic shim could test this.
PART No. 145186
STOPPER, RUBBER (EACH)
£2.63

[Willie]

Here are a couple of photos. What I used was a roll of hard rubber mat that I just laid on top of my garage floor. I bought it from Amazon and it arrived at my door in a 5-foot wide, by 20-foot long roll and can be cut to the length that you want with a knife or carpet scissors . It is about 1/8" thick and has been very durable during the 10 years that I have been parking my motorcycles on the mat. Because it is not stuck to the floor it will occasionally move out of place, but I can just reach down and pull it back into position easily, like you might do with a throw-rug.  Just be sure not to buy any pad that claims to be cushion. Those are great for a person to stand on, but are not happy having a motorcycle center stand or side stand pressing on them. (Tough on the old cushion.)

Thanks again!  For some reason, I had tried to visualize this attached to your stand (small pieces).  I will definitely get one for my garage, and perhaps may experiment with attaching pieces to the feet so I can easily get off the stand away from home.  I am thinking that maybe zip ties or hose clamps may work.  At least it won't be some troublesome at home.

[Willie]

It might be that the stand is a bit too far over center. There is a rubber stopper that may be worn/damaged. Maybe adding a plastic shim could test this.
PART No. 145186
STOPPER, RUBBER (EACH)
£2.63
Thanks.  I inspected this, and the rubber stopper is in good shape.  In fact, I had considered removing it because the stand hangs awfully low and close to the road.  I think until I get the sliding issue fixed I will just leave it alone.  But it was a great idea and I appreciate it.

[axman88]

Are you running stock sized tires and rear shocks?  I noticed when experimenting with larger tires, stand performance was affected, although I don't recall it failing to retract.

Maybe the relative position of the stand mount components are incorrect, or the stand is welded incorrectly, or the stand from another model was installed?  Perhaps posting some pictures will result in helpful information.

[mrunderhill1975a]

I wonder if the center-stand pivot point has oval due to use and weight of the bike over time.  If those pivot points oval, the center stand would be positioned too far forward as AzCal explained.   The photo attached shows the pivot oval on a Iron Barrel center stand plates, note the oval on the old plate.
On your G5, the plates would look something like this:
https://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/20310?qty=2&continue_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com%2Fpartsbook-pages%2F2321

[Karl Childers]

When mine does that I just put my foot in front of the nearest leg  when I push and the bike comes right off. It usually only happens on slick surfaces like my work table.

[Willie]

When mine does that I just put my foot in front of the nearest leg  when I push and the bike comes right off. It usually only happens on slick surfaces like my work table.

Thanks.  When I try that without the wooden wedge it just pushes my foot along with it and produces a pain in the groin muscle on the left side.  Not good... I can't hold my foot stationary while trying to push the bike hard enough to get it down.

[Karl Childers]

My Enfield is the only motorcycle I've ever owned with a center stand that doesn't elevate the rear wheel. It puts less weight on the stand and is more prone to sliding in situations that are less than perfect. Then when it does fold to the up position it amazes me how much ground clearance is lost as it hangs quite low. Unless I'm missing some brilliant feature to it it does not seem like one of Enfield's better designs. In all likelyhood mine will coming off along with the pitifully short side stand that will get replaced by one of Hitchcock's adjustable length units.

[Freddy1]

Check: with the motorcycle on the stand the rear wheel must not touch the ground!
If it touches the ground, check if the stand is bent or the rear suspension is too long (if not original).

[axman88]

My Enfield is the only motorcycle I've ever owned with a center stand that doesn't elevate the rear wheel. It puts less weight on the stand and is more prone to sliding in situations that are less than perfect. Then when it does fold to the up position it amazes me how much ground clearance is lost as it hangs quite low. Unless I'm missing some brilliant feature to it it does not seem like one of Enfield's better designs. In all likelyhood mine will coming off along with the pitifully short side stand that will get replaced by one of Hitchcock's adjustable length units.

Comparing my 2012 UCE C5 to my 1999 IB Bullet, there was considerable improvement in the performance of both center and side stands.  On the 1999 IB the stands don't seem very well designed, and are built from marginal thickness and dubious quality materials.   I noticed the same behavior you mention, it didn't seem tall enough.  The center stand springs were also compromised and the previous owner had fitted a loop of strong string to perform the hold-up function.  I think that the center stand might have been worn in the mode shown by Mr. Underhill, and was over-traveling, but I didn't pay that much attention.  I'll deal with that, and the poorly designed and placed side stand when I rebuild that bike.  It's a basket case at the moment.

My 2012 UCE has no such issues.  The center stand has performed well for me, and I use it much more than the side stand.  It's build more robustly and the geometry seems much better suited to its task than the IB stand.  I did notice, however, that when I experimented with 19" tires on front and rear instead of the 18" front and rear that came on the bike from the factory, The center stand did not have enough lift to hold the rear tire elevated.  It held the machine stable, and took most of the weight off the rear, but the rear was in contact with the ground.   I wonder if UCE Bullets have a different stand arrangement than UCE Classics?  I was under the impression that UCE Bullets use 19" tires front and rear.  UCE Classic late models had, I believe, 19" front and 18" rear, and before 2012, 18" both front and rear.

[Willie]

The rear wheel does not touch the ground, and spins freely when the bike is on the stand.  I think the problem is the tubular shape of the feet on the stand.  Inspection of the scuffed area on the feet shows a very small contact patch.  All my other center stands have or had flat feet.  It makes sense that flat feet provide a contact area that allows for more friction, and help to impart a greater degree of leverage.  They also provide a more stable base for the bike.  A small wedge in front of a tubular foot solves the problem immediately and effortlessly.  If I can't find padding/wrap that provides some "bite" for the feet, I think I will have a flat wedge-like piece welded to the feet, and in the meantime carry a small wedge with me.  Welding would probably be cheaper than a compatible aftermarket stand, but an aftermarket stand might provide some advantages in better ground clearance.