'79 GL, Scraping Stand before Pegs

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

Maybe this isn't quite a Tech question.

In tight left handers, I've twice scraped the center stand on my '79 GL in the last month. I'm not scraping pegs in a tight right - or a tight left. Is this a known issue with the early GLs?

Obviously, this is concerning, as the center stand rests against the bracket stop and has no give, where the pegs are spring loaded and serve as a warning that the bike is getting pretty leaned over. (FWIW: At 4k miles, I have 1/8-3/16" chicken strips on the Battleax rear, so my contact patch has yet to be out there at the limit of the tires.)

On my GL1100s, pegs will scrape in a moderately tight turn. On one occasion, I bottomed out on the center stand in a really tight right, scooting out the rear a bit - but only AFTER the right peg lifted up as it scraped the asphalt. That happened because I misjudged the line and had to push in to avoid drifting wide - user error.

With the '79, I've bottomed out on the stand in a couple perfectly reasonable lefts on roads I ride all the time. My lines were normal/typical, but with just that little bit of extra lean angle. All was smooth and flowing, until the light crunch signaled I needed to reduce the lean - NOW.

Here's my setup:

• Stock muffler mounting bracket with integrated center stand rubber stop - although I am using old Sportster pipes.

• I mostly positioned the bracket where it WAS in the original configuration. Here's the post link for the build: https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic ... 65#p816111

• Progressive rears, which may be a tad longer (shorter?) than OEM - definitely stiffer. I could pull my OEMs out to measure, I suppose.

• Front end is from an '83 GL1100.

• Rear tire is a Battleax, which seems to handle all I can muster; front is a Kruz, which I'm not liking and want to swap out soon.

• Rider weighs 185-190 pounds naked and stands 6'2". Add maybe 10 pounds for clothes and a commuter bag. The bike's suspension is not struggling against the overall load.

I understand the swingarm on the GL1000s is shorter than those on the 1100s. I can see from a side-by-side in my driveway that my '79 pegs sit a bit higher than those of my '82, which I figured helped explain the lack of peg scraping on roads that both bikes traverse pretty regularly.

I'm thinking that this winter I may revisit the center stand stop and bend it up a bit more to tuck the stand up a bit more.

Another option is to take the more sedate, cruiser approach on the GL and leave the spirited riding to my sport tourer. But really?

[CYBORG]

Had the same problem with my 78. Especially after
i went to 16 inch tires. I just removed the stand. Side stand is enough

[redglbx]

Couple of things, You have a lot going on there.

the 78/79 center stands have a longer arm to help get the bike up on the c-stand, so I have seen a number where the c-stand arm had some pretty heavy scrapes on it.

You refer to having “Harley pipes” on your bike so I’m assuming that it means that you have Sportster mufflers, if so you have to have some kind of fabricated center stand stop which may be too long.

If you have a 16” rear tire that is contributing to this problem.

Also years ago when these bikes were new and considered hot rods and I was invinceable I used to really push my 76 hard in the corners, I loved cornering hard, so much so that I wore a hole in my original lh case guard which really adds width to the engine. Anyway I had someone explain to me that with a bike with a driveshaft on the left side you need to go into a corner slower and accelerate through it because with a lh driveshaft the bike squats when you let off the throttle but raises on the throttle, so you are gaining clearance when on the throttle. If you have a bike with the driveshaft on the right side it’s the exact opposite. Squats on acceleration and raises on decel. So you may need to work on your technique a bit.

Check your shock lengths , they have a big effect on ground clearance as well as being able to get it on the center stand.

Lastly, over all the years I’ve owned my 76, I’ve come to realize it is not a “sport bike” slow down & enjoy the ride. Having ridden your area on my FJR the roads are really fantastic and push you to corner hard. I think the upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine area has to be one of the very best secrets for motorcycling roads , add in the terrific scenery it’s just unbelievable, the Dragon has nothing on it !

Also if you would add a few pictures of your bike it might help us on how to help you. My .02

[Fred Camper]

Throttle position also matters on a full stock bike, particularly with two up riding. Let off the throttle and it will scrape, get back on it and all is fine. I tend to ride by over leaning the bike (too tight) then use the throttle to get back to the desired line. Works well for me.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

OK. Here's a photo that doesn't show how the center stand rests, but it does show the other bits.

PXL_20230819_193708979.jpg

Working through some of this advice and the guidance:

• I know, I know. It's not a sport bike. Pushing through turns at speeds that call for those angles is perhaps ill advised.

• The pipes are sportsters and angle up a bit. The stand stop bracket is right where stock would be - or as close as I could get it.

• Rear wheel is the stock '79 wheel, a 16" if I recall.

• I'll measure the rear shocks, but I think they're at least as long as the stock ones.

• Long-armed center stand on the '78/9s could help explain things. It sure is easy to get on the stand - for me.

• If a right-hand shaft compresses a bike under load, that could be part of it. I do initiate my turns with a brake and countersteer to initiate my turns, then ease on throttle through the turn. Unless I misjudge the line, it's all smooth and flowing. Perhaps I'm losing a hair of clearance throughout the turn - and once in a while (less than once in maybe every 250 turns) the stand scrapes.

Over winter, I think I'll explore tucking the stand up a bit by adjusting the stop.

[redglbx]

NotSo, that’s good lookin scoot there ! Good job ! It looks like you have the stock Comstars on it which means you have a 19” on the front and a stock 17” on the back . A 16” would make things worse.

2 things, the rear shocks look very short to me, I don’t remember the exact length but I believe they should be like around 13 3/4 to 13 7/8in. Those on your bike don’t look that long. Also you need to adjust your center stand stop to be just long enough to keep it from riding on the mufflers,,,, just enough !

Those sporty mufflers do sound good on the GL’s don’t they ? Studying your picture I really don’t see any scrape marks, can you get a picture of that and where ?

Also looking at your picture closely there doesn’t appear to be much clearance between the rear tire and the ground which says the shock length has to be about right s maybe the springs are to soft and allowing to much sag with a rider on it,,,sorry that I can’t give you a definitive answer but just kinda spitballing here.


One thing that caught my eye when I came back to this is that the muffler clamp flange is really hanging down
Might be worth loosening those and rotating them up.

[dontwantapickle]

it needs longer / stiffer shocks

[pidjones]

it needs longer / stiffer shocks

Agreed.

[Shadowjack]

I believe in stock form, the lower edge of the shelter cover should look level. Yours looks low in the rear, ergo, shocks too short or saggy.

[redglbx]

Jack, it is sitting on the center stand (barely) and the rear tire is just barely off the ground so a longer shock will just eliminate being able to set it on the center stand. Now if the springs are too soft or the owner is extremely heavy then the shocks may be a problem but I think any longer and the tire won’t be off the ground. But l guess if it were me I’d call Progressive to see if those shocks are ok on a wing. My .02

[Fred Camper]

I have a 16 inch Lester on the rear and run CBF-750 shocks as they are 1/2 inch longer. Had to also use a CB750 side stand once I did that as the lean angle on the stock stand was too low. My rear tire still touches the ground on the center stand now so if I need to rotate the tire I either use a hoist or put a 1/2 inch board under the center stand. Works well on BADDOG.

[Gowing]

Aren't those progressives a bit shorter than stock shocks?

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

It's been a while.

• I have a bone stock '79 project. I measured center to center on those shocks, on c-stand. Then I measured the Progressives on Ginger - on the c-stand. Same length.

• Any angles seen on the shelter sides are more about camera angle than anything else Rear shocks could NOT be sagging in that photo, as the bike is on the c-stand.

• Progressive shocks compress LESS than the originals - everyone reports that they're stiffer, and I can confirm it from the important seat-of-the-pants feel, as I ride over the bumps/frost heaves that are simply the asphalt terrain in northern New England.

• If the rear shocks have any issue, it's that my 190 pound body isn't big enough for adequate preload on the lightest setting.

• 17" wheel at the rear, so there's that. I'm not dropping the rear with a nonstock wheel.

• I do have an '83 front end on the bike, with an '82 Comstar. Forks are in the triple tree as stock; wheel diameter is a bit smaller than the original '79.

I'm going to tuck up the c-stand this winter. If I have trouble again next spring/summer, I'll just remove the c-stand.

[Lucien Harpress]

The only thing I can think at this point is that on a stock setup the center stand tucks up into a recess on the muffler. Replacing it with the pipes you have now shouldn't change much, but it might drop it down enough to cause the problems you're having. Just my two cents.

[redglbx]

NotSo, been studying the picture of your bike above, you said it was dragging on hard LH corners, right? The reason I ask is because I see no scrape marks on the center stand or the LH foot peg ball, but the edge of the muffler clamp has a pretty good bevel on it.

If it was mine I would loosen that clamp and rotate it up and out of the way. And I would do it the right side as well if it’s also hanging down. My .02