Top picture is what the bike looks like now, with the blue seat, side covers, and tank. Notice the Cigar Mike centerstand and kickstarter

Bottom picture is what it looked like 10 years ago, with a black seat, tank, and white sidecovers.

Not the prettiest bike around, but in 12 years and over 20K miles it has never left me stranded. The AZ desert is hard on bikes.

I'm with Paul on that! Brilliant, Jerry!.. Where there's a problem, solve it!! You're an old hand at solving problems like this, what my dad used to call 'cowboy logic', ..our kind of people!..

The paint can trick is pretty cool for sure. Being a jockey sized rider, I have an issue getting a leg over on most bikes. Since I can only get one toe on the ground, I use the foot peg to get on and off while the bike is on the stand.

I'm 6' 240. There is no way the stand, or the bracket it is bolted to would support my weight if I stood on the peg with the bike on the stand. I had a bike back about 20 years ago (1980 Suzuki GS450) that I bought as a beater for transportation, and the sidestand bracket that was welded to the frame was broken off. The bike had been dropped a few times, so I don't know exactly how that happened, but I'm pretty sure the sidestand bracket on the XT would not support 240 pounds, especially with the bike leaned over like that. On a bike with no centerstand, when I need to get a wheel off the ground, I put it on the sidestand, and jack up the right side of the bike. But I first put a block of wood under the sidestand so the bike is more upright when jacked up, to help relieve stress on the sidestand and bracket. If someone could hold the bike upright for me, then I could use the footpeg to stand on.

I'm 5'6" 140lbs and use the left peg to get on and off the XT250 with zero issues. I'd be surprised if the kick stand couldn't handle 240lbs. But maybe not. If you make/buy a small wooden box, with a length of rope affixed, you could use the box as a step, pull it up, fix it to the tailrack and deploy it when you need to get off the bike?

Nae probs here standing on the left peg, me 200lbs + winter kit & wallet at least 220lbs, sure another 20lbs won't worry it. Give it another few years & we'll be needing a re-think with some assistance maybe.

I use that old wallet trick too. The bathroom scale said I weighed 187# this morning, but after I put my wallet in my jeans it dropped back to around 160#. If you look for it, there is an upside to everything.

The side stand is plenty strong, it'll easily hold the full weight of the bike..... https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-to-turn-your-bike-on-the-sidestand

Well, if a Silverback can do it............

I have since replaced the paint can with two wide 10" diameter appliance dolly tires/wheels bolted together. The rubber tires give me more traction.



Two of them stacked together are over 7" high, I attached a rope to them just like the paint can so I can lower them down and lift them back up from the seat. I carry them in a large metal basket attached to the rack. I'll get a picture soon.

The pegs will support plenty of weight, I stand on the pegs all the time. But the sidestand is extremely weak, especially at an angle like that. It does not support the weight of the bike. Most of that weight is supported by the wheels. If I had a scale I could see just how much weight is actually on the sidestand. But the whole bike only weighs 250 pounds, so I weigh as much as it does. The frame is made of extremely thin low carbon steel tubing, and that is what the sidestand bracket is welded to. I have seen a few bikes where the sidestand bracket broke off, taking a chunk out of the frame with it. I have a couple of street bikes with no centerstands. When I need to remove a wheel, I put a piece of 2x4 under the sidestand, and jack up the bike from the other side, just high enough to get the tire off the ground. The 2x4 is to take stress off the sidestand. The further the bike leans over on the sidestand, the more stress it puts on the stand. You can easily hold the bike upright with no stand needed. But start leaning it over, and notice how much heavier it gets the farther you lean it over and you are supporting more of the weight of the bike.