I like your comment guys. Gotta have fun eh. [ with too much info ]
David, the shim idea is a good one as well.
I welded an extension on mine so that I could get the bloody thing out while still seated . Why, because funnily enough, I am getting older [ 69 this year ] and with loaded panniers, the bike gets a bit unmanageable at petrol stations. I can rarely start the things without them being on the centre stand. Staring on the wheels means I have to jump in the air and then kick it. I dont always get the balance right and that pisses me off especially if someone is watching.
I have experienced all the faults of the bikes that I know about and the first cure i did was toss the side stand away on my 71 750. All those years ago [ 1973 ]we didnt know about modifications to the frame to cure the stupid problem. Fancy relying on a 1/16 "pin. to support the weight of a commando. ridiculous. The 850 is much better, still a little suspect, but holding out..
Dereck