I've dredged up this topic because it seemed the most fitting place to post this procedure without starting another thread...
I've just now finished bolting up a second hand 1993 K1100RS centre and side stand to my 1987 K100RS. I bought it complete from an eBay source in Germany because I'd read I needed it when going to the wider 4.5x18" wheel and 160/60ZR18 tyre. When laying one next to the other the earlier stand looks like it has far more spread and would allow for a wider tyre with no worries. But it also looks slightly more spindly, if that word can be applied to robust steel tubes, springs and bolts, compared to the later stand.
I used two Ancra-branded tie downs between two sturdy posts and wrapped them round the handlebars and forks under equal tension so the bike would free stand without a side or centre stand. Then I crawled onto the ground and from underneath unscrewed the four 8mm Allen head screws. Fortunately they came out relatively slowly but easily with an extension bar on the Allen key. I assembled the complete stand on the bench then inserted a short screwdriver into one of the four mounting holes to force the spring-loaded centre stand down away from the bottom of the gearbox where the stand's mounting plate attaches, otherwise the mounting plate won't clear the gearbox and you can't 'start' the screws into the gearbox base. It was one of those three handed moments and I'm glad for a fair measure of ambidextrousness borne of having to do mechanical
things by my lonesome quite often. Inserting one bolt at a time and getting a few threads started I was able to slowly bolt the mounting plate up to the gearbox. It was a tedious process made more difficult by the lack of spanner spinning room and less than a foot from cement floor to aluminium gearbox and engine oil pan. Torqued to spec I swung the side stand down and noticed it leans less than the original and has a larger footprint and is easier to reach from the saddle.

Lo and behold the left leg is far closer to the edge of the original 130/140mm tyre, the right leg is a little bit closer but there's room enough. I began to wonder where I'd read it was necessary to have the later stand. I loosened the tie downs and walked round to the left side of the bike, rocked the bike up onto the stand using the far longer and more pronounced lever. It was amazing how easily the bike went up into position and how much prouder it sat. Mind, my old stand was fine. Still is. But I'm liking this new stand and though it's only cm's from the tyres edge I reckon there'll be room enough when the 160mm meat slips between those legs. I'm looking forward to greasing those nipples too.
