Paddock Stand

[twhitaker]

I bought a paddock stand from MG Cycles which came in yesterday and I was anxious to try it out. After reading the subject on this forum I was a little intimidated.

 

Since my bike has saddlebags that interfere with pushing the lever backwards I approached from the opposite direction. I did not have enough leverage to do the lifting.

 

Here's how I did it.

 

I rolled the back tire onto a 2 x 4. Then I put several boards under the side stand to where the bike is almost level. I then positioned the stand on the hex nuts at the bottom of the pork chops making sure the stand was centered on both. I pushed on the lever and the bike popped right up.

[twhitaker]

I should add. Gordon at MG Cycles is good people. After all the dealer bashing going on I think someone who's doing a good job should be heard about.

[al_roethlisberger]

Gordon is indeed "good people"

 

...he dug through his stack of Stucchi crossovers to find one that was as straight as possible

 

 

 

BTW, after a handful of successful attempts with shop stand, you'll find you won't need any "aids" anymore .... and you'll be surprised how easy it gets over time, so much so, you'll sling that stand around and under the bike like it's nothing, while holding the bike with one hand, maybe balancing it with your hip

 

al

[GuzzTim]

ditto on that.. I've had mine for about 6 weeks... it's getting to be second nature...

[docc]

Just remember if you're taking the bike down from the off side, be sure the side stand is down just in case. ( Good advice from Andy York, MG-Nashville, another good dealer).

[al_roethlisberger]

....yesssssssss, that could make for a nasty surprise

 

 

I've almost done it several times, but thankfully thought to check at the last moment

 

al

[Guest corsahack]

If you have 2 car axle stands place one either side of the bike. Pull the bike over so it is balancing on the side stand with either one of the tyres up in the air, Kick the right hand side stand under the right centre. Push the bike onto the stand untill the left side is up in the air then kick the other side stand under the left center.

Result is a very safe stable work stand with the rear wheel off the ground. You also save mega bucks on a paddock stand.

You do not have to go on a body building course. It is fairly easy once you get the feel for the balance of the bike and knowing where to place the stands to start it off. (Corsa owners etc ,dont forget to remove the belly pans first).

Corsahack.

[al_roethlisberger]

If you have 2 car axle stands place one either side of the bike. Pull the bike over so it is balancing on the side stand with either one of the tyres up in the air, Kick the right hand side stand under the right centre. Push the bike onto the stand untill the left side is up in the air then kick the other side stand under the left center.

Result is a very safe stable work stand with the rear wheel off the ground. You also save mega bucks on a paddock stand.

You do not have to go on a body building course. It is fairly easy once you get the feel for the balance of the bike and knowing where to place the stands to start it off. (Corsa owners etc ,dont forget to remove the belly pans first).

Corsahack.

 

 

Thanks for the alternative .... and I'll take your word for it, but this sounds very shakey to me

 

The advantage of the MG shop stand is that both the arms that the frame nuts sit upon/in, are joined together with the jack framework such that they cannot spread apart.... which would of course cause the nut to drop out of the slot/arm, and the bike to fall. Using separate shop/jack stands does not provide for this bracing and stability.

 

After working with lots of automotive shop/jack stands over the years, I haven't found them terribly stable, and I would be very nervous about knocking the bike or stand in such a way to slip it off of either stand, or it's just working it's way off as I wrenched/yanked on the bike... causing disaster

 

...this would especially worry me if I were sitting on the bike with this pair of stands, versus the MG shop stand.

 

 

YMMV, and if you feel confident with this method I wouldn't though.

 

 

And BTW, the official shop stand is only about $140USD ... a pretty small investment for the security it provides IMHO

 

al