Motorcycle stands?

[FreyZI]

Was reading latest post on "What did you do to your V11 today?" thread and saw @gstallons tire tread breakdown and @Gmc28 mentioning the Greenie on the stand.  I've been wondering for a while if I should invest in some stands.  Central Pennsylvania winters are pretty wet, grey, and cold, but we do get the occasional warm-ish day of sunshine for a longer ride (maybe the Tenni) and I try to ride a motorcycle in to work most days (sadly just a few miles), either the champagne V11 or one of the Beemers (R1200R or F800GS).  With any luck, none of those bikes ever sits long enough to let the cobwebs form, though maybe a month or more during January and February.  The Beemers have center stands and they're always on them when parked in the garage.  Not so the V11 stablemates. 

As to stands, what's your practice?  Use all the time in the garage?  Use when you believe it's going to be some time before the bike sees action?

What brands do you like?  Front and rear, I assume?  Issues with shafties?

Cheers

[audiomick]

I suppose it would be a good idea to jack up the bike if you know you are definitely not going to be riding it for some months. I don't do that, because I ride most of the year and never really know how long the bike will be standing around doing nothing.

As far as lifters go, buy one of these:

https://shop.becker-technik.de/en/products/central-lifter-24

and one of these to go with it:

https://shop.becker-technik.de/en/products/radmutternschlussel-155

it's actually not a wrench as such, but rather a lever to aid in getting the bike on the stand. I always fit the stand such that the lever is going out towards the front of the bike rather than to the rear. That makes it easier to steady the bike by holding on to the right-hand handlebar with one hand whilst you lower the "wrench" to get the bike on the stand with the other hand (on the left-hand-side the side stand gets in the way, or you have to fold it in before you jack the bike onto the lifter...). I've haven't had any problems with this method to date.

In additon to the Becker lifter, I have one of these:

https://www.louis.de/artikel/rothewald-scherenheber-mit-adaptern/10003265?filter_article_number=10003265

 

With the bike on the Becker lifter, and that under the front of the motor, it is as easy as you like to get both wheels off the ground.

 

PS: in addtion to the lifter (and the lever...) you need two standard half-inch drive 18 mm sockets. The go on the lowermost bolts on the pork-chops stilettos, and the lifter fits in to the drive side of them.

I bought mine (probably for a "premium" price) directly from Becker with the lifter, but any standard socket will work.

[activpop]

I agree with Mick on BT stand. I dont know if you can find better. I bought mine from Stein Dinse even though I am in Oregon. It was less expensive than getting it in the states, and that is including shipping. 

[Speedfrog]

All good ideas...  and I would add a good front wheel chock to keep the bike upright on it's own. It's easy to roll the bike in and out of and works great in conjunction with the BT stand. It also comes in handy to do oil changes and to save space in the shop. Baxley makes the best ones, albeit a bit pricey but solid and will be an heirloom to your grandkids. Harbor Freight sells a cheap one(Guzzi content) which I have modified and mounted to the lift, works great.

https://baxleycompanies.com/products/sport-chock?variant=39329523663022

 

A feeling of déjà vu - - - -  @activpop I wonder where you got the idea of ordering your BT stand from SD? 

Or encore - - - -

 

[mikev]

I bought this one from MG Cycle, very nice stand.  Need 2 18mm sockets to use it.  Works great.  

Becker Technik stand, V11 Sport, 1100Sport Daytona Centauro. for $177.60. US

[Gmc28]

On 10/24/2023 at 6:01 PM, FreyZI said:

Was reading latest post on "What did you do to your V11 today?" thread and saw @gstallons tire tread breakdown and @Gmc28 mentioning the Greenie on the stand.  I've been wondering for a while if I should invest in some stands.  Central Pennsylvania winters are pretty wet, grey, and cold, but we do get the occasional warm-ish day of sunshine for a longer ride (maybe the Tenni) and I try to ride a motorcycle in to work most days (sadly just a few miles), either the champagne V11 or one of the Beemers (R1200R or F800GS).  With any luck, none of those bikes ever sits long enough to let the cobwebs form, though maybe a month or more during January and February.  The Beemers have center stands and they're always on them when parked in the garage.  Not so the V11 stablemates. 

As to stands, what's your practice?  Use all the time in the garage?  Use when you believe it's going to be some time before the bike sees action?

What brands do you like?  Front and rear, I assume?  Issues with shafties?

Cheers

fwiw, the stand I have my Greenie on is the shop lift type, hydraulic.  I do have a couple stands of the type mentioned in this thread, though i rarely use them for the V11's (for no particular reason).  I like the look of that becker-technic stand.... but I tend to have them up on the hydraulic stand for the "annual maintenance", or just on the side stand so they can get moved, started, and ridden, though I also ride the V11's very seldom in winter.