Franken-Stand

[slug]

I was in desparate need of a shop stand, but I'm too broke/cheap to buy one. So while I was chopping my stock mufflers, I decided to build my own. I picked up an old scissor jack from a Nissan, some scrap steel, a 4"x3/8" steel hex bolt and a 3/8" nylock nut, and got busy.

 

As we all know, there really aren't many good places on a Guzzi to jack them up, but since the fuel vapor recovery system "mysteriously" fell off my bike, I found a somewhat decent place to mod. I replaced the two bolts that hold the crossover hanger with the single 4x3/8" bolt, which gives a nice and centered place for a couple contact points for a jack.

 

I drew up the cradle plates with Autocad (one more thing I'm trying to force myself to learn...), welded the jack to a larger base made from 1" square steel tubing, and welded the cradle plates to the top of the jack and added a hex bolt head to the end of the screw on the jack so I could raise the jack with a drill motor.

 

The end result: One f**king ugly Frankenjack, which actually works, and only cost me $10 to build. The base is a little anemic and the cradle plates need to be moved more towards the jack, so I'll be adding more heft to it one of these days.

 

Fuzzy pics of the project:

[slug]

Oh yeah, the cradle plate drawing...

 

- Slug

[Paul Minnaert]

a one point jack doesn't look that stable to me. When your bike one time comes to the floor, you haven't saved much money. TLM has the original shop stand cheap.

[slug]

a one point jack doesn't look that stable to me.  When your bike one time comes to the floor, you haven't saved much money. TLM has the original shop stand cheap.

41310[/snapback]

 

 

True, a single (well, two very closely spaced) point lift is not the most stable The point where it lifts is at a point where a good amount of the bike's weight is below the lift point, so its a little harder to tip over. Still, I wouldn't dare use it for anything other than light duty stuff like oil changes, valve adjustments, etc.; and of course I tiptoe around it. Once I get a chance to pull the measurments off the TLM stand I'll weld one of those up.

[jimbemotumbo]

Not one to be out-cheaped (is that a word) ...

 

I made a stand out of a 2x12" oak board (3-4 feet long).

Drill a hole near one end of the board, centered, and just large enough to fit a 1" galvanized pipe through. Get one that's about 4 feet long. Put a galvanized pipe collar on the other side of the board and countersink it in. Then fit the pipe into the hole on the board and screw it into the collar. Pretty it up with a nice pipe end fitting or a rubber plug in the handle end.

 

Just slide the board under the bike with the handle up, then push the pipe handle down to roll the board up under the crankcase and lever the bike into position. I use oak so it will hold up my Road King.

 

Careful placement will balance the bike, or lift front or rear off the ground.

 

Total cost: $15

Time to make: 30 minutes

Okay, so it's $5 more, but I don't have autocad, I can't weld, and don't have a scissor jack.

 

Be careful not to trip over the pipe when in use, or fall over the board when it's not in use. Ask me how I know.

[Kiwi Dave]

I made a similar stand using two Nissan scissor jacks (Wot's with the Nissan scissor jacks, I wonder). They are merely attached to a piece of wood, and are spaced to lift under the frame near the footpegs. In theory, the jacks should be raised together, but a little slop with the battery drill doesn't make the bike tip too far over.

 

The frame can be fastened to the jacks using removable cable ties or similar if tip-over security is an issue. I've used this jack to remove both wheels simultaneously for tyre replacment, and I'm about to do it again. I'd be keen to buy the proper TLM jack, but I'm not willing to pay the shipping.

 

One of these days I'll make a proper one ......

[Admin Jaap]

Maybe someone can do some exact measurements of the MG stand (in metric!!!!) and post them here?

 

I altered mine to fit on my bike lift table (?) so I can't help.