I need your opinion / blackbird front lift

[fosters]

( I am new to this an have already done this once and failed, so if it appears twice I am sorry)

I need your opinion on idea I have had to have a FRONT PADDOCK STAND manufactured by a VERY well known and established manufacturer. This will enable the front wheel to be lifted off the ground in CONJUNCTION WITH THE CENTRE STAND. If you attempt to use a normal front paddock stand it will lift the fornt wheel off the ground by about 4-6" which is too much and the bike will fall over. Currently the only way to use one of them would be with a rear paddock stand, not an easy option, especially if you have the tubing for a scottoiler fitted under the swing arm.

My Front paddock stand will look the same as a normal one but the arms will be shorter in height and will only lift the front wheel off the ground by about 3/4", any more than that and the rear tyre hits the floor. It will also have the protected rubbers to sit under the forks to prevent damge. It will enable the front wheel to be rotated for easy cleaning and also for the front spindle to be removed for front wheel removal. It will also mean the front end is very sturdy, unlike some methods I have seen.

This is just to get an idea of how many peolpe that may be interested in this type of stand. It saves you dragging a jack out of your garage or trying to lift the front wheel off the ground whilst trying support the fork legs with wood or whatever. This stand will enable the front wheel to be lifted in a matter of seconds and without the need for a second pair of hands. I have heard horror stories of people trying to put their bikes on a front and rear stand, this will enable you to put the bike on its centre stand and then lift the front wheel with ease. I have always dragged my front wheel around on previous bikes in order to clean it but the blackbird is a bit on the heavy side to do this with ease.

I am not taking orders at present but just getting an idea if I can help anyone by obtaining these, prices are likely to be similar to a normal stand by that manufacture but you will be very happy with its quality and name. It will of course come with manufactures normal guarantee.

I have read a couple of threads from the past enquiring about front wheel removal and cleaning so if it helps just one person then great.

Be honest, I've got thick skin.

Thanks for you time.

 

[ianrobbo1]

the "cheaper" quicker way is put the centre stand on a block of wood and then pull the bike on to the stand, it lifts the back end as high as the thickness of the wood and you can then use a "standard" front bike stand, :bow:

or a "car jack" and put an axle stand under the spindle after you've removed the wheel and replaced the spindle,

 

[fosters]

Ian

Thanks for the reply. The only problem I can see with your method of putting a piece of wood under the centre stand before putting the bike on the centre stand is that it is harder to put the bike on the stand, the thicker the wood the harder it is to get the bike on the stand, that method may work for you at the moment BUT with all that weight you keep losing you will find it harder to do,:}

Thanks, I appreciate your time in replying

 

[Nige J]

The easiest way I've found (with the bike already on its centre stand), is to put a trolley or scissor jack under the bottom of the engine (near the sump plug), . You can get to both wheels this way, and is very secure ( I made a stand instead of using a jack - put a wedge under the front wheel, place the stand under the engine, remove the wedge).

Job Done - no need for paddock stands AND you can remove both wheels, forks, swing arm, suspension, etc.

***

 

[scruffygit]

Sorry to put a damper on most of the ideas but the assumption made here is that you don't have a spacer fitted to the rear shock. With a 6mm spacer the rear wheel touches the ground when on the centre stand so you cannot raise the front.
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Unless you put a block of wood under the centre stand as in Ians comment.

 

[fosters]

Sorry to put a damper on most of the ideas but the assumption made here is that you don't have a spacer fitted to the rear shock. With a 6mm spacer the rear wheel touches the ground when on the centre stand so you cannot raise the front.


Thanks, I never thought of that in fairness, glad you mentioned it coz I am looking into a spacer soon as I have just come back from some very spirited riding in Belgium and France and managed to scuff my offside fairing on a right hander, not very happy as the bike is only 3 mths old, oh well, I still had a good 3 days blat. I just can't remember any of the evenings in the bar :}

 

[ianrobbo1]

you could always dig a hole and cover it, and run the bike over it so it was under the back wheel!! remove the cover once the bike was on the centre stand, that way the wheel would "drop" into the hole as you lifted the front,!! it wouldnt matter too much if you did have a spacer as long as it allowed you to remove the "cover" :dunno:
still cheaper than buying a "special" front lift!! :dunno:

 

[fosters]

Ian

I was waiting for you to say, remove the rear wheel first then you would have more room to lift the front :}

cost wise it is not going to cost me any more than a normal stand so I don't mind paying out for it, all the suggestions so far involve using wood or a jack which is the way I have done it on previous bikes, I'm just looking for a quick an easy instant front wheel in the air job and then front wheel down on the ground quickly when I'm done, like a pit stop :}

 

[Bob Pinder]

surely you've been beaten to it a long, long, long (is that enough longs :dunno: ) time ago..............

look here
http://www.n-w-s.com/stands/
they work for me...........