I've always found front end paddock stands to be a bit of a pain in the arse. Great for hoiking the front up for taking the weight off the tyre, or fitting tyre warmers, but not much else. Pull the axle, and 90% of the time, it's a reall struggle to get back in.
I use Harris stainless
I think I'm going to exchange the dodgy stand for this one; it's about £20 more everywhere else and it looks nice and solid. The prongs also look like they're short enough to clear my swingarm. (Sadly, Kerry is a bit too far away from me to make his kind offer practicable.)
Otherwise, this is the alternative I'm thinking about.
Agreed, these won’t allow the spindle to be removed at all.
What I really need to get is a headstock Mount front stand.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383615123106
What y'all really need is a centre stand....!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Dumb question(s) from a newbie (who may have just bought a bike without a centre stand)... how does one oil the chain if one can't get the back wheel off the ground? Can I wheel it along the road and employ a small child (well, she's 17 and want to nick my YBR off me so keen to help) to follow along brushing oil onto the chain? I know I can use a paddock stand but do they all require bobbins on the back wheel? Are bobbins bike-specific (axle spacing)?
You bought it?
Yes, you will need a stand if you want to make life easier, and you can also get them with pads that sit under the swingarm rather than with the prongs for bobbins; when my tyres were changed that's what the guy used on mine, in fact.
Bobbins can be generic or bike-specific - not sure that it normally matters, but Triumph have bobbins on the Thruxton accessory list, I think, so you should be able to get them from Staffs Triumph.
These work. Run the bike's rear wheel on to it, on sidestand and start to rotate the wheel by hand.
It's what I use on my R-1.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hardcastle-...ace-3536363283
On bikes without a side stand, I often used to lean over the side of the bike at the rear, pivoting it on the side stand to lift the back wheel off the ground.
With your head and arms above the wheel, it’s relatively easy to doing the wheel with one hand and does the chain with the other.
That's a bloody brilliant idea, and a whole lot easier/safer than getting the bike up on a paddock stand! Is it completely useable when the bike is leaning on the side stand?
Edit: Looks like having the bike as close to upright as possible would help to keep the wheel central, but a small block under the sidestand would sort that out. Ordering one now and will see how I get on with it.
Oil visible part of chain.......move bike forward.........oil visible part of chain.........move bike forward.........etc etc.
The child idea sounds good if you have one, though you probably need a trade item to maintain their interest.... money, Big Mac, trainers...etc.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Enoch, did you realise your No8 is upside down on the Rocket!
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
i use an ABBA stand- great bit of kit and you can buy different adaptors for most bikes making it reusable between bikes. (i dont think theres an adaptor for a thruxton though ive read you can get round it by removing bits off the frame(which imo defeats the object))
https://abbastands.co.uk/
*as for oiling a chain without a stand, standard practice is to oil what you can see push the bike forward a bit and oil again -repeat as nesessary :P
**enoch will you be keeping the diavel now you have the rocket or is it going?
I’ve been using one of these for nearly 20 years: bomb proof and the cups work fine on a flat swing arm:
Last September I bought a clapped out Honda Shadow with no MOT, and as a winter project tore her down, bobbered it and got it up and running and on the road. Quite enjoyed the experience and learned a lot.
Decided that I quite fancied doing a different project this winter. So I have just taken delivery of this rather uninspiring Honda CB750 from the 1990s. Again no MOT, but seems solid enough. I’m hoping to turn this digestive biscuit of a bike in to at least a half coated digestive by the spring time.
Andy.
I’m not sure how special it is, it seems to be designed as an affordable bike that slots in lower down the range than the Street Triple, while looking slightly more retro but not full on retro. I’m sure it will do well, but I’m not too excited about it.
More interesting is the Aprilia RS660 / Tuono 660. The strangely named Cycle World magazine (actually about motorcycles, and available on Apple News+ with a free trial) has a first ride article and it’s sounding promising. It will be the basis of a whole range of 660 parallel twins (which fire like v-twins), a stripped down future cafe racer version would be nice...
The two sides of motorcycling...
Yesterday:
This morning:
Yep - I have used a Harris front and rear stand set for years, on some road bikes you may need to loosen the horn and spin it out of the way to locate the headstock pin. The Harris headstock stand comes with a type A or B angled bracket and correct removable dia pin. If you have an unusual headstock dia they will make one to fit the dia (I now have a selection of pins).
I have left bikes on these stands for months when rebuilding front ends or servicing forks or just for an hour or two for wheel out when changing tyres.
Buy once....
I think the current S is an A2 bike, or can be, while the R is now the standard Street, and probably a better bet than the RS based on a test ride of latter. I think the new Trident is there because the Street Triple is quite an expensive and high spec bike these days, so they need something a bit more basic and affordable.
ABBA stand works best,no load on the shocks,adaptable and sturdy.
My local bike garage bought one with a full kit after I told them about it,they use it all the time.
Though I would prefer firms fitted a centre stand as normal especially on road bikes.
Just read a couple of the Amazon reviews of that particular example, where purchasers were not happy with the item.
If so - return it and perhaps try this one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...r&_sacat=25622
I can't find details of the particular model I use, but this is it. Worth noting that the rear tyre stays on the rollers naturally. This one, the nuts on the end of the roller rods are not nyloc, so occasionally slacken (nutlock would obviate this). You don't need a small ramp to get the bike on to it.
Like I said - I find it works well.
Of course - it doesn't allow removal of rear wheel if you wished to clean the wheel thoroughly, or take to tyre-fitter. SO - something like an Abba stand is useful also/instead of.
I use a block of wood under the side stand when I park my bike up in my bike shed,it gives me a bit more space or if I want to look at something on the left side.
Only do this on flat ground of course.
Hi Tony, before pulling the pin on another paddock stand take a look at the ABBA Stand setup.
I was very fortunate to have one gifted to me via a forum member and can honestly say it's the bee's knee's, so much so I've purchased a second one.
At nearly 70 years of age it is so much safer and easier for me to wrestle the bike on and off a paddock stand.
https://abbastands.co.uk/
Cheers, Brian....aka BRGRSP.
Last edited by BRGRSP; 30th September 2020 at 13:48.