Side stand woes! <long>

I've got a real problem (other than the mental illness thingie).

While on its side stand, I noticed the bike seemed to heel way over when I first brought it home. It didn't ever threaten to fall on its port side, but the motorcycle did lean a good deal more than any Japanese bike I've ever owned.

Tonight after I got done with a sprocket installation and putting the back end of the bike back up in the air via the ride height adjuster, I noticed it leaning even more, this time enough to give me pause.

I tested it by gently pulling the top of the bike toward me while standing on the left side with the bars turned and fork locked (this is inside my flat-floored garage). I was astonished at how little force it took to have the front wheel off the ground. I mean to tell you, it was really scary!

I wound up not being able to sleep because of it. The side stand is at such an acute angle, I worried the little bastard might snap in half and let the bike crash to the garage floor. I had to get up and go out there to do something.

I wound up putting a small piece of 2x dimensional lumber under the stand and now it sits at a much more comforting angle - with a 1.5" nominal thickness piece of wood underneath it! I can't ride this bike and park it w/o carrying a damned block of wood around with me!!

Cycle Cat peddles a longer side stand for a whopping $150 US. There has to be another way!

Anyone with welding experience here? :lol:

Input welcome.

[Pedro]

Welding the side stand? Naah, I use a bit of wood....

You could get a piece welded on the bottom, probably need be no more than 1/4 of an inch or so thick. One other thought - is the pivot bolt worn at all? Mine is and consequently the stand "flaps about" a bit and changes the lean angle.

HTH

Ped

[CK & AK]

AK has welded an extra 'foot' to his side stand on the special, as it was also leaning a long way. Added about 10mm to the actual foot of the stand.

HTIOH

C

I've got the opposite problem on my 600 and the only option I've got so far is to buy a replacement "short" one from Cycle Cat!!!

maybe Tigerlily and Chain should do a little swap ?...
But somthing tells me we all have the same bike same stand...

10mm won't get me where I need to go. More like 25 or 30mm is going to be necessary in my case.

I'll be calling a couple shops this morning and will let you know what I find out.

I too was quite worried by the short stand syndrome, especially since I increased the ride height and now that its soft tarmac time of year . So I...
1) Like Chain began to carry a 2" piece of 2"x1" which I use under the stand whenever I can remember.
2) Have ordered the longer Cycle Cat stand from Spareshack and will use a 'Puck' thingy for soft tarmac.
3) Use a paddock stand in the garage at home.

I found a local metal worker who will weld up a 1" pad to the underside of my stock stand tomorrow, grind it down nicely, and shoot it with paint for next to nothing.

I love Cycle Cat stuff (I've got their sliders and pressure plate spring keepers), but I'm not going to pay $150 US for a billet side stand. I mean, for the love of god, it's a side stand!

I hate the idea of carrying a piece of wood around everywhere I go, so I am hopeful the welding goes well tomorrow.

[CK & AK]

Will check with AK, but if memory serves me right (not always tho :lol: ) he has a 900SS stand - which is longer than the monster one anyway.
Same fitting tho.

Will check tonight, but may not post till tomorrow, as have now (possibly)broke the 2nd puter - as well as the laptop. Anyone want a job to fix one?

C

I've got the opposite problem on my 600 and the only option I've got so far is to buy a replacement "short" one from Cycle Cat!!!

Tigerlily

Get a scrap one (or use yours) 10mins at a local engineering shop will see the foot cut off and rewelded on and no-one will know the difference.

First thing I did with mine. (ever seen an elf on a monster?)

What a great idea, cheaper than a new one too!
How much did you have cut off?

Originally Posted by Mrs Soup

(ever seen an elf on a monster?)

I take it that you're not very tall either?

[CK & AK]

Chain - just to confirm: AK does have a 900ss sidestand - with a 15mm 'foot' welded to it!.

C

Well guys, my side stand is fixed. I work with a guy who used to be a pipe fitter by trade and has been welding for years. He took the stand, used a chopsaw to cut the lower third off, took a ~1" piece of steel pipe (same inside diameter as the cut section of the side stand), slid the cut pieces into either end (only by perhaps a quarter inch), then arc welded them solid to one another.

A few minutes with a grinder and a shot of black rattle can paint and I wound up with a 3/4" increase in length w/ no clearance issues and not alot of extra weight (that's why we scrapped the steel foot idea, thinking it would be too heavy for the side stand to remain in the up position).

You'll see the stand still fails to sit perfectly flat on the ground. I would have corrected this when we cut it, but it was raining yesterday and I elected to take the side stand (not the bike) to my buddy's house, so he had to weld the stand back the way it came (by lining up casting marks).

She looks a little prego now, lol, but what the hell. The bike looks no different even to the couple of Ducati owners who I've showed it to and asked them to point out the mod on the port side.

Sorted...........................................

I take it that you're not very tall either?

5 feet 1 in me stockinged feet Tigerlily, but I have very short legs.

I think we took about 25mm off the sidestand.

Altogether the bike sits 35 - 40mm lower than standard, I have also had the rear hoop thing in the suspension shortened and the rose joints re-insterted and the forks dropped through the yokes as far as they will go. This gives a level ride height and allows you to put some preload on the shock so the bike still handles.

Happy monstering