Lift stands - center stands vs individual front/rear ones

lyphe

lyphe

Well-known member
Hey guys! Im the proud owner of a DR650 with two sets of wheels (SM and knobbies). I am looking for a solution to safely and quickly lift the bike to swap tires, as well as something that i can use to store it during the winter. From what i see there are two options:

Centre lift stand Seems to be neater (one piece), quicker (roll under and lift), as well as doesn't require extra hardware. On the downside it seems like the bike can tip over if i'm too rough with wedging the wheel in.

Front/rear stands These look sturdier while swapping the wheels, but do require specialized pins (am i correct here?) to lift the bike.

Right now i'm using a borrowed hydraulic truck jack (clearly overkill) to lift the bike and a ratchet tie down strap (attached from frame close to forks to the underside of the deck above) to stabilize and keep the bike from tipping over while i swap the wheels. This method takes me a while to set up, and requires deck above me (which won't be there for long as i plan on moving).

What do you do for wheel swapping and storing?
 
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Lyphe, I picked up the SW Motech center stand and it's really useful for swapping wheels. I don't know if I would store it on the stand though as the springs are stretched in that position.

It's OK to store the bike on the wheels I wouldn't worry about flat spots.

On a side note, I took thee DR through some really challenging trails and the centre stands was never an issue.

Sent from my A100 using Tapatalk 4
 
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I have the centre lift from CT (on sale now) and its seconds to get the bike up and doesnt feel unstable. I did the valves the other day with it on the lift and was turning the rear tire by hand with the bike in gear to get to TDC and it still stayed planted.
 
Both... sorta.

I prefer front/rear stands and had spool mounts welded onto the swingarm of my DRZ-SM. When I sold it I bought mounts for my WR450SM but never got around to having them welded prior to selling it. It's more stable and allows for secure storage where a centre stand doesn't.

That said, I also had an mx stand to prop the bike up on for quick work or when out in the dirt as it became more convenient and is also much more stable than the lift stands as it's solid.

drc-mx-garage-stand.jpg
 
Looks like what you're talking about mounts on the bike and stays there? That's not what i had in mind though.

DVS said:
Lyphe, I picked up the SW Motech center stand and it's really useful for swapping wheels. I don't know if I would store it on the stand though as the springs are stretched in that position.

It's OK to store the bike on the wheels I wouldn't worry about flat spots.

On a side note, I took thee DR through some really challenging trails and the centre stands was never an issue.

Sent from my A100 using Tapatalk 4
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soto said:
I have the centre lift from CT (on sale now) and its seconds to get the bike up and doesnt feel unstable. I did the valves the other day with it on the lift and was turning the rear tire by hand with the bike in gear to get to TDC and it still stayed planted.
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Is this what you're talking about? Seems like a good deal, and is exactly what i had in mind!
 
lyphe said:
Is this what you're talking about? Seems like a good deal, and is exactly what i had in mind!
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The link doesn't work for me but I can tell from the URL that it's the same one I have. You might be strong enough though to go for the MX stand...
 
lyphe said:
Its $65 down from $130. Red MotoMaster Motorcycle Jack 1500 LBS. Looks good.
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Yep that's the one! I've only used it once but come to think of it I remember the front wheel was barely off the ground which may or may not be a problem for quick wheel changes... I'm doing a tire change this weekend so I'll know for sure and keep you posted.
 
Are people strapping the bike onto the center stand or it is just balancing there? If no strap, isn't it tippy when a wheel is removed?
 
GreyGhost said:
Are people strapping the bike onto the center stand or it is just balancing there? If no strap, isn't it tippy when a wheel is removed?
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not at all, I used to store my SM/MX bikes on these stands in the garage with no fork or swingarms as I used different fork and swingarm/rear shock combos for SM and Motocross and flat track.
 
Picked it up on Friday. Can't go wrong with $65! Lifts it off the ground quickly and easily. More than enough space for swapping wheels. It does have hooks for straps - may use them if i do something extensive. Thanks for the recommendation Soto! And thanks to everyone else for your advice!
 
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