F4i front stand recommendations...?

Hello,
I am looking for input on what others feel to be the best(easiest/safest to use) front stand for the F4i's. Please share your recommendations & personal experiences.

Thanks,
-John

i'd skip out on all the fork stands and go straight to the pitbull triple stand...why? because you'll eventually need a triple stand...and it does everything a fork one does...and more!

t

Mine bends the whole fairing assembly until it gets the tire off the ground then it stops making contact. It's a lockhart phillips (spelling might be off)

I got a question on the tripple clamp one
doesn't the horn get in the way?
I am also looking for a stand and I've been wondering btw the fork and triple from pitbull but also the cyclecat one

http://www.cyclecat.com/UCS02-01.htm

quote:

ORIGINAL: shraz

I got a question on the tripple clamp one
doesn't the horn get in the way?
I am also looking for a stand and I've been wondering btw the fork and triple from pitbull but also the cyclecat one

http://www.cyclecat.com/UCS02-01.htm

Yeah, it's in the way. Some people reloacte the horn, but I just loosen the single bolt holding it on and rotate it out of the way. Then just tighten when done. The steering stem stand is sooooo much nicer than the ones that pick up the bottom of the fork legs. You can take off your whole front end if you need to.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tahoe SC

i'd skip out on all the fork stands and go straight to the pitbull triple stand...why? because you'll eventually need a triple stand...and it does everything a fork one does...and more!

t

U mean the newfront stand lifts!!! No triple stand is mentioned on their website as far as I know, by the way they have a varity of front stands: forklift and converter/forklioft withn converter, anyone cares to clarify which ones will be a better investement (they are not cheap) to remove and service the forks.
since we are in the subject of stands I'm planning on removing my swing arm and have it shipped to them to get some spools welded, so I could buy the spooled rear stands (heard suppose to be better for stabilization!!!) Also wanted to have it powder coated black (any suggestion on where I could do that) meanwhile my question is which is the SAFEST way to keep the bike upright while the swingarm is getting Spools, I thought about their jacks but I have stock rearsets that FOLD IN. Thanks in advance.

no need for spool when you have this: http://www.cyclecat.com/UCS01-01.htm
very stable and doesn't scratch ur swingarms

LOCKHART PHILIPS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! I bought a rear one and the damn thing is crooked! Anyone else have this problem? At any given time only 3 points will be touching the ground and it wobbles. POS!

Mike

well...many times they bend the stands so it will fit in the box...they'll bend right back though.

as far as keeping the bike upright, you can either go through the swingarm bolt hole with a metal rod or or high grade bolts and jack stands or suspend from subframe and then reinforce the rest of the bike after you get the swingarm off.

by triple stand, i also mean the front head stand pitbull has...i think that's what they call it.

i went cheap and got handy stands...sucks for my bike as it bends and crushes the fairing...pitbull doesn't...but i was being cheap...

t

I tried to fix it by trying to bend it and I couldn't move it. I just really HATE buying crap.

Mike

as far as the front stand I got the pit-bull forklift stand and the forklift converter so I've got both kinds of front stands just in case
I really don't use just the forklift part much, its much more stable with the converter

Hey xtremehakeem, thats exactly what I am in the process of doing with my swingarm. I believe the best bet is to buy a swingarm off of ebay or someone on the board, send it to pitbull or have the seller ship it to them, have the spool tabs welded on, add the spools, have them ship it back to you or your powercoat person, and then receive the final product. This way you don't have to worry about your bike being held up and most importantly you can ride the entire time. Only riding time you will lose is the time it takes to swap out swingarms.

I paid 50.00 with shipping for my swingarm and it also came with the stock shock (don't need it but what the hell). Once I send it out to Pitt Bull and get everything done I'm looking at a project that costs under 200.00. Then I can sell my stock swingarm.

IMO this is the BEST way to do it. I can't take all the credit though (actually I can't take any) Woodyracing gave me this GREAT IDEA.

Thanks Woody

quote:

ORIGINAL: sbv32

Hey xtremehakeem, thats exactly what I am in the process of doing with my swingarm. I believe the best bet is to buy a swingarm off of ebay or someone on the board, send it to pitbull or have the seller ship it to them, have the spool tabs welded on, add the spools, have them ship it back to you or your powercoat person, and then receive the final product. This way you don't have to worry about your bike being held up and most importantly you can ride the entire time. Only riding time you will lose is the time it takes to swap out swingarms.

I paid 50.00 with shipping for my swingarm and it also came with the stock shock (don't need it but what the hell). Once I send it out to Pitt Bull and get everything done I'm looking at a project that costs under 200.00. Then I can sell my stock swingarm.

IMO this is the BEST way to do it. I can't take all the credit though (actually I can't take any) Woodyracing gave me this GREAT IDEA.

Thanks Woody

Woow Dude That's a great Idea, I can't believe I didn't think about it before!! I'm assuming you purchased a used one for the $50 right!!! Care tro give me the seller's name on ebay maybe he still has more (since u already dealt with him)
As to "I can't take all the credit though (actually I can't take any) Woodyracing gave me this GREAT IDEA" you do take some of the credit because you are paying it forward so and Woodyracing I say cheers for the great idea, I gonna do it that way

Thanks for the information so far everyone. OK, so I am assuming that the stands that utilize the frame as the lifting point have a adapter that slides into the inner diameter of the lower side of the steering stem tube and have a hole drilled in it so that the stand can "hook" to it and lift and am assuming that this adapter is not a permanently mounted piece.... Am I correct on these assumptions?

Lastly, hitting the front upper fairing is completely unacceptable for me so I guess given what I am reading here leads me to the assumption that the only one that will perform as it should(lifting the front of the bike without touching the front upper fairing) is the PitBull model? Can someone please post a link to the exact model you are referring to? I had my eye on either a K&L or Vortex front stand(these use the steering stem mount) because of easy availability but if they rub while lifting I absolutely would not want either of them unless someone can confirm the use of either of these on their own F4i with no rubbing issues...

Thanks,
-John

no biggie, I was just sharing what worked for me

quote:

ORIGINAL: woodyracing

no biggie, I was just sharing what worked for me

woodyracing,
I appreciate your input! Am I correct in my assumpitions posted above on the lifting point location of these specific stands(frame VS bottom of fork)?

Thanks again,
-John

well i'm not 100% sure i understand your question but here is a pic of my forklift stand w/ steering stem lift converter
you can see that the converter goes between the two pads on each side is held in place by clips
these pics should clarify:
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/5162/1007418vu2.jpg

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8084/1007337vf6.jpg

lol those pics turned out a little big, sorry

pit-bull's "new front stand" has a hinge type thing connecting the two halves so they don't separate

quote:

ORIGINAL: woodyracing

well i'm not 100% sure i understand your question but here is a pic of my forklift stand w/ steering stem lift converter
you can see that the converter goes between the two pads on each side is held in place by clips
these pics should clarify:




pit-bull's "new front stand" has a hinge type thing connecting the two halves so they don't separate

woodyracing,
Thanks for the pics....they speak a thousand words. The Pit-Bull product line looks very well engineered & 100% useful!

Thanks again,
-John

xtremehakeem, I actually didn't buy mine off ebay. I was looking for the right price and then found that soemone in our for sale section here had one for sale. The price was right so I took it.

I think any seller with good feedback will be fine. I missed a couple that went for 35 and 40 total with shipping. Just keep your eye on ebay and one will come around.

Pitbull all the way. Once I have some cash again, I will have the Triple stand.

What exactly do you guys mean by triple stand? I can't find anything by that name.

triple stands lift by the triples...instead of the fork (fork stands)
you may want to try head stands or the like.

Are fork stands really that unstable? I'm returning my lockhart phillips rear stand today because it wobbles and the bike sits crooked when on it. I was going to get the Vortex set but now I don't know because I'm hearing the fork stands are unsafe. Please let me know. I have an '06 F4i.
Thanks

Mike

its not that its unstable, the tripple stands keep your forks uncompressed while stored and if you need to it allows you to remove your forks

I just returned my Lockhart Philips yesterday and ordered a set of Vortex for $230 I hope I'm happy with them.

Mike