The ridiculous rear stand did make it easier to remove the rear wheel when a sidecar was fitted.
Rear stand
- Thread starter John Appleton
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TouringGodet
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Rear stand, maybe not so practical, but the bike sure looks cool when it is on the rear stand in the garage.
My rear stand has had a little modification for older age and putting a very loaded Vincent onto the rear stand my wife can with me still aboard ! Now into her eighties but we haven't been two up for over a year as I've deteriorated strength wise but she is still pushing wheel barrels full of compost about a steep garden.
Panniers removed which is also very easy, 4 "R" pins and the small multy pin plug, slides off and can be used as a pic-nic table sitting on low paniers eating off the high with stove on s/s top box area.
the stand is droped then stand on the two legs in the air and pull on the rack itself or lifting handle. Also when the stand is down it can be a little trikky / aukward to release the torque arm clips as it's behind the stand top lug, so I flattened the finger hook back and fitted a leather finger pull (much easier and comfortable) the torque arm is easier to pull out sidways, another added advantage is when the rear legs of the stand hit the ground the top lug does not touch the rear lug of the RFM (storey's of the spindle fork opening out after years of starting on the stand).
I have noticed another from Scandinavia with a similar stand.
bananaman.
TouringComet says it looks good in the garage on rear stand, I think "As" look even better as the ass end is about 5"off the ground.
Now to get a loaded "A" twin onto the R stand on my own on the Dover ferry I did the Indian trick of side stand down release rear bungy at lower end of stand up to foot rest hanger and lean bike over till stand is sprung forward. It did bend the stand ! Two days later later on the Autobaun front wheel puncture I reversed at speed then step the stand down and the momentum raised it up. with out those rear stands life would have been more difficult.
The next system will be a Dave Hills set up with short legs so the bike is just suported for normal parking with it slightly over centre and pined into position, my daughters red Rap is like this and can be parked very easily with "er" on the back and still astride the bike. then the next stage is to have hydraulic legs to actually lift the wheel off the ground for turning or removal but it will also compensate if parking on a camber the legs will vary and then locked off cocks will keep it there. Not cripped enough yet to bring it into use. But getting close.
doesn't it go on !
Panniers removed which is also very easy, 4 "R" pins and the small multy pin plug, slides off and can be used as a pic-nic table sitting on low paniers eating off the high with stove on s/s top box area.
the stand is droped then stand on the two legs in the air and pull on the rack itself or lifting handle. Also when the stand is down it can be a little trikky / aukward to release the torque arm clips as it's behind the stand top lug, so I flattened the finger hook back and fitted a leather finger pull (much easier and comfortable) the torque arm is easier to pull out sidways, another added advantage is when the rear legs of the stand hit the ground the top lug does not touch the rear lug of the RFM (storey's of the spindle fork opening out after years of starting on the stand).
I have noticed another from Scandinavia with a similar stand.
bananaman.
TouringComet says it looks good in the garage on rear stand, I think "As" look even better as the ass end is about 5"off the ground.
Now to get a loaded "A" twin onto the R stand on my own on the Dover ferry I did the Indian trick of side stand down release rear bungy at lower end of stand up to foot rest hanger and lean bike over till stand is sprung forward. It did bend the stand ! Two days later later on the Autobaun front wheel puncture I reversed at speed then step the stand down and the momentum raised it up. with out those rear stands life would have been more difficult.
The next system will be a Dave Hills set up with short legs so the bike is just suported for normal parking with it slightly over centre and pined into position, my daughters red Rap is like this and can be parked very easily with "er" on the back and still astride the bike. then the next stage is to have hydraulic legs to actually lift the wheel off the ground for turning or removal but it will also compensate if parking on a camber the legs will vary and then locked off cocks will keep it there. Not cripped enough yet to bring it into use. But getting close.
doesn't it go on !
I fit the locknut F27 between the outside of the RFM and the stand, not a huge difference but it does help.
Cheers, Stu.
I don't know of another Bike that can be put on both stands, Both wheels free, to remove,
Without any tools, If you fit tommy bars to the front cowl and release bolt like I did many years ago.
Also when taking the UFM off, I find it's better on the rear stand.
Without any tools, If you fit tommy bars to the front cowl and release bolt like I did many years ago.
Also when taking the UFM off, I find it's better on the rear stand.
I think you will find a lot of prewar and early postwar bikes with rear stands also had lower mud guard stays that would with one wing nut drop to form a locked front stand completely with flat sections or feet.
Nowadays it's difficult to think of any stand like that though judging by my GS BMW stands the center stands are very ergonomically designed and very robust
Nowadays it's difficult to think of any stand like that though judging by my GS BMW stands the center stands are very ergonomically designed and very robust
You may find lots of excuses for that pre-war rear stand but in my eyes mostly poor arguments: For very rare situations a bit useful possibly but I´d go for everyday practicality - not a point here for that old sh** and a lot for Dave Hill´s version as many have chosen for a good reason. And in half a century of biking I never had a desire or need for the old stand. Nor on a sidecar bike like Earles fork BMWs - best sidecar bikes ever built - who from day one had center stands, in the twenties even two of them, one behind the engine, one just in front of the engine for both wheels free. Guzzi and Gilera always had center stands, with suitable feet on these, unlike the Hills version. So I copied the Guzzi type for the 1935 Horex with its rear plunger mod and did another stand on the Honda Clubman - super easy in use as Vincent Speet can tell. So on my Rapides no Hills types for me, will do own Guzzi copies for better shaped feet. Sorry about rear stands here . . .
Vic
Vic
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Vic, how do the "feet" cope, my similarly looking Brough stand has a brace from the "toe" to part way up the leg each side.
I have thought about a centre stand for my GB500 but in the end opted just use the side stand when out with it and a racer type rear stand when it is in the shop. It seemed easier (being the lazy sot that I am) to fit a couple of spools the the rear axle than start messing with the frame.
The Clubman got lugs on the frame for the silencer box below, there I fixed small L-brackets for the center stand, no welding to the frame. The propstand is there as well but not used a lot because we are used to center stands on most of our bikes and the critical curved shoes do an esay roll-on action so no question. The Clubman fell over on grass once on the propstand and got a sad dent in that brilliant tank so I think this was the second I decided to do a working center stand like on the 1935 Guzzi with its very wide and almost perfect stand that can be parked on any grass place safely. I kept about 2 " straight faces on the feet parallel to ground before the curve starts so as to get good load spread on soft ground. The feet are basically a T-profile welded up from 3mm stainless sheet by rough arc welding with rods, so not much bracing is needed. For finding the shape you´d try a cardboard pattern on a sketch after you know how much lift you want from the stand for a free back wheel. Then you see where the stand/foot contacts ground at first point when lowering it when wheels on ground. Now you do a few steps on the sketch with half inch or 1 cm more lift of frame each step while rolling back the bike on the feet. This is how to arrive at the curved foot shape in a smooth lifting motion, no awkward brutal lift as on poor designs.
The Clubman stand is indeed a bit on the very light side , bigger tubes better. But some bracing was allright to clear a few parts, looks a bit "special" but is OK. Some more photos below to clarify the welding on the main tubing between feet, hope it shows. We always kickstart bikes on center stands, certainly the high comp 600 cc four valve Horex SS 64, no troubles so far.
Vic
The Clubman stand is indeed a bit on the very light side , bigger tubes better. But some bracing was allright to clear a few parts, looks a bit "special" but is OK. Some more photos below to clarify the welding on the main tubing between feet, hope it shows. We always kickstart bikes on center stands, certainly the high comp 600 cc four valve Horex SS 64, no troubles so far.
Vic