Cheap Stand for Raising the Rear Wheel

Date: 4/15/01 From: Ernie Hermosisima - Naked Blue SV650Y, Seattle WA I have long been contemplating on investing money on a good rear stand so I don't have to push the bike around when cleaning and lubricating the drive chain. As I was looking through the internet, I debated on whether to get a spool stand or a universal stand - either way, I was looking at spending around $100 including shipping. Then I came across a device that allows you to raise the rear side of the bike using just the spooled right swing arm. This is how it works: You place the bike on its side stand, strap the front break lever with a velcro strap (to prevent the bike from rolling), lean the bike over towards the side stand, and affix this device on the right spool thus raising the rear wheel in the process. This is the cheapest commercial device I have found thus far (around $50) but still not cheap enough for my frugal taste. Then I came upon the idea of finding a piece of wood of perfect length and using this in a similar way as the said device. I have found the perfect wood configuration and I wanted to share this idea with all of you. The piece of wood I use has the dimensions: 14 1/8" X 3 1/2" X 1 1/2". Mind you, this is some random piece of wood I found in the basement and a little variation of the above will surely do. Also, you will need a strap so you can engage the front brake to prevent the bike from rolling. Once you have these "sophisticated" pieces of equipment, you are now ready to use your stand. Here is how it works: 1. Pick a flat and preferably a solid concrete surface to park your bike - the sidewalk works perfectly. 2. Strap the front break lever and make sure it is fully engaged - I use a reliable bungee cord, hooked and wrapped several times around the brake lever. 3. Lean the piece of wood with the top side flat against the swingarm slightly covering the hole where the right spool is supposed to go. As you know by now, I did not even buy a spool or a swingarm button...whatever you call it. 4. Once the piece of wood is positioned, stand on the left side of the bike and, using your right arm and holding the right side of the bike (I hold the frame under the passenger seat where one would attach bungee hooks), lean the bike towards you. Voila!!! the piece of wood should fall into place, holding the bike up underneath the spool hole, with your rear wheel about a centimeter or so in the air. You can now clean and lubricate your chain. Here are some precautionary measures: 1. As always, make sure your bike is on a flat surface and that the front brakes are engaged. This may also be a good time to check if the bike is in neutral so you can turn the wheel as you clean/lubricate the chain. 2. Do not raise the wheel by more than an inch or else you run the risk of weighting the side stand too much or even making the bike fall to its side. 3. Be gentle in handling the bike for this is not the most stable stand. The good news, especially if you follow the tips to a "T", is that the worse case scenario would be for the piece of wood to slip and for the rear wheel to fall to the ground no more than an inch. Hopefully, you will not have any body parts underneath that small gap. I hope this tip is helpful to all. I do have to say that I am not responsible for any accidents or injuries that may occur if anyone decides to take on these tips. As for me, this process has saved me so much money and I personally think it works great. Total cost: $0. Good luck and keep on riding. P.S. I would have sent pictures but I haven't figure out a way of turning a piece of wood into a digital camera.