Views: 107 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-10-04 Origin: Site
There are lots of reasons why a paddock stand should be in your workshop, even if you’re not a home mechanic.
First and foremost, bikes like being stored upright. There are several models that specifically don’t like being stored for any length of time on just the side stand – the oil drains to one side and exposes the engine’s internals to air and moisture, with potential corrosion issues.
They can also be very useful for general maintenance; if your bike doesn’t have a centre stand but does use a chain, then cleaning and lubricating the chain is far easier if the rear wheel is off the ground, as is adjusting the chain tension. And if you need to remove the rear wheel for any reason – for example if you’re replacing the chain and sprockets – then you’ll need to get it off the ground.
At the front, it’s a similar situation; you may need to remove the front wheel to replace bearings or get tyres changed for example, or just to get weight of the wheels and tyres during storage, to prevent the tyres becoming mis-shaped.
There are two main types of paddock stand; ones that are universal and ones that use bobbins. The universal variety will lift the rear of the bike on the swingarm and will fit wherever possible while front stands also tend to be universal, lifting on the bottom of the fork legs. The other variety use a pair of conical bobbins that are fitted to the bike (and stay fitted) and then, hooked brackets lift on the bobbins for a more-secure mounting.
There are also stands that will lift on the front headstock allowing the front wheel and the suspension to be removed while the bike is up, and another option is for a lift to use a rod that passes straight through the wheel spindle from one side to the other. Some stands replicate a centrestand with added functionality, while others lift the whole bike off the ground - but by that point, we’re starting to move away from paddock stands and into proper workshop stands.
Top motorcycle paddock stands
1. Matt Black Steel Rear Wheel Motorcycle Paddock Stand
2. Oxford Premium
Seal of Approval: We've tested this product and have found it performs wellAvailable for both front and rear wheels, the Oxford Premium stands are made from 38mm tubular steel and feature a main loop with a separate extended handle to make raising the bike as easy as possible. Front stands come with plasticised pins and rears come with both L-shaped cups for swingarms and hooks for bobbins, though the bobbins are bought separately (from £15.99). Both are good for a maximum wheel size of 17in and were awarded a Best Buy triangle by sister title RiDE.
3. Renntec Moovamoto
Seal of Approval: We've tested this product and have found it performs wellAvailable with either cups for swingarms and hooks for bobbins, the Renntec Moovamoto also has four swivelling wheels that it rests on once the bike is lifted off the ground. This means that the bike can be moved around while the rear wheel is removed, for example, for convenience. The rear wheels are braked to prevent the bike moving when stored and the stand was given a recommended triangle be sister title RiDE in its 2017 product test.
4. BikeTek Rear
Only a takeaway coffee more expensive than the MPW version, this rear stand from BikeTek uses universal cups to locate under the swingarm to lift the bike. Rear stands use longer handles to allow the cups to fit further into the bike at an appropriate spot on the swingarm and this one has a lifting capacity of 200kg with a minimum distance between the lifting cups of 190mm and a maximum of 335mm.
