I just installed the new front facing pit bull stand. Scary on the first lift but it works nice. highly recommend!

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I wonder how and where did you install the Pit Bull stand?

I am gonna guess it is the one that goes under the forks at the wheel. I use a Handy stand that goes under the bottom tree and at times it is scary with the plastic on the bike.

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I guess I could have worded that differently. I put the spools on and utilized my new forward handle rear stand. It is a nice product.

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I love to say, "install." It's right up there with "bung".

Yeah, like my Pit Bull fork stand with triple tree adapter. Very safe either way you use it. Maybe just put some weather stripping on the tube that goes over the top of the fender to protect from accidental scratch. There are other good stands but Pit Bull makes most look not quite good enough. They are overbuilt and that is a plus for something that lifts your bike off the ground, perhaps for a few months during storage. Pit Bulls aren't really all that terribly expensive either, IMHO.

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Got the same thing, but be careful and wrap the fingers up with electrical tape or something similar so as not to scratch the swing arm.

I thought that you ment the front stand that doesn't lift by the forks but by the
bottom of the tripple tree.
I've had my forward handle since the first week I got the 14 and it's an awesome stand IMHO.

Just thinking about it falling over on me now its old hat! I will order the front soon!

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Check out both the "Newfrontstand" and the forklift stand with combo triple tree converter attachment. I think the Newfrontstand might be more reliable because it is all one piece. The converter attaches to the forklift stand via two linchpins. This sounds a bit cheesey for Pit Bull but I guarenty you it is strong enough. The newfrontastand must be stronger but it will be less versatile. I use the forklift most of the time but triple tree converter is handy for brake work best for storage.

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If anyone is familiar with the abba superbike stand, which I think are fantastic if only they weren't so darn expensive and hard to get in the USA, that would be even better than the Pit Bull. Though I really like that leading-handle rear stand a lot!

I'm talking with my nephew-the-welder (tm) and we might engineer one like the abba from scratch. I know my way around in a machine shop, shouldn't be too hard.

With the abba, once you lift it after attaching it to the center of the bike, it doesn't take much to lift the front off the ground too. They sell a little foot lever type thing which lifts against the exhaust header. Not enough weight on it to risk damage, since the bike is almost balanced already.

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If anyone is familiar with the abba superbike stand

Look at the Heindl pivot stand. It's the same thing and made in the USA. ~~$260. I have one. It is the best thing for storage (no weight on rear suspension at all) and nothing at all by the rear wheel when doing work. It is safe to lift solo. It is not difficult to lift but try with an empty tank on the first lifts. I imagine it is easier than to lift than a Pit Bull forward handle. Make sure you wrap the points of the pins with tape or you will get some scrapes on the frame when removing the stand sooner or later. Make sure bith thumb screws are TIGHT.

The drawbacks are that it is in two pieces (the Abba is in one piece). I doubt it could be as strong as a Pit Bull, but it is strong enough.

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The abba is two pieces also. You put the kickstand side on first, go around, slide the other upright on until the pivot pin engages the swingarm hole, then tighten it down, go back around, and lift.

Talked with my nephew-the-welder today. We are going to make them out of 1/4" wall box tubing, and improve on the removeable upright locking method. Once on, it will be more than strong enough for a 1,000 pound bike.

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Heh, the point is, engineer the stand to handle the most that could be thrown at it with ease. Like a fully loaded Goldwing.

The putting a ZX14 up on it will be like nothing to it.

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privateer wrote:

We are going to make them out of 1/4" wall box tubing, and improve on the removeable upright locking method.

Sounds like a project that will cost you as much or more in time than just buying a stand (but aint they all?). It is fun to be a DIYer, though. I bet you are going to think about staying with the "all the way through the swing arm pivot" idea of the Abba. I like that better than the spikes on the Heindl. Seems like the pin going all the way through and fastenning on one side would be more reliable. Even so, the spikes remain tight in the holes with my Heindl as long as the wingnuts that hold the halves together are tight.

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The abba doesn't even pass the adapter bar all the way through, it just goes in a few inches on each side.

The square tubing will cost us about $10, the screw stock about $1, the knobs about $5, the plate stock about $2 (mostly remnants anyway).

I really like the Heindl, referenced above, it is pretty nice.

Where we are going to change the idea, is having the strength of the abba, with a better made attachment system (both at the swingarm pivot and where the two halves of the stand attach to each other). The front lift will attach to it and it all will have industrial rollers (not wheels) under it.

We will have probably 20 hours at a drafting table in it, once or twice (first one we make won't be right, of course). And then only about an hour each one we make, cutting, welding, grinding. Not counting powder coat, but that is not a big deal either.

When you really have industrial equipment like vertical mills, engine lathes, TIG welders, plasma cutters, and a ready supply of steel, its not like you don't do harder stuff than this, all day long anyway. :)

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^^That sounds like fun. I wish I could do stuff like that. Show pics of the finished product.

One other idea: The Heindl is wider than it needs to be on the 14 because the pins do not go very deep into the small swingarm pivot holes. The stand is wider than the mirrors and this is a waste of floor space. You might want to see how close you can safely make your stand fit to the sides of the bike so that it is not so wide.

Also, the tube is larger on one side of the Heindl stand. This causes the bike to be held at a raised position with a slight lean (the larger tubing raises that side a bit higher).

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Good ideas, Rook.

My idea so far is have it close in as close to the bike as possible. However, for stability, it still should have a fairly wide base. I'm also thinking about having the swingarm pivot adapters mate in the center if I can, we'll see.

I'm going to use the abba's general geometry which takes into acount the bike starts out on the sidestand, but ends up perfectly vertical.

Now if my nephew-the-welder would just drag his punk partying arse over here we can get started talking about it.

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I don't know how complicated you want to get but another thing I wish was different about my Heindl is that it does not raise the rear high enough to make the bike level when I use my Pit Bull front stand in combination with the pivot stand. I imagine making the pivot stand taller would also cause more leverage against lifting. The simplest solution would be to cut up some 2x4s and place that under the pivot stand to give it more height. Unfortunately, this may also decrease the clearance with the header too much when the bike was leaning against the side stand.

Thought you may wish to consider this but I believe Stan posted that even his Pit Bull rear stand and Pit Bull front stand raised the bike higher in the front than the rear.

You mentioned that the pivot stand seems like it would make the front very easy to lift. You are correct. Using the big, strong Pit Bull to lift the front is kind of a joke. Really way more than necessary. I would still plan on using some kind of front stand, though if i were you. I have a floor jack and I just don't feel it is safe to use this against the oil pan and definitely not against the header. Several people have posted that they lift under the oil pan with no problems. I feel it could dent slightly without being visually noticeable but that would have an effect on the oil pumps capacity.

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Well, the abba "front stand" is just a foot-operated rocker lift, and I believe it pushes on the exhaust collector. There isn't enough weight left on the front end for it be a problem.

Still not sure how we are going to do it. I can see a design that lifts the whole bike evenly off the ground, front and rear equally. Just not sure until I get it up in CAD if it makes sense.

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Well, the abba "front stand" is just a foot-operated rocker lift, and I believe it pushes on the exhaust collector. There isn't enough weight left on the front end for it be a problem.

I've seen it. That's a great idea for a 600. No sure it is safe with a 14. I tried lifting under the forks with my hands when the bike was on the pivot stand. It was a very awkward angle and I did not give it my all but there seems to be over a hundred lbs of pressure there. More than I would want to put on my exhaust. JMHO.

Still not sure how we are going to do it. I can see a design that lifts the whole bike evenly off the ground, front and rear equally. Just not sure until I get it up in CAD if it makes sense.

I think the foot pegs would be about the center of gravity. I have seen pics with jack stands that fit there and the bike sits level with one stand on each side.

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Any progres on this stand privateer?

Okay all you "forward facing Pit Bullers".......I WANT TO KNOW E X A C T L Y HOW you do the lift?

* Last updated by: blue07 on 12/17/2009 @ 3:38 PM *

Just got to remember not to try to adjust the arms on the stand to high, you will never get it up!!!!
I tried but found out I adjusted it way to high, it's too much weight to do, and not enough leverage action.

There's one!Anyone else out there?I'm all ears!!!(Thanks Extra!)

* Last updated by: blue07 on 12/17/2009 @ 4:00 PM *

I have the stand on lowest setting. raise the side stand, Get the lift forks on the spools and push. it is pretty easy with empty gas tank and light exhaust system. You also need the longer kind of spool that sticks out away from the swingarm. I never tried with stock exhaust, but I can see how it might be problem for most guys to lift the bike safely with the extra weight. I can't do it with my busa and stock exaust but some claim you just have to get the technique down. I say, if there is a chance you might drop the bike, just go with a rear mounted handle or better, a pivot stand. Pivot stand is the safest -- almost foolproof.

The front stands are very difficult to lift the bike on once they are up on a spool stand. There is no chance of the bike dropping once it is supported on a rear stand but it takes all my weight and a bit of a shove to get the handle down on the Pit Bull front stands. The front is almost light enough to grab and lift by hand when the bike is on a pivot stand so front stands are very easy to use with them.

* Last updated by: Rook on 12/17/2009 @ 5:08 PM *

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