For those of you without a center stand...

...what do you use when you need to get the back of the bike up? Looking for something very cost-effective (i.e. CHEAP). Something like what this gentleman is using would be ideal:

http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.ph ... pic=118334

But I'll take whatever suggestions I can get.

Thanks!

 

how about dig up a centerstand off eBay?

The stand being used in those photos is a very common solution for dirt bikes and track bikes, etc., they ARE available in less high-tech (read less expensive) versions.

 

What I do is jack it up from where the center stand would be, pull the muffler (b/c it gets in the way of the jackstand) and put a jackstand on either side of the frame. You'll need two people probably because you have to balance the bike on one jackstand while you remove the jack to place the other stand in.

-Pseudonym

 

Fitz,

I was under the impression that the '82 didn't come with a stand or mounts for one; am I wrongly informed, or is there a way to install a centerstand on the '82, aftermarket?

 

All three years 550 Seca were the same in that respect. They all came with a centerstand; does your bike maybe have (or had) a 4-1 exhaust that necessitated removing it? If there's clearance, you should be able to dig up a stand. The mounting holes are in your frame. Just be sure it's from a 550, others may appear to fit but probably won't.

 

Yeah, there's a 4-to-1 on it. So that's not stock, either?

Is my dislike for the PO supposed to grow with every new revelation?

 

No. it's not, sorry.

Scroll to the bottom of the first page in this post: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=18044.html

Check out Rice_Burnarr's pic of his completely stock '82 Seca 550. That's what your bike originally looked like.

I'd post pics of my bikes but neither are BONE stock (de-fairinged my '81; resto-fied the '83.)

Both of my Secas have stock exhaust systems though; feel free to look around: http://s437.photobucket.com/albums/qq93/bigfitz52/

 

Huh, interesting. Amazing how little resemblance my bike bears to those, now.

So, in a nutshell, if I want a centerstand on my bike I need to buy one off of eBay (no biggie, they're cheap), but every time I want to use it (which shouldn't be TOO terribly often, right?), I'll need to:

1: Take my exhaust system off
2: Attach the centerstand
3: Do whatever I needed the centerstand to do (chain, sprockets, rear tire, what have you)
4: Take the centerstand off
5: Reinstall my exhaust system

Could be worse, I guess - I could have a Harley. :lol:

 

haha i'd gladly take a 4 into 1 rather then the stock exhaust, even if it meant giving up my center stand. Hey just be glad your bike doesnt have a harley motor swap

 

Oh, I don't really mind the 4-to-1...except for the fact that it makes it all the more difficult to use stock manuals, instructions, and advice to care for and service the bike. Bear in mind, this PO also ditched the fairing, yanked the airbox, and rattlecan painted the tank and remaining plastic a horribly glossy (and drippy) black/gray color.

Ah well. So long as she runs, I won't complain...much. Er, much more.

 

I ditched the stand..dont have the 4-1 but I just lift the rear end and place it on a tool box or whatevers close thats tall enough....motorcycle jacks work well too(when I can use my bro in laws)

 

Uhhh Remove the Ex Mount a cntre stand! are you nutz?? Just buy a jack stand like on the Yama in that photo link?
I bought a pair Front and Back as a set with several adaptors for a Whopping $75 all in frpm a Target type store, no Ebay hassles.. Roll it under the bike swinger, push down and the bike is in the air. Easier even than using a built in Centre stand.

 

i plan on making something like this for one of my other bikes (chain drive and no center stand = FAIL) - i will post pics when (if?) i get around to it.

 

I know it's hard to say with out the center stand right there but, there may be enough clearence.
Most aftermarket systems took the exhaust into consideration, ie not hipro ones.
The PO might just have left it off.

 

Very true. A LOT of aftermarket exhausts are/were marketed as being able to keep your centerstand. You may simply just have to fit one.

 

Psht - all you have to do is remove the muffler etc., put the center stand on and run open headers! Piece of cake! Problem solved! :lol: :wink: :lol:


Seriously though, those not-really-floor-jack's would probably do quite well, and be easier than going through all the headaches & extra work.

 

Personally I think it'd only be right for the PO to come over and hold the end of the bike off the ground for as long as it takes me to work on it, whenever I needed to. What do y'all think? :wink:

Seriously, though, I've got my eye on some of the rocker-lifts on eBay; I also have a friend across-state who has a 550RH - if I can get him to ride over one of these days we can compare frames and exhaust and see if it's feasible to put a centerstand on without mucking up the exhaust.

Storm, I'd love to run loud - but my neighbors probably wouldn't appreciate it when I start the bike up at 4:30 in the morning...:lol:

 

alot of times the reason the center stand wont fit with a 4-1 is due to the foot lever (the part you stand on the pull the bike up on the center stand) hitting the muffler, which is why with the muffler removed, the stand fits. My solution to this on previous bikes was to cut the lever off the center stand, install the center stand, and then grind the angle of the cut end of the foot lever until it fits properly on the opposite side of the center stand, and reweld it. with some careful grinding and spray painting of the center stand after welding, it looks like a factory install, but is still functional. personally i could not go without my center stand. the ease of working on the bike makes it a necessity, especially when you mount your own tires. when i purchased my bike (turbo seca), the previous owner had done a hackjob attempt at welding a factory titanium muffler off of a gsxr 1000 onto an elbow with a flange to bolt to the turbo in place of the factory exhaust. the sound was actually surprisingly good, but it was too big, and required the PO to take a torch to the center stand to make it fit. I found one on ebay for 25 bucks shipped, reinstalled the factory pipes, and installed the center stand. ever since, I will never remove a center stand, it is too damn usefull.

 

Yeah, but who needs neighbors, anyway? ;-)


I feel bad enough when I'm warming the bike up at 5:30, too... my pipes are louder than stock, but not a lot - but at 2500-3000, they're loud enough.

 

Sounds like there's a salvage yard pretty close to me that might have some stands; I might pick one up just to see. After all, it's not like $20 is the end of the world, right?

 

Just be sure it's actually for a 550. Seca or Max is not a concern, the part number was the same for both for all three years.

(4G0-27111-00-R4) It may actually have "4G0-27111" stamped into it somewhere (if you can find it under all the dirt.)

Good idea. I'll bet it fits.

A thought: the "upstop" was on the left muffler originally. If the stand now wants to come up and fight with the chain, that may be why it was removed to begin with. If that turns out to be the case, a simple upstop could be fashioned and bolted to the back of the footpeg mount (where the LH muffler originally attached.)

 

The Mac 4-into-1 setups come with a bracket with an angle specifically to keep the centerstand from hitting the exhaust on the 750s. There are no centerstand clearance problems on those, but then that's a 750.. The collector and pipes sit far enough forward and to the right that they don't interfere at all with the centerstand's operation, so I'd hope that the same is true for whichever system he has?

 

Exactly. But I seem to remember a 550 owner who had a 4-1 fitted and the centerstand, with no stop for it, was coming up too far and getting into the chain. That was my concern.

 

Well, we'll find out - I'm going to snag one off of eBay, as the lowest price the salvage yard is giving me is $50. We should know in about a week.

 

Cool. I have centerstand attachment-point photos if you need them; there are a couple odd bits in there.

 

Much appreciated; I've never really looked all that closely at that part of the bike before, so I'm sure they'll come in handy.

 

I have a Yoshimura 4 - 1 pipe on my 550. The centerstand will not fit with the pipe on. Also I can't remove my oil filter cover without taking the pipes off. I do have a centerstand that has been sitting in a corner for 20+ years. Bolts are on the bike, spring is long gone. Shipping will probably be more money than if you can find one local. If you are interested let me know.
I got tired of ending up half way down the block, just to get chain lube on the entire chain. Spray - push - spray - push. I built a roller stand. If I jam it against something, the bike will roll on to it. I can lift the back end on to it as well. I have to put a 2X6 block under the side stand to level it. Now I can clean the chain and lube it in one spot!

 

You can always dream about having a REAL bike.

 

Nice idea Ranger- - but I see no grease drippings, which means you just built it.
You should paint it before it gets grease and solvent soaked.

 

I recently picked up a center stand for my XJ550 at bent bike in Lynnwood WA (great store!!) but have no idea what hardware I need to attach it to the bike. is it one long bolt or two shorter bolts? is there a picture anywhere of what it should look like at the attachment points? I appreciate the help in advance.

 

It's 2 shorter bolts with smooth unthreaded shanks as the pivot point, so if you just use crappy hardware, the stand will over-center a bit.

 

Will these help? One is a close-up of the pivot point and "stop;" the other is of the angle it will be at once deployed. My 550s are Secas but the stand is the same. With these and a quick look at a parts fiche you should be set. If you need better pics just holler.

 

the closeup of the bolt was great! thanks so much. I got under the bike today and saw how the stand slides over the two raised threaded pivot points. I found out why the PO didn't have one on the bike. the brackets on both sides have huge cracks at the base. I used your picture to show where I found them. I wonder if I can get them rewelded or repaired without having to take the bike apart?

 

Fitz, must not be pictures of your bike? I see just the tiniest bit of rust on the up-tube and there is dust on the centerstand

 

it's my daily rider. :wink:

seanem You should be able to get a GOOD welder to fix it without completely disassembling the bike. However, I would remove and set aside the fuel tank and drain the carbs; unplug the TCI unit AND disconnect the plug wires, remove the battery, unplug the rectifier and pull all the fuses out of the fusebox. You don't want to take any chances of "zapping" anything in the electrical system as a result.

Likewise, the welder will have to be very careful. There's a lot of fragile aluminum down there.