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Suzuki center stand just bent

6K views 30 replies 14 participants last post by  Gingie  
#1 ·
I was out for a ride today as it was cloudy for a change, and only 24c which is cool compared to what we have seen the past few weeks (mid 30's). When i got back home i went to pull the bike up on center stand as usual and felt something give underneath.. I am unable to get the bike on the center stand now.

When i look at it, i can see the Center Stand leg has bent outward and down so there is no leverage possible anymore.

This is the Suzuki stand, and i suspect has been on there since day one (2004).

Should i get another Suzuki stand, or is the SW Motech stand stronger?

I would think the Suzuki stand would be easier since i would only need to swap out the main part, all other components could stay where they are maybe.

Guess i could pull the old one off and see if a welder could put a new arm on it too? Not sure how i would explain the angle it would need to be at. It may be stronger that way though? Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
The SW-Motech stand has a stronger lever and cost less. Yours is not the first OEM stand to bend a lever. If you put another OEM on though, I'd say it's likely to last the life of the bike.
 
#3 ·
Suzuki's design for that stand was questionable at best....for kickstand clearance, they just pinched that arm, creating a weak spot.

I modified my arm with an extra sleeve/brace I made from 1" diameter tubing, cut in half and then notched in the middle to match that pinch spot. I then welded it on the bottom of that arm and unless i point it out to someone, it's not noticeable at all.
 
#11 ·
I have a Murph's on mine, and one leg is shorter so the bike leans to one side. I contacted Murph about this and he replied, maybe twice. He suggested I look for burrs on the surface etc. If I have the bike on a rear stand and lower the Murph stand, one legs touches the floor before the other. Everything was installed correctly.

Needless to say, I DON'T RECOMMEND Murph's products to anyone.
 
#7 ·
I've had the Suzuki stand and suffered the same bent, and eventually broken lever. I then got a stand from Murph's, and while on tour suffered the same bent and broken lever. One of the support legs cracked halfway through as well. I've just bought an SWM and hope it's the last one.


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#8 ·
The SW-Motech stand has a note saying "Not recommended for lowered bikes", so i guess that option is out? Has anyone put one of these on their lowered bike?

The Murph's website doesn't show any center stands.

There are cheap Chinese stands on ebay, but it sounds like they may be junky.

Hepco and Becker stand is the most expensive and doesn't look any better than the OEM does. Hard to tell from pictures though.

The arm on the SW-Motech looks the most solid.
 
#9 ·
I have an SW-Motech stand on a bike lowered 19mm. It is harder to get on the center stand than on a non lowered bike but that applies to any center stand. I can still do it without trouble with the proper technique.
 
#10 ·
I have the Murphs stand. If convenient (perhaps when you pull it) , mind putting up a shot of the bent part. I use mine daily , and am curious about the failure.
 
#12 ·
Note how far from the bike the stand is sticking out now.

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It may have rusted from the inside?

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I was looking on ebay at the Motech stands. it seems there are two flavors of this? One has the bend in the arm like the OEM has, and the other is straight. Is the new model the one with the bend?

This one is $249 with free shipping

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This one is $272 with free shipping

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#13 ·
If you buy the new one, I might be interested in the broken OEM unit...

I have never got one because I fear it will not clear my skidplate, which is enormous.
 
#14 ·
Interesting. I've never seen an SW-M stand with a bent arm before. It looks like a straight tube was die punched to create an angle. That's still way stronger than the Suzuki design. Don't lump all Murphs product in with that stand. I'll bet the stand is no longer available because of its quality issues from the manufacturer and Murph axed it. Murph is one of my favorite vendors.
 
#15 ·
I hate to say You get what you pay for , but My Murphs stand leans a smidge to the right (looking from behind) , but it was half (or there abouts) of a factory Suzuki service stand. I set it up on it every day several times a day , service the chain and do tires with it. The lean doesn't even hit my radar. I would buy another one tomorrow if needed.
 
#16 ·
I think the Murphs stand can be eliminated since it doesn't seem to exist anywhere that i can find. The Murph's site just shows a blank for a Center Stand. Maybe i am not looking in the right place for it but Google is def failing this one and searching on the Murph's site finds nothing.

I noticed the OEM stand for the 2014 V2 has an extra reinforcement bar on it. A nice touch for added strength.
 
#18 ·
Yup, you can see the crack in the lever arm on bugmagnet's stand. One or 2 more attempts at use and it will snap off. My SWM stand is the one in the first picture, and it seems to be a nice solid piece. Simpler installation too. If anyone wants the old broken one, it's free if you pay shipping. PM me, otherwise it's probably going to go in recycling. I would imagine if you are handy you could weld it up and reinforce it. I think the reason you can't find it on Murph's site is due to quality. It's probably the same as the Chinese ones on eBay, and I would have replaced the cheap hardware and reused the Suzuki hardware. I'm not so annoyed at Murphs given the price I paid compared to the Suzuki stand.


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#20 ·
Oh, the 2nd SWM pic is for the 650 I think. It does look sturdier. As for use with a lowered bike, I do find the SWM requires a little more effort.


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#21 ·
After pulling the center stand off the bike i found where it failed, it wasn't on the crimped pipe but right at the join to the body.

It looks like it could be pounded back to shape and then welded with some reinforcement. May be fine after that. Not sure i want to bother doing that though.

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#22 ·
I would weld that puppy up and stick it back on. But I weld , so that is my natural inclination. If you don't , I'm sure it would be very reasonable at a local welder. Certainly cheaper than a new unit.
 
#23 ·
Plenty of shops in our area will do that Bug Magnet, strengthen it as well, for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
 
#25 ·
I have a murph's on my Vee... same as some of the others... 1 leg shorter than the other.... another project this winter to shim it square and make up a weld on pad to square things up. Not surprised he's not selling them anymore...they are robust...but the QC is crap!
 
#26 ·
I've been trying to locate a used stand for my recently acquired '06 Vee, but they are as rare as hen's teeth it seems. I'd pay for shipping to Toronto if you end up replacing the piece and don't feel like having the old one taking up space in your garage. :yesnod:
 
#28 ·
just weld it. fraction of the cost of new and it will end up being stronger than new.