Goodbye SW Motech Centerstand

[zt0117]

It was nice while it lasted, but as others have predicted, you finally stripped out my footpeg bolts. Yes, I treated you badly by sitting on the bike while you were deployed and rolling off. I bumped you around during oil changes to get the last of the goo out. But still, you should not have caused both bolts to fail within a few minutes and almost dropped my foot and yourself onto the pavement at 40 MPH. A little more warning would have been nice.

I am taking you off, and buying a real motorcycle jack. In the woods, in an emergency, I'll find a way to lift the bike without you. Crying won't help. I am replacing you by drilling out the holes you ruined, and putting in 3/8 inch SAE bolts--your weak 8mm OEM bolts never were enough for me anyway.

I hope you can move on and find someone new. I'll even help you out. If someone wants you, they can send me a PM and we'll discuss price and shipping.

Good luck, my love.

[JPK]

Originally Posted by zt0117

It was nice while it lasted, but as others have predicted, you finally stripped out my footpeg bolts. Yes, I treated you badly by sitting on the bike while you were deployed and rolling off. I bumped you around during oil changes to get the last of the goo out. But still, you should not have caused both bolts to fail within a few minutes and almost dropped my foot and yourself onto the pavement at 40 MPH. A little more warning would have been nice.

I am taking you off, and buying a real motorcycle jack. In the woods, in an emergency, I'll find a way to lift the bike without you. Crying won't help. I am replacing you by drilling out the holes you ruined, and putting in 3/8 inch SAE bolts--your weak 8mm OEM bolts never were enough for me anyway.

I hope you can move on and find someone new. I'll even help you out. If someone wants you, they can send me a PM and we'll discuss price and shipping.

Good luck, my love.

Thanks for reaffirming my decision to not use a center stand on this bike (out of fear of this exact thing happening). I've got a pit bull rear stand for the garage, and an Eagle Mike quick jack for the road.

[kuri77]

JPK,
Ditto on a dedicated garage jack and an Eagle Mike quick jack on the road.

[Warren]

Red loctite is your friend on the footpeg bolts - Even if you don't have a centerstand.

If they get at all loose - You start going from more of a shear load on the bolts to the pegs sagging and pulling the bolts directly out with a lot of torque resulting in stripping.

The 3/16th's or so that the centerstand spaces the pegs out definitely serves to give more of a mechanical advantage to pull on the bolts and strip them - But I think they really need to get loose first in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents but myself and friends have put 10's of thousands of miles (probably 100K combined at least) on KLR's with centerstands.

All put on with red loctite and checked for torque at each service (usually fine).

Now that I've written this... Mine will strip out...

[zt0117]

I got the new 3/8"-16 SAE bolts in and they're rock solid. I got a Sears ATV lift from sears on sale for $98.00 and am going to use an E-M quick jack on the road.

The SW centerstand is for sale, $25 + actual shipping cost. PM me if interested.

[zt0117]

Centerstand is sold.

[r-charger]

I took mine off too. Luckily before the bolts gave - they were just bent.
Without being too abusive (in my opinion) the stand caught on everything and the flat strap crossmember is a solid "V" shape now (instead of straight).
It happened once before, after the first ride when I installed it. I only noticed when I tried to use it & the bike didn't want to stay up on the stand & the centre stand was interfering with the chain (when the stand was in use). I noticed it shifted. When I took it off - bent bolts.
After a couple mods I thought I'd give it a second chance. After an hour offroad & it hitting every culvert, I decided to take it off......again bent bolts. It's not going on again.....
I like sw-motech stuff, but the centerstand is crap........

I'm with Warren. No problems thus far. I do check torque periodically though.

Plus, I really am not a fan of standing on pegs at speed on slab. I couldn't imagine of them failing and NOT wrecking.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by r-charger

I took mine off too. Luckily before the bolts gave - they were just bent.
Without being too abusive (in my opinion) the stand caught on everything and the flat strap crossmember is a solid "V" shape now (instead of straight).
It happened once before, after the first ride when I installed it. I only noticed when I tried to use it & the bike didn't want to stay up on the stand & the centre stand was interfering with the chain (when the stand was in use). I noticed it shifted. When I took it off - bent bolts.
After a couple mods I thought I'd give it a second chance. After an hour offroad & it hitting every culvert, I decided to take it off......again bent bolts. It's not going on again.....
I like sw-motech stuff, but the centerstand is crap........

I'm curious - Does the SW-Motech stand come with a harder grade bolt (10.9 or higher grade)?

[american]

I worry about my pegs all the time when I stand up to de-numb my rear. I'm 6''2' and 285 so I really stress them out!
I had a peg break on my old Honda 125 while going down the road back in the day. I twisted my ankle and drove over my foot. Didn't break anything, but man did I yell for about a mile.

I'll see how I do when I put these on my bike.

[r-charger]

Originally Posted by Warren

I'm curious - Does the SW-Motech stand come with a harder grade bolt (10.9 or higher grade)?

They are 8.8, but it wouldn't matter I don't think. The damage turns the bolts into an "S" shape when they don't shear. As the bottom of the stand, when folded back, comes down on something, the leverage produced on the front (or top?) would be very high. I guess it's just not the right thing to have on my bike for the riding I do.

[r-charger]

Originally Posted by RalphMalph

I'm with Warren. No problems thus far. I do check torque periodically though.

Plus, I really am not a fan of standing on pegs at speed on slab. I couldn't imagine of them failing and NOT wrecking.

Now with my curiosity.....
I'm not a fan of standing on slab either, but this is all happening to me offroad...... Do you go offroad with your centerstand?

The sw-motech marketing material advise them as an accessory for "SPORT TOURING" - I just bought the wrong accessory, but wish they'd build one for "ADVENTURE TOURING" - Other manufacturers have centerstands on -say - F800GS - no problems with those stands offroad....

[hope2013]

My question is, are there alternatives out there? Like, does the HT centerstand not have this issue?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by hope2013

My question is, are there alternatives out there? Like, does the HT centerstand not have this issue?

I have the HT stand.

They do three great things - Give you 10.9 bolts, recommend blue loctite (I use red), and tell you that it is a maintenance stand - Not to sit on it, ride away on it etc.

You need 10.9 bolts, loctite, 16 ft/lbs of torque and to keep your butt off the bike when on the centerstand.

With that - No problems with any of the stands unless you continually drag them across the rocks etc.: In that case I wouldn't run one.

[r-charger]

Originally Posted by Warren

I have the HT stand.

They do three great things - Give you 10.9 bolts, recommend blue loctite (I use red), and tell you that it is a maintenance stand - Not to sit on it, ride away on it etc.

You need 10.9 bolts, loctite, 16 ft/lbs of torque and to keep your butt off the bike when on the centerstand.

With that - No problems with any of the stands unless you continually drag them across the rocks etc.: In that case I wouldn't run one.

I have sat on it while on the center stand.....
I have rode away......whilst on the center stand.....
I have dragged & dropped on rock on the center stand
Yes I am....Sam I am......

Guess I'll wait until I have street tires someday, then I'll straighten it & put it back on. Until then it's a quick-jack & quick-fun......

When I reviewed the marketing material last night I swear it was different than when I bought it. Could've swore it said "toughest this" & "no interference that". I was under the impression it was a go anywhere kinda stand. I was all ready to announce to the world that it doesn't live up to it's marketing.......but I never used it once for what it was intended....me bad.......

I wonder why every stock center stand you CAN sit on the bike & CAN ride away on.....but they can't build one for the klr?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by r-charger

I wonder why every stock center stand you CAN sit on the bike & CAN ride away on.....but they can't build one for the klr?

Probably because of those weak-@ss 8mm nuts in there...

[fattkaw]

Originally Posted by Warren

Red loctite is your friend on the footpeg bolts - Even if you don't have a centerstand.

If they get at all loose - You start going from more of a shear load on the bolts to the pegs sagging and pulling the bolts directly out with a lot of torque resulting in stripping.

The 3/16th's or so that the centerstand spaces the pegs out definitely serves to give more of a mechanical advantage to pull on the bolts and strip them - But I think they really need to get loose first in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents but myself and friends have put 10's of thousands of miles (probably 100K combined at least) on KLR's with centerstands.

All put on with red loctite and checked for torque at each service (usually fine).

Now that I've written this... Mine will strip out...

I'm with ya!

[r-charger]

Just to clarify.... (and I realize I haven't used the stand for the purpose intended), I do use blue loctite & no stripping or loosening issues......just bent bolts.....

[Warren]

Originally Posted by r-charger

Just to clarify.... (and I realize I haven't used the stand for the purpose intended), I do use blue loctite & no stripping or loosening issues......just bent bolts.....

Yes - I think SW-Motech uses bolts that are too soft.

[JSPEED]

SW Motech stripped mine out too...sold mine too.

Drilled out to 10mm and replaced with 12.9 plated socket head bolts, rock solid now.

I rarely sat on mine while on the stand...had a few impacts with rocks though and stand on my pegs alot.