Front Wheel Clamp / Holder

EURTRAF

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Hi

Anyone used / using one of these or similar with their 1200.
pdfront-easy-plus.jpg

As I need to store 2 bikes in limited space

I have previously tried with a 'Bike Grab' but bike fell over:(


Tks - S
 
I've used a similar kind of thing for the last 14 years or so- essentially a low-loader you reverse the back of the bike on to. Releasing the brakes on the casters then allows you to push the bike around. Originally I had it on my K and had it against the back wall of a single garage, allowing me to also get the car in. Don't think there's anything on the market that'll allow that degree of movement.

Bigbike.jpg


I did a write-up for the BMW club mag many moons ago..

http://www.richandcath.co.uk/bikes/garage.htm

It's more than that now, and not regularly stocked in the UK, but I think M+P still can import from the dutch makers, Zonneveld, around the £170 mark. It still works well with my 1200GS.

HTH,

Rich.
 
I use stands from www.bumpstop.co.uk.

They are superb and your GS will stand up safely in one without strapping:thumb Really well made and they have different wheel cup sizes to suit your bike. Your contact there is Ben and worth a call:thumb
 
Thanks for the links guys - I will do some more research and let you know how I get on.

Rgds - Steve
 
@ richtel you obviously realized you cant get your bike close to a garage wall with one of them either and deleted your post. The one you showed yes you can but not the ops choice.
If you want to maneuver the bike into a tight space then a stand trolley is my choice. Center stand goes onto a small trolley and the bike can be moved in any direction by balancing the bike on the stand which is easy done.
Question still stands, what is the advantage of the type the OP posted? Serious question and not a get at, I just don't see any advantage to it only disadvantages.
 
Hi

Anyone used / using one of these or similar with their 1200.
pdfront-easy-plus.jpg

As I need to store 2 bikes in limited space

I have previously tried with a 'Bike Grab' but bike fell over:(


Tks - S

Is it me, or is that pictured used the wrong way around?

:rob
 
@ richtel you obviously realized you cant get your bike close to a garage wall with one of them either and deleted your post. The one you showed yes you can but not the ops choice.
If you want to maneuver the bike into a tight space then a stand trolley is my choice. Center stand goes onto a small trolley and the bike can be moved in any direction by balancing the bike on the stand which is easy done.
Question still stands, what is the advantage of the type the OP posted? Serious question and not a get at, I just don't see any advantage to it only disadvantages.

Busted!

I didn't know you were referring to the OPs query ...
 
Marki

Number of reasons.

Due to space considerations I need to park the bike hard up against the front wall of the garage and also as close to the Left wall as I can get.
If I use the centre stand it is far more difficult to achieve this although not impossible.

I also have an 'Easy Rizer' bike lift that you attach to the underside of the bike before lifting and it requires the bike to be upright with the centre stand folded up which is somewhat tricky single handed.

I can also bolt a stand to the floor and use it as additional security (With a suitable chain etc).

Steve
 
Marki

I will check out the centre stand trollies as well, as the bike lift bit is not essential - just need to see what the costs are.

Steve
 
What about this sort of thing (not that I have used one myself so not sure it would work with GS main stand)

http://biketek.co.uk/store/Centre_Stand_Mover_1265

Thats the type I am on about although I don't have that one. Just be sure it can take the weight of the GS. They are heavy old barges and because the skates sit so low even a slight flex will ground them making them useless. They are also no good on uneven ground but should be fine on your average garage or shed floor
 
Number of reasons.

Due to space considerations I need to park the bike hard up against the front wall of the garage and also as close to the Left wall as I can get.

I have much the same problem but fixed it for free.

Flick the side stand out, leaving the bike on its side.

Find a suitable block of wood, not much more than an inch deep at most. Put it under the sidestand, rather like a puck. The bike should now stand near enough upright and be reasonably stable. Yes? Good. Nearly there.

Outside the garage, turn the bike around so that the rear wheel faces the rear wall of the garage and sit it on its sidestand.

Now walk around to the front of your bike. Facing it, get right up close and personal.... Welsh sheepfarmer's shagging position. Reach out, grab the handlebars and lift the bike to vertical, leaving the sidestand extended. It will not require much effort as you are using the bars as a lever.... and with a long enough lever you could move the earth, so a bike will be no problem.

Push the bike backwards. It won't fall over as it is naturally balanced, unless you are very unlucky or a complete numpty... But do take a bit of itsy-bitsy care that the sidestand does not catch on something, obviously.

Push the bike into the garage, close up to the lefthand wall, right up to the moment when the rear of the bike touches the rear wall. Stop pushing.

Kick the block of wood to near enough where the end of the sidestand will fall when you let the bike lean over a little*.

BINGO!.... One bike, vertical, close to the rear wall and very close to the lefthand wall.... all for free.

By luck I have a picture to hand that shows near enough what you are aiming for... Yes, I know the bike isn't in backwards but it usually is, as is the 1600... so weight and size are not an issue.

i-hSX6Cp3-L.jpg


To take the bike out..... Well, get uptight and personal again. Lift the bike gently to the vertical and pull out. The block will stay near enough where it was.

A couple of goes and you'll have it down to a fine art.


*Now that you have read the instructions, you can probably imagine that it's a good idea to put the block of wood in the garage roughly in the right position, before you start pushing the bike in.


PS With the money you have saved, consider making a small Christmas donation to Riders for Health :thumb :beerjug:

http://www.riders.org/
 
Con't from post #16.....

Oh yes, nearly forgot.

The cradle things are OK..... Providing you get the bike in straight.

With little room on the left (the natural side from which to push and pull) it is very easy to get the bike slightly on the skew. That is not so bad when putting it into the cradle (as the front pulls the back) but can be a bitch when getting the bike out, as the back is pulling the front as it were.

Think of how the bike looks viewed from above, with its front wheel straight in the clamp, but hinged at its headstock. The back wheel and body of the bike is pointed away, at an angle to the line of a straight pull back. It doesn't take much of an angle to make life a teeny bit tedious.

Now. To lift the bike out of the cradle needs quite a firm tug, easy if the bike is straight and you are standing on the left.... But, being the 'wrong' side does not help..... You ending up fighting the bike and geometry, made worse as the rubber tyre can grip the side wall of the cradle quite firmly, rather as the tyre grips the road.

If this happens, when the bike does come free it is still twisted. You are effectively counter steered and, what do we know about counter steering? THE BIKE FALLS OVER... Great when you are moving at 60 mph with two bloody big gyroscopic wheels spinning... Not so clever when it's stationary.

======

PS The push-in backwards method suggested in the post above is only really necessary if you have little room to the left AND right.

If you have lots of room to the right, just push the bike in backwards normally. Flick out the side stand onto the puck and that's it.... one vertical bike, close to the left hand wall.

=====

PPS The last variant, if you have a bit of room at the back, is to wheel the bike in backwards, just like normal.

Drop the bike onto its side stand.

Squeeze yourself between the wall and the rear wheel.

Grab the back of the bike (GS's are perfect) lifting the bike to vertical (it's not hard).

Extend your left leg to drop the main stand onto the garage floor.... then heave backwards.... pulling the bike onto its main stand. Job done.
 
Wapping

Many thanks for the help - I will try these options first and see how I get on.

Donation will be made as requested.

S
 


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