Look what Santa brought ........

Since buying the Suzuki in October, using the paddock stand which was purchased for the Street Triple has been a perilous activity.  The swingarm lifting bobbins on the Suzuki are significantly lower than on the Triple.  What this means in practical terms is that you need muscles like the Incredible Hulk to rotate the paddock stand over centre and get the rear wheel off the deck.  Because the bike only has a side stand, it means that you have to hold the bike vertically with one hand to engage the bobbins whilst pushing down on the stand with the other.  A recipe for disaster if ever there was one and the one heart-stopping moment was one too many!

A casual conversation with fellow IAM member Rob Van Proemeren (cheers mate!) revealed that he had bought a UK-made ABBA Superbike stand for his Hayabusa and was well-satisfied with how easy it was to use, plus the excellent stability it gave the bike.  What's more, there was an ABBA agent based in Nelson, NZ - Christmas present from Jennie solved!

Today was the first opportunity I've had to try it out and what a dream it is to use!  The system doesn't use swingarm bobbins but instead, locates on the swingarm pivot shaft to lift from - a totally secure method. Referring to the photo below, the stand consists of two main parts which clamp together.  When ordering, you state the make and model of the bike and they send the correct attachments to lock onto the swingarm pivot.

ABBA Superbike stand components

Assembling it is a piece of cake.  The left hand part of the stand is engaged onto the pivot whilst the bike is on its side stand and the handle extended for good leverage.

Left hand component put into place

Same procedure for the right hand component, sliding it over the left hand one and tightening the thumbscrew.  Any slack is taken out by turning the large screw until it's a snug fit.

Right hand component locked in place

The next step is to hold the bike vertically with one hand on the handlebars.  It can't fall as it's supported by the stand.  Simply pull forward on the extended lever and up it pops with minimal effort!

Raised rear and rock solid!

Rear view

Forward view

The stand provides a perfectly stable platform for cleaning, chain lubing and adjustment or whatever.  I'm anal about wheel alignment so it also provides support for my home-built laser alignment rig ( SEE HERE ). There is an additional attachment which allows both wheels to be lifted clear of the ground at the same time and that is shown in the photos below.  As well as being able to remove the front wheel without a front paddock stand or some other form of jury-rigging, it will be perfect for taking accurate suspension extension measurements.  At present, the standard suspension settings are far too harsh for my weight and general NZ road conditions.  Taking front and rear suspension extension measurements is the first step in properly setting up the suspension for my specific needs.  As well as better handling and a more comfortable ride, correctly set up suspension can also significantly increase tyre life.  All these benefits from buying a decent stand - who'd have thought it!!!

Finally, a plug for the NZ agent  who was a pleasure to deal with.  Rapid service and a great product - this is their website: ABBA Stands NZ

Both wheels clear of the deck with easy to use attachment

Front view with both wheels clear