paddock stands

Hi all,

right so Ive owned a T'cat for less than a month, and as always I'm falling into that place of "I simply don't trust any other person / garage working on my bike" Which leaves me doing it by myself. I'm a cage (car) mechanic by trade, but there are differences where, in these areas I lack experience and in some cases the knowledge as well. - I cant afford to make a mistake as I'm sure all can appreciate, it could be costly in all areas (painful at the least, painfully expensive, or out n out write off)

So, obviously T'cats weren't fitted with center stands, and I have been looking around for front and rear paddock stands, when the words bobbins kept creeping up, and being needed for the paddock stands.

Where do these bobbins get fitted to, and should they be kept on the bike all the time or just when using the p/stands?

And can anyone recommend a good quality, reasonable priced set to go for / get from - as in p/stands and bobbins.

Oh and the other thing I wanted to know is regarding cleaning the bike - can car shampoo be used on our bikes, and what kinda polish should be used?

I'd normally use either Mer, or Turtle Wax on a car, but fairings aren't metal and I don't want to accidentally ruin the paint

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer

after a google search have found location mounts for fitting the said bobbins, can we leave them on, are there any advantages or disadvantages?

cheers

afternoon mate,

if im not mistaken the only real place you can mount the bobbins on a thundercat is throught the front and rear wheel centers... so they would go through the middle of the rear wheel and through the swing arm etc on a piece of threaded rod, my preference would be a nice set of r&g ones as they are decent quality, look tidy and fit well...

the bobbins can be left in place so you can get the bike on the stand as soon as you get home

as for a paddock stand again just my opinion but ive always been more than happy with the quality of the oxford ones....

and as for the cleaning, paint is paint so it really makes little difference, be careful not to use any strong solvents though, like some alloy wheel cleaners may have issues with the cellulose paint on bike fairings....

i use muck off to get the dirt off, auto glym polish to clean it and then some harley wax to make it all shiney!

3m hand glaze is also a good alternative for a fast shine...

Do you actually need bobbins?

I've micron ones that just have u shaped cups for the rear and 3 horizontal prongs (each side) that capture the front forks.

You can adjust the width front and rear so they can be used with various bikes.

Cheers
Rosco

cool, cheers for that jayster & rosco, anyone got this set, and any opinions? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

cheers

ps am gonna be taking the cat out for a bit, too nice not too round here, but will be back later to see what else is said

cheers

I'm happy with my ABBA stand, not cheap but are sturdy. An option is also available if you want to take off the swingarm at some stage.

aint oxford bit same design and ive not had a problem just position front one with care otherwise it moves about abit.

Hi - go on ebay and type in Thundercat paddock stands and you will find a front and rear one for a good bit less than the set you put up here.

Cheers
Billy

The best stand for anything mantinace wise has got to be the abba stand! Yes it's £100 but its a hell of a lot more sturdy and you can lift the bike by yourself al lot easier

Take a look here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Harris paddock stands are very good. Had mine 6 years and use it every time I wash the bike. Sturdy, doesn't rust. Well worth the money.

Rob

ABBA Stand

I got mine from a place called passion auto. Theyr'e not too bad to be honest and I wasn't too bothered about getting anything fancy. However, having said that, if I had the dosh I'd get an Abba stand.

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I used to use a pretty heavy duty Oxford rear paddock stand. It came with hooks for use with paddock stands but also heavy duty plastic L brackets that simply fit under the swingarm and lift the back end, fantastic bit if kit (I thought) until I picked up an Abba Stand at a great price from a nice man on here (cheers Chris Eddie).

Came complete with T/cat attachment and a handy front lifter which fits under the exhaust to lift the bike completely off the floor, fantastic stand, sturdy and solid as a rock. Even if you don't have the front lift you can ratchet strap the rear wheel down to the floor to lift the front end, really versatile. If you're that way inclined you can throw yourself at the bike and it won't budge, not cheap but a stand for life as it will fit virtually any other bike, will just need to get the right fitting kit which is readily available off the abba website or from DemonTweeks.

If you have a look for a second hand one on eBay it probably won't cost much more than a decent paddock stand and I have the T/cat fitting you can have for nothing.

Quick search on eBay turned up this, there's quite a few second hand ones on there and even a front lift.

Plus as I say I have a Thundercat fitting kit you can have for nowt

Hi again all and thanks for all the replies, im somewhat closer to decision making in which one to get, but not by much, as there are advantages with Abba ones over oxford/harris etc.

i like the idea of wheels on a stand, but as said, dont really know from experience what would be the better option. As swing arm replacement may happen at some point, not for any particular reason just for the sake of doing it - soooo it all depends on what else I find along the way.

My little "hours of riding" were shortened to 10 minutes... chain was as loose as (insert filthy words yourself, here), and so ended up turning around and spending time adjusting that to spec - an inch n half of play just isnt good :(

thanks again, and if theres more makes that can be suggested in the meanwhile, please carry on

Another vote for Abba here. Thought I'd never need one again as my bikes had centre stands but as soon as I had another bike without one I went straight back to Abba for a new stand. Can't beat them for stability as Steve has said, and because they fit in the swing arm pivot it's incredibly easy to use alone.

Personally, I just look on fleabay for the cheapest used ones going. Go have a look at them, and if they don't wobble, get them. As Rosco said, bobbins aren't a requirement, and I can't say they're significantly more convenient. I think my current set cost about £20. For anything that involves removing an end, I just use a ratchet strap to a roof beam. As I find is the case with everything bike-related, it's always possible to spend multiple times more on everything than you actually need to.

Not that I'm tight or anything...

Hi,

I've tried miserably and failed so far, it says about the use of bobbins on the rear of the bike and after having bought a paddock stand that is bobbin use only I have had a nightmare trying to establish if you can put these on the thundercat? (or where to put them?)

Any help would be much appreciated. (sorry i know the thread is 4 years old).