I have read a few posts mentioning a center stand on the F3, but I can't find any mention of it on any reviews or while searching ebay for parts...

My Ninja 250 has a center stand and it is a godsend for parking it in front of or behind my car in the garage to save space putting it straight up as opposed to leaning it... do F3s all have this standard? Can it be retrofitted? Are there any clearance problems with aftermarket exhausts? Is one available on teh F4 as well?

Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Adam

 

dont know alot of info on the center stand but iirc they were only on the european models

 

I bought front and rear stands off ebay. If you just want to use it for parking the rear stand will work by itself. May be more of a hassle getting it up and down each time you want to ride, but if you need to save room this will work.

 

Our US models didn't come with a center-stand, but I believe they are set up to be retro-fitted with the center stand from the euro models. Bolt up and go, as I understand.

 

Thats true, they did not come on the U.S. models. They were an option you could get from the dealer back then. I have one that I found on ebay about 5 years ago. I dont keep it on though. I only use it when I need to change oil or other maint...It really comes in handy and very easy to install and take off. As for the clearence issue on aftermarket exhaust, I noticed that if I wanted to keep it on all the time, it would hit the exhaust when in the up position.

 

Does anyone know the logic behind the US models not having the stand? Ive been wanting to ask that for a while. I understand not having the grab handle, but why not the center stand?

 

Honda wanted to mimic our posture and personality? Us yanks being more slouchy and laid back vs the Euros being more proper?

 

Maybe it was so they could get a few more $'s by making it an optional extra.
As for the stand hitting the after market pipes, There is a rubber block fitted to the standard exhaust (on US models maybe a welded piece of metal where the rubber block should go) Anyway the same welded piece of metal is also on the center stand, so that the rubber block can be attached to that, for after market cans.

 

The center stand is available for purchase from Honda, it's in the Microfiche. As for why it didn't come on it, who knows, but maybe some countries require it for import reasons. I noticed the bracket for mounting it in the frame so I did a little looking online and sure enough it was available. It's about $100 for all the parts, and it's easy to install. As for the rubber stopper, that's the catch. If you have the factory exhaust, it's designed to stop against part of that. If you have an aftermarket slip-on, the stands bracket doesn't come anywhere near close enough to it. The stand will hit your chain and rub against it (trust me). It is nice for changing the rear tire, washing the bike, lubing the chain, and just having the bike sit upright in the garage. Here are a couple of shots of what it looks like.



From the other side.


And the underside.

 

Wow.. those colors would make a perfect bike for me.. is that a 98?