I've got a rookie question. Do I need to get a stand for the bike or is the stock kickstand fine? I see a lot of people buying aftermarket stands. What is the advantage?

 

the stand allows you to lube the chain (atleast easily) and change the oil. I borrow my buddy's to do my changes until i pick one up. Theres really no need for a stand if you ride the bike alot. i left mine on the kick stand over winter and had no problems.

but i want a stand so i can change my oil easily, without having to go borrow one.

 

i got mine off ebay. T-Rex Racing. Work fine.

 

they are mostly used when removing the wheels to have tires changed (dealers usually charge for one hour of labor just to remove wheels, which ususally costs around $65 so after a few tire changes the stands pay for themselves)

 

I made one today out of 2x4's i'll try to post pix later or tomorrow,, a bit ofa pain getting it up on it but saved me $100+ for a stand. the wood was free....

 

Stands are quite useful. Especially for lubing and adjusting the chain. There are many out there that work well. If you plan on spending the money i recommend pit bull.

 

I have a front and rear stand. I have used mine to change my clutch, my chain, my sprockets, oil changesand to remove my tires to get them mounted. It has paid for itself. Not to mention, during the winter, the tires don't touch the ground.

 

yup, IMO next must have tool next to a set of metric allens. I have a front and rear stand, and I even went ahead and splurged and
bought a BAXLEY chock. that is awesome for loading up in a trailer or truck. Or if you got little kids running around in the garage, its almost impossible
for them to know it over.

 

oh hell yeah man, I love me some baxley chocks!
got two for haulin my bikes around, rigged up some bolts coming up through the floor that use a R pin to secure them soI can just pull the pin to remove the chocks

 

I had a hard time being convinced to spend the money on one, but my friend kept telling me, just buy one, --you'll see. especially since we were going to load 2 bikes into an enclosed4x8 trailer.Man, what a sweet piece of gear. never would have been able to load in those close quarters without a couple of em.