prepping for first winter mod. session

[acemoney]

I bought my first bike 3 months ago, 06' Monster Dark 620, and i plan on painting and messing with things pretty soon (not that i've stooped since i bought it) and since i'm new to this and haven't read anything about this subject i will ask.......what is the best "bike stand" to use or best way to prop your bike so you can remove both the front and back wheels? any feedback on the subject would be appreciated, wheather it's buying a stand or home making a stand or hanging it from the garage rafters with rope. thanks

[Slide Panda]

Pit-Bull or Power Stands are probably the two top outfits currently making stands.  Quality solid products.  If you're more budget minded Handy or T-Rex stands might fit the bill. I've got a handy rear stand that's about 1/2 the cost of a Pit-Bull stand and it's given me no reason to complain yet.

Hanging from the rafters, will cost you a few straps and might be cheapest.  But it's got a cost of stability.  The bikes going to twist and swing. 

[acemoney]

Pit-Bull or Power Stands are probably the two top outfits currently making stands.   

thanks for the info and that being said, i assume you mean using one front and one rear stand at the same time, what if i need to remove the forks and triple would that still work? and having never used one before is the bike stable up on two at the same time?

p.s. forgive me for not being specific but i plan on taking off the swingarm and the forks, i might be wrong but i thought thats what the stands rest on. is it possible too remove those with the 2 stand method or will that require a different stand route?

[S2daRk]

thanks for the info and that being said, i assume you mean using one front and one rear stand at the same time, what if i need to remove the forks and triple would that still work? and having never used one before is the bike stable up on two at the same time?

p.s. forgive me for not being specific but i plan on taking off the swingarm and the forks, i might be wrong but i thought thats what the stands rest on. is it possible too remove those with the 2 stand method or will that require a different stand route?

If you want to remove the forks and top triple, get a front stand that mounts on underneath the bottom triple (in the steering tube). If you need to remove the bottom triple, you'll need to find another way (e.g. suspend from rafters).

[Jethro]

I use the ABBA stand which normally just lifts the back wheel but adapted it so I could hold the back down to remove front wheel - 2 rawlbolts into concrete and a few bits of scrap. It works great and you can have both wheels off ground at same time.
Another advantage of Abba stand is the rear shock is not loaded so can be removed for service.

[Capo]

The ABBA in combination with a front stand that locates in the steering stem tube, should be sufficient for most work. If you plan to remove the frame, then someting like this makes things a lot easier, it can support the complete bike and can be moved arround on casters.

Some folks use blocks of wood under the engine but this can be somewhat precarious when applying a large torque to a fastener.