April Fools Meet 16th April 2017

[essexboydave]

Personally I'm wary of leaving the bike propped up on a car jack especially a hydraulic one, if there's a dodgy seal or anything in there it can either suddenly fail dropping the bike to the floor or creep down slowly so you don't notice until the bike drops to the floor-either scenario is not good. I prefer to use the jack to raise the bike up then sit it on some solid wooden blocks.
This is also why it's a very bad idea to work on a car supported on a jack, when I was young I remember my dad's mate doing that in his garage and the car came down on his chest, when his missus went out to tell him dinner was ready she found him dead under the car!

[Stolichnaya]

I do have a car jack and lots of paddock stands but like EssexBoy - would not leave it only to that to keep it upright.  ive spent too much on it to risk even thinking about it being unsafe.  id not trust it at all.
Ive been thinking of throwing a strap over the roof rafters and suspending it

what i need is an abba stand but they are £100+ or a stand that sits under the triple tree but they are also £100

my grief is..  i only need it Once!  and for a few days.

the front end on the 14 is SHOT!  adjusters leak and ive already got REVS on standby to fix but no way of having the bike safe / steady when i take the front end off

[gsxbarmy]

I'm 50/50 as to if the bike will be back together

[Mick_J]

As that jack is fully down it should be okay, my work table has a steel rod to prevent it dropping in an emergency but I still lower it when I leave the garage, just in case 

[Red Biker]

I should point out that the jack is only there as a support, the bike is on mainstand so no real weight going on the jack, which also has a lock by the way. Feel scared now as left it like this for 2 months 

Relieved Red

[gsxbarmy]

The best way to do it if you don't have a headstock stand in my opinion - if you are going to leave the bike "up" for a few months - is to take off the collector, put a block of wood underneath the sump and then jack it up so its sitting back on the rear wheel (rear wheel just touching the ground), then put axle stands under the frame on each side and lower the bike down onto it.

To be honest though investing in a headstock stand for maintaining a 1400 is a good investment, I had one from Bike It which was very similar to this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STFL-FRONT-HEADSTOCK-LIFT-PADDOCK-STAND-YAMAHA-BMW-KTM-/310226107601?hash=item483aeabcd1:g:MFoAAOxyXTRR8mOP (which will also fit), all you need to purchase on top of the stand is a 23mm pin so it fits firmly into the 1400's head (I assume here of course that one already has a paddock stand, or you will need one of those as well). At £52 delivered that is an investment!

[Red Biker]

Hi Dave,
I've e mailed you a dilema! any help much appreciated.

Thanks

[Cykik]

I use 2 scissor jacks & a block of wood that's "stepped" so that bike is supported on frame rails. I removed whole front end doing this in conjuction with a paddock stand supporting the rear.Bike is completely stable.

[Proteous]

OK so i have been told by my wife if its easter sunday, i cant come.. We are at a wedding in Devon on the saturday and will be traveling back on the Sunday.. Something tells me i wont be back in time to get the bike out.. ANY OTHER SUNDAY!!! FFS its my f*cking luck, dont see her family from one year to the next, the one weekend i want and they interfeckingfear.....

[Mrg]

sorry guys ... I cant make that meet ... were going to Devon for a dogs holiday break with the family  so I cant get away from this one yep its for the dog in the wood near that garden of edam place   

[Snowgoose]

I've been meaning to visit the NMM for years but 'life' just seems to get in the way. So thanks for the kick-up the arse! See you there

[Ktmjunkie]

well for me I will not be attending. as nice as it is to see other members and their bikes all in one place, I and I know others feel the same are just a bit tired of the same venue year after year. this is the reason numbers have dropped same as the MCR, sykehouse is a great venue but the event was much better when we moved it around.
I realise that birmingham is a central location but come on there must be other venues

[gsxbarmy]

well for me I will not be attending. as nice as it is to see other members and their bikes all in one place, I and I know others feel the same are just a bit tired of the same venue year after year. this is the reason numbers have dropped same as the MCR, sykehouse is a great venue but the event was much better when we moved it around.
I realise that birmingham is a central location but come on there must be other venues

Absolutely spot on Gordon. I'd also add that we previously discussed moving April Fools to a later date like MayDay, as it was too cold for many to ride the 100+ mikes each way often in poor weather to go there. NMM car park isn't the best for a meet either. Ok fir the Midlands based boys but from anywhere else it was not good.
Sykehouse - well the facilities there if you are camping are just atrocious, I won't be going again.

[Rynglieder]

My thanks to those who have agreed to support this.

I do have some sympathy with those who are not enthralled by another visit to the NMM but I still think it is important that we do something. As a Midlands man I’d actually be happy to go somewhere else, my ride out there is going to be 20 miles of dual carriageway and the M42 â€" more of a commute than a Sunday ride.

Let’s do this for this year, but also get proactive for next year. The midlands are as central as it will ever get for everybody, but let’s widen the search radius a bit for next time. Matlock Bath could be a candidate, perhaps Jack Hills Café as someone suggested or even Montford Bridge picnic area near Shrewsbury.

Fixing a move to the May Day bank holiday for 2018 will also give our relatives plenty of time to plan their holidays and weddings around it.

[Rynglieder]

I'm 50/50 as to if the bike will be back together