Paddock stands

[moto]

Do any of you trail bike riders use these type of paddock stands?

https://www.ghostbikes.com/products/Accessories-Bike-Stands/1076-Oxford-Front-and-Rear-Motorbike-Paddock-Stands.html

I have an XL600 and would prefer to use those type that go under the swing arm and forks. Or are they just for road bikes?

I am not keen on the motorcross bike lift/stand that goes under the engine and because the XL is not as high as most MX bikes it wont fit under anyway.

[G]

[moto]

Well the main reason is because I thought the paddock stands looked more stable, but maybe I am wrong about that.

I have just been out and looked under the bike, it has a flat surface under the engine where a mx lift/stand could be placed.
I was more concerned that the bike would be unstable and rock.

The other problem is the lowest lift/stand I can find is 12". (I have emailed a few companies)
It needs to be 10" to go under the XL.

[G]

I find that normal front paddock stands often aren't that stable and you have to get decent ones to be stable at the rear. Only time I've had a problem with dirt bikes is the KTM 690 with it's standard plastic skid plate that's a bit dodgy in the angles.

This one goes down to 10":
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150419265843

Even if it's a bit low, slightly lifting the bike off the suspension isn't too hard as you slide the stand under the bike - I have had to this on the 690 when it's loaded. But it also means the bike sits upright on it when it's at the bottom too, which can be useful.

A conventional paddock stand probably would be a little more stable, but not enough to worry about I'd say.

The hydraulic scissor ones I found on ebay claimed to be a minimum of 340mm, they look the same as mine. If that's the case, I still haven't had a big problem getting the lower bikes up to that high either. Though, to be fair I am generally fairly happy man handling bikes.

[BlackStallion]

Just to let you know mate, i had that exact rear paddock stand, cost my mate £64.99, he gave it to me because he had sold his bike, and since i didn't have a paddock stand, i accepted it and gave him a tenner for it.

Anyway, i got home, went to use it so i could clean and lube my chain the painless way, and it didn't even lift my rear wheel off the ground it raised the bike ever so slightly, but the wheel couldn't spin freely, so it was useless

I found it pretty shocking, especially for an Oxford product at that price. Baring in mind my bike is a 125 enduro/trail, they must be built slightly higher off the ground than sports bikes, to allow for off road manouvreability.

I gave it away and ended up buying myself a cheap universal one off eBay for about £25 and it does the job perfectly.

This is my bike i tried lifting with the Oxford stand:
https://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/milkster125/P171009_153101.jpg

[G]

Good point, forgot about that as my current 'sports' paddock stand is a bit higher than others maybe, so about works ok. Though, think with really knobbly tyres or 19" rear wheels it wouldn't. May have issues with the front too, on that - as it'll probably have a 21" wheel.
Have had similar issues in the past with other stands.

One of the issues with dirt bikes is the swing arm tends to angle up more, so you can't push it very far past the swignarm spindle before either.

[moto]

Some really helpful information there guys, thanks.
Good to hear of your experiences with the different types of stands.

As you say G I should be able to lift the bike enough to get it onto a motorcross stand/lift.
So after all that I think I will go for a MX stand that sits under the engine.

[moto]

Got my DRC HC2 Stand today.
It is still about 10 mm too high but putting a block of wood under the front wheel allows it to slide under the engine protector.

It is a sturdy bit of kit but I do find the gear changer and footrest are in the way of the foot/jack pedal.

[G]

I presume you have adjusted it all the way down?

I often don't have the stand sticking straight out at the side and haven't had a problem - so you could try angling it a bit if levers are getting in the way.

[moto]

The XL is just about 10mm lower than the stand.
Yes it is right the way down but not a problem to get it underneath.

I tightened the chain with it on the stand yesterday.
I did find it wobbled a bit when I was untightening and tightening the axle nut but I suppose in future I could untighten it before jacking it up.

Overall I am pleased with it.