Motocross and dirt bike riders understand that the challenge of keeping their bikes upright when they’re not being ridden isn’t one they can afford to take lightly. That’s because allowing your bike to bounce around on its side in the bed of your ute on the way to the track, or simply propping it up against a tree if you want to take a break at the track, are both rife with risk.
The potential for broken parts and spilled fluids is very real anytime your bike abruptly goes horizontal, and a cracked cooler or bent handlebars can be the costly consequence of not having a reliable way of keeping it vertical when you’re not on it. Fortunately though, not only is the equipment you need to keep it upright readily available, but none of it is going to break your budget.
Motocross Stands Stand Up to Save Money
Let’s be honest: while dirt bikers are used to facing obstacles, one of their biggest obstacles, both on and off the track, is keeping their bikes upright. A lot of riders, however, don’t realise that there’s already a solid selection of custom dirt bike stand solutions on the market that are just as rugged as any bike, and are sold in a range of types and styles that are perfect for any occasion. No matter if you’re looking for an everyday storage stand for your bike when it’s parked at home, a rigid wheel chock to support it when you’re headed to the track, or a portable stand to keep it off the ground while you’re there, you can be confident that there’s a stand for every job. In fact, you may want to consider investing in more than one; that’s because even a single instance of bike damage can end up costing you substantially more than you would pay to buy them all.
Why You Should Keep Your Motocross Bike Upright
Sturdy, purpose-built dirt bike stands help relieve motocross owners of their tendencies to either invent ways of keeping their bikes upright or simply ignore the need to keep them upright in the first place. Sure, they’re dirt bikes, and they’re built to take a proper beating when you’re on the track, but irregular knocks, jolts, and prolonged periods on their side can lead to a host of costly problems, including:
- Aesthetic damages, such as paint chips and scratches, or cracked or broken indicators or plastics;
- Dangerous fluid migration and losses, such as oil moving into the cylinders, or fuel or battery acid leakage; and,
- Mechanical damages include dented or cracked exhaust, clutch cover, or engine case.
Make no mistake: allowing your bike to regularly rest, or inadvertently slide over onto its side, or relying on blocks of wood, trees, or brick walls to keep it upright isn’t just inadvisable, it’s also inconvenient. There’s no way to reliably service your bike if you can’t keep it upright, making a heavy-duty motocross stand an accessory that you can’t afford to do without.
Top Stand Qualities, for Home and the Track
Anyone who spends a reasonable amount of time riding, and ultimately working on a dirt bike, is going to appreciate just how versatile motocross bike stands are, both on and away from the track. That’s because when it comes to performing oil or brake changes, replacing clutch assemblies, or undertaking any other type of activity where you’d want a stable platform to have full access to a bike’s vitals, stands are far superior to using heavy lifts or jacks, or any type of improvised method.
With their ability to support the full weight of your bike, but without the risk of it falling off, angled motocross stands are designed to be all-in-one workstations; and heavy-duty Australian-made models boast a range of features that include:
- 4mm thick, corrosion-resistant 5083 structural aluminium construction;
- Fully TIG-welded joints for maximum strength and stability;
- Wide-based foot plates for use on any surface;
- Slip-resistant rubber top padding that won’t damage your bike; and,
- An integrated, raised-sided tool and parts tray.
A choice of either polished or powder-coated finishes also lets these lightweight stands make a statement that complements the rest of your riding gear – an especially important detail if you’re a competition rider. And when you need your motocross bike stand to pull double duty at home after getting back from the track, these stands are the ideal long-term bike storage solution, with a list of advantages that help you:
- Prevent tyre flat spots that can occur during long-term storage;
- Eliminate the degradative downward pressure on forks and shocks; and,
- Maximize your garage’s storage space.
You can even buy custom CNC-machined and TIG-welded starting blocks in 100mm, 150mm, and 180mm heights that match your stands. They complete the perfect combination of gear for the track, which also keeps your bike upright at home.
Universal Wheel Chocks Make Bike Transport A Cinch
If a high-quality stand is the key to keeping your bike vertical at home and on the track, you still need a way of ensuring it stays upright and undamaged when you’re driving between the two. Universal wheel chocks provide a precision-cut solution that you can mount to a ute tray, wagon bed, or a trailer, and never have to worry about your bike taking a beating before you even get to the track.
Wheel chocks come in either flat plate, or tube-type variations, and feature a core of basic features that include:
- Either 3mm/5052 or 4mm/5083 marine-grade aluminium construction;
- 4mm TIG-welded gusset plates for added strength; and,
- Predrilled mounting holes for templated mounting.
Machined aluminium tie-down points, and adjustable, rubber-footed tie-down braces round out the roster of everything you need to successfully use chocks to transport your bike to the local track, or to the outback. And just like motocross stands, when mounted in your garage, chocks can also be just as effective at keeping your bike vertical when it’s at home.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, regardless of whether you’re riding or not, keeping your bike upright is more than just a good idea. The inconvenience and damages that could result from allowing it to stay horizontal are too great to ignore, which is why a sturdy bike stand solution needs to be a priority.
A sturdy combination of dirt bike stand gear for home and the track is what you need to keep your bike vertical at all times. They’re a smart investment that can quickly pay for themselves.