Main Stand 73 TX650

[rustyrescue]

Further to my earlier thread about a main stand for my early 650 I now have a later stand to modify. I await the bolts arriving from USA before cutting/welding.

The stand is less than 10mm too wide, the pivots fit the lugs and height seems about right so it looks good.
I intend cutting a slice out the cross/H bar and welding it back together after grinding the edges to get a Vee weld on the join and I hope finding a bar or stud to tight fit the internal tube as extra strength.

I wonder if somebody could post a photo and measurement of the "foot hold" tang on an early bike which is massively long on this stand and sticks out too far. I wonder if it was from a custom with fat exhausts?

 

[Mailman]

This is my XS2 center stand. I think it’s the same as a TX 650. The angle of the photo kinda throws off the image.
From the end of the tang to the edge of the center stand leg is 5 1/2”

The sweep back is, from the center of the leg to the end of the tang is 4”

 

[rustyrescue]

Mailman,,,,,thanks a bundle, I can now see this stand has the tang straightened so I need to reshape it to wrap around the exhaust. Interesting to see the tang on yours has a strengthener welded on it too, the one off a later bike does not although it is the stronger stand with a gusset welded on the left leg to cross piece.

 

[5twins]

Yes, Yamaha didn't add back the tang brace until the last few model years, like in '82 and '83. The tang really needs it. It's common for the unbraced ones to break off, sometimes taking part of the left leg with them. I add my own brace to the ones that don't have it. Here's what typically happens to the unbraced tangs eventually .....

Here's my "fix" .....

And here's a late model stand with factory bracing .....

 

[rustyrescue]

thank you, I will add a brace/filler onto mine then...especially as I have bent it back to shape now and it will be weakened! I will cut it down and weld it after I have the pivot bolts for trial fitting.

 

[5twins]

While you're in the midst of all this fab work, another very worthwhile mod is to add grease fittings to the little pivot tubes. These stands work sooooo much easier and better if the pivots are kept greased. The difference this makes is darn near amazing. However, the pivot tube is a little too thin and the grease fitting will stick through and rub on the pivot bolt. To avoid that, place it on the weld where the leg meets the pivot tube, but also build that weld up some more by adding a blob of new weld on top of it .....

 

[rustyrescue]

Thats a good idea, I look forward to drilling a hole through the weld then and breaking a few drills as usual! More important is to sort the gear jump issue mentioned in another thread of mine ;0(

 

[5twins]

I usually don't encounter that problem. Build the weld up some more, grind a flat spot on it, center punch it, and have at it with the drill.

 

[MaxPete]

I usually don't encounter that problem. Build the weld up some more, grind a flat spot on it, center punch it, and have at it with the drill.

Agreed - normally, the interior of a small weld cools slowly enough that it doesn't harden too much (thus, the grinding off of the surface portion is a good idea to remove the hardest stuff).

 

[Gator xs2]

I didn’t get to modify mine. But after reading how fragile they are I’m very careful using it.

 

[rustyrescue]

My new early style TX mainstand bolts arrived from USA yesterday and I now have cut the later XS stand and readied to weld. Bevelled the edge of the join on the cross bar to a Vee and ground a bit of stud down a little which rammed in the cross tube and has joined it nicely before welding and for trial fitting.
Does anybody know what thread the bolts are? I have nothing fitting in my box of bits so will purchase some new ones.

 

[5twins]

Don't know the thread size offhand but I think it's just some standard metric one, nothing special. According to the parts diagram, the same nuts are used on the long bottom engine bolt and the lower rear engine bolt. They are a locking type.

 

[rustyrescue]

Thanks, none of my usual metric or imperial ones in my "grovel box" fit....I will look closer. Yes was going to use a nyloc.
Having checked thread on the pivot bolt it seems to be 1.25 pitch 10mm so no problem to get.

 

[rustyrescue]

the stand is on and looks/works a treat. I can see why they are all broken! its a badly balanced stand and that tang sure flexes with the bike needing a good heave too.

 

[5twins]

Yes, I think all that tang flexing is what eventually breaks it off. Bracing the tang helps with this, also makes the stand deploy easier. All the force you put into the tang when stepping on it now gets transmitted into the stand instead of just flexing the tang. Slightly longer than stock rear shocks also help the stand deploy easier, you don't have to lift the bike as high. Mine is the easiest bike I've ever owned to put on the centerstand. It's a combination of the longer shocks, braced tang, and grease nipples on the pivots. The grease really makes a difference.