SW Motech Center Stand Warning!

[Beemer 5,395]

DO NOT BUY A MOTECH CENTER STAND IF YOU HAVE AN AKRA CARBON FIBER PIPE!!! Edit: unless you're alright with altering something. I made a bad mistake! When I installed my SW-Motech center stand I didn't check well to see what all it was making contact with underneath, if any and I thought it was OK with my Akra carbon fiber pipe but unfortunately, I didn't look close enough and over time the foot of the stand has created a hole in my muffler. It definitely makes contact. I barely noticed the pipe slowly getting louder and louder and I made the mistake of assuming the muffler simply needed a re-pack. The muffler got a good re-pack job but it's probably still going to be loud with a hole in it.

 

Check the pic, see for yourself. The pipe in the pic isn't pushed on all the way but when it is the foot of the stand lines up perfectly with the hole in the pipe and the shape of the hole is the shape of the foot and they do contact each other. Even the angle of the hole matches the angle of the foot. Nuff said.

 

 

[norcal616 1,141]

time for a stainless one... then make a nice little hammer dent where footpad is gonna hit then grind the foot pad down

[AlbatrossCafe 561]

RIP. I had to buy a new Akra carbon can recently and it was like $350

[afatrat 18]

FYI, you can get some clear plastic tubing from a local hardware store and stretch it over the stopper bolts to add some clearance between that foot and the can. I had to do that with the Yosh R-77.

[pattonme 1,066]

I ground the corner of the foot off on mine.

[MT27 86]

Look up carbon fiber bicycle repair. These guys do a great job.

I can't see them charging much to patch it on the inside.

https://calfeedesign.com/carbon-repair/ 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2018 by MT27

[Zephyr 248]

Yikes!  I just put the Akra Ti on my bike and it's standing on the Motech center stand.  I'll be sure to check the clearances thoroughly and adjust as required.  Thanks for the public service announcement.  Hopefully you can get that carbon fiber repaired for a decent price.  GL

[MT27 86]

Repair it yourself. 

https://www.amazon.com/Twill-Carbon-Fiber-Epoxy-Resin/dp/B0785NLJHD/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1532691227&sr=8-2&keywords=carbon+fiber+repair+kit

 

 

Edited July 27, 2018 by MT27

[Beemer 5,395]

23 hours ago, norcal616 said:

time for a stainless one... then make a nice little hammer dent where footpad is gonna hit then grind the foot pad down

Nah, too much money for the pipe and I just re-packed it. I'll just do a patch job of some sort, some Rust-Oleum high heat black to cover it and the hanger strap will go over all that. If it were damaged real bad I would consider a whole new system.

[DewMan 1,923]

8 hours ago, Zephyr said:

Yikes!  I just put the Akra Ti on my bike and it's standing on the Motech center stand.  I'll be sure to check the clearances thoroughly and adjust as required.  Thanks for the public service announcement.  Hopefully you can get that carbon fiber repaired for a decent price.  GL

Don't be concerned. I've got the Akra Ti and the SW Motech centerstand and it's not touching. I check it very closely when I installed it almost a year ago.

[Zephyr 248]

7 hours ago, DewMan said:

Don't be concerned. I've got the Akra Ti and the SW Motech centerstand and it's not touching. I check it very closely when I installed it almost a year ago.

Thanks.  That's what I recalled reading somewhere and another reason I went with the Akra Ti.  Since from what I remembered from my research a year ago was that it ticked off all of the right boxes (incl clearances / install) for me. 

[Beemer 5,395]

Now the movie, "For A Few Dollars More" has new meaning. Clint is always right.

Anyways, I patched the hole with this stuff, https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Magic-16002TRI-QuikSteel-Reinforced/dp/B000FW7UOM 

it should hold up just fine and it only cost like $6 and some change at Advance Auto Parts. It's easy to work with, no mess and it cures fast. I had it sanded and painted the same day I used the putty. The paint was also a hair over $6, I used Rust-Oleum, High Heat Ultra (7 coats). It's good for temperatures up to 1200 degrees F. made for outdoor grills mostly so it should hold up a good while. I killed my wallet when I bought an angle grinder at Walmart, $18 big ones, ha!

 

I'm just going to shave the back part off that center stands foot and she 'should' be OK after that. I almost forgot about the #1 something sandpaper and I already had a Dremel to take the bulk of the hardened putty off so bout $32 dollars total for everything I needed 

 

I'll definitely check to make sure nothing is still hitting the pipe. I'll also put up a pic of the work. It's not pro, it ain't pretty but I don't think it's going to be very noticeable. The main thing to me is it'll be quiet and I can ride once again!

[firstyammerha 107]

I thought carbon fiber was practically indestructible. Akra must use a different grade cloth than aerospace and high dollar racing users.

[DewMan 1,923]

21 minutes ago, firstyammerha said:

I thought carbon fiber was practically indestructible. Akra must use a different grade cloth than aerospace and high dollar racing users.

As I understand it carbon fiber is very strong.... for it's weight... which is why it's popular in the highly weight conscious world of racing and aviation. But it's no where near indestructible.  Carbon fiber is also brittle.

 

The body of an exhaust canister is not normally subjected to being hammered repeatedly by the metal tip of a centerstand and so it is not designed to withstand such stresses. It's no surprise to me that it didn't hold up to stresses it was not designed to withstand.

[firstyammerha 107]

good explanation Dewman, puncture resistance is the fabrics weakness. I guess that's why they don't use it in bullet proof vests.

[Beemer 5,395]

Well, on a last minute decision just before I ground the square flat off the back side of the foot it dawned on me that that could be detrimental to the bikes stability on a soft, hot black top or other so I instead took @afatrat advice (thank you afatrat!) and bought a small piece of thick, washing machine tubing (the charge at Ace hardware, $ 0 ) to slide over the stopper bolt. With a box cutter I had to trim one side on the outside so that it would fit between the bolt and the arm, ez pz and I put a dab of Gorilla glue inside it before hand and works like a charm. It doesn't make any noise either when it folds up to rest position (I'll have to check it often to make sure it doesn't come off but it's on there pretty tight, it shouldn't) and there's plenty of clearance between the center stands foot and the pipe now. No worries!

 

I'll hang on to the grinder since it was so cheap, I could use it to trim my toenails.    - Anthony Hopkins.

 

Here's a couple pics of the finished job. It's obvious (1st pic) that it's there and what it looks like when on your knees and close up but when standing (2nd pic) it isn't noticeable. 

 

 

 

[Beemer 5,395]

On ‎7‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 1:20 PM, DewMan said:

As I understand it carbon fiber is very strong.... for it's weight... which is why it's popular in the highly weight conscious world of racing and aviation. But it's no where near indestructible.  Carbon fiber is also brittle.

 

The body of an exhaust canister is not normally subjected to being hammered repeatedly by the metal tip of a centerstand and so it is not designed to withstand such stresses. It's no surprise to me that it didn't hold up to stresses it was not designed to withstand.

Also, after close inspection it's apparent to me that the foot was striking the metal hanger strap and went through it before it actually started hitting the carbon fiber. It went through metal so people with stainless or any other cans should be extra careful to check this. 

[DewMan 1,923]

2 hours ago, Beemer said:

and there's plenty of clearance between the center stands foot and the pipe now. No worries! 

 

Congrats on finding a no grind solution. My only concern is that with added clearance it doesn't limit your lean angle?

Not likely but worth confirming.

 

 

[Beemer 5,395]

18 hours ago, DewMan said:

Congrats on finding a no grind solution. My only concern is that with added clearance it doesn't limit your lean angle?

Not likely but worth confirming.

 

 

Thanks! The clearance crossed my mind too so I gave that a pretty good look from the back. I mentally drew a line starting from the usable upper edge of the tire to the bottom of the foot peg and I would scrape peg before I would center stand. I did luck out.  

[lingoreb 0]

Hi bad luck Beemer,why not just leave the plates on and when you want to do the chain etc you could put a couple of quick pins/bolts in? cheers.