Cw-Motech Centerstand

CW-Motech Centerstand

CW EVALUATIONS

A stand that delivers

NAME THE DEVICE, STANDARD ON 20th-century motorcycles, activated manually, that raises the rear wheel off the ground.” Contestants glance uneasily at each other and then back at the host, who, after a dramatic pause, pro-

DETAILS

Twisted Throttle, Ltd. 1080 Kingstown Rd. #2 Peacedale, Rl 02879 401/284-4200 www.twistedthrottle.com Price...$160 Àjps A German engineering A Narrow yet secure footprint A Finally, a full tank of gas! Downs ▼ Only works on bikes with centerstand frame mounting points ▼ Clunks over big bumps ▼ Installation not a one-man job

vides the elusive answer: “The centerstand!”

Blame the quest for enhanced cornering clearance and lighter weight, along with escalating production costs and the fact that more often than not, today’s bikes are sent out for service. But the centerstand, as part of a standard factory package, has gone the way of the computer floppy drive and the afterwork happy hour.

Twisted Throttle, a Rhode Island importer and distributor of adventureand sport-touring products, offers Germanmade SW-Motech centerstands for various European and Japanese models, including some cruisers. All applications are steel, powdercoated black and designed to work with the factory exhaust.

Installation is best done with an extra hand (or two). On a Suzuki V-Strom, it took less than an hour. Using the supplied hardware, the stand mated perfectly with the frame’s stock mounting points. TT’s Spring Mounting Tool ($10) was helpful for stretching the high-tension return spring into place.

We were impressed by the stand’s stable footprint, smooth function and quality workmanship. Balance was spoton, allowing the bike to be easily hoisted onto the stand. In the raised position, the stand was neatly integrated into the bike’s undercarriage, and cornering clearance was only minimally compromised.

Obsolescence-and the game-show circuit-will have to wait. □