Good & Cheap! The Harbor Freight Motorcycle Rear Wheel Stand

I’ve had this for a couple of weeks now and so far so good! What prompted me to buy this thing was believe it or not a craigslist ad. Some guy had a used one that he was trying to sell for $30, but it turns out a new one is only $35 bucks at the regular retail price (in October 2013) and since it is getting nearly impossible to find a motorcycle with a center stand on it I decided to try this one out. I wanted one with the paddles on it so that I could use it for the greatest variety of motorcycles possible.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

Haul Master Model 65620

Here is how it came from the store, bubble wrap & packing tape.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

It only took my lovely assistant a minute or two to unwrap it and put it together for me.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

According to the paperwork that was taped to it it is rated at 1000 pounds capacity! If you have a thousand pound motorcycle don’t bring it to my shop, I don’t want to deal with it. It is obviously cheap and looks it. The only thing that really concerns me is the wheels are kind of lightweight looking but I guess as long as I don’t throw it against the wall or smack the wheels with a hammer they will be okay.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear tire lift >

For the first test lift I stuck it under just the kind of motorcycle it was designed for, a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja. Easy enough, to use and stable even outside on the grass.

<ex250 ninja on harbor freight swingarm stand>

An inexpensive motorcycle on a cheap stand!

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

Some exhaust systems can interfere with universal paddle stands. This is why most people whom have a single motorcycle, and race teams use stands with spools but for me there is no telling what I will be working on next so the most universal fit possible is what I am after.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

A shot of the ground clearance with this bike.

If you have a vintage bike with round swing arm tubes this stand will work on those as well, if you have enough clearance around the exhaust system, such as the high mounted mufflers on this 1971 CL450.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

Lets try this out with an old motorcycle.

Properly adjusted it is sturdy enough that I feel safe using it to work on motorcycles with.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

If your vintage bike has low exhaust pipes this stand probably won’t work for you.

Just for shits & giggles I took a picture of it holding up an old dirt bike too.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

It worked great for this old dirt bike.

Let’s be honest here, it is cheap, and as far as looks and finish go, it is not in the same ball park as some of the really expensive stands  out there, but to me function is king. It has turned out to be safe & useful so I really don’t care if the paint fades or if the rubber coating on the paddles gets a crack or two in it, just as long as it holds up motorcycles like it is supposed to. And if it ever fails at that job, I’ll be sure to come back here and let you know what happened.

Peace Y’all

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