I bought a 1984 R65 last year and currently it is stripped to the frame for refinishing. One of the things I want to address when it goes back together is that the Brown side stand holds the bike way too close to vertical. I'm assuming that the stand is probably for the taller models and I have no problem whacking a piece out of the middle of it to make it right. What I'm looking for is the length of an R65 stand so I know how much to take out. Any help will be appreciated.
Mark
I wouldn't whack the middle unless you have a Good Welder
I'd take the end and modify that. easier to cut off and heat the end . . . . or better yet, weld a plate on the end for More ground surface 'foot print' than cut the middle and re-weld it.
an 1/8'' to 3/8'' could be a BIG difference and you do know exactly where they measure from to what other end..... hum
THAT is determined by YOUR bike and load and suspension factors. Don't ask what others have for a length as you may cut more off and have to re-engineer your stand to fit.
imho
my stock '84 R65LS is 9.5" from the center of the pivot to the BEGINNING of the foot bend.
you could roll the bike onto the garage floor and use scrap 1/4" plywood shims under the tires to see how much you need to shorten it......
I think you'll want to follow Jim's lead on this one. Cut the end off in several progressive cuts to test the bike's lean angle. When the angle gets close enough, then heat and bend the tip back to match the original. Heating the end will not hurt the strength of the overall stand.
If you cut in the middle, you could easily cause a failure that might damage the bike. This is because from a structural standpoint, the HIGHEST loads on the side stand occur in the middle. Heating and welding will then compound the issue by tending to anneal the metal, thus removing special metal properties that make the stand "tough" and allow it to do it's job as a side stand.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
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