Front and rear wheels out at the same time...



Bugger that for a game of soldiers !

Well i can see both sides to this, if the bike had to be dragged down a slope you would have to drag it on this side as to keep the oil in the oil tank. Also i see Michiel's point in the stop for the front stand, both points make sense.
Thanks for the info Ian on the footrests as i was thinking my XM was not as original as i thought, it does have the sidecar frame and the WD type speedo drive also the nice full front numberplate supports at each side.
I have made it unoriginal by fitting the M33 engine and OHV tank and rocker feed tee but i have all the parts to put it back original if need be. Problem is round here in the Pennines its just too hilly and i used to got fed up with ringing it in 3rd to keep it going up the hills so i stopped ridding it for a few years till i found the M33 engine in bits. I fitted it with a set of steel M20 flywheels so it has a longer stroke, it needs a 3mm packing under the cylinder and 3mm off the piston skirt. Doing this has tranformed the bike, infact its one of my favourite bikes and it could be put back to original easily if needed but i have no intention of doing that.

Tim W

email (option): t.j.walker@btinternet.com

Come on , if you really want to try you could just put the bike on a carpet and some tape around the tube.....

I just carefully put my early bike on its (plain) stand and it nearly bended just under the weight of the machine. I can imagine that this was a problem for the War Department and that they demanded a solution.

Another benefit of the strengtened stay is that the increase in diameter of the tube makes that the stand is more vertical than the plain one, so gives less bending force on the tube.

Donkeys years ago when I was a hippy an old bloke told me why the stand was strengthen and it was neither of the two suggestions so far. Unfortunately I can't remember what it was but it made perfect sense, I can see myself worrying about this in the early hours now!
Also, it's good to see that Michiel W knows how a valve should be fitted.
Regards
Richard

You can stop worrying, Richard, mistery is solved

There still are a few stubborn old blokes around who think it is for pulling the bikes down steep muddy slopes and lifting them out of deep dark ditches, but they will turn in time.....

Cheers, Michiel

I quite like Michiel's idea too, except you only use the front stand when you want to remove the front wheel, and then the strengthened section doesn't rest on the front brake arm because its removed with the wheel.

Pictures of 16Hs with bent front stands do turn up quite often and they never strengthened half the front stand to stop this, odd?

So in conclusion I still don't know the answer to this long running mystery.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Me too! And I have bikes with flimsier stands that also haven't been strengthened

Also I can't say I've ever noticed valve caps installed like that. Original pictures show the original type brass knurled back nut up against the rim and often with a 'Schrader Dublchek' valve fitted.

No criticism intended! It's all the fun of the debate. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

['except you only use the front stand when you want to remove the front wheel, and then the strengthened section doesn't rest on the front brake arm because its removed with the wheel..']

Good thinking Rob!...I have to admit that didn't occur to me at all although it should be quite obvious...But then I am a 'stubborn old bloke'.. ...

I wonder what the 'young whippersnapper' will have to say about that?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I think Rik's picture above shows how you are supposed to use the front stand where its at its strongest in a straight up position.

Its a bit like the rear stand on an M20 they only bend and damage the rear frame when people misuse them by sitting on the bike whilst its on the stand.

These are not weaknesses at all, unless the human factor is introduced.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

The frontwheel and so the "stand-stop" is there when the bike is pulled on the stand, this movement gives risk of overpull and bending of the stand.

After the bike is on the stand and stationary, the stand is nearly vertical and the wheel can easily be removed.

So it is the movement of pulling the bike on the stand which can cause the bending.

As quoted, yesterday I nearly bended my plain frontstand when carefully trying.....

Ron, think the problem with the M20 is that the frontbrakepivot acts (probably unwanted) as a stop. When the stop wasn't there the frontstand would not bend. So I expect that your (equal heavyweight) bikes with flimsier stands don't have a stop like the M20.

Anyway, just analysing it..... Has anyone tried it by now ????


Ps, hope your not offended, Ian, just joking. What strikes me is that you're not willing to put your bike on the frontstand to see if it solves your 20+ year mistery....

Cheers, Michiel

I assumed you would pull the bike onto the rear stand first and then lift the front wheel until the front stand dropped vertically downwards, it would be quite tricky pulling it onto both stands at the same time?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Me too again. Michiel you wont offend Ian....or me! We solve these problems with these debates and if we don't like what you say, we'll just come round to your place and "Tidy Up" like Jack Nicholson. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

No, not offended at all Michiel.. ..I've worked in Engineering factories too long too be that thin skinned...

As Ron says these discussions solve most problems usually...I don't use the front stand generally as I do like to preserve the paint finish... but I will if I have to..

I think most people who know me realise I'm not too 'precious' about preserving everything like new... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

The other thing to consider is how often you need to jack up the front end of your WD motorcycle, personally I'm not doing much of a mileage these days so I probably only do it once a year just to check the bearings ect.

But a driver in charge of any military vehicle had to go through the task system each month, and from the books I can find it looks like the WW2 motorcycle orderly was expected to check brakes, wheel bearings and tyres for cuts and flints twice a month and be overseen by an NCO so they would have to be pretty adept at this without damaging the machine in any way.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Lifting the whole frontend without decent grip is of course quite heavy.

Pulling both stands at the same time can be done safely and goes very easy.

But this way probably gives the most risk of bending the front stand, especially if the rearstand is worn as than the frontstand hits the "stop" earlier as the rearstand.

For me the advantage is that you can see if the tyre has moved a little around the rim, if it has the valve is pulled at an angle. With the nut down, it probably tears the valve of the tube.

I read/heard it from a tyre specialist, and thought it made sense.

It also saves you paint from the rim, which must interest you guys down there a lot

Cheers, Michiel