Hello and quick question HandyIndustries owners....

Hey all, I used to post now and then on here a long time ago, but got lost for a while.....anyhow, still a great forum and that's why I wanted to ask a question. I am thinking of buying the combo (front/rear) stands from HandyIndustries for my 929. I just wanted to be sure that their rear stand is set up for the 929's "assymetrical" rear swingarm, so that the bike doesn't sit on them at an angle looking like it could fall at any instant. Thanks in advance for the info.......

Call them. I'm sure they'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. On the pitbull stand, you need to buy a spacer.

[ConqSoft]

IIRC, they have a separate rear stand for the 929 and it wasn't available in their "combo", but that may have changed so give them a call.

Called them on the phone. They do have a special rear stand for the 929, you just have to ask for it specifically. They still give you the combo deal ($99) as well. I am looking forward to using them....got a new set of tires sitting there waitng to be mounted. Thanks for the replies!

Just don't expect them to be expediant about your order. Took them 5 days to fill and ship my order of front stand and balancer.

My advice, spend the money and get the pitbill stands. Front will be a neck lift.

Apparently people like these stand so much that HandyIndustries cannot keep them in stock. Currently, they are telling me 2 to 4 weeks to get them. I am thinking seriously of cancelling my order and fabricating my own stands. A little round tubing, a tubing bender, welder, and 2 hours later you have stands......hmmmm...tempting. Now I just need to find two hours.

why not just get a Pit Bull?

Call me cheap, call me what you want, but I have a hard time paying much more than HandyIndustries charges for their stands. I'm quite sure that Pitbull makes some great stands, but as a design engineer myself, I don't think I can justify paying more for something I can design and build myself in an afternoon. If there is somewhere that gives good deals on Pitbull stands that I may not know of, please feel free to enlighten me! Thanks!

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Shad CBR

Call me cheap, call me what you want, but I have a hard time paying much more than HandyIndustries charges for their stands. I'm quite sure that Pitbull makes some great stands, but as a design engineer myself, I don't think I can justify paying more for something I can design and build myself in an afternoon. If there is somewhere that gives good deals on Pitbull stands that I may not know of, please feel free to enlighten me! Thanks!

Your billable rate (as a design engineer) must be pretty low if you think the engineering (or reverse engineering in this case), shopping for materials, setting up the jig, welding, testing, rewelding, painting/annodizing etc. would be less than a couple of hundred dollars.

Now if you said you wanted to do it for the satisfaction of doing it yourself and maybe making it better in some way, I would buy that, but from a cost standpoint it just doesn't fly . . .

Abtech, why the hell would you make a comment like that? First of all, you don't know me and I don't know you, so I'm not real sure why you would make assumptions about my billable rate, considering my billable rate has no relevance when I am doing a project for myself. Our company stocks all of the materials I would need. So I buy a small amount of carbon steel tubing, and some paint. I add several hours of my own time bending, welding, and prepping for paint, and all said and done I might have 15% of the cost of a Pit Bull stand invested. Your argument of setting up jigs would be correct if I was planning to make hundreds of these, but I am not. With this being said, I should also tell you that yes, I do enjoy building the designs that I create. Anyhow, thanks for the input most of you guys have given me. Next time, I will work to give an explanation that more people will "buy".

[ConqSoft]

If you can build some stands that are as good as (or better than) PitBull for $20 each front and rear, I'd say definitely do it. That's less than half the cost of the Handy stands, and you'd get PitBull quality.

I built my own rear stand and I ashure you it will take more than 2 hrs. Not knocking your attempt, but just preparing you for more time. I had like $20 in the rear stand with material left over.

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Shad CBR

Abtech, why the hell would you make a comment like that? First of all, you don't know me and I don't know you, so I'm not real sure why you would make assumptions about my billable rate, considering my billable rate has no relevance when I am doing a project for myself. Our company stocks all of the materials I would need. So I buy a small amount of carbon steel tubing, and some paint. I add several hours of my own time bending, welding, and prepping for paint, and all said and done I might have 15% of the cost of a Pit Bull stand invested. Your argument of setting up jigs would be correct if I was planning to make hundreds of these, but I am not. With this being said, I should also tell you that yes, I do enjoy building the designs that I create. Anyhow, thanks for the input most of you guys have given me. Next time, I will work to give an explanation that more people will "buy".

The reason I made the comment is because I see people start projects like this all the time thinking they will save a bunch of money. Some projects come out beautifully, others end up in the dumpster, but I have yet to see one that actually saves any money if you consider that your time is worth anything at all.

You started this entire discussion stating your primary reason for not getting a PitBull was because they were so expensive and made your entire case for building a stand based on saving money. Even your interest in the Handy products was based on cost primarily, so I'm just being pragmatic.

BTW, don't get so defensive when someone makes a valid point, especially someone that has filled his dumpster repeatedly with "money saving" projects .

Originally Posted by Shad CBR

Abtech, why the hell would you make a comment like that? First of all, you don't know me and I don't know you, so I'm not real sure why you would make assumptions about my billable rate, considering my billable rate has no relevance when I am doing a project for myself. Our company stocks all of the materials I would need. So I buy a small amount of carbon steel tubing, and some paint. I add several hours of my own time bending, welding, and prepping for paint, and all said and done I might have 15% of the cost of a Pit Bull stand invested. Your argument of setting up jigs would be correct if I was planning to make hundreds of these, but I am not. With this being said, I should also tell you that yes, I do enjoy building the designs that I create. Anyhow, thanks for the input most of you guys have given me. Next time, I will work to give an explanation that more people will "buy".

Simple he is not insulting merely pointing fact out. At 15% you have $30 in material but have used paint so add more $$ Also his point on your rate is that you are not a $5/hour employee, so the 2-3 hours spent on this could earn the cost difference.

That said, look at the wooly on board computer thread. I want to do it since I think it will be very interesting and I think I can make better. There is a risk I am flushing money and if you include my design and implementation time it will be more expensive than an off the shelf solution. Nothing wrong with your idea just the savings is not as plain as stated.

You discussed your project in an open forum and Abtech made a (valid) comment. It was actually a compliment if you look at it.

Originally Posted by Shad CBR

Abtech, why the hell would you make a comment like that? First of all, you don't know me and I don't know you, so I'm not real sure why you would make assumptions about my billable rate, considering my billable rate has no relevance when I am doing a project for myself. Our company stocks all of the materials I would need. So I buy a small amount of carbon steel tubing, and some paint. I add several hours of my own time bending, welding, and prepping for paint, and all said and done I might have 15% of the cost of a Pit Bull stand invested. Your argument of setting up jigs would be correct if I was planning to make hundreds of these, but I am not. With this being said, I should also tell you that yes, I do enjoy building the designs that I create. Anyhow, thanks for the input most of you guys have given me. Next time, I will work to give an explanation that more people will "buy".

OK, I understand exactly what you guys are saying and I apoligize for the defensiveness, I was a bit tired and cranky last night when I typed that. The long story of it all is that the Pit Bull stands, while surely worth the money are a tough sell to my wife who is already at the boiling point about the new set of tires and Corbin seat i bought, in addition to paying off the last $800 I owed on the bike all in the last month. Needless to say, $1200 spent in the last month on my CBR is not a good time to tell her that I want some $300 stands, especially when we are saving to build our first house. So, in closing, what I guess i should have said way back when was, my time in making the stands is likely worth the friction that it would save at home. And I'm quite sure that statement is one most all of you can relate to! Hope that clears it all up......

[abtech]

You don't owe anyone (especially me) an explanation. I understand all too well about adding another gallon of gas to the "bunch of stuff you buy for the bike" fire that is constantly smoldering .

I just wanted to point out that the concept of building your own set of quality stands and saving money is pretty myopic once you consider your time investment.

That is all . . .

Cool.

incase no one has said it yet.....welcome to the org.
by the way...you will find abtech a valuable source of information on many subjects. stay on his good side.

He's kind of like the Mr.Miyagi of the .org.

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