Better sidestand available for my '84 R65?

[HERRBAYEMVAY]

Hi, all!

My sidestand on my '84 R65 has become bent to where it lists dangerously when it is deployed and feels like it might fall over, and the tech people who looked at it said they wouldn't recommend trying to straighten it out, because it would weaken it more. I don't like how difficult it is for me to push the stand out with my heel, so I don't think I want to buy a stock replacement sidestand (the little part that sticks out from under the muffler is hard to get my heel of my boot on). Any recommendations on a better aftermarket sidestand that would be easier to deploy? I don't mind going the used route if that might be advantageous for me. Danke Sehr!

[dbrick]

Over the years, several manufacturers made aftermarket sidestands for airheads. I doubt they're now in production, but they show up in the various classifieds (in BMW ON, the RA's OTL, and the IBMWR website) from time to time. They bolt onto the left-side motor mounts, and are easier to deploy and more secure than the stock stand - they're longer, and pivot near the aft motor mount. The best-known was the Brown sidestand. Mary had one on her '83 R65, and it was way easier to deal with than the stock piece.

[jgr451]

I would recommend the Brown sidestand too.I have one on my 84 RT.I have had 2 BMWs and both had crappy sidestands-were they afterthoughts by BMW?
Good luck.

[YB in IN]

I had a Luftmeister sidestand on my old Airhead that I rather liked a lot. I dont' know if many people are aware of Perry Beemer Exchange here in Indiana, but he'd have one to hook you up with. It's a guy who works out of his house in the middle of nowhere, and basically has old parts from wall to wall and in any sort of container that he could get his hands on. It's quite a trip. Anyway, his number is 765 564-6338. Tell him Garth Eppley from Wabash sent you.

[HERRBAYEMVAY]

Hmmmm......Brown and Luftmeister, huh? OK, that's a start. Any idea of what a fair price might be for these items?

[dbrick]

Originally posted by Herr BayEmVay Any idea of what a fair price might be for these items? We found a new one in 1988 for Mary's 83 R65. It was not a Brown, but a slightly more complicated and elegant design, where the spring was internal to the stand. It was seventy or eighty dollars, I think.

[YB in IN]

I think that I paid like 100 bucks or something for mine. The cool thing about mine was there wasn't a spring, so that if you wanted it down it would stay down, and if you wanted it up it would stay up. I had too many close calls with my stock sidestand in parking lots to want anything with a spring on it again.

[jgr451]

I bought mine new about 6 years ago for about $100 CDN.I had to weld an extender onto it to bolt it up,but it has been no problem at all.

[HERRBAYEMVAY]

OK.... I posted a "wanted" ad on the IBMWR website Marketplace, but no response so far. Why hasn't the BMWMOA put a "Marketplace" site like the IMBWR? Going the route of having to wait until the next (or issue after the next) issue to see your ad and get any results just takes forever! Oh well......

[Braddog]

Go for about $125 U.S., or so. I think that's what Bob's BMW and A&S Cycle (California) get for them.

I always thought that a bit high, but I've got the original on my '77 RS, and it's an accident waiting to happen. In fact, if you look at the fairing repair, I think it probably DID happen to the previous owner.

[HERRBAYEMVAY]

Yeah, I got an email from Rich at Bob's BMW today, and he said the ones for the R65 just came in yesterday, and are priced at $127.50. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever actually seen a Brown sidestand before! I was wondering if anyone has a photo of one that I could see so I can tell how they differ from the BMW stock sidestand.

[YB in IN]

Originally posted by Herr BayEmVay
Yeah, I got an email from Rich at Bob's BMW today, and he said the ones for the R65 just came in yesterday, and are priced at $127.50. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever actually seen a Brown sidestand before! I was wondering if anyone has a photo of one that I could see so I can tell how they differ from the BMW stock sidestand.

That seems a bit pricey to me IMHO.