Newbie here.. I decided to pick up one of those rear wheel stands off of Amazon for $50:
Stand
Well it arrived today and after the 5 minute assembly time i decided to give it a whirl.. well even with a 1x4 under the kickstand i just didn't feel confident in pushing down on the weight of the bar to lift the bike up, was just envisioning this new to me mint machine on the ground and i just couldn't do it. it didnt seem stable to me either and even worse the left side support bracket was starting to scratch the swing arm as it was being maneuvered in the lifting position.
So after looking at the spools i figured why not try a simple jack and block of wood to tilt the bike up slightly from the right side further onto the kickstand so that i can spin the rear and lube the chain/clean the rim, which were my primary reasons for the purchase.
I concocted this and it worked flawlessly.. at least i dont have to worry about Murphy showing up and my bike on the ground now..
I know, im a cautious wimp but thats ok lol...and im sure there are prob much better stands but i just didnt want to spend a bunch for the simple chores i have in mind for it

* Last updated by: tknj99 on 5/1/2020 @ 5:07 PM *

Interesting.

Here's my 2 cents worth and experience on the matter.

1. Rear stands are a must for general maintenance and are specifically designed for the purpose. I have a rear and front stand which I wouldn't be without. Also great for storing the bike over winter.
2. IMO, never compromise with cheap gear.
Spend the dollars, get a top quality rear stand and you will never have to question its strength or integrity. A good rear stand is also fully adjustable for leverage (ease of lifting the bike) and width (so no scratching swing arms).
3. When I first started putting large bikes onto rear stands, it scared the shit out of me.
I was petrified that I would lose control of the bike and it would fall over.
But after I investigated the how to's and technique's, and after a little careful practice, it's now second nature and I don't give it a second thought when putting the 14 on and taking it off the rear stand (though I'm always careful and never take it for granted).
4. If your system works and you are confident it is safe and secure, good luck to you.
But if you want that extra peace of mind using something that is specifically designed for the purpose, invest in a good quality rear stand.
You won't be sorry...

* Last updated by: yannih on 5/1/2020 @ 6:38 PM *

The stand is hooking onto the green buttons on the swing or the plastic cans going thru the axle?
Buttons: the stand should be fine.
Cans: if the hooks on the stand are that wide for the plastic thru the axle... I don't know?

The big ticket number comes with the spring, collars, spring hook, special bolts, hand holder, etc. Piecing out it might make it break even, so you get the hand yanking bar for free. But if you have the knack, you just stand on the centerstand and step on it, pull the passenger strap if not at all... if you practice. https://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/kaw/5aeb76bf87a8660d507712ef/accessory-center-stand

And remember, this is every 300 miles. I am rear stand free to grease it up. Plus, I have to remember to grab a paper towel before grabbing the hand bar or I'm peppered in grease. Thus, the step and it's up and ready to go.

Thanks guys for the advice.. and yes it was hooking onto the green spools but not aligning well enough andwas trying to gouge the swingarm while being used so its back to Amazon it goes... for now ill use the jack method as its quick and easy as well but perhaps will look again into a better stand in the future..
now onto buying some more lubricant.. had an old can of Lucas Oil chain lube thats running low..

Did you adjust the width of the lifting hooks?

I took a flexible tape measure and measured the distance from spool to spool(had to maneuver it through the wheel spokes). Came up with 14".

I then set the lifting hooks at 14" apart and have had no issues with the stand hitting my swingarm.

I made sure to measure at the widest points BTW.

Personally, that stand looks plenty strong enough to lift your bike.

I also use a piece of 2 X 4 underneath the kickstand to get the bike as close to vertical.

The first few times you lift the bike can be a bit scary. However, once you get your technique down you're good to go.

Do you have someone that can help hold the bike as you lift it until you get comfortable with the technique?

No way I'm using your jack/wood technique.

Now, THAT scares me.

* Last updated by: BIGO70 on 5/2/2020 @ 12:16 AM *

wrapping some electrical tape or a strip of bicycle inner tire around the lifting forks, helps protect the swingarm... just in case the lifting stand is not perfectly aligned

Yes, i adjusted the hooks as best i could and the electric tape idea would have helped a bit im sure. I only had my 12 yo son with me but wasn't going to rely on him to support the bike on the brake side.. i'm thinking a better stand may be the ticket in the future, something with better support points and then id just have to get over the fear of this heavy bike being titled fully upright with me behind it.

"I also use a piece of 2 X 4 underneath the kickstand to get the bike as close to vertical."
Bingo....this suggestion makes putting the bike on the rear stand a snap.
Try it before you send the stand back.

I have both the front and rear stand. They aren't the best like pitbull or others out there but they do work good. Have used mine a lot with no problems. Its always stressful balancing your bike one handed while you try to line the lift up with the spools.

People worry that the hooks/lugs might fail.

I'd be more concerned about the axles for the stand's wheels failing.

They're substantially smaller in diameter than the lugs for the hooks.

As Hub said,

The factory center stand is nice to have.

However, I think it interferes with aftermarket exhaust and you have to remove the little, lower fairing in front of the rear wheel.

If you look closely at these stands you will see how they bolt together on each side. It does allow the stands to flex. A point for concern. Center stands work good and with a front stand allows for most maintenance. But most of us I think are looking to reduce weight on these awesome rides. Could be the design of the spools. My bikes already had the lift spools on the bikes. My neighbor gave me the lifts so I don't know if the lifts come with spools or not. Haven't had a problem with scratching swingarm on my 14 or my 10. When you work on your bike you have to have confidence in the safety of your bike and yourself.
Dave

I'd try the 2" block under the sidestand to begin with.That should give ya the ability to hook both spools.Then just lift it without hesitation.Just be sure the bike isn't moving forward if you have to lower it again quickly.Or anytime you're lowering it.Maybe put her in 1st and roll the bike till it locks.Then go for the lift with the wood block under there.(under the sidestand).Do it a few times and you'll get the hang of it.It won't fall over if both hooks are engaged.You'll see.It looks like a good stand.Worked good in that video.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/2/2020 @ 11:06 PM *

I've had these PitBull stands for the last 12 years and used them on all 3 of my ZX14s. Great investment and very sturdy.

After you use them a few times, it gets easier and you'll become more confident using them.

Pit Bull makes quality stands.

No matter what rear stand you get you're going to have to get used to getting the bike up almost vertical and sliding the stand under the lugs. I use my left hand to steady the bike, having it on the seat while I position the stand. Once it's under the lugs I apply some pressure and this keeps the bike steady as I lift it up.

Mad

Even better, go ABBA stand.

I got the venom stands off ebay and been using them for years of maintenance and storage.

Don't use a rear handle stand for the 14. It's too big of a bike. You would probably be just fine if you got the bike almost vertical by placing the sidestand on some wood like others have said but I remember how scary lifting a bike was the first several times.

You're better off with a forward handle Pit Bull. Even that is scary the first few times. A Heindle engineering swing arm, pivot stand is as easy as it gets. Similar to the Heindle, the Abba looks like all around best.

Those spools look ok. I have Vertical Horizon Spools and I like them verry much. They are easy to see and there's not so much fiddling with the stand to position it to the spools. That is all stuff you get after doing many lifts.

I would use a rear handle stand now. They are better for some jobs because the handle is out of the way. I'd be very careful using a rear handle though.

I have a rear handle stand.

However, the handle is able to be disconnected from the main body of the stand and therefore doesn't get in the way.

Getting the bike onto a rear stand can be a tricky operation, just got to get a firm grip of the bike and stand and really push down on the handle in one smooth movement.

I use these two for washing the bike out on the drive or street......

I also bought an ABBA Skylift for more serious cleaning or maintenance.Not cheap but makes even major strip downs a breeze.........

Thanks all for the help and guidance! Its nice to hear that im not the only one who was having panic attacks while trying to rig the bike up on the stand, very nerve wracking for sure esp to someone whose never done it before.. its funny, ive been riding for the past 25 years but never had or used any stands before, and with older chain driven bikes id just do the walk and spray method lol, sounds so 80's :)
As an update, i am returning this stand as i feel there is something wrong with it in that it is not aligning properly and wants to scratch the left side swing arm, which is a no-go for me..
I'll see about a better option next go around

* Last updated by: tknj99 on 5/6/2020 @ 6:51 AM *

For standard style rear stands, it's hard to beat Pit Bull. They are adjustable and can be used on spooled or non spooled swingarms.

Mad

I use the forward facing Pitbull on mine.I did have to cut the closed end off and add an extension into it.I contact the left side spool first,then lean over the seat and line up the right hook on the spool,then start lifting.Once it's in the right hook(bike near vertical),I can complete the lift.VERY easy with that extension on there.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/6/2020 @ 9:39 AM *

I work my forward handle Pit Bull the same as Grn. Get the axle of the stand under there perpendicular to the bike with the handle pointed straight up. You'll know exactly where the end of the handle should so the lifting forks will line up to the spools after you've done it a few times. For me, the handle is almost touching the forwrad point of the LH tail fairing. I stand the bike up vertical and lean over to view the RH spool by looking between the frame and the muffler. Lever the stand up to the RH spool. Adjust the exact position of the stand as needed by nudging the handle left or right. Once the lifting fork is lined up to the RH spool, it almost always goes exactly on the LH spool. Then you push down on the handle and up she goes. The bike can't tip over once the the forks are on the spools as long as you keep forward pressure on the handle. It can take most of your upper body weight to actually push the handle down if you have stock mufflers. My 14 is light and I'm about 220 (actually 230 now ) so I don't need to put too much effort into pressing the handle down. It's a great stand and it's safe but if you never did it before, it's a little hairy. You might want a helper the first several times you use it. Pit Bull stands are often available used on Ebay and I wouldn't worry much about any kind of structural damage or wear to a used Pit Bull stand. They are really tough and made of ~1/8" steel tube.

The only real danger with any spool stand is that you could drop the bike while you are trying to hold it vertical and engage the forks to the spools at the same time. Of course, the old sidestand on the 2x4s trick would help with that as long as the bike doesn't tip over to the RH side. You got a problem if that happens. Cover the bike with a blanket and position the RH side of the bike near a wall the first few times you use it. ...or use a reliable (and preferably experienced) spotter on the RH side.

A pivot stand like the Heindl Engineering or Abba is by far the easiest and safest. There is no need to line forks up to spools, the stand attaches to the bike before you even take it off the sidestand. You pull back to lift up instead of bending over forward to push the lever down. There really is no way the bike can drop over with one of these as long as you keep pressure on the handle. Even so, it seemed a little scary the first few times I used my Heindl Engineering stand.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/7/2020 @ 12:26 PM *