Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

I have a 1953 R51/3 and have added bags for and up coming endurance race. The center stand is pretty narrow and unsteady on uneven or slightly slanted surfaces. Using the center stand with the bike loaded is also much more difficult. I have a self retracting side stand but it still requires constant attention where you park the bike. Are there any other options available, if not I will likely try to modify the current side stand to make it more user friendly esp. for the upcoming race. I have several Harley's and their side stands are much more reliable. Any suggestions?

I bought one similar to this for m r27 and like it:

https://vintagebeemerparts.com/vintage- ... -complete/
Tommy

I have this one on my R 51/3 and it is very good, never a problem.

https://bmwclassicmotorcycles.com/index ... d-sst.html

If you need any direction or guidance please let us know!

The "plunger sidestand" that is available is a little bit "too long" in my opinion. It is VERY easy to tip over and never leave your bike running since it will wobble and tip over with it out. I don't like to use it,since it is so easy to tip over,if it was just 5-10mm shorter it would be perfect. Funny thing,the factory /2 sidestands lean the bike WAY over,the plunger aftermarket one does not lean it over enough!

If the bike does not lean over far enough with the side stand, you probably need to replace your front fork springs. If they are the fatigued originals, you may find that they are quite a bit shorter in relaxed free length than a brand new pair.. Hence, the bike will stand up too vertically. A not so simple fix, but it is what is needed, probably.

The part number for the solo springs is 31 41 2 054 250 and they are available new.

That is a excellent point and I never thought about that!! Thank you Vech, I need to get some springs!!

Vech I think you may be right. Thank you for the advice and everyone else for the thoughts. Bart

Hi
I had problems with my R69s side stand . The type that is fitted by replacing the two engine bolt spacers . The bike when the stand was fitted stood almost vertically . To fix the problem I cut about an inch or 25mm from the length . It now is perfect . The stand was made of Stainless Steel .Hope this is a cheaper alternative .