Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Accessories Center Stand Option

FWIW TEC Bike Parts is fleabaying them at $167.52 shipped...

I wonder if the arm scrapes like the Rivco...

That one looks like the Norman Hyde center stand, John. As I recall, the Hyde stands have that flattened kick out piece, which if rumor is correct don't tend to scrape nearly as much as the Rivco stands with the rounded piece that they have.

Man! Gotta say this is a great deal Jim found here!

So that begs the question, are they making stands for Norman Hyde or are they lying about making everything themselves? Or did they just rip the NH design?

Does anyone hold a patent to it? I say good for them for offering a wanted product for less than the competition.

Yes, they look suspiciously similar...

Center Stand thread Mon Aug 23 2010.

Center stand is identical to Hyde, carb tops and oil filler caps identical to LC Fabrications, sprocket cover identical to LSL, fork brace is identical to SuperBrace, etc... They're clearly ripping off other designs. I'm all for competition, but this is outright thievery.

Agreed.

I have a hard time believing they are flat out stealing designs, why go through that much trouble to make all those different products? Any chance they are actually getting them cheaper from a supplier and the mark-up is simply less than competitors? I am not trying to stir a pot here, just wondering if they actually are the same products for less.

I asked them on Ebay. We'll see what they say. Their reaction or lack thereof will be telling.

I've spoken to every one of the manufacturers whose designs have been stolen. Each and every one is up in arms. The original suppliers are NOT the ones supplying these parts. The reason they can sell them so cheaply is simple. No R&D expense. It's just not right...

They claim to be a big vendor in Europe with a longish track history. However I can find nothing of import when googling their name.

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They claim to be a big vendor in Europe with a longish track history.

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I've spoken at length with Norman Hyde about this. He DOES have a long track record in Europe and he's never heard of them. He's looking into legal action against these crooks.

Thanks for the heads up, Brent

The basic H style center stand is not new by about 80 years and not Norman's. He knocked off the basic principle from somebody who took if from somebody etc.

It is public technology. That stand cannot be patented.

What R&D? its a center stand! Only a few thousand samples of them in the bike graveyards. Just alter to fit the Triumph frame and your done.

Sheesh, as if its a flux capacitor lol.

Good for them providing something that does not cost an arm and a leg like some other vendors.

The verbiage in his description states:

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IMPORTANT: We manufacture all our items ourselves, which are not available from other sources. All the photographs are of the actual parts for sale. So to be clear, this is a TEC item, not a genuine Triumph part. Nor is it a part produced by, or available from, other independent suppliers.

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Great price but IMO there are two ways I look at stuff like this...
1) sure great price but what if you come out from the diner one day and your bike is on its side, or worse yet leaning into your buddies bike cause the weld was bad and let go.
2) Im not a big vendor but some jackhole stole my license plate design and sells in the UK. Now I don't have a patent, nor will I, but it still sucks.

I guess theres a third one too...
3) I like knowing I have the real deal. Id pay the extra $$ to know I have the original, well designed product and that a vendor out there is going to support me in case of an issue... I hope.

I understand, but how do we know the real deal is better than this. Is it possible they saw one part and decided that was a good idea so added it. I am just thinking a center stand is pretty much what you see. They surely have not changed over the decades. Short of x-ray we don't know who has the better welds.

That does suck about your plate holder Z. I love that part, its fabulous!

Sorry about your plate holder Z but you have to expect a well designed idea to be copied unless you patent it and plan to litigate if copied. Same goes for business names, we found out that you can take a business name from someone here in PA and go to NY and use the same name and there is no legal recourse. It happened to Wendy's business some of her suppliers started asking when she was going to pay the bill on her new location. Changed our name but it was a hassle none the less. Some jerk saw we were doing quite well and tried to capitalize on it.

Unfortunate that folks knock off other ideas. To make it simple how many sets of pipes fit out bikes? How did they magically know where to put stops and bolt up areas? Did they steal an idea from Triumph?

Should we be up in arms about Procom CDI at about 50% less? Motorcycle seats look an awful lot like Triumph motorcycle seats and fit right on? I dunno.

Basic parts made to fit particular models with the same functionality as legacy parts cannot be protected. I would submit they stole nothing. They just decided not to spend time recreating the wheel.

I also would submit that part would have 0 chance in a patent office. The functionality is exactly that of every one that preceded it.

I feel sorry for the guy that made the side mount license plate first and engine dresser bars, the sissy bar.

Its just the way it is. Microsoft stole the mouse from Texas Instrument. I am not going to not use a mouse because of that.

It's not the functionality that it stolen, it's the path to the solution. The calories burned in design and testing. Ideas are just ideas. Bringing them to market is where the calories are burned and by aping someone else's design, no matter how simple, you are benefitting from their R&D, their calories burned, without compensating them. And in Procom's case the R&D isn't in the hardware so much, it's in the software and providing the functionality that the factory doesn't with the stock CDI. It's "value added." It's derivative but enhanced, not a direct copy. You're trying to oversimplify the issue. Just because something exists doesn't mean you can take it and do anything you want with it. You can make your own version and it can even be inspired by others, but you can't just copy it exactly.

I wonder, have they been making the stands for Norman Hyde for a number of years. Strangely when I google a center stand for a speedmaster the 1st dozens of hits I get are for the Rivco stand.

I am not so sure about this one yet. I would like to know who makes the stands for Norman Hyde.

Anyhow I think they can copy it if not patented. I am not saying its right, I think they can.

The reason patents are so hard to get is that you have to hire $$Pat. Attnys$$ to prove that no other patent already exists or is being infringed upon. According to urban legend, Henry Ford once tried to obtain a patent on gravity in the small print for his gravity fuel feed on model A s, almost, but Henry was justly refused. From other stuff I have read about him (H. Ford), sounds about right.

Sorry guys, but being the "King of Cheap" around here(sorry erle ) I just couldn't resist the price on it, and so I went ahead and ordered one of these center stands back on the 17th. It arrived a couple of days before Christmas, at which time I immediately bolted that baby up to my BA.

Gotta say the built-quality is first-rate, and the service was excellent.

Now, anybody who has ever ridden with me knows that I ride pretty "spiritedly" throughout these mountains around here in northern Arizona, and so, I have the definitive answer to if this style of center stand grounds in the twisties: No, it doesn't.

But then again of course, I've never lowered by BA at all, and so as they say, "Your results may vary" IF you've lowered your bike at all and when it comes to this issue and this particular center stand.

(...and besides, at least this baby was made in the good ol' U.S. of A., right?!)

Did you also purchase the chrome lifting handle, I purchased a oil filler cap and they sent me a few pages of products, there is a picture of it, but I can't imagine where exactly it bolts on, I think one end goes on the top shock mount. You may know I made my own centre stand and did not copy any previous center stands however as I used "Trial and Error" as opposed to R&D it turned out a tad long. a lifting handle to compliment the block of wood I carry around to put the back TYRE on when deploying stand may help. At £14.99 it would cost me more to get one I made chromed.

The oil filler cap is dead on, the fins are perhaps a bit sharp at the edge, but I may polish it.

Hi Stephen. No, actually I didn't need a lifting handle because as you can see from this picture of my bike here, I made a grab rail on the back which I use for that purpose.



And, because this particular center stand only lifts the rear wheel off the ground about two inches(which it sounds is a bit lower than the one you made) the "heft" required to lift it onto the stand isn't bad at all. And so, that grab rail there is more than sufficient for that purpose.

And yeah, I would guess the lifting handle they sell would most likely bolt to the top shock mount, and/or maybe also to the first forward bolt that holds the chromed fender strut cover...but that's just a guess.

Yes I think that you may be right about the mounting location, in that case, if its the shock mount and the first bolt behind it on the chrome side supports it would be no good for me, I use pannier rails that locate there, so its going to be another DIY job. My own stand only lifts the wheel by about 1" however I have a very small lug on the side for your foot ( it does not come round under the exhaust) so I dont get much leverage at that end. I did have a longer one but it bent. I shall carry on with the block of wood as stand is just incase I need to remove wheel on longer trips and to lube chain.