It’s so simple and functional that we’re kicking ourselves for not inventing it first. The Wheel Jockey is a small set of rollers that fits under a motorcycle’s rear tire, allowing easy chain lubing and wheel cleaning and inspection.
The $54 U.S. device is fitted with two rollers that ride on ball bearings, and a non-skid backing plate. It’s small — 4 by 4.5 inches — and is intended only for bikes with street tread; knobbies will confuse the rollers.
To use it, just follow the pdf instructions (or put bike on sidestand, place Wheel Jockey just in front of rear wheel, pick up bike and roll onto Wheel Jockey, check for stability, then get down and roll that wheel by hand). Oh yeah, and be sure your engine is turned off. This is a manual procedure.
The Wheel Jockey can hold a bike up to 750 lb. in weight, but we’re guessing that you could buy four of them, turn them upside down, and use them to move really heavy furniture in a straight line. Or not.
See www.wheeljockey.com for more.
Power is one concideration for the use of a chain over a belt. With sport bikes another concideration is the ability to swap the sprockets and get different ratios. Besides, a clean and well lubed chain is, to me, a thing of moto beauty. Belts are so…um…dishwasherish?
I’m quite happy if they limit belts to on-road bikes that are not top of the heap sport bikes. Or even just Bandits.
I don’t think any of the current belt equipped motos manufacturers recommend extended off highway sojourns, belts,grit and gravel apparently do not get along well?
The vast majority of bikes produce power in a range that current belts can handle. Cf. Buell. Keep chains or shafts for the others.
Seeing as you can’t increase a belts thickness to increase it’s strength, but only it’s width, I’m guessing that the width of a belt needed to deal with the higher horsepower of many of today’s motorcycles would force to many design compromises with the swing arm, frame sprockets etc. etc.
cheers
ken
Oh I’ll take a flyer – belts require almost no maintenance, chains which are poorly cleaned or maintained (which is a great proportion of them) need to be replaced, with sprockets, regularly, thus generating more income for the manufacturers since a certain proportion (particularly of those newbie enough not to know how to maintain a chain) will buy OEM parts.
As I stated above, when I am by myself it’s the roll forward and lube, roll forward and lube method which works fine, just a little time consuming, no big deal, though. It’s true what McGarvey says about belts eliminating all this crap. Why belt drive, after having proven itself on Harleys and Buells, has not become more common is a mystery to me. Not so much on sportbikes or off-road stuff but surely it would make sense on commuter bikes and tourers and sport/tourers. Anyone here hazard a guess?
Belt drive would solve all of this with a lot less hassle, mess and crap.
My on-the-road lube-the-chain wheel stand cost me $1.99 + tax.
– 1 leftover piece pvc pipe, notched at top and bevelled at bottom.
– $1.99 velcro strap from MEC to lock front brake.
1- lock front brake with velcro
2- wedge pvc pipe’s notch under spool
3- lift up on pvc side a bit and kick bottom of pvc until wheel off ground.
Might be a bit tough for those of you with lardy bikes, easy for my SV650S and 675 Street Triple R…
And no euphemisms, please.
Hipsabad,
What do you do if you’re by yourself?
I’m not convinced. At home I’ve a rear stand, when I travel it’s different: I lube my sidestand-only bikes thusly: lube, roll forward, lube, roll forward, etc. With this device I have to spray and roll at the same time? That’s like what my buddy and I do, i.e. one of us pivots the bike on to the sidestand while the other gets down behind the wheel and turns the wheel by hand while spraying. I’ve done it many times, its not as accurate as the rolling method. A centrestand allows for running the engine and a very quick and accurate job. Now I must pack this (not light) thing, too? My $.02
Steve Thornton,
One is a present.
I have a centre stand (VFR) and a centre stand and shaft drive (GS).
Just have to choose the best bikes…
Nifty looking tool though…wish it was around when I had my YZF600…
Just give us back centre stands as standard equipment!!!
I wonder how long it will be before we see some idiot on “Youtube” or “Break” try to ride his bike on-the-spot with one of these devices and (of course) eventually crashing?
Wow I can now move my wife around.
TWO of them? Why, do you have a trike?
I’ve already ordered two of these and will provide an evaluation write up after I receive them.
BTW, the people who make this product are great to deal with.