tidbit
08-20-2004, 11:38 PM
Well… a bit belated.. but I had to get it done.. Nonetheless..
I recently received a set of Powerstands from Parts411.com.. not exactly sure what I was getting myself into.. I am a avid Pitbull owner.. so the bar was set fairly high..
Cons: 1. 2pc design
2. Weight
3. Toolbox
4. Handle Bars
Pros: 1. Chrome
2. 4 Wheel design
3. Shipping
4. Stoutness
5. Weight
First off.. lemme say.. the 2pc design.. although good.. sacrificed the integrity of the stands.. in order to save money at the point of shipping.. (shipping in a small box folded vs the ungodly large sized box the others come in).. If the powerstands came in a 1pc design.. I have no doubt they would STOMP any and all stands on the market.. This is by far the biggest weakness..
Weight.. Notice how this worked as a Pro and Con.. because even though they are a bitch to lift.. (stands weighting in at 30+ lbs. each).. The weight also adds to the ease of lifting the bike..
Toolbox.. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like this little add on.. even before I bought the stands.. and well simply put it proved me correct.. the toolbox simply gets in the way.. anyone that can fit their toolz in that box.. needs to go back to their parents and make a formal complaint at passing down the “short” genes. The toolbox also adds around 5 lbs. to the weight of the stands.. TAKE IT OFF!.
Handle Bars.. I gotta say.. it was a pretty good idea.. making 3 diff colors to match the color of your bike.. but because they made the change able bars.. that also means the bars come off even when you don’t want them too.. Some things you can do to remedy the unsheathing is to spray hairspray on the bars (like you do with a bike throttle) or even make a new handle bar like I did with some hockey tape/elect tape.. Works great now!..
There are a few negatives.. but being a seasoned bike crazed fan like myself.. you always expect to have some with any product you buy.. One obvious positive is the chrome.. I’ve always hated my pitbulls because of that.. they are an awesome stand.. but that electroplating just gets to me.. hell it looks like a big fat OIL SPILL!.. The powerstands on the other hand are shiny and simply look tricc…
Oddly enough… When I got the stands.. I though the chrome would be the biggest positive to the stands.. but hey.. I was wrong.. The 4 wheel design simply kicks ass.. the ability to roll the wheels over a rock.. and not risk the bike falling is simply amazing..
All in all… I would give the Powerstands an 8/10 (pitbulls a 9).. There were some minor flaws.. and I believe if powerstands decided to weld the stands to one pc.. and put a good handlebar on it.. They could possibly contend for a 10..
If you want a stand that works almost on the same level of the famed pitbulls and have a little looks to go along with it.. buy yourself a set of Powerstands.
Below are a few pics of my bike hoisted up on the pstands.
http://www.teamudrive.com/pictures/powerstands/1.jpg
http://www.teamudrive.com/pictures/powerstands/2.jpg
http://www.teamudrive.com/pictures/powerstands/3.jpg