Those Swedes have a lot of time on their hands. The sun doesn´t rise on part of their country for months on end, and when it finally does, the snow is so high you can´t see out the windows anyway. It´s during those long cold spells that the Swedish motorcross contingent has time to think about the sport. So it was with a group of old Swedish racers who got tired of bending over, walking around and lifting up their bikes during the endless winter. Their solution? The Old Swede Workstand! We must confess that it´s a stupid name (and we know a lot of old Swedes). However, the Old Swede Workstand is unique, different, overdone, and perfect for a specific group of riders-not necessariliy old Swedes either. The facts: Don´t confuse the Old Swede stand with the popular Pro Circuit, White Bros. or DG. stands. It´s not that simple, small or compact. The Old Swede Workstand differs in several ways: 1. The Old Swede Workstand isn´t an at-the-track bike stand. It can be used for that, but that would be overkill. 2. It´s small enough to carry around in your van, truck or trailer, but large enough to be inconveinent. 3. It lifts the bike in the same way that a hydraulic jack lifts your car. Pump the handle and the bike rises more than three feet off the ground. 4. The stand comes with clamps to hold the frame tightly to the base so that you can remove every part from the frame without ever touching the stand. 5. The base svivels a full 360 degrees so that you don´t have to walk around your bike. Just swing the other side around to your toolbox. .   The problems:The only real problem that we encountered while using the Old Swede Workstand was that the frame clamps tucked under the brake pedal and shift lever, making them inoperable when the bike was on the stand. This is a problem with a Kawasaki, but Yamaha and Honda are no problem. A KTM won´t fit on the stand at all, but Old Swede is working on new clamps. The Old Swede Workstand has wheels on one end to make it easier to roll around (both in the dirt and in the workshop), but it lacks a handle or anything to grab hold of. The ride:This is the perfect stand a racer who works on his bike at home in his garage. For motorcycle shops it is a thousands of dollars cheaper than the hydraulic lifts that require extensive floor plan modification. For factory race teams the Old Swede Workstand allows them to tear down a bike in the pits without all the hassles of trying to balance the bike. It isn´t as useful to the local racer, who doesn´t have the room to carry it around or the need to tear down his bike at the track. The big bonus of his stand is that it will lift your bike up to eyelevel, which eliminates bening over, crouching and kneeling. The swivel base means that you can stay seated on a stool (near your tools) and have the other side (or either end) come to you. To rasie the bike on the stand you insert the handle into the hydraulic jack and pump up the bike. The sturdy steel arms hoist it skyward; you choose how high. To lower the bike you turn a small handle on the jack and the bike automatically descends to the floor. Conclusion: Shopowners, race teams, National privateers, serious mechanichs and Old Swedes will find the Old Swede Workstand to be a useful addition to their racing stable. For more information contact us at:

Copy of article in MOTORCROSS ACTION -94