Shadetree Garage....err Apartment

In the Mid Atlantic region we are cursed with an ample off-season from motorsports. From late Oct to mid April, most race machines are locked up in garages around the area, patiently awaiting for the temperatures to rise. The only upside to this down time is the fact that it affords us ample time to freshen up, develop, or modify our machines. This off season, my Ducati 748 will be receiving a bit of all three.

I decided a while ago that the motor should be pulled from the bike during this off-season. This decision was made based on a couple of factors. One being that the maintenance required is much easier to perform with the motor outside the confines of the motorcycle. Removing the motor only adds a small amount of time to the maintenance project, but reduces the amount of headaches. As well, removing the motor allows me to clean up and inspect the chassis for unseen damage following a big crash at Beaverun Racetrack last July. Another upside to removing the motor from the bike is that I can work on it in my apartment. My garage is unconditioned and terribly cold in the winter time. Having the option to work on the motor in my comfortably warm apartment is very attractive

In order to perform maintenance on the motor outside of the chassis, I needed an engine stand to hold the motor stable. While engine stands for the desmoquattro engine do exist, they are not typically available for sale on the open market. Most pros come up with a solution for themselves given their shop condition and work intentions. Since my motor will likely only come out once a year or less, I figured the most simple design would suffice. As well, not having access to a welder nor the skills to weld something out of metal, wood became the most viable option. Wood is easy to cut, assemble, and is inexpensive.

I decided a simple cradle design made of 2x4's would be the most effective. Since the swingarm pivot is the strongest area of the motor, using it as one of the connection points was a no-brainer. The most difficult design element was trying to incorporate a support for the horizontal cylinder. I wanted to have the ability to adjust the angle of the horizontal cylinder to aid in accessing the exhaust cam and valves. After a couple of ideas circled around in my head I decided to use a scissor jack. Since there isn't much space on the horizontal cylinder to attach the jack, a piece of 2x8 was used to bridge the gap.

Construction of the stand went smoothly. After taking some raw measurements from the motor, I came up with dimensions for my plan. As the stand came together I adjusted a few dimensions, but for the most part stuck to the plan. The footprint of the stand measures 36" x 19 1/2" with the pivot supports sitting 12" above the base. These dimensions allow the motor to sit close to the base when all the way down and still have clearance to pivot upwards. I used a 26" piece of 5/8" steel rod to support the motor through the swingarm pivot. This can also be used as a handle when moving the motor without the stand. The rod was cut to 26" so that it could fit through just about any exterior door. Once the structure was built, and the motor put on, I realized some handles to carry it would be helpful. A trip to Lowe's resulted in 4 steamer trunk style handles. I also added a couple of eye bolts so the motor could be strapped into the stand so it would be less likely to shift while being moved.




Overall, I think the stand came out great. It does all I need it to do and only cost me $30 and about 2.5 hours. Now that the motor is in the stand and in my apartment, the next step will be to adjust the valves. Stay tuned...