There are usually four motorcycles parked in my garage when they’re not out being ridden, and not one has a centerstand. This creates a problem with space–especially if you want enough to walk between the bikes–as four bikes leaned over on their sidestands take up quite a bit of room.
So when a Pingel Cycle Jaws wheel chock showed up for testing, I volunteered to give it a try. The Cycle Jaws was originally designed for use in a truck or trailer to stabilize a motorcycle during transportation, but it also works well as a free-standing chock. You can ride onto the chock, leave your bike in gear, get off your bike and walk away. Initially, I looked at “Jaws” and wondered if it would really hold up a motorcycle without being secured down. Road Test Editor Troy and I went back and forth:
“Let’s try it on your ZX,” said he.
“No way, let’s put your precious SV racebike on here and see if it stays up,” said I.
After a while we decided the guinea pig would be a test bike instead, just in case it fell over. Turns out my skepticism was unfounded, as the Cycle Jaws easily held up the 700-pound Victory 8-Ball (tire size 130/70-18) tested in this issue.
Assembly takes just minutes by attaching the crank handle, sliding the movable jaw onto the tower and putting on the tire locator. The tire locator is four-way adjustable and prevents the jaws from clamping onto your bike’s rims or rotors. The stand weighs a little over 33 pounds without the hardware needed for securing it to a trailer, truck bed or concrete floor. The Cycle Jaws is approximately 24 inches wide, 17 1/2 inches long and 16 inches tall. The base is made of three separate pieces of 1/8-inch steel that’s nicely welded together. It’s set up so that your bike’s front tire is resting on a steel plate rather than a garage or trailer floor. You’ll want to make sure Jaws is placed on a flat, level surface, and there are four “feet” (quarter-sized) to install on the bottom if you’re using it as a free-standing chock. The overall construction is rugged, and there’s rubberized padding on the ends so your bike doesn’t get scratched.
Using the Jaws is even easier than assembling it. There’s no hump or ramp to ride over so you ride straight in. This makes backing out simple as no tugging is needed to get out like on some chocks with ramps. If you’re using it on the same motorcycle, you can custom set it so you can ride your bike in and hop off, without having to adjust anything. When you’re ready to ride again, simply back out of Jaws and off you go. The first time around, you tighten the jaws tightly around the front tire and then back it off a turn or two. This way it’s tight enough to hold the bike, yet loose enough that the bike moves freely in and out of Jaws. For the initial setup, patient people can do it alone, but two people make the job much simpler and quicker. The Cycle Jaws is also great to have for working on a bike that doesn’t have a centerstand.
If you’re going to secure the Cycle Jaws to a trailer or garage floor, all the hardware is included. Troy and I spent an afternoon “chocking” a variety of motorcycles, including the Triumph Thruxton (tire size 100/90-18), an H-D Deluxe (M90-16) and for the real test…our 900-plus-pound 25th Anniversary GL1500/6 Honda Gold Wing SE (130/70-18). Then we stood back and waited…for an earthquake. We’re in California so this is not far-fetched, and would be a true test, but alas, none came. Still, the bikes stayed upright when pushed side to side.
We’re very impressed with the Cycle Jaws. Now if I could get my hands on three more of these, maybe I could reclaim enough garage space for another motorcycle! Retail price is $285.
For more information see your dealer or contact Pingel Enterprise Inc., 2072 11th Avenue, Adams, Wisconsin 53910; (888) 474-6435, (608) 339-7999; www.pingelonline.com
