Motorsport Products MX Engine Stand Reviews

I wrench a lot. Not only for myself, but I've become the neighborhood mechanic of sorts. One thing that I've learned is that good tools make the job easier and with as many motorcycle engines that I've rebuilt over the years I'm not sure why I've never used an engine stand. Knowing what I do now, I'd have picked one up a lot earlier.

The Motorsport Products MX Engine Stand is designed to work with most 2 and 4-stroke engines with vertical cylinders. It has a spring loaded quick lock pin with 8 fixed positions to give you different attack angles, as well as a removable drip pan to catch any residual fluids.  Mine arrived well packaged with parts individually wrapped and comes with a simple instruction sheet. A head scratcher for me was why the stand uses SAE hardware when the vast majority of engines that will be installed in it use metric? Minor quarrel, just something that I milled over as I was digging through my "tools I never use" drawer to find a 1/2" wrench. Once assembled and ready-to-go I gave the engine stand a quick once over. It appears to be well built with strong welds, quality hardware & components, all finished with durable & nice looking powder coating.

Well packaged and nicely finished tool.

My first job using the stand was a 1998 YZ250 that was in need of new crank bearings. With the front mounting arm adjusted properly the engine easily slid into place and was quickly secured with the T-handle lockdown tool. You can assemble the handles on either side of the stand depending on which way you plan on working on the engine.   I immediately spun the engine 90 degrees to pull the clutch cover. It was nice to be able to disassemble the engine without having half of the parts fall out onto my dirty shop floor. In terms of the stand's stability, I was also able to remove some seriously over torqued bolts with ease. The stand did not move, slide or give way in any manner. Anyone who has struggled to remove a tight bolt with the engine loose on a benchtop can appreciate this. I also appreciated the convenient grab handles that allow me to move the stand with engine installed wherever I wanted.

Getting the right angle of attack is easy.

The removable drip tray collected the leftover oil and coolant which made clean up a breeze. I used a small squeegee to drain the fluids into my waste container. The tray is basic, lacking any sort of pour spout or magnet to catch fasteners or debris for inspection, but it gets the job done at leaving your workbench fluid free. When not in use, the stand breaks down and stows inside the drip tray until the next job.

The next problem child that needed some attention was a 2007 Honda CRF80 that had been run low on oil. Unfortunately one of the stand's mounting rods was too thick in diameter for its smaller engine mount.  This could be remedied by sourcing a longer 1/4" shouldered bolt to swap out when smaller engines need servicing, however at this price point it would be nice to have a broader range of compatibility out-of-the-box.

The Motorsport Products MX Engine Stand makes engine servicing and rebuilds a whole lot easier.

With a few more engines serviced, some with major problems and others basic, I have found this stand to be incredibly useful in my day-to-day engine repairs & servicing. The sturdiness and balance of the stand adds to my confidence and who doesn't like no more smashed knuckles! Being able to apply heavy torque to engine fasteners outside of the frame allows you to disassemble and perform service much more efficiently. The build quality and appearance adds a nice look of professionalism to my workshop, but you don't need to be a pro wrench to appreciate what the Motorsport Products MX Engine Stand brings to the table.

4.5/5 Stars! 

I've got one. I like it. Ive used it about 12-15 times since I got it. One thing about it is that it's setup for late model stuff. I've had to change the mounting studs for a couple different engines, but being able to lean the engine from side to side is handy. Oil running out of an oil old engine, holding the trans in place...I like it. The tray beneath is handy too.

The only thing I'd really like to see would be a couple outside mounting tabs so you can bolt the uprights to the bench. While you can still lift the inner frame out and mount that into a vice, typically a usable vice mount height makes the engine in the frame higher than is practical.

If I had a pro shop with several benches, they'd all have one of these.