Vstar 950/650 side stand

This is the Vstar 650 stand.

Here is the Vstar 950 stand installed on the Vstar 650.

Front shot of my Vstar with the 950 stand.

This is a previous picture with the original side stand.

Vstar 950/650 Side Stand Swap

Well here I am again, and I owe another debt of gratitude to the friendly, and helpful members of the Yamaha Motorcycle Forum. Recently, a discussion revealed the Star 950, and 650 side stands were interchangeable. Though the 650’s is about .5 inches longer, it’s not enough to hinder its use on the 950. Why is this important you may ask? Well, for those of us striving to shroud our bikes in a cloak of “blackness”, the 950’s side stand helps. For some reason, when Yamaha built the Midnight, or Raven 650 as it is sometimes called, they decided to use a chrome stand. However, all of the surrounding parts are black. Go figure? The reverse is true on the 950. This is where the swap comes in. After finding that the stands were compatible with one another’s bike, a 950 owner and I arranged to trade stands. Paying our own shipping is the only out of pocket expense, and time is minimal. One bolt and a couple of springs… about 1 minute, maybe less. I never realized what a, dare I say, eyesore a bright shinny chrome stand can make on an all black frame and bike. Needless to say, if you have a black bike, I recommend the trade. Now however, I’m wondering about removing the rest of what little chrome is left. I guess only time will tell. For those of you 950 owners that may have found your way to my 650 blog, for you the swap is basically free chrome! I will post a couple of picture later on of the before and after. I think you’ll be surprised at the difference that small change has made. Until then, ride safe…..