One simple bit of kit, three uses: the Polisport Multipurpose Tripod surprised us how handy it has been to strap bikes into the van or trailer, as a lay-over stand while jet washing and an alternative side-stand.

Tripod? But it’s only got two legs? When Polisport sent us this new ‘gadget’ to test, we took a sideways glance at it, wondering if we would ever actually use it. Promising three uses in any dirt bike owner’s life, be that enduro, trail, motocross or whatever type of riding you do, it claims to be the handy addition at home, while transporting bike sand at the trackside.

Less than a week later, in a very wet paddock where the bike was sinking on the side stand, use number one proved itself as the bike stand. Two hours later while jet washing an entire bike’s weight of mud off, use number two shows itself to be handy as well.

Three hours later still and this self-confessed begrudging tester is saying, “huh, I didn’t expect it to work that well” as we unload the bike after a bumpy ride home. Polisport’s Tripod is one of those bits of kit you didn’t know you needed.

They say:

- Reduces pressure on the forks during transport

- Easy to position between the front wheel and the front mudguard

- Place the bike on it to reach difficult areas during washing

- Replaces/acts as a side stand

- Made from highly resistant plastic

- Includes Ø10mm and Ø 14mm bushes to fit different rear axle sizes

We say:

Sometimes you don’t always think you want, need or would use a tool so much until you get one and find yourself using it all the time. The Polisport Tripod is one of those things and since getting hold of it at the start of 2024, it’s been part of the working kit we use at home and in the van every time we go out riding.

The first use of the tripod is a simple one: it slots inside the rear real axle and acts as a side stand. With two fairly fat feet, it’s pretty sturdy and on softer ground is a better option than a standard side stand.

Some people prefer not to fit a side stand, or if you have a moto bike of course this is a solution. It comes with two bushings to make it versatile for different axle sizes.

Use number two is a lay-over stand to drop your handlebars onto while you wash your bike. It’s handy to keep the bars off the ground a little while you jet wash the much off underneath, the tripod simply gives you a sturdy, easily moveable place to park the bar end while you’re doing it.

Ok, we admit, we’re more prone to using a paddock stand while jet washing so you can also lift and spin the wheels, as well as lean the bar end onto. But for quick washes where the bike isn’t so dirty, this works well.

The third and perhaps the less obvious use for this tripod is as a fork seal saver. Sat under the front fender, and holding onto each fork leg, simply it holds the bike more still when travelling and strapped in a van or on a trailer.

Pulling a bike down with two straps or tie-downs compresses the forks. It’s no great issue but over an extended period of time that puts pressure on the fork valving and seals. A bike also moves as you travel, bouncing on its suspension as you drive over bumps in the road or that beaten track heading into a venue. That can mean your bike moves, even unhook itself if you’re hitting the bumps hard enough.

The Polisport Tripod stops that happening by pulling the bike into a fixed place. Sitting between the fender underside and tyre it stops the forks compressing. The pull down is around 80-100mm, so it takes up the initial slack of the suspension travel but then sits tight without placing loads of pressure on the forks seals.

If you use a trailer to transport your bike(s), Polisport’s video shows how it can help keep them steady in transit.

One note: if you’re using it after riding you might want to remove dirt from the fork legs before loading up otherwise putting the tripod in place can cause scratches.

Verdict:

Polisport’s Mulitpurpose Tripod is a surprisingly useful addition to the bike kit. As a rear axle-mounted bike stand it helps, just as it does when you’re jet washing. But it proved most helpful for us in keeping the bike steadier in the back of our van.

The price is a good one too so this is definitely not breaking the bank – a quick internet scan shows you can find it discounted in many retailers – and we’ve no doubt it will last for years so makes a sound, but modest, investment.

Cost:

£26.99/€33/$NA

Contact: www.polisport.com