Front wheel free on the centerstand

JBB

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2015
Messages
37
Location
Columbus, OH
With the bike on the center stand, it's the rear wheel that's in the air. What are you doing to put the front wheel in the air? I grab the front wheel with my hands and lift it, and at the same time, I kick a 2x4 under it. Then I get a 2x2 and prop it under the engine. Finally, I go back and pull the 2x4 from under the front wheel. What an inglorious PIA! And what would I do in the field?? Any ideas?
 

Pterodactyl

New Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2015
Messages
255
Location
Helena, Montana
Get a scissor jack (they are cheap) and attach a piece of soft wood to the top. You can place the Jack under the bash plate or oil sump to lift the front wheel. I always raise the front until the rear wheel is touching the surface, but do not take the weight off the center stand. Have the bike in first gear. I've done this scores of times without any drama. I do it on my lift and have a strap attached to either side of the bike. You can also secure the center stand with a strap run forward and attached to the bash plate.

On the road you'll have to do something similar to what you described only using whatever that is available to prop up the bike (log, rock, luggage, buddy's helmet). But, why would you want to remove the front wheel on the road? Got a flat? That's what plugs are for.
 

OX-34

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
378
JBB said:
With the bike on the center stand, it's the rear wheel that's in the air. What are you doing to put the front wheel in the air? I grab the front wheel with my hands and lift it, and at the same time, I kick a 2x4 under it. Then I get a 2x2 and prop it under the engine. Finally, I go back and pull the 2x4 from under the front wheel. What an inglorious PIA! And what would I do in the field?? Any ideas?
So were you really expecting the front wheel to be in the air on the centre stand?

Then you'd probably be moaning about 2x4s under the rear and what an inglorious PIA that was.

What would you do in the field then?
 

ace50

Active Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
640
Location
VA
Andylaser said:
Put a case of beer on the carrying rack.
You dont want to dehydrate while working on the bike. ;D
That's not gonna work! You can't drink any till you're done cause the front will come down. O:)
You have to have a case of beer AND a bottle of whiskey. Drink whiskey while working, then when done, drink the beer! ::014::
 

2112

It's pronounced 'Twenty-one-twelve'
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
Messages
1,387
Location
Northumberland, UK
The Mrs used to be into scuba diving years ago and has an old lead weight belt lying around in the garage. I was going to bin it but it's just the right weight to drop into the top box and lift the front wheel, ideal for tyre changes.
 

yoyo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2016
Messages
915
Location
Swansea UK
Oh yeah! half a turn then fetch the spinner from the other side of the garage and start again? :D
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
Messages
4,548
Location
Ventura, CA
Andylaser said:
Put a case of beer on the carrying rack.

You dont want to dehydrate while working on the bike. ;D
Just have to make sure you finish the job before you finish the beer!

I use a floor jack with a piece of pine shelving between the Jack and the sump.


-Jeff
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,371
Location
Tupelo, MS
For the garage, I use a plain wheel stand that connects at the bottom of the forks. Those are all over ebay for reasonable prices. Ditto for the more complex triple tree stand that allows you to remove fork legs and keep the bike in the air. For that work I use the scissor jack under the Rumbux bash frame, as someone else mentioned. Be careful if doing it with the oem sump unguarded, and as was mentioned earlier, don't lift more than to the point where the rear wheel touches the floor. Or, pull the rear wheel first, then do the front if you're removing both wheels at the same time.

For travel, I just made up a small bar to prop under the Rumbux bash frame cross bar. A 2x2 piece of wood would also work. It's not taking a lot of weight, just keeping it balanced on the center stand. I prefer not to pull both wheels w/o using the wheel/fork stand in front, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
 

stomp347

Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
288
Location
Conn
Don't laugh. Before I bought my stands, I would use a tie down and loop it through the fron of one of my snowmobiles. Worked great, kept that front end up in the air.
 

DamMechanic

Active Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2015
Messages
280
Location
Lewis County, WA.
JBB said:
With the bike on the center stand, it's the rear wheel that's in the air. What are you doing to put the front wheel in the air? I grab the front wheel with my hands and lift it, and at the same time, I kick a 2x4 under it. Then I get a 2x2 and prop it under the engine. Finally, I go back and pull the 2x4 from under the front wheel. What an inglorious PIA! And what would I do in the field?? Any ideas?
I use on of these and hook it in a hole in the aluminum skid plate.
http://endurostar.com/
 
Top