How do I jack up the front of the bike???

fyl1982

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I have a scissor jack for a car. That's about it. Is there any cheap, reliable way to jack the front of my bike up so I can change the front tire and bearings without knocking it over? :banghead:

I'm sure this is kind of a dumb questions but I haven't really seen any good DIY solutions to this across Google/YouTube. :(
 
Does the bike have a center stand? If so, push down on the back of the seat until the front wheel comes up. Have a helper put a jackstand under the front engine mount.

If no center stand, buy one of these:
image_14601.jpg
 
All of the below suggestions assume you have a center stand. Start with the bike on the center stand.

If the jack is small enough, then position it under the front brace that is in between the frame down tubes. Use a piece of wood to cushion it. :thumbsup:

If you cannot get the jack under the front brace, then get another person to press down on the rear of the bike to raise the front while you position a block of wood under the front brace. :thumbsup:

If you have a very heavy object available, then you can also use a ratchet type tie down to pull the rear down to raise the front. :thumbsup:

If you are in a garage, then use a ratchet type pull up that is connected to the rafters of the garage. :thumbsup:

If you have a heavy friend, then invite them over for a beer and ask them to sit on the back of the bike to raise the front while you change the front wheel. :D You can let the front down on a block of wood if you are going to have the wheel off for a while. :thumbsup:

You can also remove the brake caliper and speedo cable and remove the axle nut and loosen the two nuts on the left side with the bike just sitting there. Then, if you are really quick, just lift the front and pull the axle out and then the wheel. :eek:
 
I put the bike on the center/service stand and then slide a chunk of firewood under the front of the engine to hold the front wheel off the ground.......called a hilljack jack, Jack.
 
If you're going to spring for a lifting jack, I highly recommend the Blackjack 1000 .....

http://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-jacks/w-blackjack/

Small and compact, and completely mechanical so no hydraulics to ever go bad. It's infinitely adjustable height lets you place the bike right where you need it. I jack it way up to ease wheel removal and install on the rear, then lower it to exactly the right height so the axle slides right in. Here's a vid .....

 
The last time I changed tires I pulled the front axle out and gently sat the front end down on the forks. Doesn't hurt anything.


Or you can lift up the front wheel with your hands and kick a concrete block under the motor. a 2x4 on the block gets it to a nice height.
 
Don't give your fat friend too many beers, He'll wander off to take a piss.

You have to be careful with jacking the front of the engine. Jack JUST until the rear wheel touches the ground. Go too far and the bike will come off the center stand and fall over. I actually didn't learn this one the hard way, I saw it just as it started to lean.
 
fyl1982,
You do not say if you work outside, or in a garage or other building. If you have access to any kind of overhead structure strong enough to support 100kgs, I mostly support my bikes by hanging them from 2 ratchet straps. Then you can work on front wheel, fork, steering bearings or whatever. It is easy to build a frame from some scrap timber also, a frame 5 ft high, 3-4 ft wide, made from 2"x4", with a little bracing should be fine for lifting the front wheel off the ground.
 
Don't give your fat friend too many beers, He'll wander off to take a piss.

You have to be careful with jacking the front of the engine. Jack JUST until the rear wheel touches the ground. Go too far and the bike will come off the center stand and fall over. I actually didn't learn this one the hard way, I saw it just as it started to lean.

That's the method I use to position the rear axle when taking the rear wheel off.
 
Get two pieces of 2 x 8 about 3 feet long. Nail them together. Get about 4 feet of 3/4 or 1 inch water pipe. Get a drill bit that drills a hole the same size as your pipe. Use it to drill a hole in one end of thw 2 x 8's Slide the pipe into the hole you drilled, slide the 2 x 8's under the bike. Use the pipe as a lever to rotate the 2 x 8's upright.
With the 2 x 8's up front the front wheel comes up. With them to the rear the rear wheel comes up.
Or look through the Home Made Tools thread in the tech section to see how a lift of this sort was made from pipe.
Leo
 
I see your bike "marks it's spot", just like it's British cousins, lol.
 
If the front wheel wasn't going to be out for long, you could have put the bike on the sidestand and put the jack under the front part of the engine and jacked it there, this would lift the front wheel off the floor, though you wouldn't want to leave it like that for too long as it would be very easy to knock over.
 
More than once I have used a small 'ratchet strap' from the bars to something overhead ranging from rafters to garage door track mounts to tree limbs. Works like a champ.
 
Step one......
Put the bike up on the center stand.

Step two......
Put a 90# bag of Sacrete on tail end of the seat (crosswise like you are gonna take it for a ride). It will sag at the ends a bit so it won't fall off.

The front wheel wheel will be up now.

You can keep all of the beer for yourself.
 
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