Am I the only one?

[pamcopete]

I removed my rear wheel to have a new tire installed and I used this trick to reinstall it so I would not have to lift the heavy wheel onto the swing arm forks.

With the bike on the center stand, I placed a floor jack under the front of the engine as I would to service the front wheel and jacked it up until the swing arm forks were lined up with the center of the rear hub and just rolled the wheel forward to the swing arm forks and inserted the axle. Smart Huh? Huh??

 

[madjap]

Pete, that's a great idea.

 

[CDNTX650]

Old guys

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Old guys

Haha, I just may have to start doing it thataway.

Back in the shop daze, up to recently, I'd slide a foot under the wheel and lever it up into position.

Graduating to 'old guy' status, I'll do it Pete's way now...

 

[CDNTX650]

That's how I do it actually. My versys is a real bugger.

 

[fredintoon]

With the bike on the center stand, I placed a floor jack under the front of the engine as I would to service the front wheel and jacked it up until the swing arm forks were lined up with the center of the rear hub and just rolled the wheel forward to the swing arm forks and inserted the axle. Smart Huh? Huh??

Hi pete,
sure it's smart. That's why we've all independently invented the procedure.
Back when I was a machine designer I was tasked to design a gadget to decontaminate hand tools that had picked up radioactive particles.
It being wasteful to use a $10 tool only once and stupid to spend $20 to decontaminate the tool by hand.
So I dreamed up a gadget that cleaned a whole bunch of tools remotely and proudly showed the design to my boss who said:-
"Congratulations, Fred! You have invented the dishwasher!"

 

[pamcopete]

Old guys

OK. Trick #2. I leave a short piece of 1 X 2 on the garage floor. When I roll in with the bike, I drive over the piece and stop with the rear wheel on the wood. I get off the bike using the side stand and with the rear wheel just slightly raised it's like 100% easier to lift the bike up onto the center stand. Smart, huh?

 

[peanut]

thank you Pete

Although I'm a 6 foot 18 stone chunk I have only once managed to put my bike on the centre stand ! I've nearly pulled my arms out of the sockets and fallen over the bike trying.

The 10 stone weakling in the MOT Garage managed it like he was lifting a bag of shopping.! so there must be a technique to it .

I'll try your tip with the wood next time I get the bike out ...

 

[gggGary]

I learned tip number #2 when I was into KZ1300's My K1200LT requires the same trick (some) K1200LT's have electro-hydraulic centerstands adding ANOTHER 15 pounds to the pig!

Actually a slight variation of #2 is how I get the axle in, use a longer 1x and a chunk of 2x under it at the front, slide the 2x towards the tire till the wheel is at the right height, install axle.

 

[twobowles1]

Great idea, thanks for posting the video!

 

[CDNTX650]

thank you Pete

Although I'm a 6 foot 18 stone chunk I have only once managed to put my bike on the centre stand ! I've nearly pulled my arms out of the sockets and fallen over the bike trying.

The 10 stone weakling in the MOT Garage managed it like he was lifting a bag of shopping.! so there must be a technique to it .

I'll try your tip with the wood next time I get the bike out ...

It's 100% technique. All done with your weight on the stand lift straight up. I'm 155 lbs and it's easy peasy. Before someone showed me I though it was impossible.

 

[XSLeo]

Keeping the center stand pivot bolts well lubed helps.
On the rear wheel, pull the shock lower bolts. This drops the wheel to the ground. This lets the axle slip in or out easily.
Leo

 

[fredintoon]

Keeping the center stand pivot bolts well lubed helps.
On the rear wheel, pull the shock lower bolts. This drops the wheel to the ground. This lets the axle slip in or out easily.
Leo

Hi Leo,
yeah, lube is good.
My Royal Enfield's centerstand pivot bolt had a grease point on it.
OK then, although pulling the lower shock bolts drops the wheel to ground level HTF you gonna lift the swingarm to get them back in, wheel and all?
Ah yes, jack up the front like you should have in the first place, eh?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Ten years from now, we're going to need tips on how to move a 2x4...

 

[pamcopete]

Ten years from now, we're going to need tips on how to move a 2x4...

I just get Home Depot to cut them into easy to handle 2' lengths...

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

I just get Home Depot to cut them into easy to handle 2' lengths...

Now, why didn't I think of that, thanx.

I wonder if I can get them to do that to my 50lb sacks of feed & seed...

 

[pamcopete]

Now, why didn't I think of that, thanx.

I wonder if I can get them to do that to my 50lb sacks of feed & seed...

just bring the animals under their own power down to the feed store.

 

[weekendrider]

Now, why didn't I think of that, thanx.

I wonder if I can get them to do that to my 50lb sacks of feed & seed...

At some stores it may be possible. My FIL has a hand(as in hired person) that needs special jobs.
One of those is to fill milk jugs with contents of broken sacks of bird seed and chicken scratch for his older customers whose hands(as in appendages on the end of your arms) can't handle/grip the bags/sacks anymore. And no you won't find that kind customer service just anywhere.

@Pete swap your 1 x 4 for a 2x and it will lift it enough you won't need side stand relief.

 

[I am Carbon]

(it doesn't matter front or back) I put a shovel under the wheel and push down on the handle and raise wheel into place and slide axle in
Ive been jacking up the front end like #1 trick except I use a swingwrm jack for the rear dont have a center stand.

 

[gggGary]

(it doesn't matter front or back) I put a shovel under the wheel and push down on the handle and raise wheel into place and slide axle in.

I like that one!