Wheel Stand Or Lift

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FJRocket

Doctor Throckenstein !!!
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My recent trip to Smitty's Motorcycle Shop in Hooterville, MO has convinced me that I haven't spent enough money. Therefore, I was thinking about buying a set of "Pit Bull" type motorcycle wheel stands. They are the kind that you hook under the forks, on the bolts, or someplace secure and lift the bike up (front OR rear, depending on what you need to do) and pop the wheels off for service.

Does anyone have recommendations of which models and manufacturers to buy? Any "home made" remedies, other than using the centerstand and pulling down the rear (for front tire removal of course)?

I was looking at the Pit Bulls and they seem a little pricey for what they are. Who else makes those wheeled jack stand thingies, and where do you get them?

TIA!

 
I agree they are pricey, but from what I've seen the quality is first rate, kind of a lifetime purchase. When I'm ready for the rotor job, think Ill buy the Pitbull as well.

 
Does anyone have recommendations of which models and manufacturers to buy? Any "home made" remedies, other than using the centerstand and pulling down the rear (for front tire removal of course)?
Let me get some pictures at home tonight. I use the FJR's centerstand for the rear wheel removal, so there should be absolutely NO need for a pit bull for the back. My simple front wheel stand should cost you less than $5 easy. The other piece of equipment I use is the floor jack for the car. All it takes is a very small amount of lift to get the front tire off the ground, and then insert my stand and lower the jack. Heck, you could have somebody put their weight on the rear of the bike by pushing down on the passenger seat, it doesn't take much to get the front wheel off the ground with the bike on the center stand. For that matter, it doesn't take much to get the front wheel off the ground, PERIOD ;)

 
The Pit Bulls are very nice. If you want to invest in commercial stands, they're a great choice.

Since the FJR has a centerstand, I'd think a rear stand would be of very marginal usefulness. My experience with rear stands is that spooled models are much easier to use and safer than platform models which makes the FJR application difficult as the swingarm is not drilled for spools.

If you don't want to buy a front stand, you can finess it a couple ways: 1) hang the bike from supports, either one's you build yourself from pipe (several designs on the net) or from garage rafters; 2) pull the bike down in back while on the centerstand; or 3) jack with a piece of wood under the exhaust headers.

Although I generally avoid jacking under the exhaust headers, I've done it several times with the FJR without any apparant issue - on the FJR, the headers flatten nicely in one spot, so the stress is distributed across the entire exhaust system. I've seen dealers routinely do this also (not that this necessarily makes it okay). To me, the force required to pull the bike down in the back seemed really high and I couldn't find anyplace to pull hard enough down in the back to feel comfortable using this technique.

But a front stand would be nice to have. On front stands, I much prefer the models which lift from the steering stem so you can do fork maintenance, steering stem maintenance, etc. rather than just having something useful for wheel removal alone. Unfortunately, the FJR doesn't have a hole in the bottom of the steering stem to insert a pin so I don't think this is an option; at least not with the Pit Bull.

- Mark

 
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This is a great no cost stand for supporting the front.

The only addition I made to this was to then put a brick (firmed up with a cedar shingle) on either side of the 2x4, giving it support not only from the tire jack but on each side. :D

 
it doesn't take much to get the front wheel off the ground with the bike on the center stand. For that matter, it doesn't take much to get the front wheel off the ground, PERIOD ;)
I don't play well with others, so I need something that I can do the change myself. Kinda hard to push down the back and grab the front wheel out of there. Gosh, I'd actually have to have friends to do something like that! ;)

And preferentially, if I can get a stand to lift the bike up enough that it's easy to get the wheel out from underneath the fender, that's even better.

 
This is a great no cost stand for supporting the front.
The only addition I made to this was to then put a brick (firmed up with a cedar shingle) on either side of the 2x4, giving it support not only from the tire jack but on each side. :D
Thanks, guys! I think you guys just saved me a bunch of money. The shop that used to change my tires just used a floor jack on the pipes. I think I can live with that! You just have to be careful and not lift the center stand off the ground. My shop did that, and although the bike didn't go over, had they started wrestling the front wheel, my bike might have toppled.

Anyone using one of those Pit Bull type stands? Are there other manufacturers?

 
This is a great no cost stand for supporting the front.
The only addition I made to this was to then put a brick (firmed up with a cedar shingle) on either side of the 2x4, giving it support not only from the tire jack but on each side.  :D
Thanks, guys! I think you guys just saved me a bunch of money. The shop that used to change my tires just used a floor jack on the pipes. I think I can live with that! You just have to be careful and not lift the center stand off the ground. My shop did that, and although the bike didn't go over, had they started wrestling the front wheel, my bike might have toppled.

Anyone using one of those Pit Bull type stands? Are there other manufacturers?
I have PitBulls front/rear for the R1. First class! I wouldn't trust my bike to anything else! I may be wrong, but I didn't think they made one that would fit the FJR due to the final drive/swingarm not being at equal heights. I have the combo rear stand and couldn't make it work. Front works fine.

 
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I made and used one similar to Pierre's when I had the front wheel off recently for adding the new rotors and working on the forks. Worked like a charm.

Bike%20without%20front%20wheel.jpg


 
I've used a jack and a 2X4 under the pipes on Frank at least a dozen times now, with absolutely no issues. The only worry has been taken car of with a length of mechanics wire, and thats the centerstand wanting to fold up on me when the bike is relatively level or tipped up in front higher than the rear.

 
Pierre's link to the wood spacer gizmo so you're jacking on the frame and motor seems like a great compromise. I'll go with that next time.

Front stands become almost a requirement when you have a bike without a centerstand as you can't easily use the jacking up technique when you're using a rear stand. But on a centerstand bike, you can usually get by with homebrew.

- Mark

 
Since I'm replacing them with the spiegler lines in the next few days... I just let them hang.

 
Seems like with the Pitbull stand under the forks the front wheel would come off easier since the forks wouldn't want to flop to one side. Am I right on this? That was my reason to purchase the Pitbull.

 
That is one advantage. Of course there is also the disadvantage of having supports on either side reducing freedom of movement to guide the wheel in and get everything bolted up. Six for one, half-dozen to the other in my book. And you can always secure the handelbars with bungees or something if the flopping is an issue.

- Mark

 
Here's another option if you have a lift point in your garage/shop. I added a marine type stainless steel 'rope guide' to the gas tank mounting bolts(replaced them too). I'm satisfied that the two 6mm screws are plenty strong enough to hold residual weight of bike that isn't supported by the centerstand. Also, it will be helpful when its time to adjust steering column bearings since front end isn't loaded. Its a cheap way to go (my kind of farkle). I will use the bracket to attach the safety strap to my magnetic tank bag on longer trips.

The bracket, clamp, guide (what is it really?) needs a little modification in a vise to get the screw holes to line up but not much. Its a readily available piece of hardware at a marine supply store.

I have a box of the stainless socket head screws. If anyone is interested perhaps I can make up a few 'kits' for sale. Probabaly about $10. What's the general concenesus? Any interest?

tankhook18-30-05.jpg


Russ

 
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