Support for changing both tires

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Zoltan

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I have been searching and came up empty.

I have 2 new tires coming tomorrow. I would like to bring them both to the tire guy at the same time.

Can anyone share a good method of supporting the bike while both wheels are removed?

I remember seeing a home made front stand made from iron pipe. can't find it either. I do have a floor jack. And of course the centerstand. I thought about jacking the the front of the engine up just a bit, with a 2x4 between the jack and the exhaust pipes.

Thanks

Zoltan

 
That is the accepted method.

Bike on centerstand, perhaps with the centerstand on a 2x4 for extra altitude.

2x4 on jack under header, operate jack to raise front wheel.

Bike is now airborne.

The advantage of a front jack stand is it retains (hopefully) the forks, rather than allowing the front end to flop over. OTOH, loose front end is what you want if you'll be removing forks or checking steering bearings.

 
+ 1 to the above method.

to add -

I put a small peice of wood on top of the jack head to distribute weight across the header

 
Here's how I always did it:

Place bike on center stand. Place floor jack with 2x4 supporting header pipes.

Remove rear wheel mounting hardware. Slide rear wheel off drive splines. Do not yet remove from under bike.

Remove front brake calipers and front axle.

Slowly raise jack. This lowers the rear of the bike. Pay attention that the rear wheel passes beside the rear final drive. This will allow the rear to drop lower than normally possible.

Remove front wheel that will now easily clear the fender.

Slowly lower the jack untill the rear wheel can be removed.

Both wheels are now out with minimal disassembly of bike. I could do it in about 20 mins.

 
Haven't done this yet, but looking at the pictures (too lazy to go out to the garage and look), I am uncertain why the calipers must come off. Anyone care to esplain? Can thisbe done with the calipers int tact?

-BD

 
IIRC, the rim won't clear. The calipers actually sit "inside" the rim width.

Rear brake caliper also must come off.

 
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Here's how I always did it:place bike on center stand. Place floor jack with 2x4 supporting header pipes.

Remove rear wheel mounting hardware. Slide rear wheel off drive splines. Do not yet remove from under bike.

Remove front brake calipers and front axle.

Slowly raise jack. This lowers the rear of the bike. Pay attention that the rear wheel passes beside the rear final drive. This will allow the rear to drop lower than normally possible.

Remove front wheel that will now easily clear the fender.

Slowly lower the jack untill the rear wheel can be removed.

Both wheels are now out with minimal disassembly of bike. I could do it in about 20 mins.

Thanks all for the good advice, nice details Scab. I don't think I'll need the pipe rack with this method. New tires coming right up.

As a side note I'm putting on Conti Road Attacks...............don't let that get around :D

One of my FJR buddies says they stick like glue.

Thanks one and all

Zoltan

 
Oh, I forgot. You still have to take the little 2-screw reflector off the rear plastic fender.

 
Here's how I always did it:place bike on center stand. Place floor jack with 2x4 supporting header pipes.

Remove rear wheel mounting hardware. Slide rear wheel off drive splines. Do not yet remove from under bike.

Remove front brake calipers and front axle.

Slowly raise jack. This lowers the rear of the bike. Pay attention that the rear wheel passes beside the rear final drive. This will allow the rear to drop lower than normally possible.

Remove front wheel that will now easily clear the fender.

Slowly lower the jack untill the rear wheel can be removed.

Both wheels are now out with minimal disassembly of bike. I could do it in about 20 mins.
Gunny! Exactly how I did my last dual tire change.

 
Oh, I forgot. You still have to take the little 2-screw reflector off the rear plastic fender.
I roll the back wheel on to a 2X8, then align a couple more 2X8 pieces so the center stand will center on them, and lift her up on center stand. Now the rear wheel has enough clearance to be pulled out without removing the reflector.

Also when jacking up the front with jack under the pipes, there is enough clearance in front to remove the fork tubes for maintenance. Might be anyway with rear wheel removed.

 
Awhile back one of the hard core guyz had a pix of taking the bike to dealer, didn't want to pay full pop so he backed the bike up to a fence pole, enough room to remove the rear, then took a rope to tie the back end 'down' to said fence... seemed to work great.

 
Are the header pipes sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the bike for a day or two???

There's a ton of weight on the front wheel while on the center stand. The champion before this bike was my BMW K1200RS, which had 60 lbs, but this one must have at least 100. Most others were around 20#. Later.

JC

 
Are the header pipes sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the bike for a day or two??? There's a ton of weight on the front wheel while on the center stand. The champion before this bike was my BMW K1200RS, which had 60 lbs, but this one must have at least 100. Most others were around 20#. Later.

JC

I always slide the front axel back in & then lower the front forks down on 2 jack stands to hold the weight until I get the tires changed.

 
Are the header pipes sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the bike for a day or two??? There's a ton of weight on the front wheel while on the center stand. The champion before this bike was my BMW K1200RS, which had 60 lbs, but this one must have at least 100. Most others were around 20#. Later.

JC
Yes. But it's not a good idea to leave anything sitting on a hydraulic jack. Jack failure could prove an untidy little disaster.

 
Does anyone see any reason why you couldn't put some big eye hooks into a 2x12 in the garage ceiling and then just strap the front of the bike to them?

Glenn

 
Go for it. The front end doesn't carry that much weight really. As long as the eye bolts are secure it should be more than enough to hold the front up.

 
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Does anyone see any reason why you couldn't put some big eye hooks into a 2x12 in the garage ceiling and then just strap the front of the bike to them?
Glenn
I loop two ratchet straps over an overhead 2 x 10 and then under the triple tree. Just be sure to tie the straps back so that they don't torque on the windshield. I have to remove the front fender for the front wheel to clear.

 
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