help taking the wheels off

[dchrist]

Hi, Everybody. I was hoping you all could help me figure out a way to take off both wheels without taking off the pipes and putting it on blocks.... Perhaps this is driven by laziness but I just put the pipes back on and don't much want to take them off again. its a pita. I need to get new tires, and I would ideally like to take both off and swap out the rubber at the same time. I have a rear stand and thats it. no center stand as the PO took it off for V&H exhaust. I was hoping for some input from anyone who has tried something like this. I have a few questions.

Can the swing arm still support the bike on the rear stand after removal of the rear wheel?

if so, how can I get the front wheel off also without digging the forks in the ground?

has anyone tried something like this before with any success?

Does this sound like more trouble than its worth to avoid having to take the pipes off again?

any and all input is appreciated.

Thanks!

d

[ben2go]

You shouldn't have to remove the exhaust.Just pull the axle bolts and drop the wheels out.I put my bike on the center stand,pull the rear wheel,tip the bike back off the front wheel, stick a concrete block under the exhaust with a piece of 2x4 on it,and drop the front wheel.

[dchrist]

You shouldn't have to remove the exhaust.Just pull the axle bolts and drop the wheels out.I put my bike on the center stand,pull the rear wheel,tip the bike back off the front wheel, stick a concrete block under the exhaust with a piece of 2x4 on it,and drop the front wheel.

so do you put the weight of the bike on the pipes? there's no problem there?

also, I don't have the center stand and I wasn't sure if the swing arm is still structurally sound enough to hold the bike on the rear stand without being held together by the axle...

[beRto]

Another option is to support the bike using the centrestand and a wooden block:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=27361.0

With a stock front end, I had to use a block 1" - 1.5" longer than Scratch's.

[dchrist]

Thats a good call with the block set up, beRto. Thanks for sharing that post. I can definitely get my front wheel off that way... but I don't have a center stand so I'm not sure the rear stand will hold the bike without the rear wheel being attached....

d

[gsJack]

Why wouldn't the stand hold the rear of the bike with the wheel off?  That's how wheels are removed on sportbikes.  Getting a front stand too would be the easiest way for one man to do it.

[ohgood]

Saturday I THOUGHT my new tires were in at the dealer. Pulled into the sis's garage, and:

1 threw 4 ratchet straps (from walmart no less) over the beams.
2 pulled off the seat
3 attached the straps to the highest point on the subframe (NOT the tabs) and the handlebar
4 break loose the axle nuts
5 ratchet the bike up 1/2 an inch

Ya, after getting both wheels off and driving over to the dealer, they said there was a mistake and the front was on back order till 6-5-2008. Great.

I'd love to have some stands like gsJack showed. Those would be sweeeeeet.

[lilbill]

1 threw 4 ratchet straps (from walmart no less) over the beams.

+1 on the ratchet straps they work like a charm

[dgyver]

I use front and rear stands or hang the bike from the rafters... sometimes a combination of both, especially when removing the forks & triples.

[coll0412]

IF you have a rear stand use that, and two jack stands under the frame rails(about at the forward distance of the drain plug). You will need a freind to lift the bike up while you put the jack stands under it, or you can do what I did and use a small automotive jack. Put a rag on the post lift and lift from the engine block just below the oil filter(not on the oil filter cover itself obviously). I would still recommend having a friend around to keep it stable, it will get a little wobbly on the rear stand but should be found. Use your judgement if you think its stable enough.

[08GSSteve]

+1 suspension or bike jacks. Suspension saves your back as you work from any height you want.  No bending down

[dchrist]

thanks for all the input... I realize now that the rear wheel is no problem.... I could use one of those front stands though. I think instead I'll either use a block or jackstands... I think either of those options will work well.

thanks again.

d

[ben2go]

You shouldn't have to remove the exhaust.Just pull the axle bolts and drop the wheels out.I put my bike on the center stand,pull the rear wheel,tip the bike back off the front wheel, stick a concrete block under the exhaust with a piece of 2x4 on it,and drop the front wheel.

so do you put the weight of the bike on the pipes? there's no problem there?

also, I don't have the center stand and I wasn't sure if the swing arm is still structurally sound enough to hold the bike on the rear stand without being held together by the axle...

No problem as long as the most weight remains on the center stand.It's nothing more than a balancing act.