Time for new shoes on my GS. I usually take it to a local wrench, but got a very good deal on a set of Anakee2s. I plan to remove the wheels and have him mount and balance the new tires. Any suggestions on removing BOTH at the same time and keeping the bike balanced on the center stand? Milk crate under the front forks? TIA!
Put a bike stand (or milk crate) under the engine, another milk crate under the forks, or a jack stand under the axle that has been reinserted into the forks... Tie down straps (not bungee straps) to balance it ... you can attach the other end to the garage door supports overhead... Most of all use common sense, and BE CAREFUL and don't work alone. :eek1
Here is how I have new tires installed. I bring the needed tools (no torque wrench) with me to the installer. Put the bike on the center stand on a secure, level surface. Remove the rear caliper and then the rear wheel and have the new rear tire mounted. Prepare the front wheel for removal while the rear tire is being installed. Once the new tire is mounted, install the rear wheel and then removed the front wheel. As the new front tire is being fitted, I completed the rear wheel installation and fit the rear caliper. Once the new front tire is fitted, completed the wheel installation. Once back at your garage, torque all fasteners as needed. This way, there is no danger of the bike coming off the center stand and you don't tie up the installer. It can all be done in 30 minutes.
That's exactly what I DON'T want to happen I'm going to try the jack stand method and see if I'm comfortable with it -- if not, two trips may be in order. kfs
Understood and I actually thought about that -- it certainly wouldn't be the first time she's been down. We'll see how the other method works first -- I'll report back. kfs
I usually remove the rear first. Then rest the final drive on something that keeps the front of the bike tilted upward. Then remove the front. As a side note I have gotten into the habit of securing the center stand to the front of the bike to keep it from folding over if it's knocked or something.
on the regular inline 4 bike, K13S or S1000RR, the dealer would use the exhaust manifold as point to jacked all the weight of the bike for the tire change. However, i will think using regular front stand plus some playing weight distribution method on the center stand should suffice...no?
I removed the rear one first and tied it down. But if you try to losen the strap even an inch... been there done that.
From some old thread on here I learned the trick of strapping the center stand forward so it cant fold back. Then remove the rear and gently set it down on the final drive (with some kind of pad underneath). Now the nose is skyward and you remove the front wheel. No extra stands needed. I wouldn't recommend this in a high traffic area though.
I strap the center stand as mention above so it won't fold back up. Take off the rear tire. Then I have a short sawhorse that just fits under the GSA rear pannier crossbar. I put it there and then use a jack under the front of the motor to slowly raise the front. The sawhorse keeps the bike from tipping too far back and the bike sits stable that way. Then the front comes off. Hope that helps. Oh, and if it is going to be more than a couple of hours I put a block of wood under the front in case my hydraulic jack starts to lose pressure.
i like and use "def"'s idea.... works like a charm if you are accomplished enough to tighten fasteners w/o torque wrench
And we are all skilled enough not to over tighten if we use a wrench without a long handle. I like the OE toolkit. But, do check those rear wheel bolts with a torque wrench once you get back to the house.
This is very important. Don't ask me how I know. Don't ask me about the scratches on the side of my tank either. Keep in mind that whichever wheel you remove first, the bike will be lighter on that end and tilt the other way. If you remove the rear wheel first, be prepared for the bike to rock forward and vice versa. I remove the rear wheel first and put an appropriate sized Pelican case under the final drive with a towel for padding. Since the 1100 is rear weight balanced (at least I believe mine was), it was good to go to then take the front off. It's also always a good idea to have someone to help ensure the bike doesn't rock forward or back when you don't want it to.
It works!! At lease it was standing last time I checked... See below -- I used a cable to secure the center stand and bungees on the handle bars to keep the front end stable. I removed the brakes, front and rear, then took off the front wheel and reinserted the axle. I rested the axle on a jack stand. I then positioned my floor jack with a towel on it under the torque arm attachment point on the final drive and lifted it just enough to get the back wheel off the ground. I removed the back wheel and gingerly stepped away I lowered the jack ever so little to see where the balance point is and as expected, about 95% of the weight is on the center stand. She's a little back-end heavy, but can be balanced with one finger. I raised the jack just enough to put some pressure on the front axle, and she's very stable. Total time: 45 minutes -- about how long the conference call I was on during the project lasted. Wheels and tires are in the shop now and I expect to be re-installing and riding tomorrow.
