Lifting Bike For Service/Tire Change

[claytucc3]

Okay guys, before you crucify me here just know I am a new Buell owner not a new motorcycles owner. With the exhaust underneath the bike it makes it difficult to service. What are the recommended and make shift ways used to change tires, brakes and other services for both front and rear?

[anrkizm95]

stock exhaust and d&d you can lift under the exhaust.i use a 12x12 block pick up the front of the bike and slide it under that way i dont have to work around the stands

[hdstn]

There are jack points on the muffler itself to lift the bike. I believe I saw it on here somewhere about making a cradle out of wood to lift the bike a bit more steady like. A couple of ratchet straps from the ceiling to the bars does well also.

Tho nothing really beats a pair of stands.

[upthemaiden]

I've also lifted my bike off the ground with ratchet straps. I changes the suspension on mine so didn't have the option to use stands anyway.

[claytucc3]

I was thinking about the ratchet straps also. The bottom of my stock exhaust is pretty miffed. California loves speed bumps, it looks like the previous owners didn't care to slow down for them too much.......lol

[upthemaiden]

I removed my seat and put the straps through the subframe rails behind above where the shock connects. The front I put under the stop triple clamp but you could also put it under the the front of the frame.

[Bolty]

AnyOne know if a bike with a factory race pipe can be jacked on the pipe or if the pipe should be removed first

[squidbuellie]

use a 98 chevy scissor jack it actually says jack point on the bottom of the stock and race can mufflers.

[squidbuellie]

the other way is to spend $100 look on craigslist for some pitbull stands
http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/8854_20110319124813_L.jpg

[claytucc3]

I will look into the pitbull stands....thanks squid

[DustyXB]

Clay, cycly gear is having a sale on front and rear stands now till the end of next month. 50% off. I just went there and picked up a pair of boots for $70 and was looking at the stands. The rear stand is the same as the pitbull but the fronts have little holders that cup the bottom of your forks. A little pain to get to the pinch bolts but, personally, id rather gave those then the tree lift.

[JG503]

I bought my rear stand at harbor frieght for 40 bucks. rather sturdy and built rigid if you ask me. For the front I have a car lift at the house and strap tie downs to the bars and then to one of the lift legs and up she goes.

[squidbuellie]

there was a tread a while back that we talked about stands. there was a link to $25 harbor freight stands
http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Buell-Lightning-XB12S-XB12Ss-CityX-XB12Scg/Finally...shes-home-

[Jobe Zeebuh]

yep. Harbor freight rear stand. $35.00

[snrusnak]

Just a FYI I bought a rear stand from harbor freight (I happen to like harbor freight) I bought the aluminum one, not the steel one. It was a really nice piece for the money but it didn't fit, it was too narrow for the swingarm. I ended up buying a craftsman atv/motorcycle jack ($$$) (harbor freights looked like a pos and was only like $20 cheaper) and I then make a peice to fit the muffler out of 2x6's. I love the jack and use it alot (transmissions, etc...) and I prefer lifting the bike this way because I can lift the whole bike and remove wheels, suspension, whatever I need to.http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/8503_20110220135021_L.jpg

[claytucc3]

That looks like a great idea. I have the D&D exhaust and it has a plate welded to the bottom of the mufflers. My setup wouldn't even need to be round like yours.

[snrusnak]

Well I can't claim to be the first, I've seen many others on here that have done similar to what I did. It works great though, and is very easy. And all and all the atv jack is probably cheaper than both front and rear stands (or at least close to the same, I don't really know what they cost). Be careful with your D&D I don't know about it's jacking points

[firebolt020283]

haror freight makes a stand like the pittbulls that fit our bike just fine for the back and then to lift the front i use a regular car floor jack under the muffler.

[claytucc3]

I am not sure about the D&D and jacking, but it seems a lot sturdier than the stock exhaust.

[upthemaiden]

Any of you guys own one of these?? They're on sale at cyclegear for $40, and I''m really tempted to buy one, although I don't know that I really need one. I know the XB fork legs are different lengths, but it wouldn't be hard to make an adapter to fit under one leg.

http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=RWM_SL11R

http://www.cyclegear.com/images/replacementmaintenance/RWM_NONE_NA_36176_NOCOLOR_MD.jpg

[BRatigan]

The steel harbor Freight model just barely, yet fits the rear swingarm of my 08 Uly. Nice piece of work for $35.00. Placement of the insert locking screws are actually on the wrong side but it still works. The aluminum unit from Harbor Freight works fine for the front aluminum (custom) sliders I made, but the aluminum unit is at its maximun design limit for the application, so I use it but realize its on the light side. Still all told pretty inexpensive. The cycle gear above also looks good for the front for the money.

BR

[upthemaiden]

at one point I bought the front stand adaptors for the cheaper hf stand since i already had it, and had just bought a new rear stand. They were a complete waste of money. The stand is full width for the rear so the front adapters need to be extended all the way and it makes an already flimsy stand feel completely unstable. You can lift the bike with it, but i wouldn't ever leave it up for more than 30 seconds, haha. The front stand is kind of worthless for the buell anyway because you need to be able to rotate the right fork leg to get the wheel out of the rotor, so I'd mostly just be buying it for future use on another bike.

[claytucc3]

I didn't realize that the bike was so difficult to lift before I bought it. Do the Pitbull stands work correctly for the bike or is there a specific model that has to be used?

[jimijeans]

Most stands are[somewhat universal] I always use these in my shop due to Safety reasons plus easy for working. Cycle gear is a good place to get one for the rear. measure the width of the rear from outside thru., the wheel to the outside of the edge of your frame. Mine are universal due to the different bikes.you can get by w/ just the rear one.and use a small(Floor)jack to lift the bottom engine area up to do the small stuff.I did this to my home Garage went up in the Attic put some 2-foot long steel 1/4 inch thick FLAT IRON double bolted through the lower trusses just make sure not to come down to low. Drill the hole about 1-1/2inches from the end of it hook up your ratchet straps THE GOOD ones! And the ceiling doesn't get really damaged.just two small slits in the ceiling.kinda like your garage door opener brackets but much better.Don't do what a friend of mine did.And hook the doors brackets. That was a bad day for Him.[smirk]

[claytucc3]

JimiJeans, I was contemplating constructing something of that nature. My ceiling in the garage is still exposed because I have an upper loft. It would be simple for me to install the braces. I just need to get metal and I would be good. make a floating bike stand.....lol

[squidbuellie]

clay

Do the Pitbull stands work correctly for the bike or is there a specific model that has to be used?
yes[up]
http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/8854_20110324073222_L.jpg
pit bull Newfront Stand F0031-000 $159.95
pit bull SS Rear Stand (Standard/Spooled) F0028-000 $143.95

[claytucc3]

Awesome....thx for the part numbers!!!!!!!!

[sewerman]

I have a rear pit bull and I am changing both tires for the first time. To take off the front wheel I was going to leave the rear on the pit bull and lift the front with straps around the upper triple clamp and my portable engine hoist. Does this sound ok? I figure if my lift can hoist a 700 lb Ford 390 big block it can lift the front of a bolt. I would think the triple clamp should be able to handle this. Whatcha all think?

[jerseymayhem]

Anyone know if a pipe modified by Hawk can be used as a lift point any more?

[Alfatango1]

Found these @ Flyncycle.com
http://www.flyncycle.com/Biketek_Motorcycle_Front_and_Rear_Stands_Sets_p/pdsdeal5.htm

[squidbuellie]

Anyone know if a pipe modified by Hawk can be used as a lift point any more?

i think you can only lift it by the front jack point(closest to the front wheel)


I was going to leave the rear on the pit bull and lift the front with straps around the upper triple clamp and my portable engine hoist

that will be fine but go underneath between the frame and bottom triple tree.

[Maas562]

here is my make shift way of lifting my bike. Basically the same as hanging it from the ceiling except I don't have storage/load bearing trusses above my garage so I used 2 ladders instead. Cheap and free (if you have ladders)


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/ramstienlp1648/912670927_photobucket_50600_.jpg

[claytucc3]

That looks like a good idea, just seems a bit cumbersome to work around those ladders

[Maas562]

It wasn't too bad, all I did was pull the wheels off to put new rubber on. If you had to do any more than that like suspension and such I could see how it would get cumbersome. Still beats spending $ 100 or so green ones on stands for now. :D