Topic: Need to take off wheels, what to do to stabilize bike while they are off?

[70CB750]

You would at least bend it - better be safe.

[heffay]

You would at least bend it - better be safe.

i can pretty much guarantee i could have never bent that with 300ish pounds hanging from it, the steel was about a 1/4" thick.  it was waaaaay over built.  it was back from at least the 50s, it looked like.  before i slung the bike to it, i hung on it and bounced a lot and whacked it with a big sledge a couple times.   you know, just to weaken it as much as possible before dangling my precious from it

[heffay]

better be safe.

but yes, agreed

[CoachDoc]

Count me as a FORMER proponent (along with all my fellow cheap sh*ts) of the 2x4's under the frame rails to save a buck or two. Here's what happens if Murphy's Law strikes. Get the jack.

Coach, what is that yellow jack looking thing under the Blue tarp? Could that be a "JACK"?!?!?!

\\
 OK, I'm busted. I use the HF jack all the time for my GL1500, but I figured- what the hell, it's so much easier to just tip the front up and stick the wood under the rails. Neglected to factor into the equation 2 70 lb. canines who come tearing out of the house like freight trains off the rails. Down came that pile of boxes, and the bike was on the ground in no time. I amend therefore my previous post as follows: Get the jack. Then USE THE F***ING JACK!!!!!!

[78whiteorbs]

I have my front end off now jacked up with a 2x6  and the center stand - You guys are making me nervous   that 550 on the floor picture is making me nervous.....

hastily leaving to replace front end......

fwiw though I think there's nothing wrong with the ghetto jack but only if you are doing something right then and there and it isnt gonna sit for any real length of time - stuff happens . The last xs650 I had I came to realize quick I needed a moto jack as for some bikes you cannot use this method on because of the designs-

these fellas had a bright idea, think it's called the East LA (Louisiana ) method

[Stev-o]

That pic is making me nauseous, please make it go away!

[CoachDoc]

I think I know those guys.

[mono]

thought i'd share a bit of irony with you all about this topic:

tuesday night i bought a moto jack, but it's got a center cross-bar that prevents me from using it (fixing that this weekend).

anyways, my bike's been torn down for about a month now and on the CS and front wheel.   well last night i was working on my car and bumped the bike with my arse.  this made the front wheel turn, the bike shifted, and the center stand collapsed.  Luckily the bike's fall was broken by the plastic oil drain pan (for changing oil) which was underneath it.  yeah, i had to clean up about 2qts of dirty motor oil i hadn't bottled, but the bike is OK.

i'm guessing the center stand would not have failed if i had one of those front wheel stabilizers on, but of course i didn't.

after it happened, i just looked at the moto jack and threw it a few curse words lol

[heffay]

That sucks, Mono.

I was parting out a 350f (to a number of members on here) a few years ago and it was minus the front end at this point, only a rear wheel, frame and engine.  It was on the center stand and didn't want to lean back so I needed to brace the front.  I have a big army crate that sits just high enough for the steering stem to sit on nicely.  I wheeled it over there, by carrying it at the stem, got it on the center stand again and leaned it on the crate.  It wasn't over the crate far enough so I grabbed it in the same fashion and stupidly pulled it right off the center stand.  The bottom of the steering stem smashed down on the metal crate... my fingers were underneath!  It only caught the end of my right pinky and the end of my ring finger on my left hand.  Both got smashed to hell and pulled good chunks of skin off the pads.  I finally lost my pinky nail about 3 months later putting on my snowboarding glove.     They were black for about a half a year.  The feeling in my pinky is just now getting back to normal.

[mono]

ouch!  you win, heffay.   i'm just really grateful that no damage was done to my bike.  i was ready to get hurt in the process of saving it from its fall --- i have pretty good insurance, so it's cheaper for me to get hurt.  plus, some time off work would let me stay in the garage all day...   hmmm..... lol.

[heffay]

I was wearing gloves too... garage day was cancelled for about a week.  Gimpy or not, guys needed parts!