| Author | Message | ||
     Uly_dude |
hello again. I'm planning on buying a toy hauler soon, and then travel around with my cycles all over the place. One thing I've been struggling to figure out, what's the best tool/stand to buy for me to take along with in case I have to remove the wheel(front or back)for repair reasons. Currently in my garage I have a large hydraulic jack and rafters to suspend the bike if taking off the front wheel, but I'm not going to be able to rely on those items to help me when I'm out on the road. Know what I mean? I've seen those jack stands that people have used, and that might work, but don't those utilized the hollow axles to lift the bike up? If I have to take the wheel off, that's not going to work too well, correct? As we all know, the Ulys don't have much underneath to press upwards against anyways. What are people using to jack up their bikes to remove the wheels, without resorting to big clunky jacks and the like? Any ideas?? Thanks for the help. Greg | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
Sometimes i'm using a small scissor jack that is screwed to a piece of thin wood. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I normally use a clunky old motorcycle jack and a muffler support cradle. You can find a PDF pattern here to make your own if you want to go that route. Here's what one looks like:  Here are the overall dimensions:  Here's the pattern: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/ULYSSES_PIPE_TEMPLATE-159411-204887-448574.pdf I had to replace the front tire on my bike while on vacation last year. I managed to jack it up using two jack stands, a ~3' piece of ~1/2" pipe, a small floor jack and a piece of wood. I put the jack stands in back with the piece of pipe through the rear axle, then jacked under the front of the muffler. The bike was really stable so I was confident to leave it that way while I drove ~20 miles into town to get a tire mounted. I'm sure you could do the same thing with the pipe through the front axle and the jack at the rear of the muffler to get the rear wheel off if needed. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I have a short chunk of wood. It's an 8x8 I think. I put a short piece of 2x4 on top of it and set this pile on the right hand side of the bike, near the jack point I need. Then I lean the bike over to the left with the kick stand down. This raises the front wheel off the ground and creates a bigger space under the muffler. Then I scoot the stack of wood under the desired jack point and relax the bike down on it. Depending on which jack point, one of the wheels will be off the ground and the kick stand is still keeping everything stable. I have used this method without any trouble for a decade. Any 9 inch stack of pretty much anything found on the side of the road will work anytime, anywhere. | ||
| Griffmeister |
I currently have my bike set up using Dan's method while I have my forks off. It's stable, inexpensive and compact. As far as roadside tire changes go, I have also heard of people just laying the bike over on the ground though I think this works better with the stock hard bags attached. Keep a blanket handy if you want to avoid dirt and scratches. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I live dangerously for light repairs. Two jack stands and a steel rod that goes through the hollow axle of the end I'm not taking apart, and a floor jack under the end of the exhaust I am taking apart. You can even do it without the rebar and jack stands if you use the kickstand as a third support point. If its the front wheel, I use a couple of tie downs to immobilize the bars from being able to turn. You have to keep your head about what you are doing, it is tippy. But if you just need top pop off a wheel or disconnect a shock, it works. | ||
| Prior |
A floor jack. Reep even let me change a rear tire, on his new to him, Uly, with a floor jack to lift the bike, a vise for a bead breaker and tire spoons, while I was consuming beer. I suppose he didn't have another choice... These bikes make pretty good tripods with kickstand, one wheel on the ground and something under the exhaust. | ||
| Reepicheep |
As I recall, I was the one cranking away on an axle nut when you politely reminded me that the bike could fall on my head. Which I appreciated. So you couldn't have had that much to drink yet.  | ||
| Ratbuell |
Pit bull stands front and rear. Rear lifts the swingarm. Front lifts the lower triple tree. | ||
| Mark_weiss |
For tire changes I just use a scissors jack and a small board. Be sure to break loose all fasteners concerned and then with the jack centered under the muffler at the indicated jacking point the opposite wheel is easily lifted. Support points are the jack, opposite tire, and the sidestand. If I am removing the front wheel, I make sure to leave the bike in gear. If I am removing the rear wheel, a small bungee cord gets wrapped around the brake lever (light pressure only). Both strategies are to prevent the bike from moving with the wheel off. The only tricky part is hitting the correct angle when remounting the wheel. | ||
| Etennuly |
I use Dan's method above. A standard cement block is 8", I set it by the front or back of the muffler as needed, tilt the Uly on it's stand, slid the block under with my foot, then insert a 3/4" to 1" board on top of the block and repeat. I used an actual small floor jack at a shop last weekend to install a new rear tire. Tripod between the jack at the rear of the muffler, the side stand, and the front tire. Hugh's thing is cool and very functional, but way too much use of my all important napping time for it's construction.  | ||
| Froggy |
I got a set of Pitbull stands a long time ago, work great on all my Buells and make wheel removal easy. | ||
| Arcticktm |
the template Hugh posted is my way and works great. Made from scrap lumber, added weatherstripping stapled to the cradle, which avoids muffler damage and helps keep bike from rocking left/right. use with a Craftsman AVT/Bike jack and it works like a dream. I add some tie downs to the jack frame if I will be moving it around a lot. With the wheels on the jack, it is great for moving the bike around depending on which end you are working on. Craftsman jack lift bars line up perfectly with the triangles marking where the stock muffler is reinforced. I suppose an aftermarket muffler might make this method a problem. | ||
| Uly_dude |
Thanks for all the great advice. My bike does have a Jardine, and I have the lower plastic cowl on the front of the motor attached, so that big piece of wood won't work for me. I actually made a wooden brace for jacking this bike up, but there's not enough room underneath for a jack - especially since I've lowered the bike a bit. However, the pit bull stands and/or the tripod method seem like good solutions. I worry about that kickstand though. It's not the most confidence inspiring attachment this bike has... Greg | ||
| Uly_dude |
Hey Froggy and Ratbuell, which pit bull stands do you guys use for the Uly? There seems to be a few different ones. Thanks. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I use a harbor freight engine hoist. It's sometimes awkward but it works. My old garage was crappy and had exposed beams above and I used to use a come-along. That was much better. | ||
| Froggy |
Uly_dude, I got mine from American Sport Bike back in the day, it is an extra wide model that grabs the swingarm and has three pads on each side, it works on all my Buells (except my Blast, too narrow) http://www.pit-bull.com/product/F0078A-000.html http://www.pit-bull.com/product/F0100-000.html (I don't recall which size pin the XBs use) | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've just got the standard rear stand, it's width-adjustable and I use it on my XB, Tubers, and 1125, works fine for all. I did notch the stands side-tabs to fit the spools on my '09 CR - 5 minutes with a grinder. I don't know what pin fits what, but I have the head-lift front stand and have all 3 pins (tuber, XB, 1125). | ||
| Johnshore |
I used the template to make my device. I use a 3" exhaust clamp to hold it to the floor jack. I put the clamp so the weight is centered between the jack wheels. I can move the bike around the shed with ease. I just did the rear tire and bearings and left the bike in the air for days. All these pictures where taken while the bike was running to warm up the oil before I changed it.      | ||
| Tpehak |
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