How To Lift A Motorcycle Without A Stand

If you're like me, you enjoy doing your own maintenance work on your motorcycle at abode. And no motorbike garage would be complete without some type of represent your cycle. A stand makes it possible to practise so many repair jobs from things as simple every bit lubing your chain, to removing the wheels or doing a consummate front end fork rebuild.

There are a lot of different types of motorbike correspond different motorbike models. It'south important to sympathise what each i does so that you lot can choose the best motorbike stand. Sometimes you'll observe yourself needing to put your bike on a stand when you lot're on a ride in the case of a breakdown. So, this article will cover ix different methods for putting your motorbike up on a stand.

Center Stand

Center stands are permanently installed on the motorcycle usually in improver to a kickstand or side stand. Center stands are probably nearly common on dual sports, gamble bikes and touring bikes, although simply nearly whatever standard or sport bike can have i installed. Big, heavy cruisers don't generally have eye stands due to their weight.

The center motorcycle stand is installed just under the center portion of the bike and fastened to the frame. It is spring loaded to go along it folded up nether the bike when non in use. When the motorbike is on the stand, the rear wheel will be lifted off the ground past a couple of inches. This makes information technology very easy to do any type of maintenance on the rear bike and concatenation, or if yous just need the bike upright to practice maintenance. The front wheel, however, volition nevertheless contact the ground.

Utilize caution when placing your motorcycle on the middle stand every bit it volition not be as stable equally it is on the side stand. Center motorcycle stands provide only a narrow footprint and raise the middle of gravity leaving your bike more vulnerable to tipping over. Center stands aren't' really designed to be used every time y'all park your motorcycle but they can be really handy when parking on some surfaces such as on a slight sideways incline. The center stand is besides very nice to have if you practise a lot of touring. It make chain maintenance on the road very easy and, if you have to fix a apartment on the route, a heart stand will make that possible. Some other do good is that it makes it easier to pack side cases when the bike is upwardly on the stand up. I find it a lot easier to secure bags onto my motorcycle if it is upright rather than leaning to i side.

Putting your motorcycle on the heart stand tin can be tricky especially if you accept a heavy bicycle or if yous don't have the upper trunk forcefulness to practise it. But, at that place is a technique to it. Stand at the left side of your bike. With your right foot, hold the center stand up against the ground. With your right manus, catch the left side of the motorcycle (some bikes come up with a special handle for this) and lift upwards, while at the same time, kicking your correct foot and the eye stand forwards. The motorcycle will pop upward onto the stand. It takes some practise to get it right, but in one case you figure out the leverage points, it will get second nature. To take your bike off the center stand up, merely push the bike forwards slightly and the stand will snap support, and your bike will plop back to the ground. Be sure to hold information technology steady and have the kickstand ready to hold the bike up.

Dirt Cycle Box Stand

This is the simplest stand you can own. It's basically a small square platform on a box shaped frame that'south virtually a foot or ii tall. You will about often come across these types of stands effectually the clay bicycle rail as mostly clay bikes do non come up with kick stands. To get your motorcycle onto this stand you will take to lift it upward and set information technology on the stand up yourself.

Dirt bikes are non very heavy compared to other motorcycles and there is a elementary technique to lifting the bike onto the stand without injuring yourself or pulling your dorsum out. To elevator information technology up:

• Stand up on ane side of the bike
• Grab the rear fender on the opposite side
• Squat downward slightly and push your hip confronting the motorbike
• Elevator upward with your hip and legs and swing the bicycle onto the stand

Your legs and hips are doing the heavy lifting rather than your artillery and dorsum. When you do it right, it's a uncomplicated 2 2d procedure. Places you should Non catch and elevator are the pipes, the rear bicycle or reaching downwardly to pick information technology up past the swing arm. Doing so could cause injury (hot pipes) or cause yous to do a whole lot more than piece of work that you need to.

Rear Swing Arm Stand up

Rear cycle stands with swing arm attachments are a very common mode to lift up the rear bicycle of your motorcycle. These stands are designed to elevator the motorcycle by fitting nether the swing artillery. The shape of the elevator, along with its wheels, uses leverage to lift the bike upwards a few inches off the ground. There are several different brands on the market and most will come with different attachments to accommodate different bikes. I personally employ a Pit Bull stand and I've been very happy with information technology. You tin find them on Amazon. Padded platforms are designed to lift the bike from under the swings artillery. Spool attachments allow yous to lift the bike from rear wheel spools. I've e'er establish it easier to use rear swing arm spools with the stand and the spools also double equally rear sliders adding protection if your cycle goes down.

Nigh rear stands are universal and volition work with most all motorcycles. Nonetheless, if you accept a motorcycle with a single sided swing arm, you'll demand a stand designed for information technology. These stands piece of work the aforementioned way, but they will attach to the side without the swing arm by fitting into the bicycle axle.

Like any stand up, it takes a little bit of practice to hold your motorcycle in place with one mitt and line upwardly the stand up with the other. It's a flake of a balancing act, merely once you have it figured out, you'll take no bug popping your cycle upward. A rear stand up is hardly used by motorcycle riders. Nevertheless, many riders prefer rear stand for their motorcycles for extra safety on apartment spots. It takes niggling attempt to add together a rear stand with a removable handle to your motorcycles.

Front Fork Stand

Front end fork stands are similar to rear swing arm stands and you lot tin can often buy them in sets. Cheque out the price on a set here on Amazon. These stands are designed to kind of cradle the forepart forks betwixt two supports, lifting the front bike off the ground. The placement of the stand is super important because, if the forks don't gear up in identify just right, the motorcycle has a adventure of falling off the stand. That would suck if you've taken off your front bike already. Yikes.

Go along in mind that you can not use the front end stand up alone. It is non stable enough to hold your bike steady, so you must use it with a rear stand. Always put the bike on the rear stand kickoff. This will provided the stability needed to enable you to raise the front bicycle. Forepart for stands are peachy for storing your bike during the off season, for removing the forepart bike or working on the brakes. However, you will not be able to remove the front forks with this kind of stand up.

Triple Tree Stand

A Triple tree stand is very like to a front fork stand, but instead of lifting the motorbike by the forks, information technology attaches to the center hole under the triple tree. In case y'all don't know, a triple tree, or triple clench, is a somewhat triangular shaped clamp that attaches to the top of your forks and to the front of the motorcycle frame. Your handlebars are also attached to the triple tree.

Stands similar this will come equipped with 4 or 5 different size pins to insure you accept one that will fit your brand of motorbike. These stands provide you with a stable platform allowing y'all to practice a number of repairs to the forepart of the motorcycle, such as a front end fork rebuild. Find one that fits your bike here.

Snap Jack Folding Portable Jack

Not every motorcycle owner has room to store big motorcycle stands, or they want something that is portable that can be packed in their on board tool kit. That's where the Snap Jack comes in handy. The Snap Jack, brand by Tirox, is a patented two piece, folding stand that fits nether the swing arm opposite side of the side stand or kicking stand up. When you push on information technology, it snaps into place, lifting the rear bike off the ground by near an inch, or just enough to spin the wheel making it the perfect correspond doing chain and rear bike maintenance on the road.

The start version of the Snap Jack had a few flaws, but cheers to consumers who voiced their concerns and wishes, the company came out with the Snap Jack V2 and included a lot of improvements. When you buy it, the kit volition come with a Velcro strap that y'all adhere to the front brake lever to prevent the motorcycle from rolling forward. It too comes with two rubber non-skid pads that will assist in keeping the jack steady on a smooth surface.  Cotter pins lock the jack into place when the bike is lifted, to prevent the jack from folding accidentally.

Installing the jack is a little tricky and brand take several tries to get it at the right bending and so it lifts the bike sufficiently. In that location are a few precautions to accept when using the stand. When pushing the jack in place, as it snaps and lifts the bike, be certain to keep the fleshy part of your paw away from the hinge or it will take a bite out of yous. Also, when releasing the jack, keep your fingers articulate of the hinge. If yous're paying attention, y'all won't accept whatsoever problems with it, however, wearing a glove will aid protect your pare from painful pinches.

Hydraulic Lift

So far the stands I've talked well-nigh work groovy for sport bikes, smaller motorcycles or adventure bikes, simply what if you have big 1300 pounder like a Gilt Wing or a fully loaded Route King? This is where a hydraulic elevator comes in handy. These lifts come in a variety of styles and brands only they all more often than not work the same. They come up with casters and then you tin can hands curl the elevator under the motorcycle. One time yous find a secure spot for it to lift against the frame, you'll use a human foot pump to begin lifting the bike. Some lifts will come with a handle so you tin can pump up the lift by mitt.

Hydraulic lifts will raise the unabridged motorcycle from the center lifting both wheels off the footing. Some taller scissor lifts can lift a motorcycle up a couple of feet allowing you to work on the motorcycle while standing comfortably. Easier on the dorsum. Be careful of scissor stands notwithstanding, equally the bike will lose stability the higher it is raised, particularly large motorcycles. In any instance, when you select a hydraulic lift, brand sure you buy i that volition handle your motorcycles weight capacity. Non all stands are built tough enough to lift your heavy bike. Hither'southward i on Amazon that is rated to concur up to 1500 pounds. A good investment if yous plan to do your ain maintenance.

Hydraulic lifts also come in big professional person models where you can ringlet your motorbike onto a platform, some with wheel chocks, and then enhance the bike upwardly so you can work on it while comfortable standing. These are great for some repairs, withal, if you're doing anything that requires the wheels be lifted off the platform, you'll have to use a different stand up.

Motorcycle Dolly

A motorcycle dolly has a different purpose than other motorbike stands. Information technology's not designed to lift the motorcycle wheels off the footing but, it volition keep your bike steady and in place while doing maintenance and repairs. A low profile dolly is used to move a heavy motorcycle effectually on a solid surface in any direction. Let's say you have a limited amount of infinite in your garage and you want to park your motorcycle in a tight spot. Ofttimes bankroll it in tin be tricky and y'all gamble bumping into things equally well as scratching or denting your motorcycle.

With a motorbike dolly y'all will curl your cycle onto the dolly and secure it into place. The wheels on the dolly will allow yous to push it into whatever tight spot, against a wall, or where ever you need to fit information technology in your garage or shop. Very unproblematic, very handy. They are surprisingly cheap too and you tin find them easily, similar this one on Amazon.

Other reasons for using a dolly is if you own more than one motorcycle, or have a collection and yous may want to easily move your bikes effectually, rearrange them, bring one out for riding, etc. Or, if you accept a motorcycle that you don't ride very often that you need to occasionally move out of the way.

DIY Stand up

A lot of artistic people accept built their own motorcycle lifts and stands using woods, screws and nails. Sometimes y'all need something similar to a eye stand up or a hydraulic lift that lifts both wheels off the ground from the heart of the motorcycle. A mutual DIY stand consists of several 2×4 or 2×six pieces of lumber, glued and nailed together, this serves as the lift.

On one end of the lift, you can install a long piece of lumber, or long sturdy pipe to use as a handle. After sliding the homemade lift under the motorcycle, use the handle'due south length for leverage, turning the lift onto its side. In doing so, information technology volition elevator the motorcycle off the ground.

A homemade box stand would exist super easy to build using some ii by fours and some sturdy plywood on the peak and lesser. Apply some anti-skid rubber textile under the legs to go along it from sliding when you elevator the cycle onto the stand. You can too apply rubber padding on the meridian to protect the bottom of your bike.

On the road I've seen dual sport riders getting very artistic with stands on bikes that don't have a center stand up. Ofttimes a tree stump, a log, or a big rock will provide you with the perfect elevation to get your bike off the ground so y'all tin repair a flat. Be actress cautions when doing something like this and brand sure you don't puncture a pip or oil pan by setting your bike on a jagged rock. Use common sense.

Remember, that any blazon of do it yourself, homemade elevator or stand up is not guaranteed to concur the weight of your motorcycle or is it guaranteed to go along your cycle steady. While many people take had good luck with DIY stands, you lot still need to be cautious. The benefits of a manufactured stand over a homemade one, is that they are tested and rated to hold a certain amount of weight, and the company may provide some protection to the consumer if the stand or jack fails. However, if your DIY stand fails, your bike falls off and is damaged, that's all on you. And then, recall it through before you build your stand.

To wrap information technology up, at that place you take 9 different ways yous can elevator upward your motorcycle to make maintenance, repairs and storage much easier.

Source: https://packupandride.com/9-ways-to-put-your-motorcycle-on-a-stand/

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