how to jack up your SV:(homemade front/engine stand)

do none of you have balance problems jacking the front end up....i had rear up on paddock stand with bobbin hooks then wanted to jack front up....sissor jack just behind oil filter on engine but when i tried to lift it was also slightly lifting weight off rear bobbins..........and got very unstable.....i was wanting to take me wheels off for new tyres but in the end had to take the bike to shop to jack front up

[northwind]

Yep, I get that. It can even happen with the Abba, the underside of the engine's close to the centre of balance so it lifts the whole bike.

If you've got a tall enough jack there's a good jacking spot right under the front cylinder head... But another method is to stick something heavy on the back. I used to use a big sack of rock salt, now I use some big bits of paving slab usually. Works a charm. Also, when jacking both ends always take the front wheel out first, the rear wheel is pretty hefty so removing it exagerrates things.

at the tyre place they borrowed me a front stand but had to have rear on first then we had to lift front end up onto it......the stand laid flat and seated into the holes at bottom of forks......

are some front stands 1 man only regarding jacking up....i made my rear one myself copied from a proper one......dont suppose anyone has any drawings for making such a front stand that sits under forks and is easy to do as a one manner...

cheers

stu

[northwind]

You can buy stands like that, they're similiar to normal rear stands but with cups or pins for the forks to sit on. Bit limited in use though, they're only good for getting the wheels out- can't use them to work on the forks obviously.

cheers for that...

thats what i initially wanted it or....wanted to take both wheels off for tyres.....never even thought about working on forks .....

thinking now about getting a good strap and making an eyebolt that i can parabolt to floor or wall for securing rear...

cheers for the advice

stu

I just bought a front paddock stand with the cups that sit under the forks.... This may seem like a stupid question...... Do I have to put it on the rear padock stand too? I tried it on its own to take the front wheel off and it seemed really unstable, the "wobble" in the forks made me nervous! Does putting it on the rear stand first make this better? I just want to take the wheel off, clean/polish the forks and wheel. While i had the wheel off i was going to get a new tyre on, but am not sure about leaving it on the stand while im away from it.

Originally Posted by Islandboy

Do I have to put it on the rear padock stand too?

yes, well according to most paddock stand manuals anyway, I think it makes it more steady having the two.

Cheers!!

Cant believe i was soooooo dumb!! On both stands its rock solid!!

I made one of these for the front end, those two ears on the sides lock up against two cap heads that are in the garage floor. Stops it sliding forward. Ride the front wheel into it and get off. Bike stands up. Hooray!

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/4332/standxs7.jpg

Please excuse poor picture quality, from mobile phone.

lol thats pretty awsome