71 R50 rear wheel removal jack point

[jdvorchak]

Where can I jack the back of this bike up to remove the rear wheel? Using the center stand is not feasible right now. I have it on the lift and the front wheel is in a chock and strapped down. I thought I'd ask before I put a board under the oil pan (trans pan) and use that as a lifting point.

[Bamboo812]

Just a heads up, these bikes are designed to balance on the center stand with one wheel removed, to aid when changing tires or fixing flats. The factory used the foot pegs to hang the bike during assembly...

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Where can I jack the back of this bike up to remove the rear wheel? Using the center stand is not feasible right now. I have it on the lift and the front wheel is in a chock and strapped down. I thought I'd ask before I put a board under the oil pan (trans pan) and use that as a lifting point.

I'm a bit confused about the phrasing, ". . . under the oil pan (trans pan) . . ." You had to be referring to the engine oil pan, since there is no transmission pan. I wouldn't want to jack up or block up the motorcycle with it's weight bearing on that oil pan either.

Aside from the weight of the bike being so close to the front wheel pivot point there are some other possibilities I can think of. One would be to remove or empty the gas tank, drain the oil, and simply lay the bike on it's side with something cushioning the valve cover. Another possibility, with the front wheel chocked securely on your lift, to place a jack where it can bear on the frame rails under the transmission. I have done this several times using a small 'floor' jack from Harbor Freight. I placed a board across the jack and padded it as required to not screw up any of the paint. As an aside, if you're using a Harbor Freight hydraulic lift you're probably eyeballing that cover on the lift under the rear tire. That cover seems like a very useful thing, but it's not. Simply, you won't have enough room, even with the bottom third of the wheel down into the well, to extract the rear wheel.

Ken

[jdvorchak]

Thanks for the clarification on the terminology. I use a somewhat unconventional lift. It is a 4 post automotive lift that I use for a motorcycle lift by putting the bike on "sideways". I am used to working on Metric bikes and can usually find a lift or jack point on the center stand pivot using a HF bottle jack. Now yesterday I just put a bottle jack under the rear swing arm under where the rear axle bolts on. I wanted to get the rear wheel off the ground so I could use it to turn the engine over for setting valve lash. But I didn't like having the jack there so I thought I'd ask.

Here are a couple pics of my lift in action with the HF wheel chock. Using this lift allows free access to the bottom of the bike.







A better view with a CB1000 on the lift. You can see the sliding support below the center of the bike. That is where I place the bottle or scissor jack to lift on the center stand pivot.

[bbelk]

I do this all the time. Lift the bike up. Run a web strap to the ceiling connected to something substantial on the bike that is above the bikes center of gravity. Drop the lift until the bike levitates. On my lift I use the center stand or more often, blocks under the frame. You could do that by spanning the two surfaces on your lift with 2x6s. Lower the bike until it is stable. If it is less than perfectly stable, keep the ceiling strap tight. I run the strap through the back wheel for the lift and use a wooden spreader bar to keep the straps clear of the seat. I usually just lift the rear end to get the blocks under it, but there really are no limits. My bike weighs a little less than that Goldwing.



In this case I was half way into changing my rear main seal and decided I needed help, so I levitated the bike, parked a trailer under it and then lifted the trailer till the straps unloaded.

[Duane Ausherman]

Some here, not me, might want more information about that lower photo.

I must contradict Ken on this one. We lifted hundreds of bikes with a small block under the engine pan with nary an issue. Sometimes we needed to stabilize the bike a bit, but you will see what is needed and you have the easy ability to do so with your very strong car lift.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Some here, not me, might want more information about that lower photo.

I must contradict Ken on this one. We lifted hundreds of bikes with a small block under the engine pan with nary an issue. Sometimes we needed to stabilize the bike a bit, but you will see what is needed and you have the easy ability to do so with your very strong car lift.

Okey Dokey, Duane. I sit corrected.

I just got back from Big Twin, the BMW dealer here in Boise. I was needing some parts and nobody knew anything about airheads except for Fred Wiley, a name that you surely know. He's very fond of the /2 bikes. We had a nice chat. In the course of our conversation your name came up (favorably).

Ken