Damn near killed myself

[ArmyValker]

I was pulling my rear tire today so I can have someone mount a new skin tomorrow... anyway, I had the bike strapped to my motorcycle lift by the fork (one on each side) and I raised it all the way up, started pulling stuff off. Anyway, I'm layin on the ground loosening exhaust studs and I hear *BANG* like a gunshot and the bike spins on the lift and starts swayin and rockin over toward me....

Anyway, I about pissed myself, but the bike didn't drop on me. If it had, I'd be either dead or extremely injured I have no doubt.... it was WAY up there. One of the straps snapped.

I'm still a little nervous.

[DFragn]

Glad that didn't go south on you.
Always safer using 4 tie-downs. I bring the rear straps forward to the lift and the fronts to the rear of the lift. Over-kill I know but better then "Under-Killed".
If that happened to me it would be days before they found me 

[John Schmidt]

Although I have a centerstand, you can accomplish the same thing by just lifting the bike so the rear tire is a couple inches off the ground. In using the centerstand, I remove the bags and both shocks. Don't have to but it gives me a chance to do a good cleaning among other things. I use a floor jack under the swingarm and lift it up enough to clear the exhaust with the axle. Remember to loosen the axle nut before jacking it though. I then remove the back half of the fender, two bolts...one on each side of the fender rail, and the top bolt under the sissy bar. Comes right off and the harness unplugs easily. Now, all you have to do is remove the axle, brake caliper, spacer, same stuff as always. Then just roll the wheel right out.

To reinstall, I use a piece of 30" 1x2 on a chunk of 2x4 for a fulcrum. Roll the wheel in place and shove the 1x2 under it to lift it in place. I can then hold it up with my knee on the board and slid the axle in place. Don't bother to mesh the gears yet, just run the axle all the way through to support the wheel. Now, you don't have to hold anything up to try and mesh the splines, just slide it sideways and work it until meshed. Then pull the axle out just far enough to install the spacer and caliper, shove it back through and bolt it all down as prescribed. The bike will never be more than 2-3" off the ground.

[ArmyValker]

Yeh, as it was, I woulda been layin there for hours until my wife came home. It's amazing how you don't even think about it until something like that happens.

[fudgie]

Although I have a centerstand, you can accomplish the same thing by just lifting the bike so the rear tire is a couple inches off the ground. In using the centerstand, I remove the bags and both shocks. Don't have to but it gives me a chance to do a good cleaning among other things. I use a floor jack under the swingarm and lift it up enough to clear the exhaust with the axle. Remember to loosen the axle nut before jacking it though. I then remove the back half of the fender, two bolts...one on each side of the fender rail, and the top bolt under the sissy bar. Comes right off and the harness unplugs easily. Now, all you have to do is remove the axle, brake caliper, spacer, same stuff as always. Then just roll the wheel right out.

To reinstall, I use a piece of 30" 1x2 on a chunk of 2x4 for a fulcrum. Roll the wheel in place and shove the 1x2 under it to lift it in place. I can then hold it up with my knee on the board and slid the axle in place. Don't bother to mesh the gears yet, just run the axle all the way through to support the wheel. Now, you don't have to hold anything up to try and mesh the splines, just slide it sideways and work it until meshed. Then pull the axle out just far enough to install the spacer and caliper, shove it back through and bolt it all down as prescribed. The bike will never be more than 2-3" off the ground.

We do it very similar! I dont use the boards tho. I also have never straped mine to the lift. The last time was the 1st time I removed the rear fender. It was soooo much nicer to do it that way. I can have mine off in under 20 min.

[ArmyValker]

Although I have a centerstand, you can accomplish the same thing by just lifting the bike so the rear tire is a couple inches off the ground. In using the centerstand, I remove the bags and both shocks. Don't have to but it gives me a chance to do a good cleaning among other things. I use a floor jack under the swingarm and lift it up enough to clear the exhaust with the axle. Remember to loosen the axle nut before jacking it though. I then remove the back half of the fender, two bolts...one on each side of the fender rail, and the top bolt under the sissy bar. Comes right off and the harness unplugs easily. Now, all you have to do is remove the axle, brake caliper, spacer, same stuff as always. Then just roll the wheel right out.

To reinstall, I use a piece of 30" 1x2 on a chunk of 2x4 for a fulcrum. Roll the wheel in place and shove the 1x2 under it to lift it in place. I can then hold it up with my knee on the board and slid the axle in place. Don't bother to mesh the gears yet, just run the axle all the way through to support the wheel. Now, you don't have to hold anything up to try and mesh the splines, just slide it sideways and work it until meshed. Then pull the axle out just far enough to install the spacer and caliper, shove it back through and bolt it all down as prescribed. The bike will never be more than 2-3" off the ground.

hmm, very interesting way of doing it... I might give that a try on the way back in.

[HotRod]

 Holly crap, that would scare the hell out of ya, glad your ok.

[fudgie]

Although I have a centerstand, you can accomplish the same thing by just lifting the bike so the rear tire is a couple inches off the ground. In using the centerstand, I remove the bags and both shocks. Don't have to but it gives me a chance to do a good cleaning among other things. I use a floor jack under the swingarm and lift it up enough to clear the exhaust with the axle. Remember to loosen the axle nut before jacking it though. I then remove the back half of the fender, two bolts...one on each side of the fender rail, and the top bolt under the sissy bar. Comes right off and the harness unplugs easily. Now, all you have to do is remove the axle, brake caliper, spacer, same stuff as always. Then just roll the wheel right out.

To reinstall, I use a piece of 30" 1x2 on a chunk of 2x4 for a fulcrum. Roll the wheel in place and shove the 1x2 under it to lift it in place. I can then hold it up with my knee on the board and slid the axle in place. Don't bother to mesh the gears yet, just run the axle all the way through to support the wheel. Now, you don't have to hold anything up to try and mesh the splines, just slide it sideways and work it until meshed. Then pull the axle out just far enough to install the spacer and caliper, shove it back through and bolt it all down as prescribed. The bike will never be more than 2-3" off the ground.

hmm, very interesting way of doing it... I might give that a try on the way back in.

Its best to do eveything you can before its on the lift. Or at least have the bike somewhat lower to the ground. I never start jacking it up till the tire is ready to roll out. It gets easy the more you do it. Once the fender is removes you need little jacking to get it to roll out.

[Steve K (IA)]

I'm with Fudgie,  I do most of the work with the tires barely touching the floor.  It doesn't take much pulling or pushing on a wrench with the bike up in the air for it to start rocking.

This almost made me piss myself.  Had the bike way up in the air and was near the back of the bike when all of a sudden "BANG!".  The front wheel flopped over.  I think my heart stopped for a moment.  It doesn't do that as freely anymore since I had the steering head adjusted.

[f6john]

I went to a buddy's house tonight and pulled front and rear wheels in less than an hour. never had the bike off the floor more than a few inches until the tires were ready to roll out from under the fenders. No straps, just the lift adapter and lift. Very important that bike is positioned properly. Not to be critical, but if you had a strap tight enough to snap it was too tight. Bike should not want to fall with no straps, regardless of jack height. JMHO.

[PAVALKER]

Not to be critical, but if you had a strap tight enough to snap it was too tight. Bike should not want to fall with no straps, regardless of jack height. JMHO.

I agree....   could you have had the strap connected between the bike and jack .... then jacked the bike up causing this?   I have had mine up without straps and changed wheels front and rear.

[Mo Lee]

Glad your Ok, would hate to read about you in the accidents reports sent out in email all too often.

[Tundra]

Glad your ok!
  Anything you can take away from this and share with us? To hopefully prevent accident or injuy to others? Was the strap old or damaged? Count your blessings! A Valkyrie on you would leave some injuries.

[Bone]

The front wheel flopping will startle a person. I started hooking a bungee cord around each fork tube to the crash bar. Loose works and if the wheel wants to move either direction the opposite side cord tightens to stop any movement.
John I like your method.

[Printer Mike]

Being a newbe Valk owner, I'm especially glad to read these tips. Just a few hours ago I was doing my first oil change. Had a couple of 2x4's under the kick stand to help level the bike, but I forgot to put transmission in gear. When I pulled on the bike to drain all the oil, it started rolling backwards and almost fell over on me. I quickly grabbed the front brake lever and got control, but it was a very close call.

[Jess from VA]

Another way to keep things pretty stable is to run a couple (auto) jack stands up under the front engine guards when you have the bike where you want it on the jack.

[VALKTERY]

I had the valk up on my sears jack with homemade wood adapter , useally a real good sturdy set up. I'm laying under the bike and I decide I need a few more inchs of lift . so instead of gettin up I figure I can use my hand to hit the lift pedal on the lift and jack her up . but, stupidley I hit the lower pedal instead, down she came ,  thank god I had the kick stand down, she teetered for a second and over on the kickstand she went...put that in the... I'LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN FILE...

[ArmyValker]

I went to a buddy's house tonight and pulled front and rear wheels in less than an hour. never had the bike off the floor more than a few inches until the tires were ready to roll out from under the fenders. No straps, just the lift adapter and lift. Very important that bike is positioned properly. Not to be critical, but if you had a strap tight enough to snap it was too tight. Bike should not want to fall with no straps, regardless of jack height. JMHO.

Of course your right, I couldn't find a good balance point without a lift adapter. So I had the bike strapped to the lift so it wouldn't tilt as I lifted it. Also didn't help that my straps where of unknown age and origin. I guess I'll be getting a lift adapter.

[BrettB]

Speaking of the lift adapter........what is the proper position of the jack on the adapter?  I have had mine up several times, but no more that a few inches off the ground for shock bushing replacement, cleaning the wheels, etc.  I'm getting ready to try wheel removal on the front and rear but I'm nervous that if I don't have it positioned properly, the weight shift from wheel removal will cause a problem. 

I usually position my floor jack under the bike so the left side lifting leg is within a few inches of the rear of the lift adapter.  The right leg just misses the bolts on the lift adapter.  Is that about right?  Should it be moved  forward if removing the rear wheel.............back if removing the front wheel????

[John Schmidt]

To keep the front from tipping forward when the rear wheel is removed, and to give you more stability overall...put a jack stand under each engine guard in front. Do that once the bike is as high as you're going to jack it to, shove the stands under the guards on each side and lower the bike slightly to make them solid. At this point you'll be able to do most anything and the bike won't move.

[VALKTERY]

Speaking of the lift adapter........what is the proper position of the jack on the adapter?  I have had mine up several times, but no more that a few inches off the ground for shock bushing replacement, cleaning the wheels, etc.  I'm getting ready to try wheel removal on the front and rear but I'm nervous that if I don't have it positioned properly, the weight shift from wheel removal will cause a problem. 

I usually position my floor jack under the bike so the left side lifting leg is within a few inches of the rear of the lift adapter.  The right leg just misses the bolts on the lift adapter.  Is that about right?  Should it be moved  forward if removing the rear wheel.............back if removing the front wheel????

........I would use straps if you intend removeing a wheel, also if you remove 1 wheel, a couple blocks of wood under the other wheel will give you good insurance the bike won't shift ..

[Skinhead]

To help stabilize the bike when removing wheels, I'll put a block under the wheel I not removing prior to removing the other so the bike is more stable when the center of gravity shifts.  Works well for wheel cleaning as well.

[Skinhead]

Speaking of the lift adapter........what is the proper position of the jack on the adapter?  I have had mine up several times, but no more that a few inches off the ground for shock bushing replacement, cleaning the wheels, etc.  I'm getting ready to try wheel removal on the front and rear but I'm nervous that if I don't have it positioned properly, the weight shift from wheel removal will cause a problem.  


I usually position my floor jack under the bike so the left side lifting leg is within a few inches of the rear of the lift adapter.  The right leg just misses the bolts on the lift adapter.  Is that about right?  Should it be moved  forward if removing the rear wheel.............back if removing the front wheel????

........I would use straps if you intend removeing a wheel, also if you remove 1 wheel, a couple blocks of wood under the other wheel will give you good insurance the bike won't shift ..

You beat me to it!

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I just had my lady up on the lift for two days. I was called out to work right in the middle of a rear tire service and new  front tire. I luckily noticed the jack started  to bleed down  after awhile. So if you do put her up to the top make sure you have the safety bars on the jack in the down position.  If I hadn't the valk would have been laying on the floor when I got home.

[John Schmidt]

After you have the bike as high as you're going to jack it, put a stand under each engine guard on each side. Lower the bike slightly so they have some weight on them and the bike won't move....period. It stabilizes it both front to back and side to side.

[vanagon40]

Another vote for the jack stands under the engine guards (and I use the centerstand to change the rear tire).

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I also built an adjustment block to go under the foot release to limit how fast the lift will lower so I don't get the quick drop if I push too hard on the lever. It makes installing the axle bolts by yourself a lot easier and less scarey. I like the foot release because it allows you to have both hands on the bike while lowering to help steady the bike.