Frustration with the 1200.

[John Schmidt]

For the last week I've had the 1200 off the centerstand and on the side stand. Sits fine. However, last Tuesday I was out for 3-4 hrs. and when I pulled in the drive and opened the garage door, there it laid on the right side at a 45 deg. angle. Thankfully the engine guard did its job and the tank wasn't damaged. Turned out the front tire was flat causing the unbalance. In fact, it actually pulled away from the rim half way around the right side of the wheel and it now sits so low I can't get a lift under it. Next step....remove both exhaust manifolds so I can get the lift under it, raise it enough to put it on the c/s, the the front enough to get the tire off the floor. I'll have to wrap the tire with a strap to compress it against the rim in order to reinflate. New tire, new valve stem, cleaned the rim before mounting the tire.....have no idea why it went flat. 

Wonder what it sounds like with the manifolds off????   

[_Sheffjs_]

I think you are over ready for a Valk project 

[John Schmidt]

I think you are over ready for a Valk project 

Jerry, I have one going on now, see my post/link re. the rear wheel dampers. I just need to get the tire changed so I can put it all back together. As for another Valk project, I have to unload the 1200 first. If it hadn't been for that I'd have a Bumble Bee in my garage.

[Flrider]

Sorry to hear John, any chance of having a couple of strong neighbors come over to pick up the bike so you don't have to take things apart?

[John Schmidt]

Yep, Woody is coming over this weekend to lend a hand. I hope to get the balance beads tomorrow in the mail, then I can mount the new tire on the Valk and have it done. Place where I got the tire changed was the same place I've used before. Charge me $10 cash only and I gave the the kid that did it a few bucks tip. He remembered me from the last time when I had the front tire changed out in January. That time I gave him a $2 bill and some singles and he told me it took him a week to get up the nerve to see if the $2 bill was legit. I told him I appreciated the fact he didn't mess up my chrome wheels. He was happy to help, in broken English told me "you come back any time, I fix you up." He's a hard working kid, I shook his hand and called him by name. He'll remember me, just building some rapport for the future. 

[OLDFRT]

I gave the the kid that did it a few bucks tip. He remembered me from the last time when I had the front tire changed out in January. That time I gave him a $2 bill and some singles and he told me it took him a week to get up the nerve to see if the $2 bill was legit. I told him I appreciated the fact he didn't mess up my chrome wheels. He was happy to help, in broken English told me "you come back any time, I fix you up." He's a hard working kid, I shook his hand and called him by name. He'll remember me, just building some rapport for the future.  

It never hurts to tip the guy that actually does the work, and remembering to call him by name and thank him goes a lot farther than the few dollars. Not in any way suggesting that you don't tip him, as that is important also.

[OnaWingandaPrayer]

John , can you perhaps roll it upon a 2x4 to gain the hight needed so the center stand will work.  I know when I had a CT on the rear of GL1500 (shorter tire) I would use that trick .

[John Schmidt]

John , can you perhaps roll it upon a 2x4 to gain the hight needed so the center stand will work.  I know when I had a CT on the rear of GL1500 (shorter tire) I would use that trick .

No, it's impossible to move it right now. That front tire it totally flat and pulled away from the rim on one side. You can barely turn the handlebars. Re. the Valk, with the c/t in back and 12" shocks, it also sits too low for me to get it up on the c/s. So I have a piece of 1x4(more like 3/4 x 3.5) that I beveled on one end and roll the Valk up on it. If I don't have too much junk in the bags I can now get it up on the c/s. Using my Rivco c/s is all the higher I need to go to pull the rear end on the Valk, gets the rear wheel about 2-3" off the ground....that's all that's necessary.

For some reason, the c/s on the 1200 is extremely difficult to use, I've always had a difficult time getting the bike up. Must be something I'm doing wrong, never had a problem with my '92 Wing.

[Thunderbolt]

John if you have some short scrap 2X4's maybe you can put enough underneath one side of the engine to rock the bike up on the stack and have some ready to slide underneath the other side with your foot.  Lean it up on the other side to get one more in until you get the front wheel off the ground and block it up.  Then slide the jack underneath.  Make any sense?

[John Schmidt]

Yes, I follow you Terry. Woody is coming over Sunday afternoon to lend a hand, we'll get it up and inflated one way or t'other!

[gordonv]

For some reason, the c/s on the 1200 is extremely difficult to use, I've always had a difficult time getting the bike up. Must be something I'm doing wrong, never had a problem with my '92 Wing.

I know what you mean. I couldn't get my GL1100 on the c/s. But have no problem with the GL1500 too. Now all I need is one for the Valkyrie again (sold mine), but I found it hard to get it up. 

[John Schmidt]

Well, between Woody and me we got the 1200 up on the c/s but unable to inflate the front tire. To get the bike high enough for the c/s, I placed a ladder over the frame at the rear. Using the rope already strung through the top of the ladder, I used a come-along hooked to a chain that wrapped around the rear of the frame. Once high enough Bob(Woody) was able to put the c/s down which made the bike high enough to run my lift under it. But, we found the tire had pulled away from the rim most of the circumference so I'll just have to pull the wheel and start over on seating the bead. We tried inflating it on the bike using a ratchet tie down but wouldn't work.

While he was here, he helped me get the rear wheel installed on the Valk. I've done it myself many times but it's always easier with an extra pair of hands. I'll finish putting the Valk back together first before addressing the 1200 tire problem. Going to be a PITA regardless.

[Skinhead]

I had a 1200 aspencade and it was the easiest bike to get up on the CS.  The technique I used was stand on the footbar of the CS and pull up on the rear of the bike (grip rails help) while pushing down on the foot bar with you foot (like trying to force the 2 apart).  Don't know if this is how you're doing it but it worked like a charm for me.