Can I take off my wheel?

[Davemn]

I need a new tire. My mechanical ability is above average and I have almost every tool known to man but I dont have a motorcycle jack. I normally drive the bike to my mechanic to have the tire changed but its a long way and I dont trust the tire (leak). Is this something I can do? I have the manual. I know alot of you guys do it routinely but I am afraid of tipping the bike over or not doing the proper inspection/grease (splines) etc. Any advice? I think the manual says to remove the fender and I know that isnt necessary. Its a 98 Standard with aftermarket bags. If i do this, what brand/kind of grease do I use on the splines?

[cutter]

Its an easy job to do. Get yourself a mc jack. 1st hour of labor now days from the shops will pay for a lift. I've used a mom & pop cycle shop to get my tires from. They take good care of there. I give them heads up a few days before I pull the wheel so if they don't have one in, they can have in 2 days. Walk in, they take it to the back and back out the door in 15 minutes if I didn't hang around bumping my gums with them. Asking what grease to use on those spines is like asking what oil y'all use....    I use Castrol high temp water resistance grease. It's the carmel color stuff. Used it for years on the wings and valk. When the wheel comes off for replacement it's the only time it gets greased up, and thats about 20-24k a year. There has all ways been plenty of paste on the splines.
Be sure you check the 3 O-rings and replace if ya need to.

[hubcapsc]

I've removed the wheel all the different ways I've read about here, pipes on, pipes off, pipes wedged out, fender on,
fender off, shocks on, shocks off... there's a difference between what's "necessary" and which way is best for you...

My favorite way by far is to pop off the rear fender section, take off the shocks and never jack the bike up
but an inch or two...



I've never done it without a bike jack and an adapter... I bet my way would suck on an Interstate. I have bags and
rails on my Tourer - Rattlebars quick bag drop kit makes short work of all that stuff...

-Mike

[Joe Hummer]

Since you have a standard...it will be a little tougher.  I would suggest getting a MC Jack.  Mine is a Sears unit but you can also get a reasonable one from Harbor Freight.  You will need to stack wood or build a jack adapter similar to this one:  http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/lowtechlift.htm

Once you have the bike in the air, do not remove the exhausts.  You don't have to.  Remove your bags, remove the shocks, remove your axle nut and rear brake bolt (that goes through the swing arm), and lift the wheel until the axle clears the mufflers (I use a ratcheting strap to pull my swing arm up).  Once it does, pull the axle.  Now that you have it out, lower the swingarm and remove the brake and wheel.  installation is just the opposite.  The wheel will stay on the final drive without the axle in place. Make sure you loosen your 4 final drive bolts (the ones that hold it on the axle tube) and don't tighten them until you have torqued the axle nut back on.  This will ensure you have the proper alignment on the final drive unit and splines.  

I use the Honda Moly Paste on my drive splines.  

Joe

[vanagon40]

With the rear, you do not need to remove the fender, but you will be required to raise the bike much higher.  If you remove the fender (it is only three bolts and a wire harness connector) you need to raise the bike only an inch or so off the ground.  I change the rear with the bike on the centerstand.

If you have above average mechanical ability, I expect you would be able to figure out a way to raise the bike and stabilize it with an ordinary floor jack.  I have often wondered if a block and tackle from the garage ceiling would not be a quick and easy way to raise the bike.

As far as the splines, this issue has been beat to death.  Do a search for "moly" or "belray" (or "bel-ray") and you will be well on your way to confusion with regard to the brand or type of grease to use.

Removing the wheel and inspecting and maintaining the splines is not a difficult task.  A lot of folks who have had spline troubles were the ones who relied on paid mechanics to change the tires.  I would rather do it myself and know (or least hope) it was done properly.

Follow the proper torquing sequence, use an appropriate grease, and you should have no problem.



Daniel Meyers' photo from his Alaska Trip.  See his ShopTalk Darkside article.

[DFragn]

You can lift the front wheel off the ground with a hydraulic jack under the forward end of the engine while on the sidestand.

BUT, that won't work in any capacity for the rear wheel. Your either gonna need a center stand or an MC lift + adapter for the rear.

[Tx Bohemian]

I agree with all said here, there's different ways of doing this.

The manual says "remove the exhaust" which this will possibly lead to broken bolts, so don't if you can get away with it.

From a mix of information gained here from other members this is how I did it for the first time a few weeks ago:

I have a HF platform lift with the good "L" shape front wheel clamp ($20 extra) and an old "car scissor" jack that I welded on some angle iron, top and bottom, for stability. (years back I was too cheap to buy a real M/C jack, so I made one, cost $5) Few weeks ago I found out it works real well on the Valk for rear wheel removal.

I was able to clamp the front wheel and use the scissor jack on the frame behind the engine to jack up the rear, remove the shocks, and use the jack again to lower the bike (which brought the swingarm up) for the axle to clear the exhaust (6-6), then jack up a bit (couple of inches) and with the rear portion of the fender removed the wheel rolled right out.

This was the first time I've done this on this bike and once I figured out my jacking procedure this was one of the easiest rr wheel removals I ever did and I didn't have to jack the bike skyhigh like the other bikes need to be.

[RLD]

I did this for a couple of years with a floor jack and two jack stands. Put a jack stand under the right crash bar as high as possible, jack up the left side to place the second stand, than lift the bike under the engine with the jack. That said, buy the motorcycle jack and save some grey hairs.

Make certain you use the moly paste for the splines and the grease for the pinion shaft. If you use the paste on the pinion, you could plug the weep hole and cause future problems.

I'm in Eden Prairie if you want some advice, I could stop by Sunday night or any night next week. I will be north this weekend though. In fact, I will probably be riding through Minnetrista Sunday night on my way back.

[Gryphon Rider]

I have often wondered if a block and tackle from the garage ceiling would not be a quick and easy way to raise the bike.

I can imagine the fun of trying to pull the wheel off the final drive, or worse still, putting it back on, with the bike swinging from the ceiling.  Maybe with enough beer, your tongue held just right, and a smoothly rolling stool to sit on you could time it perfectly.

[DFragn]

I have often wondered if a block and tackle from the garage ceiling would not be a quick and easy way to raise the bike.

I can imagine the fun of trying to pull the wheel off the final drive, or worse still, putting it back on, with the bike swinging from the ceiling.  Maybe with enough beer, your tongue held just right, and a smoothly rolling stool to sit on you could time it perfectly.

Can't remember who. But, someone on the VRCC posted several times, in the past, with what I believe was an engine hoist with the chains catching both sides of the frame under the rider seat. Not my cup of java no matter how slightly pendulous it may be.

[hubcapsc]

I have often wondered if a block and tackle from the garage ceiling would not be a quick and easy way to raise the bike.

I can imagine the fun of trying to pull the wheel off the final drive, or worse still, putting it back on, with the bike swinging from the ceiling.  Maybe with enough beer, your tongue held just right, and a smoothly rolling stool to sit on you could time it perfectly.

Frank Smoak hoists, there's no beer involved... he thinks it's awesome and that the rest of
us are missing out by using a jack...

-Mike

[Mildew]

I used an ordinary floor jack. Put a 4x4 under the side stand as you jack it up. I'm pretty tall and lengthy. You may need to get some help if you have short arms lol. Stop by the junkyard and find ya a decent 205/60/16 for $40 - $45 bucks and you'll be good till the next 20,000. I was one of those idiots that read the directions and loosened the exhausts... what they've said, "don't do it".

[Gunslinger]

I have often wondered if a block and tackle from the garage ceiling would not be a quick and easy way to raise the bike.

I can imagine the fun of trying to pull the wheel off the final drive, or worse still, putting it back on, with the bike swinging from the ceiling.  Maybe with enough beer, your tongue held just right, and a smoothly rolling stool to sit on you could time it perfectly.

Frank Smoak hoists, there's no beer involved... he thinks it's awesome and that the rest of
us are missing out by using a jack...

-Mike

I prefer the hoist method. It really is nothing like the pendulum described. It also make me feel a little more secure. I never have trusted the MC jack, I know many use them without issue, but getting the bike up high enough to drop the rear tire out puts a lot of weight well above the floor.