Raise bike for rear tire?

[T Cro ®]

This.

http://will.mylanders.com/mc/concours/notes/read.pl?file=50

And whatever you do don't follow step (4) as anyone who ever has knows that the chances of not ducking up your muffler bearings (packing) is slim to none.... You might get away with this working hours when the dealership is open but if you try this when they are closed the gremlins will shred your muffler bearing and you will then be forced to wait till Tuesday as the shop is closed on Monday to which at that time you will find out they have none in stock and it will take 2 weeks for them to come in.... Seriously!!!

[timsatx]

I have taken off my mufflers several times with no problems.

[T Cro ®]

I have taken off my mufflers several times with no problems.

Some folks have good luck with and some have no luck with; I fell in with the latter group...        

[bradleym]

I have taken off my mufflers several times with no problems.

I take my mufflers off for every tire change.  The mufflers are in the way of removing the axle, and also prevent the use of sockets.  I also remove them to lube the rear linkage, but I try to do it while changing a tire anyway.  After 100k miles, and many tires, I still haven't needed to replace the muffler bearings.  I'm careful when putting the mufflers back on.  Having said that, Murphy's law means they'll shed next time I pull the mufflers off.

[timsatx]

So when y'all remove the rear end, where do you disconnect it from? I have never done it so I would like to know.

[T Cro ®]

So when y'all remove the rear end, where do you disconnect it from? I have never done it so I would like to know.

All that is required is to remove the axle nut and slide the axle out or at least far enough to slip out of the brake stay bracket. The remove the 4 acorn nuts that hold the pumpkin to the swingarm on the left; you might want to support the tire/wheel while you do this. The roll the entire assy out/off the bike making sure to not let the pumpkin fall out of the wheel and land on the ground. There is nothing to fiddle/fart around with on the driveshaft to pumpkin as the is but a slip spline there.

[Ghost Rider 2]

  I just changed the tires on my 1400 last week. A few years ago I bought a lift table. Best tool I have ever bought. Have used it dozens of times. Makes life much easier.

[timsatx]

I did remove the final drive. It worked out pretty nice. I didn't have to lift the bike at all. Since I hadn't taken it out that way before I missed the bushing that goes in there so after I put it together I am asking myself 'self, where the hell did that go?' I finally figured it out after taking the final drive off again. I'll deal with the fluids later when I might actually get a chance to ride.

[connie_rider]

yea, same here.. Rain, rain, rain..........

Ride safe, Ted

[RLTherio]

I had to replace both the front & rear tires on my '86 when I first got it.  I put it on the center stand,  took the front off first and slowly lowered the forks onto pieces of scrap wood.  Then the rear was high enough to slide from under the fender.

[Summit670]

Lowering the wheelless front forks one must be careful because the lower you go the easier it is for the centerstand to fold up.   

[nevadazx12]

When I raise the bike on the center stand I use 2 pieces of 2x4 that have a taper cut on the wide flat side.  That way I can rock the bike on the center stand and push the wedge in a bit, go to the other side and rock it the other way to push the other wedge in and work the bike up onto the top on the flats.

[Mettler1]

Lowering the wheelless front forks one must be careful because the lower you go the easier it is for the centerstand to fold up.

 Very good advice!! Had to borrow a hydraulic hoist to get  my bike back up. Cost me a mirrow and and a crack repair by the left turn signal.