[skyguy]

Howdy. I'm hoping to get my new front tire installed this weekend (I'd planned to do it LAST weekend, but SOMEBODY decided to have a hurricane instead).

I have an '09 650A, with a H&B center stand. Will I be able to use a Vortex front stand to lift the front end so I can remove the front wheel? Or do I need to have a paddock stand holding the rear wheel as well?

I've scanned through the forums, and discovered innumerable ingenious methods of raising and supporting both ends of the V-Strom, (Hang it from the ceiling! Strap it to the walls! Weld a tree together out of pipes! Use a floor jack!) but I need to perform this procedure in a condo parking lot, without the benefit of jacks or lifts or ladders or helicopters or burly assistants or magical elves. It's just me, the center stand, and the Vortex.

So: Is the center stand + Vortex front stand a safe and stable combination? Enough to leave it for a couple of hours while I get the new tire installed?
Earthquake-proof? (apparently, we have earthquakes now, too)

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[garandman]

If the rear wheel is in place I don't see any problem.

I have a Woodcraft stand for my SV, want me to try it with the center stand tomorrow?

 

[SV Racing Parts]

Hi, you will be fine for sure if the front stand is a stem stand, meaning using a pin the steering stem to hold the bike,

If you have a front stand that works under your forks, then get the bike on the center stand, and then install the front stand, remove the rear wheel first, and then put something to block up the bike under the swing arm just enough to keep it stable if you were to put pressure backwards on the bike with the wheel off,

Now remove the front wheel, and go change your tires,

On your return install the front wheel first and then remove the blocks under the swing arm, install rear wheel, drop the front stand and walla, you are done,

Enjoy the ride, and best regards,
Blair

 

[Yak]

Whenever I have removed the front wheel, I either jam something under the engine to tilt the bike back onto the rear wheel or placed weight on the luggage rack (about 40 pounds is enough) to tilt it to the rear wheel. More than stable enough. Most of the weight is still on the centrestand so it doesn't take much.

 

[JPK]

You should be fine. We recently serviced my buddy's front forks with the bike on it's centerstand and a Pit Bull front stand. It was plenty stable enough to remove the front wheel and forks.

 

[water warrior]

Whenever I have removed the front wheel, I either jam something under the engine to tilt the bike back onto the rear wheel or placed weight on the luggage rack (about 40 pounds is enough) to tilt it to the rear wheel. More than stable enough. Most of the weight is still on the centrestand so it doesn't take much.

That's all I do too.

 

[PMC]

Another one who has used the center stand with a front stand no issues.
I've only used one to pull the front wheel off for tire replacement but it wasn't a big deal. I didn't use the triple clamp type and just lifted from the bottom of the forks, all good.

 

[skyguy]

Thanks for the replies, everybody! I knew this was the place to ask.

And yes, the Vortex is a "pin" type stand. I'm only using it so I can remove my front wheel, but it's good to know that I can also service my forks using this stand (but not my bearings).

Thanks again! Now fingers crossed for no earthquakes or hurricanes today.

 

[Scott E. Bonds]

I put two bags of kitty litter in my rear top box and the bike on the center stand. The rear weight was enough to hold the bike up. No kitty litter at your place? Have your girlfriend/wife sit on it and guard it for you while away.


PS - you probably know, but only 1 caliper needs removal not both.

 

[skyguy]

The deed is done. The Vortex stand worked perfectly; the front end lifted up very easily and felt quite secure. Thanks to suggestions on Stromtrooper, I loosened all the various bolts prior to ascent (pinch bolt, axle, ABS sensor bracket, right brake caliper) and they were easily removed once the bike was on the stand.

Did run in to a slight issue with fender clearance, though. The stand isn't quite tall enough to drop the wheel clear, so I had to remove the two hex bolts on the sides of the fender and loosen the small nuts on either side that hold the brake lines. After removing the fork brace, I could then pivot the fender up enough to allow the wheel to be removed.

New tire in place (Tourance EXP), wheel back on the bike. As with the removal, I threaded the various bolts in finger-tight until I got everything back together and the wheel back on the ground, then torqued to spec with the bike on the sidestand (blue threadlocker used on brake caliper bolts & ABS sensor).

THANKS again for all your suggestions, folks!

 

[SV Racing Parts]

Good Work. The one suggestion I would make to you for the future is to go ahead and lift the bike up on the stand and then loosen the bolts. There is zero advantage to doing it before you lift the bike,

Likewise I would tighten and toque the bolts on the Calipers before you lower the bike, and certainly before I removed the center stand and put the bike on the side stand,

Best all these things be tightened without the side pressure of the bike on the center stand skewing any of the alignment, With the bike lowered off the center stand you can then give the front end a couple of pumps with the front brake to center the rotors on the axle, and then tighten the pinch bolts and done,

Have fun, Enjoy the ride, and best regards,
Blair

Not the end of earth any way, but I prefer to wrap it up

 

[skyguy]

Oopsie - you caught me in a typo. The bike actually was on the CENTERstand during the final torquing. I didn't roll it off until the task was done.

The reason I loosened / tightened everything while on the centerstand (instead of while the bike was on the front stand) was security. I'd seen a post in an earlier thread that suggested this technique, so that the bike would be in a stable position if you had to really lean on a wrench to break something loose. (as opposed to dangling in the air) It made sense to me, so I did it that way. But honestly, the bike felt pretty stable on the stand, so I may not bother next time.

Good to know about bouncing the forks to center the calipers. I actually did that as part of the fork brace re-installation, (before tightening the pinch bolt) so it looks like I may have done it correctly inadvertently.

Thanks again!

 

[SV Racing Parts]

Great to hear, Double up on the kudos for your Good work,

BTW: When you are using quality Front and Rear Stands, like Pit Bull and other premium stands like the one you used there is zero issue with them coming off the stands when breaking these bolts loose, especially if you are using the steering stem lift style of the quality stands,

Enjoy the ride, and best regards,
Blair

 

[Who?]

To do a front tire I put on center stand and floor jack the skid plate to place rear tire on the ground. I loosen everything before jacking, Did the front tire before center stand and skid plate were on bike by loosening bolts and axle, placed a 2x4 under pipe and jacked it over on the side stand just enough to roll out the tire. Worked, but not advised.... was a last resort effort.