Changing my tires...

Ok this is going to be an obvious question to most of you but I am clueless about this so...I am changing my tires for the first time. The rear should be easy since the rear tire floats when the bike is on the center stand. How can I get the front tire to float (other than sitting someone on the back seat). I put 30 lbs and that aint doing it.
Also if the solution is a tire stand, then why are 95% of the stands being sold for rear tires, when it is the front forks that need to be put on the stand (since the rear tire already floats) OR is the answer to my question that the rear stand pulls the back down and thus the front floats ????

Thanks

 

For my old 83 I made a wood jacking block to go under engine, then used two bottle jacks under the frame to stabilize the bike, whatever you do, make sure it is safe & stable.

 

Center stand plus a jack under the exhaust pipes under the engine. It doesn't take much to lift the front when the bike is on the center stand.

The other option is to build your own lift like I did. http://vfrworld.com/posts/575727/

 

Also undo the axle nut before putting the bike on the stand.. sometimes they are far, far too tight...

 

95% of stands sold are not rear stands and my front stand lifts from both the triple tree, and the forks. I lift through the triple tree. A Pit Bull front stand can be used either way. The front stand on a VFR is perhaps more needed than the rear stand. Jury rigging the lifting of the front isn't safe and it isn't if but when........ A front and rear stand are the best MC tools I've invested in, FWIW.

 

Thanks to all for your replies. I could not jack up the bike from underneath. On the 2006 the pipes run all along the bottom and did not want to crush anything.
However, I had at home a bunch of heavy patio tiles and that did the trick (see pic). ON A SIDE NOTE: if you use this method, you do not need to take the front fender out to replace the tire, there is enough room to roll it out.

 

Although it looks like you found a way, seeing that it appears that you have an enclosed garage, maybe you can do like I did before I had my stands. Put eye hooks in the ceiling rafters, wide enough apart to allow the use of a ratchet style tie down looped under the frame behind the steering stem and you can lift the bike that way.

 

be sure to check the condition of the front wheel bearings when changing the tire.

 

Putting a jack under your pipes for this purpose is not going to hurt anything. I doubt that it will even mar the paint on your fairings under there. The amount of pressure against the fairings and pipes may be about 10 pounds. I have done this probably a couple dozen times for one reason or another and the bike has suffered no ill effects from this. The centre stand is handling probably 98% of the weight here. I don't think you are giving your pipes enough credit for strength. I know they are two different pipes, but we used to get a guard made from car exhaust pipe to wrap below the rear bumper skirts on our police cars to prevent the skirts from getting ripped apart when we went through the medians. We had never had to replace those pipes. Matter of fact, I think we took them off one car and put them on the next when we traded out the cars.

 

I have a pitbull front stand that picks the front up via a pin that slips into the steering stem. I have pins for my 1k and 750 but I'm sure they have them for the VFRs. This option would be the most secure of the options mentioned by far. The stand can be used for other jobs as well, like pulling the forks.



Of coarse, there are other "inferior" brands out there ;-)

 

So true. Pit Bull is one of those tools that is the best of the best. Dropping a perfectly motorcycle is simply not necessary and is stupidity in action when it comes to removing wheels. If one can't afford to lift a motorcycle the right way, what else are they fucking up??

 

I use a rear stand and a steel rod through the axle holes in the forks and a wood block under the rear disc brake. I already had the stand when I had a gixxer, I spent about $3 for the rod.

 

If the rod goes through the front axle, how do you get the wheel off to change the tire?

 

I failed to explain. I take the wheel off first, then use the rod to keep the bike from tipping down.

 

Ok, even I'm confused at this...

You put the bike on the rear stand.

HOW DO YOU REMOVE THE FRONT WHEEL ?

All the weight of the bike is resting on the front wheel?

Unless you jack up the front / jack up under the exhaust or place fat person on pillion you CANNOT remove the wheel to put the rod through ?

 

Simples put on the luggage and fill

 

That is true. On the centre stand, the weight does rest on the front wheel as you say. But that weight actually amounts to 10 - 20 pounds at the most. There are an number of ways to take that weight off the front wheel. Lint's idea is one. Some weight on the rear most orotion of the seat is another. I use a floor jack under the front of the fairing. It won't hurt anything. Or just lift it by hand and shove a couple pieces of 2X4 pieces of lumber under the fairings at the front.

Unless you are extremely careless, this will not hurt anything. Matter of fact, I suggest it would take some talent to actually cause the bike any harm doing it this way.

 

What Randy said. I start by loosening bolts and axle, get the rear stand and rod ready and next to me. I can lift the front with one hand and my shoulder to remove the front wheel. Once the wheel is off, then I use the the rear stand and rod to keep it from tipping over.
To put the wheel back on I just reverse the process. Takes a bit of practice, but if a dumb ass like me can do it, anyone can.
In reality, the bike can be lifted up with one finger.
If no one is around to lend a hand, just put some weight on the rear seat and you're good to go.

 

So this isn't the right way? LOL Did this awhile back, stands didn't work in dirt very well.

 

^^^FTW