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Noob strikes again… oops!

tomeben

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2021
Total Posts
1,365
Total likes
1
Location
Cobden IL USA
In anticipation of finally having my new tires mounted, I decided to remove the front and rear wheels this morning. The FSM clearly states:
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And if you don’t, with the bike on the center stand, the rear wheel already removed, and a leaking floor jack… this happens:
eb337c3b4c6da7eebd465eaa592797d6.jpg

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I was kneeling on the floor having just removed the front wheel, and separating the brake hub, when out of the corner of my eye I saw the bike drop and tilt to the right. Oh s**t! I grabbed the handlebar and slid the wood under the right fork; just enough to keep it stable sitting on the now lowered floor jack.
My phone was across the garage out of reach, so after standing and holding the bike for a while, it dawned on me I have a horn. That eventually caught the attention of the Mrs., who helped me do this:
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Which obviously is where (how) I should have started. Whew. No injuries, no damage. And now I have a floor jack to tend to. The plan was to block the engine after raising the front wheel, and to remove the jack, but I was having too much fun learning how the front brake operates. Cheers, be safe!


Tom - 1982 CM450E
 
Yeah, I had multiple visions of which direction, and how, it could fall over. I’m glad it’s not any heavier than it is.

Your lucky Mrs came to help, mine would have complained about the noise

I’m glad she was home! I put a horn on my mower, and she’ll bring me beverage refills when I beep it… running joke of ours, but yes I got a good one! It did take a few more tries (long beeps) from the garage than I thought it would. And no, she didn’t bring a drink but it was still early.
 
That's what I call luck, go buy a lottery ticket now.

It’s dawning on me how lucky I was; to be close enough when the jack dropped. Then get it stabilized, take photos, set the phone back down, and then try to raise and block it again by myself - dumb idea. I may get that ticket on the way home, sitting at the tire shop now.

Most of the time when this happens it's a disaster, like the bars hitting the brand new car.

Spoken from experience? Sorry to hear.
 
Whew. No injuries, no damage. And now I have a floor jack to tend to.

It's just another one of those things that we sometimes do when thinking too far ahead of ourselves, and yet another to add to the list of "you'll NEVER do that again" stuff. And good that she was home at the time. (y)
 
...she’ll bring me beverage refills when I beep it… running joke of ours, but yes I got a good one! It did take a few more tries (long beeps) from the garage than I thought it would. And no, she didn’t bring a drink but it was still early.

Sounds like you have one as good as mine, though horn beeps from my detached garage might take a little longer to process for my wife. Don't let her get away!
 
Very timely thread as I am about to pull the front wheel on the CL350 for cleanup and tire / bearing change. Glad it all worked out!
 
Very timely thread as I am about to pull the front wheel on the CL350 for cleanup and tire / bearing change. Glad it all worked out!

Thanks. I would have been ok had the jack not dropped.
Easier with a helping hand; you can raise the front end (I was able to lift by the handlebars, and I’m a skinny dude) while they slide a block(s) or jack stand under the engine. Lift up, don’t pull forward, or you’ll rock it off the center stand. Or use a jack carefully; my floor jack is to big, it ends up being right where I need to put the block or stand.
The boards under the engine in my last photo are 9-1/4” wide, plenty of room to remove/install the front wheel.
 
Stuff happens. When you have the bike on the center stand and you're working on stuff on the engine or frame it's good to secure the front rim to the frame with a tie-down. It keeps the wheel from twisting when you start to torque something or start whacking something with a mallet and it proves a little resistance to twisting the frame forward off the stand. A wheel chock is also a good idea. I torqued an MP3 scooter right off a wood block and it fell over in my garage, twice. That sucker is heavy, and the center of gravity is high.
 
If you have exposed rafters in the garage you can run a strap around one and down to the bike for safety. Also when working on the back up on the center stand you can run a strap thru the front wheel and back to the stand on both side pulling it forward so it can't fold up.
 
If you have exposed rafters in the garage you can run a strap around one and down to the bike for safety. Also when working on the back up on the center stand you can run a strap thru the front wheel and back to the stand on both side pulling it forward so it can't fold up.

I don’t, but I’ve considered making holes for that, and for a small hoist. A couple years ago, before I found the center stand, I changed fork oil and seals with the front end suspended under a step ladder.
I like the strap idea tied to the stand, even safer still! Thanks.
 
if you have access to above your garage ceiling, you could take that 3 ply 2 x 10 beam up there and lay it across the top of two ceiling joists. if you bore a hole through the center of that short beam for a length of chain to hang down through the ceiling you can put a hook on the end for future hoisting needs. if you need to hoist something really heavy, use some wood to strap the ceiling joists to the rafters for extra stability.
 
if you have access to above your garage ceiling, you could take that 3 ply 2 x 10 beam up there and lay it across the top of two ceiling joists. if you bore a hole through the center of that short beam for a length of chain to hang down through the ceiling you can put a hook on the end for future hoisting needs. if you need to hoist something really heavy, use some wood to strap the ceiling joists to the rafters for extra stability.

I do, there’s a full attic up there. Great idea, also… I knew I’d have to block and support the bottom of the roof trusses (only 2x4’s) before I hung something heavy from them. The 2x10’s laying perpendicular would work great. Heavy being the motorcycle, or my 900# mower. Thanks, Paul.


Tom - 1982 CM450E
 
What I've always done is to use some tie-downs and hang the front end by the handlebars from garage rafters. Using this and the center stand is very secure.

frontendsupportsm.jpg
 
I knew I’d have to block and support the bottom of the roof trusses (only 2x4’s)

oh, if you have trusses, then you already have the truss webs supporting the joists even though they're 2x4 you'll be strong enough with that.
i was picturing a stick framed roof in my comment, with completely open attic.
 
even though they're 2x4 you'll be strong enough with that.

Here’s what I have, green arrows are what the garage ceiling (attic floor) is attached to. Make a hole and loop the chain over? Strong enough for the mower - only lifting the front end enough to get under the deck, motor/rear end would be sitting on the ground? Guess it would be if it’s strong enough to hold the bike up.
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I got a bit ahead of myself, reassembling this bike and realized that I had no way to put the wheels on. Duh!
In the attic I put a couple of 8 foot 2x10's on edge across the trusses, just to be on the safe side.

Nice looking garage!
I did the same thing when I re-blocked mine after it tilted on the jack, I still had to raise it higher to get the front wheel to clear the fender.
Your setup with the hoist is just what I had in mind, thanks for the photos.
 
you would be better off distributing the load over a couple of truss joists by laying your 3 ply beam down over them. it looked like it was longer than 2 ft. in the pic.
it's unusual to see a flake board ceiling in a garage.


0ec4fd787fc9c2377fc95a09ae6c9313.jpg
 
you would be better off distributing the load over a couple of truss joists by laying your 3 ply beam down over them. it looked like it was longer than 2 ft. in the pic.
it's unusual to see a flake board ceiling in a garage.

Sounds good, thanks again. The 3-ply 2x10 is 36”, plenty long enough.
Flake board, or OSB around here, used to be cheaper than plywood, but who knows. We’ve found plenty of abnormalities since we moved here. Like cardboard sheathing last Winter!
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That T-111 will rot almost fast enough to watch it happen if it isn't regularly cared for, been there and experienced that myself in a house owned by my cousin about 30 years ago.
 
That T-111 will rot almost fast enough to watch it happen if it isn't regularly cared for

Yeah, it was in rough shape; we had to cut a lot out of that wall, and install proper flashing. It is covered with siding; helps with rot, but you can’t see what’s going on under it.


Tom - 1982 CM450E
 
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