I need to have new tires mounted and I need to replace my center stand. I've borrowed a motorcycle jack lift, but can't seem to find a good way to lift the bike, due to the engine, oil cover, exhaust, etc. How do you all get your bike up to replace tires or the center stand? Anyone have any good tricks?

I do something like this, with a jack under the front of the engine.





Note that the centre stand is off the ground!

Paul.

Paul, love the colour of the wheels. You have just reminded me of the huge number plates that the UK demands for bikes - looks wrong somehow.

If whatever jack you are using is too wide to sit under the engine without coming into contact with the exhaust header pipes, use some pieces of soft wood between the jack and the sump plate/bellhousing. That will avoid crushing the exhaust and will protect the sump plate fins.

Here you can just see the two bits of wood (the stand is not in contact with the table):



I'd use the above method to remove the whole side/centre stand assembly in one - it's a lot easier to strip down once it's off the bike.

When it comes to removing both wheels at the same time for tyre replacement, I use the jack under the sump (as above) but at the front of the engine, to raise the front wheel.

With the bike strapped into this position I then use an old car scissor type jack under the final drive and raise the rear wheel against the pressure of the suspension unit. This leaves the bike sat on the jack and the main-stand.

bikerboy wrote:Paul, love the colour of the wheels. You have just reminded me of the huge number plates that the UK demands for bikes - looks wrong somehow.

I always thought it was strange something rather peculiar to BMW's the large number plates

Am i seeing things or does that K100 have fake rt fairing lowers and a K75c cockpit fairing, did the poor old bobbies get a parts bin special to ride in merry old england???

It's a Met police Special Escort Group bike (well ex-SEG as they then used R1100RS and now on some Honda things).

The SEG used to have unfaired R80/7 models fitted with leg-shields. The reason being that they didn't need full fairings and wanted better visibility and manoeuvrability (or something).

When the Brick was launched, the SEG needed to be rid of their (highly polished because they didn't get used much) R80s, so BMW butchered some parts to come up with what you see.

IIRC there was only one K100, the first demo bike, the rest were K75 models like this:

sidecar paul wrote:I do something like this, with a jack under the front of the engine.





Note that the centre stand is off the ground!

Paul.

How about a method statement as to how you got the bike up there off the ground? Hehe.

Probably a jack under the transmission.  You could also jack up under the engine block, tilt the bike on to the front wheel and hold it there while you put that little construction in there.

Rabidchiwawa007 wrote:Probably a jack under the transmission.  You could also jack up under the engine block, tilt the bike on to the front wheel and hold it there while you put that little construction in there.

I was thinking that but its a lot of weight on a component not designed to take it. No problem doing that to prop the bike but lifting it troubles me. But the idea is really good, I have often wished to be able to do that!!!

MikeP wrote:It's a Met police Special Escort Group bike (well ex-SEG as they then used R1100RS and now on some Honda things).

The SEG used to have unfaired R80/7 models fitted with leg-shields. The reason being that they didn't need full fairings and wanted better visibility and manoeuvrability (or something).

When the Brick was launched, the SEG needed to be rid of their (highly polished because they didn't get used much) R80s, so BMW butchered some parts to come up with what you see.

IIRC there was only one K100, the first demo bike, the rest were K75 models like this:

The reason that the SEG had unfaired bikes was to enable the riders to have a decent arc of fire if they were ever called upon to use their weapons when escorting.  We had a couple of unfaired R80s with legshields at TDH (Bow Garage) when I was there, but they were assigned to the Blackwall Tunnel where the lack of a fairing meant they were easier to filter through stationary traffic to reach problems in the tunnels.

By the way, the SEG bikes did not look good because they had little use; they were smart as a result of a lot of hard work by their riders who wanted to create the best of impressions.

Someone tried to tell me that my UK number plate is illegal as it goes over three lines, rather like that coppers bike.

Can anyone confirm of deny the validity of that statement?

LWT_Big_Cheese wrote:Someone tried to tell me that my UK number plate is illegal as it goes over three lines, rather like that coppers bike.

Can anyone confirm of deny the validity of that statement?

 I understand that they are now (in the UK) illegal when they cover three lines, but were not in the past. If it needs to cover three lines then it is far to big in the first place IMHO. The number plates on all of our bikes are 13 by 17cms and that is big enough.

So if they weren't illegal - as my bike is an antique I should get away with it.  


I have a black and white plate on the Enfield but technically it isn't entitled. Its a pukka plate though. I assume that coppers have better things to do... but you never know!

Like many changes the requirement for motorcycle plates to be two rows is not retrospective. Except that plate suppliers are no longer permitted to make them, even for machines that are still allowed to display a three row plate.

If you have a three row plate and want to keep it, that's fine but registered plate suppliers won't make you a replacement in the old format.

Understood.

You have to go to a show for different plates, where they'll make anything up for you!

The law states that:-

(3) A mark may not be laid out in conformity with diagram 2c, 3c, 4b or 7b if it is
displayed on—
(a) a registration plate fixed to a vehicle first registered on or after 1st September 2001, or
(b) a new registration plate fixed to a vehicle on or after 1st September 2001 to replace a
plate previously fixed thereto (except where the vehicle was first registered before 1st January 1973)

Road traffic act 2001
2c and 3c show pics of a three row plate

So if your bike has a three row plate that's ok but you can't replace the original plate with a three row plate unless registered before jan 73

Like who's going to know that it's a replacement plate

You'd think they'd have better things to worry about.


Thanks for that BTW,

92KK K100LT 193214 wrote:
How about a method statement as to how you got the bike up there off the ground? Hehe.

 Been away for the weekend (as usual), so just catching up.

It's easy enough, 92KK, I just use the bar resting on one extended axle stand to lever the bike up and then slide the other stand under the bar on my side.

The advantage of supporting the bike from high up on the frame is that it remains stable, being unlikely to fall over.

Paul.

Last year, we had a good thread about motorcycle jacks versus motorcycle lift.
https://www.k100-forum.com/t2088-motorcycle-jack-versus-motorcycle-lift

If you look down to post #20, you will see that RobMack had a brilliant idea: Installing 2 angle iron on the engine. Read to the bottom of the thread as I am showing where to cut the angle iron in order to avoid putting spacers.
If you have time, you can use 2 straight piece of angle iron and tack weld spacers on the back.






This became my preferred method for lifting the bike and I want to reiterate my thanks to Rob for sharing this idea.

CF

That is a good idea with the angle iron, however, I was using a friend's lift and I didn't have the tools or time to fab it up. Good tip though for when I have room in my garage to keep a lift.