Can anyone tell me if I can somehow check for swingarm wear(the pivot shaft/bearings)without removing the swingarm?Thanks all...ride safely!I read the manual on this...I do not want to check for bearing damage...only pivot shaft "play"...if there is any?I have a rear stand,but it raises the swingarm by the spools,so the weight of the bike is still on the swingarm.I do not have a jack to lift under the engine.I do believe this is "one of those times" where a center stand would come in very handy!

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/13/2011 @ 12:44 PM *

You can flip the footpegs upside down and rest them on jackstands to hold the rear in the air.

Blue, you don't have a jack? Seriously? lol

WOW!!!!Thanks for that info Dogo!I would have NEVER in a million years thought about that!!!!It will work?No chance of the pegs breaking off or anything?

No...I don't have a jack.Besides...I tried lifting from below the oil pan with my car jack...a scissor one,with a block of wood on there.Geez...talk about friggin dicey!I didn't lift it "all the way" off the floor or anything...baby started movin like....sheesh,like it was gonna fall over any second!I nixed that idea pronto.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/13/2011 @ 1:56 PM *

WOW!!!!Thanks for that info Dogo!I would have NEVER in a million years thought about that!!!!It will work?No chance of the pegs breaking off or anything?

Nah, nothing will break... as long as you don't knock it off 'em... if you're worried about that run a counple staps from the subframe up to the rafters.

Blue, you don't have a jack? Seriously? lol

I know people jack under the oil pan with a chunk of wood between bike and jack but I am afraid of bending the oil pan.

I don't HAVE any rafters.How the heck they do it at the shop...I know they have some sort of pneumatic lift thingy.Put it under the oil case don't they?

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/13/2011 @ 5:18 PM *

I use a pivot stand, Blue...

BUT... if I had to pull my arm I would do the footpegs on jack stands trick. You don't need to strap it to the rafters... that's just insurance. Shane661 has pics of his on jack stands in his build thread over on BL... Sorry, I'm not sorting through the 70+ pages to find 'em for ya.

Ya...nice.Thanks all for the info!

Sorry for raggin on ya Blue. There is a bit of frame directly behind the oil pan that is safe to jack on because it is used for the center stand.
If you can block the front wheel so it won't roll forward or backward and then strap the front down to hold the bike upright you can jack on that area and it will lift the rear wheel without having to move it far. I do this every time I clean my chain. If you can pick up a wheel chock like they put on trailers, Pingle makes 'em, you can mount that to the floor or your lift if you have one. Then just put an anchor off to each side of the chock. That is where you run your strap down to from around the triple trees. Do this and your bike will never fall over no matter what you do. If you turn the bike around in the chock and strap the rear you can get the front end off the ground for fork/ wheel work, however there is a bit more weight on that jack. Just pick up a small cheap hydraulic automotive jack. Scissor jacks will fold and tip over on a motorcycle.

If your gonna do some maintenance you might as well spend a few bucks on a good set-up depending on how much room you got. A lift is great, but stands will work as well. I've made everything I lift my bikes with. Never bought a stand yet. Plan on it someday, but if you can figure out leverages you don't need them.
If you have a hydraulic jack you can lift the rear wheel while the bike is on the kickstand by placing it under the shock linkage. You want to be very careful though and this won't help with the swingarm because there will be tension on it. Just saying, you can do a lot with a small car jack and some straps.

When I was younger and broke I lifted my bikes with just a ratchet strap and the rafters. But I those bikes were a lot lighter!

I must be spoiled because I have a lift in the gayrage.

Edge beat me to it wit the centerstand support. Now I have a centerstand so no more worries.

Raggin?Shi% my man...that aint raggin'.It's all cool...good to have some BS fun on here.Nobody(I think) is out to jack somebody here.????????????????????? See...I learned somethin...that frame piece...didn't even know there was one there.That's what they lift on at the shops?I have that pitbull front stand...but after my bike friggin fell over usin it...I kinda avoid it now!(the one with the pin lift into the steering stem).

It wasn't actually the stand's fault...I was lowering the front,and the rear stand started to roll also...which in turn rolled one wheel onto this little carpet swatch I sit on out there.Cocked the weight up just enough to put the bike off vertical.Friggin pissed.Couldn't stop it...I was at the front "trying" to CAREFULLY lower it.So much for "carefully" eh? It never fails!!!!!

BUT....I got REALLY LUCKY....when she fell over,I was able(somehow) to pull the front stand out of the way just in time.God knows what kinda of body damage she would have had if that stand and pin/arm would have somehow gotten caught up under there!So I guess...there WAS a bright side to it

* Last updated by: blue07 on 6/16/2011 @ 3:49 PM *

Just to give you some inspiration...