Pit Bull Stand Question for R1200RT

I have a jack similar to this one,

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Max-...motorcycle+scissor+jack&qid=1576268486&sr=8-7

It serves the purpose! I can stick just the end of the jack under the final drive and it will pick it up just fine as long as the forks, or shove it under the frame on my Harley and lift either end.

I used it to lift the front tire off the ground on my RT. I put it up on he center stand, tied the stand forward to make sure it did not fold up, and put the jack on the header pipe to lift the front end to change the tire.

Jacks kinda scare me for this application.

I stuck a 4x6 beam above the rafters in my garage, with a large eyebolt running through it and a short length of chain attached. I can run a bike onto the lift, tie down the front, then use a heavy-duty webbing strap and a small cable-style come-along to lift the frame rails and deploy the center stand. It’s a useful lift point for other tasks as well. If I don’t feel like dragging out the come-along, I’ll remove the seat, run the lift up a few inches, then attach a pair of 500lb tie-downs to the frame rails and lower the lift until I can deploy the centerstand, then ease the lift up until the straps can be removed.
For airheads I just hand-lift the back end and have my wife deploy the centerstand.

There are many ways to skin this cat.

DeVern

GTRider said:

Jacks kinda scare me for this application.


DeVern

Click to expand...

It depends on what I am doing. If the front wheel is in the Handy wheel vice and tie straps are in place to the handlebars I have no issues with jacking under the engine if needed like if I need to remove the center stand or if there is no center stand. Things are secure. Also, if I need to jack as a support to remove the front wheel (or rear wheel) I don't have issues. I do have three tie points and have on more than one occasion hung the entire motorcycle and lowered the lift right out from under it.

I also got tired of being on the floor for servicing my bikes. I obtained a lift but quickly encountered the problem of how to have the bike on the centerstand with the front wheel in the chock. My solution was to use a couple of small pieces of plastic, cut from an empty milk jug, under the center stand.

I roll the bike on the lift with the front wheel in the open chock. I place the bike on the centerstand; this backs the bike up a bit and front wheel isn't securely in the front wheel chock. So I slip a piece of plastic under one leg of the center stand. It is pretty easy to get the center stand up 1/16 of an inch to slip the plastic under one side. Then I go to the other side and slip another piece of plastic under the other leg of the center stand. The plastic beneath the center stand allows the bike to slide on the lift very easily. I slip the bike forward and secure the front wheel chock. Then I remove the two pieces of plastic from beneath the center stand. When I am done with my maintenance chore, I repeat the process of placing the plastic beneath the center stand, sliding the bike back a bit, removing the plastic, and pushing the bike off the center stand to roll off the lift.

Following are a couple of photos that illustrate this -

PoorUB said:

I have a jack similar to this one,

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Max-...motorcycle+scissor+jack&qid=1576268486&sr=8-7

It serves the purpose! I can stick just the end of the jack under the final drive and it will pick it up just fine as long as the forks, or shove it under the frame on my Harley and lift either end.

I used it to lift the front tire off the ground on my RT. I put it up on he center stand, tied the stand forward to make sure it did not fold up, and put the jack on the header pipe to lift the front end to change the tire.

Click to expand...

This looks interesting for several activities. And it is not at all expensive.

Interesting, am I the only one who puts it on the center stand and then puts a front stand on to lift the front wheel? I never installed the chock on my HF lift and never needed it. With a Pitbull front lift, I can remove both wheels easily for tire changes and have easy access to everything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Not sure this is of any help. When I used the Pit Bull stand on my 1290 SD GT, it was very difficult if I left the top case in place. It wasn't the extra weight but the position. With the case off, I was in a position to get more leverage.

I change my own tires so I can do one at a time. I just add weight to the rear of the bike to lift the front wheel. It helps to have a 50 pound bag of animal feed around.

Sliding the bike forward on the center stand concerns me, I would be afraid of the stand clasping, we all know what would follow.

strataj said:

Sliding the bike forward on the center stand concerns me, I would be afraid of the stand collapsing [sic]

Click to expand...

This is a legitimate concern. I've found with the milk jug pieces beneath the center stand legs the friction between the center stand and the lift surface is so low that the bike slides very easily and there is little likelihood of the center stand folding up. If one were to leave the plastic pieces beneath the center stand legs whilst doing work there is a greater likelihood of having the bike slide sideways. Thus, I remove the plastic bits to have a stable bike.

As a precaution one could always take a bit of strap (e.g., old bike tie-down strap) and secure the front wheel to the center stand whilst sliding the bike forward. I haven't felt the need to do this, however.

natrab said:

Interesting, am I the only one who puts it on the center stand and then puts a front stand on to lift the front wheel? I never installed the chock on my HF lift and never needed it. With a Pitbull front lift, I can remove both wheels easily for tire changes and have easy access to everything.

Click to expand...

I have two other motorcycles other than my RT so my collection of tools shows that. Also I have a wheel vise on my lift and use it all the time. I do front tie removal on the floor. With the RT having a center stand, plus the scissor jack it just takes a few minutes. It is not worth the time screwing around getting it set up on the lift.

I also use a nylon strap and tie the center stand forward to make sure it doesn't retract.

strataj said:

Sliding the bike forward on the center stand concerns me, I would be afraid of the stand clasping, we all know what would follow.

Click to expand...

That is my concern as well which is why I use a locking tie down strap securing the centre stand to the front wheel pulling it forward into the vice.

Once the wheel is secured in the lift's vice, as well as tie downs from the forks to the lift, the bike is secure without further need for tying the front wheel and centre stand together.

The large plastic piece under under the centre stand is large enough to place an oil pan on it.

I've used two methods to remove both wheels at the same time

I used to do it with the Center stand and a front wheel lift on the garage floor.

Since I got a bike lift, I use the center stand and a scissor lift.

YMMV