[05SVS]

I ordered a Gsxr 1k shock for my bike 2 years ago and never got around to doing the install. A buddy of mine was supposed to find a piece of metal that I could slide through the frame of my bike so I could pick it up and set it on jack stands, but he never did and then ended up moving. I know there are great write-ups, and I don't need help picking my shock or any of those details, the problem I'm trying to solve is how to lift the bike and have it be steady enough for me to do this kind of work. Like I said I have 2 jack stands and a decent jack, but where would I find a piece of metal to go through the frame, and how thick would it have to be etc? I tried looking in the FAQ but a large majority of the links in there showing how people did this, are broken! Thanks for any help!

 

[DieTrying310]

Do you have anything you can hang it from maybe? I used a couple of tow straps, a rear stand and a friends carport. Just loop it through the grab handle lift it until the rear spools just start to come off the stand so you know the rear isn't loaded.

 

[branski]

ingredients:
2 step ladders
1 4x4
2 ratcheting tie down straps

basically you make a big sawhorse with the ladders and 4x4
take off your drivers seat and hook the tie down straps to a solid area on the subframe and lift it slowly via the straps. if you have moto sliders, put your jack stands under these to keep the front end steady.

in my case, i had to use a peice of railroad tie to make the one ladder tall enough, and used 2x4s. they were bending a bit but were sturdy enough. thats my old man holding the old stock shock. it helps to have 2 people to make sure everything is steady

 

[05SVS]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm not sure if my old garage would be ok with me hanging my bike from the rafters or not and I don't have any step ladders at this time, but I could probably borrow a few from friends. Also the only straps I have are the ones that you have to pull, not the ratcheting type, but I think I could borrow some of those as well. DieTrying310, the one writeup I read said to take off the grab bar and the tail section as well, but I assume you don't really have to do that, it probably just makes it easier to see and get around in there. I have a gsxr shock so I'll have to do a little bit of modding, but hopefully not much!

 

[eclark53520]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm not sure if my old garage would be ok with me hanging my bike from the rafters or not and I don't have any step ladders at this time, but I could probably borrow a few from friends. Also the only straps I have are the ones that you have to pull, not the ratcheting type, but I think I could borrow some of those as well. DieTrying310, the one writeup I read said to take off the grab bar and the tail section as well, but I assume you don't really have to do that, it probably just makes it easier to see and get around in there. I have a gsxr shock so I'll have to do a little bit of modding, but hopefully not much!

I see you are in north dakota...if you have had a foot or so of snow on the roof of the garage, it can easily handle a bike hanging from it...

 

[DieTrying310]

You really won't have to remove the tail section to get to the shock. Just make sure you have a couple of long extensions for your wrenches and you'll be fine. It takes a little bit of work, but it sure beats tearing the ass end of the bike off. Although if you have to mod the battery box it might be worth it. I had a ZX10 shock so it bolted right in.

 

[super32]

This is what I did (combination of using rafters and a car-jack)
You'll need a rear stand for this too, however... hopefully you've got one?

1. get tail-end of bike approximately under a rafter
2. use rear stand to lift bike up
3. use car-jack to lift from bottom of SV engine (you'll need to remove belly pan and any other fragile stuff from this area)
4. use car-jack to raise the bike ever so slightly off of the rear-stand
5. loop your tow-straps (ratcheting are better, but you "pull-tights" types should be ok) - get them tight!
6. remove rear stand
7. the main point of lift is coming from the car-jack, the 2 tow-straps are in-place for backup and as a stabilizer (to keep bike from wobbling off the jack)

To set your bike back down, get your rear stand back underneath your swingarm, raise the car-jack just a little bit so you can remove the tie-down/tow-straps, slowly release car-jack making sure the swingarm falls gently onto the rear stand.... finito!

Hopefully you can somewhat visualize this... i should have taken a picture of my bike when it was in this position...

 

[rube207]

i put a cinder block with a 2x4 under the swingarm pivot point and ratchet straps from my passenger pegs to lally columns on either side.

 

[SVstryker]

i used a threaded rod through the swingarm pivot point.

you can pick one up at lowes or home depot. i forget what size, but you can guess what size you would need by looking down the pivot point.

i tried to suspend mine from the rafters, but while doing a test with a ratchet strap and eye bolt to the celing i got bopped on my noggin.

here's a write up i did:

http://forum.svrider.com/showthread.php?t=89653

 

[dubtecv2]

The easiest way to accomplish this is to flip the pegs upside down and put jack stands underneath them.

 

[slikna99]

I used the flipped peg method as well, worked out nicely and felt pretty sturdy. No need to remove the tail

 

[Daimler-Maybach]

3/8 threaded rod. take off the rearsets and put the jack stands as close as they can go to the frame. use a rear stand to lift the bike up. you may have to raise the jack stands with some wood about 2". depends on your jacks. then gently take it out once the jacks are put under the rod. it will look like it won't hold, but do it slowly and the rod will stop bending and hold perfectly well. make sure you zip tie the front brake closed too. don't want it rolling around when coming off the stand. i just did this and wasn't scared of the rod giving out at all

 

[Redbean]

+1 on the jack stands on the foot pegs......

Thats the way I support mine but my pegs dont fold. I also use a steel rod from HDepot and jack stands if I dont have my pegs on.

 

[05SVS]

Thanks a ton for the replies! I do have front and rear stands, and my jack stands are SUV type jack stands so they will hopefully be tall enough. I plan to use the threaded rod method, but it's good to know the other way's of doing this as well. Thanks also for the pix and the link to the writeup, as always, great info giving me the ability to do something I wouldn't normally be confident doing on my own! You guys rock.

 

[.RJ]

3/8 threaded rod. take off the rearsets and put the jack stands as close as they can go to the frame.

Or do the same through the swingarm pivot.

 

[Daimler-Maybach]

Or do the same through the swingarm pivot.

yep. that's where you are supposed to put it.