hi there, its been a while since ive posted, but my computer has been down.

anyway, i am trying to do some work on my xs500, namely the fork seals need replacing. However, the maintenance stand is not tall enough to allow the front wheel to be removed so that I can remove the fork assembly.

I am working by myself, and do not have access to a second pair of hands to help me lift the bike up onto some kind of blocks.

any suggestions as to how i might manage to jack the bike up without damaging it or myself? I tried using a car floor jack and some boards/jack stands, but it was just too unstable to allow any real work to be done. i had to balance the bike with one hand and work with the other.

the bike weighs 500lbs dry weight.

any help would be appreciated, and at the moment i cant afford one of those handy premade detailing lifts that you can just buy

thanks!

put bike on center stand, tip it to one side place wood block of choice under it, repeat on opposite side. it should tip and walk easy.

set of step ladders and a ratchet strap arounf the bars works a treat

Hi there

When lifting the front of the bike I prop a pole beneath a crossmember of the garage and use a small hoist (available from Halford etc) and straps round the handlebars or frame, this keeps the bike stable while the front wheel is removed

good luck

Hi there

When lifting the front of the bike I prop a pole beneath a crossmember of the garage and use a small hoist (available from Halford etc) and straps round the handlebars or frame, this keeps the bike stable while the front wheel is removed

good luck

thanks for the ideas everyone!

my wife surprised me though and went to purchase this lift for me today....

the nice thing is that i can also use this rather than an assortment of jackstands and boards to get both wheels off the ground when storing it over the winter (9 inches of snow, but its melting off so i want to get it road worthy by the end of the week)

thanks again!

the lift was really helpful, i would recommend it to each of you.

it was only $60 at harbor freight, and has a 1500# lift capacity. It was very sturdy, and has caster wheels on the rear so that it can pivot and move while the bike is mounted on it.

Though i did manage to crack the lower fork leg while trying to pop the oil seal loose. had to make a run to an old bike wrecker. luckily they had a relatively whole xs500c sitting there, and the front forks matched up.

and of course, as soon as i finally got everything ready to go, it started snowing so hard that i couldnt see.

the oil seals were a pain in the ass, very difficult to put back in.

Here is a site that shows you how to build a simple lift. It says for lifting a HD but obviously it will work on any motorcycle....I built one and it works great. Bike Lift

Here is a site that shows you how to build a simple lift. It says for lifting a HD but obviously it will work on any motorcycle....I built one and it works great. Bike Lift

thats actually pretty neat.

i wish i had seen that before i got this lift, but hey, it will lift the bike high enough that i can work on anything at a comfortable seated height.