Work stand - how to support the front end to remove front wheel?

[GMC]

Hi,
I'm looking for some advice please.
I'd like to remove the front wheel so I can get the tyre changed but there is no obvious 'jacking' or lifting points on the underside other than the floor of the battery case.
I have the stock centre stand fitted and I only need to raise the front end enough to take the weight off the front wheel so I can slide it out - literally an inch will do.

My question is - is it safe to use a scissor lift here - on the battery case floor?
The weight of the bike will be shared between the work stand and the centre stand so the full weight of the bike will not be on the battery.

I am looking at the Vevor scissor lift available on Amazon for about €50 - €60 which will support up to 500kg so this should be more than enough to do the job.
It gets pretty good reviews both on Amazon and on Youtube. The lifting platform is wide enough to spread out the load but I'm just not sure if its safe to use the battery floor as the lifting point.

There is little to no information online regarding front wheel removal for the CE04. The rear is easy - the front not so much.!

Any help or advice is much appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[wspollack]

@GMC :

1) I have a C 400 GT, not a CE-04, so I can't comment on the structural integrity of the "battery case floor." Perhaps an actual owner will chime in here.

Have you thought about putting something sort of squishable yet tough -- maybe a bag of concrete mix -- between the scissor lift and the bottom of the bike, to sort of distribute and soften the forces involved?

2) Have you considered putting a 2 X 4 (a piece of framing lumber) underneath the center stand (while it's in its up position, and then putting the bike on the stand)?

This will make it difficult to deploy the center stand, of course, but once in use that might raise the front wheel sufficiently (after putting some weight on the back of the bike, via a passenger or sack of potatoes, etc.).

3) If you want to do this often, and the approach above doesn't work, you could raise the front wheel the way a professional shop probably does it. I'm thinking about a stand that lifts the front fork tubes, or axle, or something.

In the C 400 GT owner's manual, BMW actually refers to this sort of thing ("available through your authorized BMW Motorrad retailer"):



I have no idea whether the stand that the manual is talking about is suitable for the CE-04, but you might contact your dealership to find out.

Similarly -- and knowing that BMW products often have a steep markup -- you could Google something such as adjustable motorcycle front wheel stand. I just did that, and it would take quite awhile to go through the results (at least here in the USA, but I imagine you'd get similar results in Ireland):



Of course, figuring out which ones work with the CE-04's front end would be a challenge.

Good luck in your maintenance quest.

 

[GMC]

Thank you sir for the reply.

I have considered all of those options and the Vevor scissor lift is the one I keep coming back to.
The reasons being,
1. The lift platform has a rubber mat which would allow some 'squish' and mitigate damage to the underside of the bike but I could always add to this as you've suggested. A suitably sized piece of wood or some other soft pliable material.
2. The lift platform is wider than the width of the battery floor - which is actually just a massive aluminium heatsink. The width of the heatink is just over 11" while the lifting platform width is just over 14".
3. The heatsink is mounted to the frame itself (I think) therefore the frame would ultimately end up taking the load - not the battery.



Inspecting the cutaway photo of the CE04 - there are two visible (possibly more just out of shot) mounting points for the heatsink / battery case - potentially indicating it is mounted to the frame but I am not 100% sure on this either.



The reason I'm leaning away from paddock stands is because even the cheapest ones are 2-3 times more expensive than the scissor lift option. I'd need a 'single sided swing arm' stand for the rear, along with the right sized 'pin' that inserts into the rear axle. The cheapest is currently €115 plus shipping for the rear alone.
From what I've been told, you cannot use a front paddock stand with the centre stand on its own, you must use front and rear paddock stands together for stability - which makes sense, the last thing I want is for the bike to tip over.
All in its around €160+ for the front and rear paddock stands compared to the €56 for the Vevor stand from Amazon.

I will also need to get the 22mm hex socket to remove the axle which will add another few quid to the bill - I have to purchase this anyway regardless of which stand I end up buying. After all this I still have to pay for the tyre and the tyre change. It quickly adds up.!

I looked at the fork lifting stands, both the fork leg base lifter type and the steering tube lifter, these are both a viable option. A stand that supports the front by the axle is not an option as I wouldn't be able to remove the wheel.

I tried calling BMW Motoradd here for advice, twice today, but they did not answer. I'll try again on Monday.

Thanks again for your time and advice, I do appreciate it.

I will update here when I know more.

Cheers.
G

 

[wspollack]

Thanks for the clarifications!

Good luck.

 

[GMC]

After a bit more research, this answers everything I needed to know and more. Not just the front wheel but the entire bike can be supported on the heatsink / battery case with a decent scissor lift on its own.

Getting the front wheel off should be easy as Sunday morning.

 

[Tron]

I have a front lift for my GS, I'll try to use that to remove the front wheel in conjunction with the center stand.
But if that doesn't work out, I suppose the scissor lift is probably not a bad option. Especially if you place an OSB board or similar between the lift and the bike to spread out load even further.

 

[GMC]

Thanks for the reply but please be careful.

My concern with a front paddock stand and centre stand - after watching a few videos on youtube, I noticed some stands pull the bike forwards as it lifts up, its only an inch or two but it could be enough to pop the bike off the centre stand which would result in a bad situation.

Some paddock stands lift straight up while some pull forward and up although I'm not sure if this is down to the operator or its by design depending on the stand.

I went ahead and purchased the scissor lift from Amazon. It should be here in a week or so.

I'll update back here when it arrives.

Just to add, the front axle hex key is 19mm not 22mm as I mentioned in a previous post.

 

[Tron]

I noticed some stands pull the bike forwards as it lifts up, its only an inch or two but it could be enough to pop the bike off the centre stand which would result in a bad situation.

That's certainly a possibility, especially as the stand is shorter than on a regular motorbike and therefore probably less forward movement is needed to have it jump off the stand.
On my GS you really need to push the bike forward 4-5" before it comes off the stand. I'll see.
But do report how well it went with the scissor lift. Those things aren't really that expensive, might be worth getting, too.
Are you planning to lift the whole bike in the center or take the rear wheel off first and just lift in the front using the center stand?

 

[GMC]

Initially I'm only going to lift the front end just enough to take the load off the front wheel, while using the centre stand to lift and support the rear.

After that and if I'm feeling confident with the new lift, I might try lifting the whole bike.

 

[Delray]

I went ahead and purchased the scissor lift from Amazon.

Just to add, the front axle hex key is 19mm not 22mm as I mentioned in a previous post.

Thanks for this thread. Perfect timing for me.

My '22 CE 04 is < 2,000 miles from needing a new front tire.

Rear tire is the easiest I've taken off a bike. Five lugs and pull it off (assuming you have a center stand, which is an option on this bike).

For the front tire, I was wondering the same thing about supporting the bike by the battery case. I have a 3-ton scissor lift and will use that with a 2 x 4 to spread the load. Good to hear you don't have to raise the bike that high.

I will order the tire at BMW Motorcycles of Fort Lauderdale and bring them the front wheel. They swap the rubber on the rim, balance and text me when it's done, Usually same day I drop it off.

Weird about the hex being 19mm, though. Naturally that's the only one I don't have in my toolbox ;o)

 

[GMC]

Yes that's the plan. Bring the wheel and tyre to the shop. Its a lot more convenient than leaving the bike in.

And just so I'm certain, I grabbed a few screenshots from the video. To clearly see the bike sitting on the lift with no support from above.

 

[Tron]

Initially I'm only going to lift the front end just enough to take the load off the front wheel, while using the centre stand to lift and support the rear.

That might or might not work, depending on the geometry of the bike and the height of the center stand.
You'll likely need to lift the front at least 3-4" so that the forks relax and the tire actually comes off the ground. By then, as you're tilting the bike backwards, the rear tire might already contact the ground. And you don't want that as at that point the load shifts from the center stand to the rear wheel and things get tippy.

So supporting the whole bike as in the video/images, preferably with a board underneath to distribute load might be the better option.

@Delray good point about the 19mm hex. I just looked and my R1250GS needs a 22mm hex for the front axle. Need to check if I have a 19mm.

 

[GMC]

Cheers, I'll bear that in mind.
I'll be working slowly and carefully to find the correct point where I can just get the front wheel off the ground either with or without the centre stand.

 

[Tron]

Need to check if I have a 19mm.

Looks like I was smart when I bought the 22mm for the GS. The one I have is a multi-bit hex, with four different sizes in one, 19 among them.

 

[GMC]

The Vevor stand arrived today.
I am happy to report that it lifts the front of the bike with ease while on the centre stand. I haven't tried lifting the whole bike on its own.
Took less than 20mm to get the front wheel spinning.
The bike sits very stable and secure on the stand on its own.
No noises, no clicks, pops, cracks or creaks while raising or lowering - either from the bike, the stand or from me.
I'm still waiting for the 19mm Hex socket so I can't take the front wheel off yet.

The stand itself is excellent. A well made solid bit of kit, has some weight to it. Not a flimsy thing by any means.
Definitely a worthwhile investment for the money.
Cheers

 

[pedalmike]

GMC- glad the vevor stand worked out. If your CE 04 has a center stand, please use that instead of the side stand. I have an AC hydraulics automotive floor jack. I use a piece of vinyl plank flooring between the jack pad and the battery case. Lifts the front end quite securely for front wheel/ front brake work.

 

[Delray]

Lifts the front end quite securely for front wheel/ front brake work.

Are you lifting the entire bike straight up in the air? Might it get wobbly?

With past front tires I've taken off scooters (with center stands and my CE 04 has one), lifting the front pushes the bike back on to the rear tire, until it's on the ground. But others have posted that with CE 04 you don't need to lift very high to pull the tire off.

 

[Tron]

Took less than 20mm to get the front wheel spinning.
The bike sits very stable and secure on the stand on its own.

Sounds good, thanks!
I'll probably get one, too, then I won't have to mess with the large stand I have for the GS.
Apparently, at least with the Pirellis, the front tire goes much earlier than the rear.