Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I'm planning on removing the front end from my bike to replace the steering bearings but am unsure about the safest way to support the front end of the bike while I make the change?

Any advice would be appreciated.

The bike is a ZXR750 L model.

Racestand for rear. Floor jack at front and then lower frame rails lowered onto car chassis stands.

Where at the front to put the Jack?

Headers or a sturdy and central (side to side wise) place on the sump.

I normally hang the bike from the trusses in the workshop. Race stand at rear - use a couple of good ratchet straps, secured around a frame rail on either side somewhere close behind the steering head. You want the other end of the ratchet straps to loop around the roof truss around 30deg angle from each side - not straight up.

Loosen the major bolts first - triple clamp, axle pinch bolts, caliper bolts etc. You don't want to be loosening bolts with the front end hanging

Once all the prep on the bolts is done - just gradually tension up the ratchet straps equally - a couple of clicks at a time. You want the front wheel at least 50mm off the floor, so you can drop the wheel out easily. Calipers will have to be removed as well.

If you don't have any roof trusses to hang your bike off - it will have to be the trolley-jack/ car stand method that Bonester described. Don't wail on any bolts to loosen them using this method, you can pull the bike clear off the stands.

To get the bike back on the ground once the front wheel is back in place (using the hang method) - just release both ratchet-straps at the same time. They will have a bit of tension on them so they will pop pretty loudly - but its all good. Whatever you do don't release one side first - the bike will hang off the other can could fall over. Both at the same time

This really isn't a good idea, without sounding like a dick head, I think a guy that doesn't know where to place a jack to jack the bike up, really shouldn't be playing mechanic with the front end. Again Not being a smart arse.

The question was posed as I have concerns over the suitability of placing the whole front half of the bikes weight over either the headers or the sump and considering the broad knowledge base on this forum I believed I'd get some suitable and informed answers, which I have.
As far as my mechanical prowess goes I've rebuilt 3 bikes from ground up so far but never had to change lower bearings on a bike with the motor in the frame so although this is new to me I do feel I am suitably knowledgable to do the job now the common methods have been explained.
Cheers all!

Gosling1 wrote:I normally hang the bike from the trusses in the workshop. Race stand at rear - use a couple of good ratchet straps, secured around a frame rail on either side somewhere close behind the steering head. You want the other end of the ratchet straps to loop around the roof truss around 30deg angle from each side - not straight up.

Loosen the major bolts first - triple clamp, axle pinch bolts, caliper bolts etc. You don't want to be loosening bolts with the front end hanging

Once all the prep on the bolts is done - just gradually tension up the ratchet straps equally - a couple of clicks at a time. You want the front wheel at least 50mm off the floor, so you can drop the wheel out easily. Calipers will have to be removed as well.

If you don't have any roof trusses to hang your bike off - it will have to be the trolley-jack/ car stand method that Bonester described. Don't wail on any bolts to loosen them using this method, you can pull the bike clear off the stands.

To get the bike back on the ground once the front wheel is back in place (using the hang method) - just release both ratchet-straps at the same time. They will have a bit of tension on them so they will pop pretty loudly - but its all good. Whatever you do don't release one side first - the bike will hang off the other can could fall over. Both at the same time

to take up Gos' suggestion a tad further, if you can beg borrow or hire an engine crane (used to cars to haul donks out)
use that to hoik the front end up . Use nylon strapping or a chain and wrap it around the frame, loosen everything
and up she goes allowing you to finish the job. (and you don't need a roof or trusses to do it)

Smiffy; I considered the same thing after reading Gos's thread so I've been looking into borrowing or even buying an engine hoist.
Watch this space!

yeh good call on the engine hoist Yoda - I have been lucky over the years and always had a workshop with exposed steel roof trusses - it does make changing a front end/bearing replacement/fork services - really easy

Gosling1 wrote:yeh good call on the engine hoist Yoda - I have been lucky over the years and always had a workshop with exposed steel roof trusses - it does make changing a front end/bearing replacement/fork services - really easy

my engine crane just sits folded up .. til needed



and its something I have always done .. when replacing fork oil or seals or head bearings. Back wheel on the stand and then get the hoist out
and pull the front up with the engine crane (comes from the days when i was using the old mans timber garden shed built in the 40s ...for bike servicing)