Jacking Up the Nomad???

[refugio]

I'm having a problem jacking up the Nomad with the motorcycle jack that I have.
I need to remove the tires for replacement and while I'm at it...service the swingarm.
It seems that when placing the jack where it will lift the bike by the frame...that I cannot get the rear tire off the ground. The front just gets higher and higher.
I was placing the rear rail of the jack just behind the welded on tabs underneith the bike (the ones with the holes and where a center stand seems would be)...but it's not far enough back.
Almost seems like I need to place it under the goat's belly in order to be far enough back to lift the bike and rear wheel.

This is my first time trying to jack up the Nomad and I was checking out how as my new tires will be in at the end of the week.
Never had this problem with my 900 or the 750. Jacked the the 900 a few times and the 750 had it's own center stand.

Anyway.....Please help.....where do I lift from....some pictures would be really helpful.

Thanks
Doug

[refugio]

OK....went out and tried again....I jacked up higher than last time but it seems that the jack needs to be placed further towards the rear in order to get a more balanced lift.
Maybe taking off the bags first would lighten the rear up some.
When I had it in the air...the front tire was about three times as high as the rear was and it seemed like 99% of the weight was on the rear rail of the jack and the jack is almost ready to flip backwards onto the rear two wheels of the jack.....Not suitable for wrenching.
If I could know it's OK to lift from under the goat's belly without doing any damage....That's where I'd lift from.........I don't know????????

[macmac]

I have a harbor freight lift with two rubber padded lift arms. I set (2) 3/8" thick ply wood blocks on the lift pads, and set these right under the frame tabs you mentioned.

I use 2 nylon ratchet tie downs on the bike. I tie the ft brake ON with a short bungie.

BEFORE YOU DROP THE REAR TIRE!!!!!!! place a large cement block or a big hunk of timber cut square under the ft tire, or you risk dropping the bike frontwards!

A big barn bucket or joint compond bucket will help with the swing arm

See some poor pics here: i should have taken some over all shots, but I didn't.
http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/Mac_Muz/Nomad/

[zoom45]

I too have the Harbor freight jack. I cut some 2" wide x 3/4"strips of plywood for shims under the frame tabs. It does jack the front up a little higher but not it's not bad off balance. You need more shims in the back and it will help even it out. I only use one in the front and I think 3 in the back. I always have my wife hold the bike up straight or I would never get them under it. I never feel comfortable with mine up high enough to get the rear tire off so I put jack stands under the rear crash bars and use my floor jack under the front tire to stabilize it. So far never had a problem.
Zoom45

[refugio]

I do like the idea of jack stands under the rear crash bars....Good idea

[oldbikers]

check out Idaho's jack adapter he sells everyone that has one say they are great it is made to lift the Nomad up with your motorcycle jack.I think he is out of town right now but will be back shortly. You can find info in the KawaNOW vender's section.

[VulcanE]

I have mine lifted up right now using one of Idaho's jack adapters doing the front forks and triple tree. Really nice piece to have. I know that it don't help you now, but before, I used the wooden spacers the others mentioned. Just be sure to break the axle nut loose before you jack it up (it's supposed to be tightened to 85 ft lbs), and use some of those ratcheting tie downs after you get it up. ;)

[vulcanero03]

I'm having a problem jacking up the Nomad with the motorcycle jack that I have.
I need to remove the tires for replacement and while I'm at it...service the swingarm.
It seems that when placing the jack where it will lift the bike by the frame...that I cannot get the rear tire off the ground. The front just gets higher and higher.
I was placing the rear rail of the jack just behind the welded on tabs underneith the bike (the ones with the holes and where a center stand seems would be)...but it's not far enough back.
Almost seems like I need to place it under the goat's belly in order to be far enough back to lift the bike and rear wheel.

This is my first time trying to jack up the Nomad and I was checking out how as my new tires will be in at the end of the week.
Never had this problem with my 900 or the 750. Jacked the the 900 a few times and the 750 had it's own center stand.

Anyway.....Please help.....where do I lift from....some pictures would be really helpful.

Thanks
Doug


I bought a motorcycle lift from Kragen autooparts for 75.00 and it works great, i will try to send you some pictures, i just have to figure out how to do it.

Jesus

[refugio]

Thanks guys......
I did get it up using some wood spacers.....kinda shaky due to the lifting needs to be closer to the rear tire.
I checked out Idaho's jack adapter.....really cool idea....and will remedy my problem.
I have gone out and taken all the measurements needed to make one. Seems very simple to make. Will buy some 1" square tubing tomorrow and make me one in the shop at work.
Hope Idaho doesn't mind.
Thanks guys.

[n3tqv]

Yep, take the bags off first. Then the bike balances much better but make sure to put the nylon strap across the front of the frame in front of the engine and hook the ends to the jack. Leave a littel slack when you jack it up and it will tighten as the front end comes up. WHen it snugs, the rear will start to come up and the wheel will be off the ground. When you remove the tire, loosen the front strap a little and jack up the bike just high enuf to get the wheel clear. And since you have it off, lub the inner spline and axel. BUt not too much, just a thin film.It will fling everywhere. Good luck.

[samkjr]

I gotta say I have Idaho's adapter and it really takes care of the problems you are mentioning. No, it cant change the rear heaviness of the bike, but the adapter help to distribute the weight more evenly.

[macmac]

Some good tips here. I like the strip on the rear lift pad very well, and will use that method next time. I work alone, and was able to strighten the bike and slide the wooden pads where I wanted which turned out to be under the tabs off the frame. I did nothing to the forward pad and had a stapble 3 point contact. I didn't feel any need for tie downs, but used them anyway.

I had read gadjet's warning on blocking the ft wheel, before dropping the rear. All I can say is i am glad I read that warning first.

The shop floor I have is silty sand for horses, and only covered with bits of plywood, but never the less things seemed stable.

To me the question was a right now kind of thing, and I couldn't recall who made the adapter, so I failed to mention it.

REFUGIO, if you look at my pics, you will see a small pin on a square of duct tape. It lives in a hole where you must depress the pin to slip the drive shaft off the tranny end spline. You are pushing that pin IN deeper. It rests on a flat spring, which is coiled inside the spline. It can fly out as the outter spline piece is slipped by, so watch it. The engine case has a opening where some of these pins go, and I hear the devils own work to get out.

At the time there was some talk around with the idea that the 05 and up bikes had a inner rim on these pins to prevent them from jumping out. They don't, and that is easy to see in my pics. Mine stayed out and I plucked it out with a magnet, but a magnet did pluck it easy.

I would have stuck that little pin on tape to keep track of it anyway.

The 05's and up have 5 brake line retainers.. 2 of these are split, and 3 are not. I didn't want to cut any of the 3, so worked with the swingarm resting on a big bucket, which was enough room.

[Idaho]

Refugio, go for it. I have a machinist make my adapters. He gets the tabs milled out by another machine shop from a solid steel bar. We went with that design to keep the system strong and not have to worry about those tabs folding down or rolling out. Good luck.

[Idaho]

I would also be remiss if I did not say "Thank you" to my happy customers. I appreciate the good reviews.

[refugio]

Thanks Idaho for your blessing..
I did construct a jacking adapter following yor design.
I made it yesterday at work....It came out really well.
I tried it out when I got home.....It works great...Exactly what I needed.
Thanks
Doug

[spirello]

Does you jack look kinda like this one? If it does when you jack it up the front wheel will come about 4-5" off the ground before the rear does but its fine it wont tip over backwards I prommise. its a little scary but do it a few times and you wont even give it another thought

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff319/S-PIRELLO/P6260031.jpg

[Idaho]

Spirello, you are gutsier than I am. I like my bike to sit solidly on the jack, no rocking thank you very much.

[mac]

Does you jack look kinda like this one? If it does when you jack it up the front wheel will come about 4-5" off the ground before the rear does but its fine it wont tip over backwards I prommise. its a little scary but do it a few times and you wont even give it another thought


I have a jack like that, and yes, only the front was coming off the ground so I stopped. I think I'll pick up some square stock and make me an extension to go under there, cut a slot for the tab and drill a hole to put a pin through to hold it on the tab.

Did seem to scary to try to bring it any more off the ground than I did. At the time, I was just trying to move the bike over anyway and didn't want to raise it very high to do it.

[refugio]

I'm good to go now. Made me a copy on my own of Idaho's "Jack Adapter".
This is an excellant solution for jacking up the Nomad a little more evenly and balanced.
It allows you to move the jack closer to the rear if you like and eliminates the need for wood spacers or shims. The adapter allows you to position the jack anywhere under the Nomad you like without the worry of touching anything other than the frame.
Thankyou guys.....and Thankyou Idaho.
Doug

[Idaho]

You are very welcome. I come up with these things when something that I have paid good money for does not work anymore because of something new. I hate throwing good things out.

[dhelfritz]

Depending where I want the balance of the bike to be. Sometimes I place a 2 x 4 long ways on my jack, running fore and aft with the bike. I had to do this to get at my oil filter with the bike jacked, otherwise the jack frame was right where the filter was. You also get more stability with the boards running to the front and rear.