Has anyone else here ever added a suspending pin to their MC Enterprises Canyon Cages to ease front end maintenance?

[Cyclepath]

Hey everyone;

I haven't started a post here in what is probably years, so here goes.

After searching through the various topics here, I couldn't find what I am looking for, so thought best to inquire.

My Gen 3 Feejer has nice Canyon Cages front and rear, and a couple years ago I thought, wouldn't it be convenient to just grab a couple automotive axle stands, and stick one under both left and right side cages?
Of course that means I'd have to modify the mounting bolt on each side, so I could screw a slider or smaller bore stub on temporarily whenever I want to suspend the front of the bike (wheel off for tire change, or fork maintenance, etc).

Here's a simple sketch of a sturdy home brew steel support frame I am contemplating welding up:



The cages use an M12 x 100mm bolt, through the frame and into the motor mount - so I certainly want to be careful in my approach to whatever I come up with.
However, I think I need to create a copy of that M12 x 100 bolt, with another threaded stud / bolt welded in the opposite direction, something like what I am presenting in the bottom left of the graphic above.

Can anyone else offer me:

• guidance, indicating why this may be a BAD idea?
• guidance, based on their own similar design already proven successful?
• guidance on where a Canuck like me may be able to source 2 replacement M12 x 100mm bolts (don't want to potentially ruin the ones I already have), -OR- where I could source a quality manufactured stud with nut in the middle, preventing me from having to fabricate them?

Thanks in advance for anyone sharing their knowledge / wisdom here to aid in my quest!

 

[RossKean]

You may be overthinking this. When I am doing maintenance on the front end, I place a car scissor jack under the header pipes with a piece of 2 x 4 to help distribute the weight and jack up the front (bike on centerstand). If I am taking the wheel off for new rubber, I'll lower it so the forks rest on a heavy plastic bucket. Not a lot of weight on the header pipes but if you want to reduce it you could put a bag of sand or something else heavy on the rear seat.

If you are doing something where the forks have to come off (fork oil, seals etc.) I might replace the jack with something more stable and that puts less stress on the headers.. The axle stands may be more stable overall, but a scissor jack has worked well enough for me.

For front or rear maintenance, some people have constructed a stand from cast iron pipe. Using ratchet straps to hoist the bike. Like the one in these photos from Fred W....

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks for sharing Ross.

Yes, I too, built a pipe frame years back, and have used it safely on my two FJRs - until it tipped forward on me once a couple years ago during what I came to call my Crouching Tiger moment (!). On center stand, I had both wheels off, and it was suspended in my pipe frame, but this time I must have had the ratchet strap a bit too far forward. Down she went (thankfully only falling vertitcal and forward - and slowly. Thankfully no mechanical damage to exhaust, or fork bottoms, but I did end up having to do some ABS repairs because the left and right side fairing panels split at the bottom. Ugh...

I also use the jack and short piece of wood method under the header. I just can't help but think those 2 Canyon Cage mount point would be PERFECT for what I am convinced would be a very wide / stable suspension point on each side. And we all know that once an FJR is on its center stand, one only has to push down moderate pressure on the pillion seat to left the front wheel off the garage floor. Sooo, any stand I build should be lots strong enough for this application without worries.

Finally, yes, part of my motivation to do this is the fact I need to swap out my fork oil - thus I want a front support platform I'd rather not worry about.

Cheers!

 

[SkooterG]

There is no worry using the headers as support. Says a lot of fellers smarter than me. And I have used them dozens of times over the years. Including removing forks about a dozen times. And every front wheel change......

But, if you want to overengineer things to be more complicated than they need to be, then by all means, go for it!

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks SkooterG - I hear ya.

Yes, I'm not as concerned about putting strain on the exhaust header - just want to have a nice wide / stable method to suspend the front end for various maintenance tasks.

 

[Oldjeep]

I will say that the pucks on the R-Gaza bars are a great place for jackstands

 

[Oldjeep]

If it were me. Rather than some sort of double ended threaded spacer - I would emulate the R-gaza hardware. Longer bolt - stepped washer that hits the outside of the tube that your current bolt slides through and some sort of a puck, which doubles/triples as a slider and place to rest your feet.

 

[Oldjeep]

Alternately - I sometimes just hang bikes from the trolley hoist. You do need to be careful not to lift it off the center stand, but in an emergency situation - leaning on the up button can just pick the whole thing up rather than dropping it.

How to deal with the stupid Vstrom rear brake bleeding after a line replacement

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks OldJeep - I certainly want to mimic what you're suggesting.
The cages I have already mounted would normally make me feel adding sliders would be redundant, but using carefully mounted sliders outside the cages would tick multiple boxes for me:

• horizontal stubs to rest on top of axle stands
• an alternative to highway pegs

I'm gonna go look up a set of sliders that may be suitable in combination with my MC Enterprises Cages now.

 

[RiderJoe]

What about using the bottom of the cages wrapped in shop towels and place jack stands under them? Lift the bike temporarily from under the headers with a hydraulic jack positioned in an angle from the front, then slip the jack stands under the bottom of the cages.


I too, built a black pipe hanger, so that is what I use, but I imagine that the suggestion above might work for you too.

 

[Cyclepath]

Hey RiderJoe, I considered that, but I am really looking to implement a more elegant / stable solution.

 

[kdclaiborne]

There is no worry using the headers as support. Says a lot of fellers smarter than me. And I have used them dozens of times over the years. Including removing forks about a dozen times. And every front wheel change......

But, if you want to overengineer things to be more complicated than they need to be, then by all means, go for it!

LOL, have to somewhat agree...

 

[kdclaiborne]

I don;t hear any reason NOT to roll with your idea (other than opinions that it may be over-thinking and engineering). If you like to tinker, go for it. Depending on whether I want to lift the front or rear (I personally don't really see the need to lift both to have both wheels/tires off at the same time), I use some combination of the DIY pipe stand (for front or rear) + a Harbor Freight PITTSBURGH AUTOMOTIVE 1500 lb. Steel ATV/Motorcycle Lift + (2) auto jack stands under each front fork. You could potentially used the Harbor Freight lift to support the rear after first lifting with the DIY stand, then move the DIY stand forward to lift the front. Options are good. Keep us posted.

​

 

[JQL]

snip...


I do a lot of the maintenance myself but, fo the items I don't do (tyres and bearings) My mechanic uses a jack under the headers with a piece of wood to spread the load and that works just fine...

 

[mophead]

I have found this works well. Should have bought one years ago. My bike is currently sitting on mine as the forks were pulled yesterday for new seals.

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks for jumpin in here Mophead - yikes,. I've always felt a bit wary of those liftjacks, concerned about an unfortunate left or right topple event which could be very expen$ive to fix later.

 

[mophead]

I find the bike very stable on this type of jack. Used it on my former 2018 Goldwing and very stable there also. You could attach straps to keep it from tipping but I have never felt the need to do that.