"Jacking" as in lifting, not "thread"

[Naches]

I searched under "jack" and "jacking" and found nothing. Here's the question:
I need to work on my forks. I need to raise the bike on a jack. What's the best location for a floor jack to rest on the bottom of the bike?
I figure the exhaust pipes are a poor place. The frame isn't reachable. Engine, adjacent to the oil plug? Wooden block, with a hole for oil plug?
Basic, noob question, I know. Your advice?
TIA

[popo303]

I take two heavy duty ratchet straps and hook them to deep sunken bolts in trees in my front yard and attach the straps to the bars in the front and the bolts that hold the sissy bar in the rear and up up and away she goes.

[natehawk750]

I use ratchet srtaps and suspend it from a beam in my garage. I know not exactly the perfered method but it gets the job done and is cheap. if you do this just be careful when you let the bike back down.

[Snoopy]

I use a wooden block and go up between the two middle exhaust pipes to the frame.  Also leaving on the center stand (if you have one) use it more for support then lifting..Works like a charm.

[gammer]

I put a scissor jack on either side of my frame, near the front. Wedge a rag between the jack and the frame and crank both sides up evenly as possible. If I am doing really heavy duty work on the front, I might help support the frame with some wood blocks. But for the most part, the two scissor jacks support the bike just fine.

[LOKi]

If you have a center stand use a couple jack stands under the frame. Just lift up on the front so the back wheel touches the ground and shove them in. If you have someone to help have them push down on the back while you shove something under the frame. Even a wood block under the exhaust will keep the bike for rocking back forward.

Hint on forks. Before removing the forks from the bike loosen the top triple tree clamp then break the top bolt free. The bolt that seals the top of the forks. Off the bike you will need an impact gun. 

[Bumblebee]

No centerstand the others basically have covered.
If you have a centerstand, hang a heavy object on the rear with a rope or such. Alternately, put a small jack somewhere solid forward of the centerstand and lift until the rear wheel touches the ground.

Make certain that it's secure and that goes for the centerstand as well.

[Naches]

Great! Thanks. I have the centerstand so I'll use the wooden block under the engine suggestion.
And thanks, Loki, for the word on the forks: no impact wrench, so I'll wrench before taking forks off.
Thanks, guys.

[LOKi]

If your changing your seals save the old seal to pound in the new one. We used an attachment for a shop vacuum to hammer on. If you don't have a shop vacuum then I would pick up some kind of tube that will fit over the fork tube to pound in the seal. They can be a real pain. But use the old seal so you don't mangle the new one. Pay attention to how they come out too. Don't install them upside down. They don't hold oil that way. Don't ask how I know this. Hint flat(er) side up. Also when your slipping the new seal onto the fork use a plastic bag to protect it. Cut the corner off a zip lock bag. Put the corner over the end of the fork tube then slip the new seal over it. The plastic will prevent the sharp edge of the fork tube from cutting or harming the new seal in any way.

A broom stick stuck inside the fork tube (after off the bike and dumped the old oil out) should give you enough resistance to remove and install the bolt in the bottom of the forks. That bolt must come out to pound the old seal out.

When you put it back on do the same trick with that top bolt to get it tight. So snug it up off the bike. Install and crank down on the lower bolt of the triple tree. Then torque that top bolt. THEN tighten the top triple tree. If you tighten the top triple tree bolt before torquing the top fork nut the force of the triple tree can bind it up.

Good luck. Take your time and if you can, get a friend to help. Its much easier if there is someone there to brace the fork while you wale on the seal to set it (read hammer the tube with the old fork seal between the tube and the new seal). Also make sure the snap ring sets completely in the groove. I used a small screw driver to pry it (every so lightly) into the groove.

This is all fresh in my mind. I did it two nights ago. Then on the second fork realized I only had one fork seal.  We cleaned the old one and put that on but it did not hold so I picked up a new seal from the shop on the way home yesterday and did that one fork again. At least the right fork can come off the bike without removing anything else besides the front tire.

Let us know if you run into any problems.

[Naches]

Thanks. wonderful, clear, easily understood. Thanks.

[RIDERED]

all i did was a piece of wood on the ground with two legs that come up and the frame rails sit on, 5 minutes total and a roof hoist if i need it

[Naches]

Finally have time to get to work. Another question: putting anything under the exhaust pipes to support the bike is a bad idea, eh?

[Bumblebee]

Exhaust pipes are not structural components. Act accordingly.

[Naches]

uh huh.

[LOKi]

Finally have time to get to work. Another question: putting anything under the exhaust pipes to support the bike is a bad idea, eh?

Exhaust pipes are not structural components. Act accordingly.

That said, when it's on the center stand it only takes about 20lbs on the back to lift the front wheel. So if you shove blocks of wood under the exhaust it will hold the front of the bike off the ground. I have some pretty good "dings" in the exhaust. If it was really week then those dings would have cause damage to the engine. There actually a little more than just "dings"  . Hell even if you high center a bike (might have happen to me) on the pipes it doesn't do that much damage (except to the pipes). So in a pinch and with no other means to keep the front tire off the ground then you can shove something under the exhaust. Just be careful about cranking down on bolts when it's up there. Pull up on the bolts instead of pushing down on them. Don't forget to counteract the pull with equal push down or you can lift the bike off whatever makeshift stand you made.

Better to use jack stands under the frame though.

[Naches]

Thanks, Loki
I'm getting paranoid about this, not having a full set of the Proper Lift or Stand Devices, i.e. I'm kludging things together. Don't want to have the center stand slip forward or the bike slip any which way.
I wish fixing my NH was my job, so I get to it! This starting, stopping, trying to remember where I was when I stopped stuff is getting very old. Too much life happening; not enough motorcycle riding or repairing.
Oh well.

[Soupskin]

I bought a set of swingarm and triple tree stands and haven't touched them since I got a center stand.

Put it on the center stand, push the rear down and slide a couple jack stands under the front corners of the frame.

[Brittles]

I usually break loose whatever nuts that I'm going to be removing before jacking up the bike (unless it's a low torque value nut).........less risk of an accident imo. Likewise, I'll wait until the bike is lowered before I fully torque the nut to spec.

[Bumblebee]

Don't want to have the center stand slip forward or the bike slip any which way.

On those occasions when you have the front wheel on the bike, run a tiedown strap from the centerstand, through the front wheel and back to the centerstand. The centerstand can't retract with the strap in place. This is useful for maintenance in general and particularly when pulling the rear wheel. Torquing the rear axle bolt or shoving the wheel forward in the swing arm can result in the bike stepping off the centerstand. (I was visiting relatives and had it parked in their garage a while back. Someone walked in the garage at night without turning the lights on and hit the back of the bike hard enough to shove it off the stand..only that strap was in place. They said the luggage rack was like walking into a high table..the strap kept it from falling over)

Just a thought to consider.

[Naches]

Yeah, I've read about the strap-to-the-front-wheel trick. Sounds wise.
but I'll have the front wheel off the bike, so I'm balancing the bike on the center stand, a jack stand or piece of wood and, perhaps, the rear tire.

[hspratt3]

Here is how I do it. In the first pic I have soft straps around the frame and looped to an eye bold in the beam of my shop. This is for safety and a save if the bike shifts or the jacks start to drop.