Lifting the rear wheel

What kind of innovations have folks come up with to get the back end off the ground, other than putting wood blocks under the sump and pulling the front wheel?
There is a product dubbed "GRiSO lifter" marketed in Europe that I came across on the internet but feel that this is probably excessively spendy

I've got that Becker Technik GRiSO lifter. Cost me a tad under $150 shipped IIRC. Cheaper than the Guzzi version I think. Works a treat.   CLICKY

 

Seattle Pete throws a steel rod through the zephyr window and rigs a strap to the overhead hoist in his studio. Works great.

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I myself don't have an overhead hoist, so I just use the factory GRiSO job with the included pedestal. Works fine.

I'm getting a .750 dia steel rod this weekend.
Now I have to get a safe way to get the front wheel off the ground too.
Maybe if I unwrap the FZ750 from my rafters to free up the ratcheting tie-straps...........

DM

Jack stands and a steel rod through the frame like Pete.
Works for me...

the steel rod through the hole in the ceiling, is kind of a piker method, it will crack your trim rings as often as not, and make them look like a real amature got ahold of the bike.

you need to really take the side plates off first and remove the trim before this method.  if you do not want to go to the trouble later put some pvc bushings inside the tube so the rod wont crack the trim bits...if you care....btw those shitty little plastic trim rings are like $30 bucks each

just buy a factory stand they work very well I put mine up on jack stands and a pipe to do swing arm maint but I have bushed the frame hole to not bust the trim rings....I also have a few billet alloy replacements for these shitty plastic rings in the works

wallycycle was telling me about his stand when we were on our ride today and I think that sounds like a good idea.
Instead of the steel bar.

Uzidzit wrote:

the steel rod through the hole in the ceiling, is kind of a piker method, it will crack your trim rings as often as not, and make them look like a real amature got ahold of the bike.

you need to really take the side plates off first and remove the trim before this method.  if you do not want to go to the trouble later put some pvc bushings inside the tube so the rod wont crack the trim bits...if you care....btw those shitty little plastic trim rings are like $30 bucks each

just buy a factory stand they work very well I put mine up on jack stands and a pipe to do swing arm maint but I have bushed the frame hole to not bust the trim rings....I also have a few billet alloy replacements for these shitty plastic rings in the works

Pete's trim bits are pristine and beautiful, so YMMV. Neither is he a piker.   

Steak wrote:

Uzidzit wrote:

the steel rod through the hole in the ceiling, is kind of a piker method, it will crack your trim rings as often as not, and make them look like a real amature got ahold of the bike.

you need to really take the side plates off first and remove the trim before this method.  if you do not want to go to the trouble later put some pvc bushings inside the tube so the rod wont crack the trim bits...if you care....btw those shitty little plastic trim rings are like $30 bucks each

just buy a factory stand they work very well I put mine up on jack stands and a pipe to do swing arm maint but I have bushed the frame hole to not bust the trim rings....I also have a few billet alloy replacements for these shitty plastic rings in the works

Pete's trim bits are pristine and beautiful, so YMMV.  Neither is he a piker.    

listen for the crack if you try this without the bush, i use the hole as well, but if ya look the trim ring stands proud of the pipe id in the frame by 2-5mm (varies bike to bike) I guess it depends on the vintage of the mold they made the trim rings with. (and how picky you are) a 17mm rod of plain steel makes this worse from the flexing at the ends. There are still better ways to sling the GRiSO...around the rear frame comes to mind right off....that is shown in the fsm...The new guzzi is a bit of a pain when you need to get both rear side plates off or service something that requires foot rest removal and being off the ground. the hole is quick easy and obvious but not without issue. just trying to save some one some money on small plastic parts.

Guys
I placed a rod though this hole and it did not touch the trim ring.
2006 model.

Harry

Doesn't touch the trim ring here either... I made sure of that on my first try.
Didn't touch on my 09 and it clears my 07 and the 2013 as well.

I actually can lift the bike that way without the help of a jack.
A stand on both side to support that steel rod, is the trick.

Over here in Blighty (RAF for England) not sure what "picker" means, Pikey means Gypsy, Irish Tinker or traveller often considered with reason as a complete pain in the arse!!! Anyway your posts are helpful as I immediately thought that tube looks like the way to lift the bike. I will come up with a Hengis Pod design. You may ask who is Hengis Pod? well a series of slapstick 1960s Brit films, The film Carry on Cleo, Hegis was the designer of a bike with square wheels hence no need for hand brake!!
Initially as bike is leant over, rod through tube Jack/Axle stand one side a base and half a paddock stand the other, pull the paddock stand and bikes up? How about rod with series of spacers (plasic tube and O rings) No damage, Will try to design easy cheap compact kit

Regards Rat

Why not just use a 'paddock stand'?

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It lifts the rear wheel and holds the bike upright, and to lift the front wheel I use a hydraulic jack with a block of wood on it under the front of the sump while the bike is on the paddock stand.

Grisonut wrote:

.....Didn't touch on my 09 and it clears my 07 and the 2013 as well....

I'm a dumb ass for having posted that.    ^^^^^^^^^^


My 2013 doesn't have the washer welded in the zephyr hole like my 07 and now departed 09.
I don't know when Guzzi made the change but the rod through the frame will bugger the chrome ring on the new bike.
I welded an adequate washer at both ends of the rod itself so I can use the zephyr again...

My goal was two-fold: 1) manually rotate the rear wheel to cycle the pistons so that I can check valve clearances, 2)to be able to remove the rear wheel.
A paddock stand would not have been an option for either.
I picked up a 3 foot 3/4" steel bar from my local hardware store for $12. After lifting the rear wheel off the ground with a floor jack placed under the rear shock linkage, i skewered the bike's midsection ("zephyr window"?) with the bar and suspended it upon jack stands. No complications or broken trim. Plus, now I don't have to fuss with removing the timing cover when i want cycle the pistons. Thanks for all the input!

OK but you don't have to remove anything to turn the crank apart from the rubber bung in the front of the belt cover. There's a 24 mm nut under there for turning the crank.

Pete

What Pete says. It's a heck of a lot easier to pop off the front rubber piece than jack up the bike. Also easier to find TDC.