Use bike lift as center stand?

[leclerq]

I have a ‘23 Tenere, mostly stock. I don’t have a center stand, but do have a small bike lift that can lift the T7 from the bash plate. I was wondering, could I use it at home as a center stand? I ask this because lifting the bike also lifts the front wheel and thus fully extends the front suspension. Is it OK to keep the suspension fully extended for longer periods of time (1 month+)?

[jdub53]

I use a lift under the skid plate when changing tires and for any front end work, works fine. Because there's a mechanical stop within the forks to limit their extension, I don't see why time should be a limiting factor. Older BMWs I've owned with conventional forks rested on their rear tire with the forks fully extended when on their centerstand, and never any issues even after extended periods. 

 

Edited August 30 by jdub53

[Tenerider]

The suspension doesn't mind at all if it's fully extended for longer time. The tires and wheel bearings do benefit from it. Feel free to lift your bike, but be careful if you have an OEM bash plate, it might be unstable or become dented. FYI, a lot of us use such lifts, although Yamaha says the bike should not be jacked up by the lower faux frame rails.

[leclerq]

Thanks for the replies! Good to hear it doesn’t do any damage. I will strap the bike down to it though as i do have a stock bash plate and it wobbles a bit too much for comfort.

 

regarding the lower faux frame rails not being suitable for lifting: what other way do you work on the front wheel for example?

[Samm]

8 minutes ago, leclerq said:

Thanks for the replies! Good to hear it doesn’t do any damage. I will strap the bike down to it though as i do have a stock bash plate and it wobbles a bit too much for comfort.

 

regarding the lower faux frame rails not being suitable for lifting: what other way do you work on the front wheel for example?

Manual suggests the oil pan as a jack point but there have been no reports of damage to the lower rails from members jacking under the skid plate. I doubt anyone would advise you to follow the manual in this case, way too tippy! 

[Rider 101]

Yep, mine lives on the jack when not in immediate use.

So did my F800GS and several WR450s before

No issues.

[Peen]

From the abuse my skid plate has seen, I can tell you that the lower frame rails are definitely strong enough.

[TéNéRELOADED]

On 8/31/2024 at 9:49 PM, leclerq said:

what other way do you work on the front wheel for example?

 

Here the T7 sometimes hangs from the ceiling for bigger things (and for my comfort). Depending on where I place the slings on the bike, I can work the front, middle or rear. Otherwise: I use the main stand most; if necessary, with binding down the rear to the ground for works on the front wheel. 

Second most I use with mounting stands for the rear (with pegs permanently mounted to the swingarm) and/or front wheel.

 

Edited September 12 by TéNéRELOADED

[Peen]

Log

[Samm]

2 hours ago, Peen said:

Log

I love it! Easy height adjustment by using cedar shake shingles in conjunction with log.

 

[beakster]

7 hours ago, Peen said:

Log

 

Out of curiosity, how tall is the log? (I need to remove me wheels for service and would like to do it myself)

[Peen]

The log is about 32cm tall, if its cut level, both wheels are lifted off the floor.