removing both tires on my super tenere at once

johnbob

New Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
17
Location
fort wayne indiana
Hello to all
Is it possible to remove the front and rear wheels at the same time? I've always done one at a time. of course, this means 2 trips to my tire guy for mounting new tires. When doing the front, I secure the handle bars with tye down straps secured to I bolts in my garage rafters. I then place a sissors jack under my SW Motec skid plate and raise the bike to create clearance to remove the front wheel. This works fine. Can I do this and take the rear wheel off as well? I was thinking of removing the rear wheel first, then taking off the front. Has anybody attempted this?

Thank You for your input, John
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
OK. You'll need a jack for this. I have a small hydraulic floor jack, but I've used the scissor jack out of my car in a pinch.

Put the bike on the centerstand and remove the rear wheel. Find something to put under the swingarm, like a toolbox or something. Something with a few inches of clearance between the bottom of the swingarm and the top of whatever you're using for support. The idea is to be able to tilt the bike backwards a little bit so it sits on top the support, and can't accidentally tip over backwards all the way. You could skip this, but it removes an element of safety.

Take a piece of rope or something similar and tie the centerstand to somewhere on the front of the bike, like the crashbars or the skidplate supports. This is just a precaution so the swingarm can't fold up by itself.

Jack up the front of the bike by putting the jack under the skidplate in front of the centerstand. That'll lift the front wheel, and also will push the swingarm down on top the toolbox (or whatever support you use). That'll give you clearance to remove the front wheel and will also support the rear of the bike so nothing crazy happens.

Now you have both wheels off, with the weight of the bike being divided up by the centerstand and the jack. If you don't like the idea of leaving the jack under the bike for an extended period, you could put something (like another toolbox) under the front forks and just lower the forks down onto whatever is supporting the front end. The bike is now stable, without having to hang it from the ceiling, and you can walk away from it without worrying about it tipping over. Leave the toolbox under the swingarm, so if anyone was dumb enough to push down on the rear of the bike, it wont be able to tip backwards all the way.
 
Last edited:

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
I saw that video once before (I think on here)....That is about the craziest way to put on a skid plate that I can imagine.

I must have some really small jackstands; mine aren't high enough at full extension to even come close to the crash bars. I don't think mine would reach the crashbars even if the front forks were resting on the ground. That's why I figured on just letting the front forks rest on something elevated, since the jackstands aren't a solution for me.

I had both wheels off recently when I did some maintenance stuff. I can see the advantage to the OP if he lives a long way from his dealership; it would take me just shy of four hours travel time to make two trips to the shop I use. The best solution for me was just learning how to change my own tires and eliminate the trip entirely.
 

thughes317

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 27, 2018
Messages
1,055
Location
The Bluegrass, KY
I believe you meant "center stand" not "swingarm"

Take a piece of rope or something similar and tie the swingarm to somewhere on the front of the bike, like the crashbars or the skidplate supports. This is just a precaution so the swingarm can't fold up by itself.
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
LOL, you're correct! I let that slip thru when I was editing my post. Thanks for catching it; I'm going to correct the original post so it doesn't steer anyone wrong.
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
When I would pull both tires, I would put the axle back into the front forks, and set it on a jack stand.
I'm filing that away for future reference. That method probably would work with my really short jackstands.
 

AVGeek

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
2,780
Location
Boulder City, NV 89005
I'm filing that away for future reference. That method probably would work with my really short jackstands.
Also, I should note that I would pull the front tire first (floor jack under the skid plate to raise the front while on the center stand), set the front axle on the jack stand, then remove the rear tire.
 
R

RonH

Guest
I remove the rear first, then place a jack under the engine, raise the front and remove it. Easy. I suppose either way works, but doing the rear first has been the way I do it. I do my own tires since I was 14yrs old, nearly 45yrs now. My dad was not a great mechanic, so I learned to do most my own work early in life. The tubeless tires on a Super Tenere can be changed easily by about anyone, and both wheels same time is easy.
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
I personally wouldn't do it that way for one reason....

If you do the back first, it's already off the ground, and the bike is a more stable platform because the front wheel is still on the ground. I've found that, of the two wheels, the rear is the most likely to give me trouble. That's where the cush bumpers can fall out, jamming up the wheel, which usually requires more moving the wheel around with some effort to clear the jam. I'm more likely to be exerting some force at the rear of the bike than I am the front, so I'd prefer the bike be more stable when I do the rear. The front never gives me any issues, especially if I pull the calipers first. As long as I break the axle free while the tire is still on the ground, the front comes off with very little manipulation. If I had a problem with the rear wheel that required me to start wrestling with it, and the front was already on jackstands, I think there'd be more of a chance of knocking the bike off the jackstands while you're working on the rear. It's not a huge danger, but I think doing the back first is a safer more stable way to do it.

Though I would rarely remove both wheels at once; even when I'm changing both tires at the same time. I'll do one wheel at a time; I'll remove it, mount the new tire, balance it, and put it back on the bike before I start the other. That way, if I need to go someplace, I'll have one tire completely changed and can use the bike without waiting to get the other tire changed.
 
Last edited:
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
I see no reason too pull both wheels a same time except for suspension service. I can only mount/balance 1 tire at a time.
 

Don in Lodi

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
5,780
Location
Lodi Kalifornia
I remove the rear first, puts more load on the front, jack up the front with a scissor jack, no leaking down cylinder jacks. Reverse order for install. Very stable. It may be obvious, but take your Jesse's or what ever off first.
 

RCinNC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2014
Messages
2,816
Location
North Carolina
I'd say the OP has a good reason to pull both at once; he wants to cut down on trips to his dealership to get the tires mounted. One at a time means two trips. If he lives a decent distance from the shop he uses, that could use up a chunk of a day just shlepping his tires around.
 

Panman

Active Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2017
Messages
140
Location
Stanwood, Wa
I do both my FJR and S-10 having both wheels off. Rear off firs then using a scissor jack to get the front up like others have said. I do lower the front legs onto a big 6 X 6 for a bit of a safety factor.
I just came across a screaming deal on a No-Mar set-up so now that will never be an issue again.
 
Top