Front wheel reinstallation single handed?

[Guest]

So, my 650 is sitting in my driveway in the dark, surrounded by tools. I was working alone and was replacing a trashed speedo drive...don't ask, it was my fault, don't wanna talk about it. Anyway I got one off EBay and had the front wheel off to install it.

I can't get the wheel back on with the spacer and the speedo drive in place. Is there a trick to doing this job single handed? When I get the speedo drive in place and the disks lined back into the calipers, ready to lift the wheel back up, the spacer keeps falling off on the right side. Or the speedo drive falls out. Tried duct taping them in place but there is no room for the width of the duct tape over the spacer on the right side. I need three hands.

I'm off tomorrow to get the neighbour down the street to help but I'm curious-it's such a simple task, there must be a trick to doing this alone....?

[Cronos]

I literally just did this today, I had it on the center stand and kneeled in front of the bike and tried to keep the weight to the back using my body and meanwhile lined everything else up and held in place with my hands while I nudged the wheel into place. Was tricky and took me about ten minutes but it is feasible. Patience and good luck with it

[drejal]

my 550L is a little different, with only one front disc, and i don't know if you have the same axle setup as me, but I was replacing my steering bearings this morning and found it easiest to adjust the jack so that i didn't have to hold up the whole wheel/speedo/spacer with one hand, and also waited until the wheel was mounted before i put the brake calipers back on.

[SVSooke]

Don't worry you are not the only one to trash a speedo drive.I will raise you 2 trashed discs and a pair of new fork seals.It can be done but my 81GS650E is a while ago now and I can't remeber if it's the same as my 750.

[Flaggo60]

.....and also waited until the wheel was mounted before i put the brake calipers back on.

....

I was trying to cut a corner or two and leave the calipers in place, but, come to think of it, I recall now the last time I had the wheel off, early last year, I think I did did have the calipers removed..... Then I reinstalled them after the wheel was back on.

Maybe that'll do it. Thanks for the reminder.....

[makenzie71]

First...take off the calipers. I never leave the calipers on (habbit from 4/6 piston setups that have to come off anyway). All I have to do is slide the axle through...I can see it being a real pain in the ass if you try to leave the calipers on, though. That's too much you have to have just right.

[SVSooke]

You can get the wheels past the calipers on a 650?Can't do that on my750 or the SV650 I had before so I take them off without thinking about it.Way easier any way.Now that I'm thinking about it you can do it but it was a PITA to put back that way

[Steve]

I have never tried to do it single-handed, I have always used both of them.

Yes, the calipers must come off. I use a scissors jack or a small floor jack under the front of the engine with the bike on the center stand. By varying the height of the jack, you can raise the front fender so you can roll the wheel nearly into place, then lower it so you can slide the axle into place. NO LIFTING INVOLVED.

.

[Cronos]

Yeah I had no choice to but to sweat and f}#*%% with it, limited to the tool kit under the saddle and a gravel driveway. Frustrating as hell.

[Flaggo60]

Ditto on the gravel driveway, that crushed stone hurts! Still, thanks to the ideas offered here, imy front wheel is back on and I was able to do it alone in about twenty minutes. Shoulda known about the brake caliper removal, and its only four bolts for the two calipers...DUH! Won't do that again. And the use of the scissors jack helped to line up the hole through for the axle with the axle bolt coming through. Easy when you know how......

Thanks for all the great comments.

Cheers,
Ted

[Sandy]

Could you not pre-assemble the wheel with the axle and spacers then using a floor jack or spacers lower the bike onto the wheel assembly. You would have remove the axle clamp from the left fork and push the axle back enough to clear the right fork, then simply push the axle into the hole on right fork. You may find it easier to remove the caliper.