I have been reading posts in this forum for a while as I have been building my '90, so I don"t feel like a newbee, but I guess I am.
The more things I do to it, the more I need to do things to it. So I thought I would get smart and borrow a bike lift from a friend. I slid it under and looked for a good lifting point, but to my surprise there is really no obvious point of support (except where I wish I had a center stand). I can rig up something (blocks, steel, etc.) but I'm tired of banging my head against the garage floor and then looking at the forum for answers. This time I am seeking advise before I waste time and effort.
Could be that I need stands for the front and back rather than a center lift? I'm just trying to work with what I've got.
Plastics are off.

 

What work are you trying to do? This will point us in the right direction for which stand you need.

 

I am replacing both tires, and I would like to get the bike up higher for working on the carbs (again) without straining my back.

 

depends on what you also want to spend.

if not much then a front and rear stand for changing tires, fork removal, a little bit of height working on carbs while sitting in a chair, oil change, chain removal, etc.

if you got bucks to spend, then a folding lift is nice like this one: http://kendonusa.com/

i have a full size motorcycle lift but it cost me some serious dough and it takes up hella lotta space. but worth it because i can also use both my front and rear pitbull stands on it.

i got by with a front and rear stand for almost 10 years up until i started doing custom work on other bikes. i figured if i was going to make an effort working on other rides, i might as well put forth some dough to get something i needed.

 

The problem is I don't want to spend anything (currently unemployed). I looked at purchasing a lift/stand but I was able to borrow one from a friend. It just doesn't look like it will do the job without some serious adapting. I have looked at the Kendon stand, but that won't help me with the tire change.
I would like to just pick it up in the middle, and take care of both tires at the same time. Having the carbs higher is just a bonus.
As with most issues on this bike, it seems like it should be a simple problem but it's not. If I end up making a jig for the lift, I'll be sure to post pics.

 

If you still have the fairings on it and don't want to take them off to work on it, you are pretty much screwed.

If you take the fairings off you can put a bottle jack under the swing arm and put the lift under the front of the engine.

If you have the pit stands you can lift one end and put a bottle jack under the swing arm with the fairings on.

I have a full size lift I got from Princess Auto (Canadian version of Harbour Freight) for $200 and I know HF has the same ones. I also have a transmission style jack that I use under the engine with a bottle jack under the swingarm when I want to do wheel servicing.

No one solution works for everything.

KongBastard

 

i forgot to add that you also can get a motorcycle/atv jack: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00950190000P

it's less then the cost of a front and rear stand combined.

 

i job shadowed for a day at a motorcycle shop and there i saw them jack a cb500 up putting the jack on the exhaust pipes because like ours they run directly under the engine where you would want to put the jack. its the most unprofessional thing i've ever seen and i never took my bike back to that shop but it did work. note this was done once it had been raised on the full sized lift and tied for support/balance and then jacked up with a bottle jack or something can quite picture it anymore. you could try it, by far the cheep way