ok to raise the bike via the rear shock linkage?

last year i took it to a local mechanic and he raised my bike with a car jack because the bike's rear linkage has a flat spot at the bottom (kickstand down). ever since then that's how i've been raising the bike myself for DIY stuff. everything seems to be fine but just wondering if it's common practice. it is helluva quicker then using a rear stand for sure (i never bothered to buy one). only downside is that the bike is still on an angle when raised.

thoughts?

In my opinion, that's the poor man's way, not to mention a less-stable way to work on your bike.
Using a solid bike stand under the engine frame cradle is the way to go.

It's your option whether you use the old-fashioned kind where you have to manually lift the bike up onto it, or get the type that will lift the bike by stepping on a lever.

A car jack???? What's taking the load? Hopefully not the engine?

YZEtc has it right, or use a swing arm stand back by the rear axle.

Use frame to hold weight. Not engine.

motokid wrote:

A car jack???? What's taking the load? Hopefully not the engine?

YZEtc has it right, or use a swing arm stand back by the rear axle.

Use frame to hold weight. Not engine.

nooo not the engine lol, it's the rear shock linkage. if u look at your rear shock u can see there's a square shaped flat spot at the bottom. the car jack pushes up on it and the rear wheel slowly lifts up and some weight also rest on the kickstand.

Just seems real unstable.

An old milk crate under the frame rails would seem better to me.

My swing arm stand is really a wonderful thing to have. I use it regularly.

motokid wrote:

Just seems real unstable.

An old milk crate under the frame rails would seem better to me.

My swing arm stand is really a wonderful thing to have. I use it regularly.

i should post a pic lol

motokid wrote:

Just seems real unstable.

An old milk crate under the frame rails would seem better to me.

My swing arm stand is really a wonderful thing to have. I use it regularly.

Do you have spools on the swingarm? I have a swingarm stand kicking around from sportbikes, curious how I can get it to work on the wrx,

Axle sliders work well for that.

Good excuse to get axle sliders!

axle sliders wont help if you have to take the wheel out.

swap your hooked spool pickup arms for a couple with L shapes on them. ie. ==|_ _|== they will lift off the swing arm and let you remove the wheel.

but remember to lock/wedge the front wheel somehow or it can roll/move and fall off the stand

00PowderSpecial wrote:

Do you have spools on the swingarm? I have a swingarm stand kicking around from sportbikes, curious how I can get it to work on the wrx,

Nope. No axle sliders.

See quote below. he said it perfectly.

millert85 wrote:

axle sliders wont help if you have to take the wheel out.

swap your hooked spool pickup arms for a couple with L shapes on them. ie. ==|_ _|== they will lift off the swing arm and let you remove the wheel.

but remember to lock/wedge the front wheel somehow or it can roll/move and fall off the stand

I could post a picture of it if you can't get the idea from above. Couldn't have said it better. Only a picture would be better at this point.

My stand has the spool hooks that comes out, so I used to turn them around and that worked with my KTM, I'll have to try it with the WR now, if that doesn't work it's time for a lift stand, used to have a DRC one which was awesome an dworked very well but sold it when I got rid of my DRZ

my ascii pic not good enough :p

another thing to watch is width, a stand made for a big road bike may not have the reach adjustment, but i havent seen a mass produced 1 too wide yet.