jetpilot5

The large balancing cones may or may not work. I looked at another Niken today and the wheel centers aren't round. They have a bump where each bolt is located. Lifting by placing a rod of some sort between the forks will definitely not work. Brake and ABS lines are in the way if you use the top set of clamps and the wheels are in the way of the lower set. Using the center stand and tying down the back of the bike would work. The dealer suggested lifting by the bars, as I mentioned earlier, or tipping the bike to the side and changing one wheel at a time. Once you reach 45 degrees of lean the outside wheel will lift. I guess if you could find a safe way to support the bike that way that would work.

Finally got a definitive answer on this. The knowledge base on this bike varies widely between dealers. I sent an email to a dealer I'm working with on a potential purchase asking about lifting the front for service and whether there was a front wheel adaptor for balancing a non-traditional front wheel. Here's what I got back. "Yamaha sent us 3 tools on the essential tool program. This is what they send out to dealers when new models come out and special tools are needed to service them. Here is what we received, Jack Stand #90890-01596 $233.99 Wheel alignment toe gauge #90890-01595 $540.99 Steering nut wrench # 90890-01598 $106.99 Could not find out any info on an adapter for balancing the front wheels. In the Yamaha service manual under the static balancing section it just says to place wheel on balancing machine and add weight where needed. Service manual is also available. #Lit-11616-32-18 $89.99 You can purchase any or all these if you like." In my case I would be inclined to purchase the Yamaha Jack Stand. Smaller and easier to store than a shop crane and also frees up the handlebars allowing anything on the front to be serviced. Not really any more expensive either. Regarding lifting the bike from the headers, I did find a video where they did just that. In this case lifting from the right side and pushing down on the rear wheel. This put the entire bikes weight on the headers and the side stand. I wouldn't try this at home but it can apparently be done without damage.

Speaking with my local Yamaha dealer didn't provide much information. The service advisor assured me that they could do any service the Niken required yet when I asked if they had the tools and stands needed to service the front end he wasn't aware of anything special required. They never had a Niken in stock and initial response to me having a questions about the bike lead to a "We don't know anything about them" response. Sounds like I wouldn't be using my local shop for front end service work. The dealer I'm working with on a purchase did tell me they do have the service equipment. If it comes time to sign paperwork on a deal I'll check and see if they can give me more info on the stand. Too bad they're 150 miles away.

Is there a flat enough spot to use the pipes? I do think you make a good point about the load. Thinking about lifting by what would normally be the top triple clamp on a regular bike puts a load on all the bearings that are normally loaded from below when riding. I would think that if those bearings can survive the beating a poor road surface gives them or a badly landed wheelie they could sure stand up to being lifted from above with just the front end weight while stationary. Then again, what do I know. I plan on running past the dealer on Tuesday and will post up what they have to say. Where are you finding a US supplier of sporty tires in the 15 inch size? I don't even own a Niken yet but have been looking at different tires.🙄😉

In researching the Niken I came across a picture of what appears to be Yamaha accessory handguards. They must not have made the cut for production. Wonder if partially blocking the view in the mirrors was a factor in that decision.

I hadn't thought about trying to pivot on the center stand. If it's not too heavy up front that would work. Using a shop crane with a strap around the bars would be dead simple as long as you knew for sure it wouldn't do any damage. The bars are way out in the open and easy to access. I'm also going to try and run past a dealer this week and check on getting a factory service stand.

I was super impressed with my Niken test ride and am considering buying one. I'd like to be able to pull the front wheels for tire changes without going to a dealer. I understand there's a front work stand that is a Yamaha dealer tool. I've never seen a picture of this stand or been able to find it online. The only other option I've seen is the Abba stand which would be nice to have but at $700 is pretty expensive just to be able to change tires. Could you lift the front using a shop crane with a strap around the handlebars? You'd only need to just get the tires off the ground, maybe a half inch or so. Any other options? Abba stand. I did manage to grab a screen shot of the Yamaha service stand. The tech in the video said it's not available to customers though. He's in the UK so I don't know if that would be the case here in the US. You can also see the front end alignment tool sticking out from in between the front wheels.