DR250 - workshop stand for maintenance

[robocog]

DR250S (something or other)
New bike (to me) and it appears the simplest of tasks has me foiled till I spend more dosh

Bike has been greenlaned mainly from what I gather
(though is road legal and is taxed and MOT'd)

I've been invited out greenlaning on Sunday now I have a bike thats suitable, and looking forward to it

Decided to take the bike everywhere I can to get some time in the saddle and "become aquainted and bond with it a bit" and work out if anything needs doing

The rear brake is rubbing slightly (annoying rubbing noise) and I'm reckoning the slider pins are devoid of grease due to the frequent jetwashes between being thrown into mud and water - and the fact you cannot get the rear caliper off to do routine maintenance without removing the wheel (so perhaps hasn't been checked or done recently?)

I know the piston is doing its job just fine (pushed the pad and piston back and pumped it in and out a few times)
Pulled back a bit of the rubber boot covering the slider and it looks rusty and dry in there
I have some red rubber grease somewhere...but getting in there to apply it has me stumped (unless I just lay the bike down on its side to work on it?!)

Of course my paddock stand is useless on this bike, and the bike doesn't have a center stand to make the task a trivial 10 min job

Looks like I'm going to need an "MX specific" stand to keep things working as they should on this bike

Looking on eBay theres a couple of different styles
Assuming I can find a clutter free and level ish space...are they pretty stable when working on the bike? - esp if I'm removing a rear wheel?
Is this a 2 man job?
Do I need to remove the front wheel to "balance" the bike a bit?
(or crafty use of tie downs perhaps?)

The pump up and the lever types look like they could be operated one manned without too much drama
The simple type with no moving parts could be knocked together in 2 mins (assuming I could get to my welder and had some angle or RHS tube handy) and look like they could be an arse to use one manned?

What type you got and do you rate it?
Any makes or types that should be avoided?

Advice from the wizened would be appreciated

Regards
Rob
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Needs a bigger garage...

[yen_powell]

I've got a DR350, same as the 250. I use a car axle stand under the right hand footrest hanger and the sidestand to get the wheel in the air quickly. Takes a few seconds.

You will probably find that the allen bolts that hold the brake pads in are seized. If they are not, coppa slip them now and don't do them up too tight. The hex holes round out very easily if they don't want to undo.
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[robocog]

OK - I did look at the allen heads on the caliper and pondered their purpose and actually assumed they would have fluid behind them so didn't attempt to try and twiddle or disturb them
(not got a manual nor exploded diagram)
Got a tub of coppaslip sat here and found my red rubber grease now

Good tip on the axle stand...I have a pair here and it didn't even cross my mind...DOH!

I assume theres no gotchas for rear wheel and calliper removal?

Looks like undo the std looking axle nut , withdraw the axle bolt fully to drop wheel out of the way and the calliper carrier will just come away allowing me to clean and lube the slider pins?
I did notice it seems to have some allen head pinch bolts at the end of the swingarm, so maybe slacken those of as well?

Wishing I had taken some closeup photo's in daylight now for me to study...just wondering if there will be enough room to slide the calliper off its sliders with the pads removed?
(assuming the pads will slid out with the wheel still in place- if I can get the allen headed pins out cleanly!)

Its too late/dark and wet to be tinkering now

Regards
Rob
____________________
Needs a bigger garage...

[G]

Used paddock stands before, but usually have to be right at the end (which can make getting the wheel out harder) and of course depends on the stand.
Especially with lighter motocross bikes, a lot of people just use a milk crate - get something strong enough and you should be able to do the same. (Or weld something up, just read your post.) If you can lift the back end of the bike up, you should be fine.

The simple foot operated ones should be fine to do with one person. On my 690 with my dodgy one I ended up having to pull up on the bike, but the stand was a bit broken.
I've also got a foot operated scissor hydraulic one which is nice.

Rear wheel and brake removal etc should be simple.

The front wheel may tip on to the ground. either pull the bike back a bit and it should balance, or leave it as it is and it should be ok.

[Teflon-Mike]

[G]

I thought that type were intended for cruisers really - they go low but don't life that high.

Mine is like this one:
https://www.demonmx.co.uk/contents/media/l_scissorlift.jpg
Works nicely for dirt bikes.

[Suntan Sid]

Get one of these:-

https://store.rampconnection.com/shopimages/products/normal/dirt-bike-stand.jpg

If it can hold my, lardy arsed, DRZ400 then your 250 shouldn’t present a problem.
Your bike won’t fall off it and it’s quite stable. Depending on where you place it under the bike one or other of the wheels will be on the ground.
The only thing that takes a bit off getting used to is dropping it back down, it goes rather quickly, it’s not as scary as it feels though.

Mines got a plywood top, so you could easily replace it if it gets damaged!

[yen_powell]

Don't undo the pinch bolts on the end of the swing arm, there's no need.

Make a note of the chain adjuster setting (I write it on a drywipe board on my garage wall) then remove the axle nut, pull the axle out and unloop the chain, the wheel will then come out, probably dropping the wheel spacers on the floor. It takes a few seconds.

In theory you can change the rear pads without taking the caliper off. I found that the clearance to get brand new pads in was quite tight and it's just easier to pop the caliper off.

To remove the caliper you only have to undo one bolt. This is one of the sliders. Pivot the caliper up on the other slider and just pull it off the bracket.
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[robocog]

OK status update and many thanks for all the replies

Just before tea I decided I HAD to do the rear bake otherwise I'm not going to sleep (these things bug me and keep me awake at night!)

Just got back in and finished a hearty stew and am cleaned up and tools are all away, no hospital visits and nothing broken beyond repair

Followed the advice given
Pair of axle stands under frame towards the rear worked perfectly to get the rear wheel a cm or so above the ground

Got rear wheel out by pulling the axle out and released the rear calliper completely drama free
Got the 2 pins that hold the pads in (the bolts freed with a satisfying crack!...so not been out for a while or copperslipped I'd say)

This is where the rear tease was though as the calliper was well and truly stuck on the sliders, zero movement apart from a slight flex in the rubber booted end
Thought Fxxk it and started to dribble oils and penetrating fluids behind the seals and tapping the body of the callliper with a rubber mallet to try and get the lube in there to free them

Took well over 1/2 hour of prizing, levering lubing and general huffing and puffing and brute force, but got them apart in the end (I was just in one of those moods where I could seriously see myself out there till the sun came up till they came apart!)

I resorted to clamping the calliper and bracket to the swingarm and putting the axle back in and used the longest flat head screwdriver as a lever and worked each side out 1/2 mm at a time

Instantly obvious what the problem was...bone dry and a severe layer of rust on the pins

sandpapered then wet n dryed the pins, lashings or red rubber grease and put it all back (remembering to coppaslip the pad retention pins!)

Silky smooth and now self centers and feels like double the braking power on the rear for the same input effort

Both rubbers now have a small nick in, so I will have to keep on top of this till I manage to source replacements (considered drilling the blind ended one and fitting a grease nipple...lol)

Just read your reply Yen...
Theres was no chance of the removable pin just being unscrewed so I could flip the calliper over (though can see what you mean, there is a head there)
I just couldn't get a spanner on it so was just a tease sat there mocking me - letting me know it /should/ have been that simple and would have made the freeing up job a 10 minute thing!
I did attempt to get that pin unscrewed but just chewed the head a bit, and even when I got the calliper off the slider I don't think I have a deep enough socket to help free it up for next time

Also just made an order for the simple lever arm lift stand which should hopefully be here by weekend (not the hydraulic type)

I have a feeling theres going to be many other bits I should strip and grease before they turn into major dramas

Luckily every moving point on the suspension rear linkages seems to be endowed with a grease nipple (not sure if this is std?)
Going to get a grease gun tomorrow and see if anything comes out when I start using it (or whether tha last owner was a bit lazy)

Regards
Rob
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Needs a bigger garage...