hey all. noticed in the 09 service manual, actually, the update for the 2009 touring steering head bearing adjustment m-1246 service bulletin, that it states in bold:

"when lifting a motorcycle using a jack, be sure jack contacts both lower frame tubes where down tubes and lower frame tubes converge. never lift by jacking on crossmembers,..... failure to comply can cause serious damage....."

this is not stated on page 1-49, section 1.21, in the original service manual. so it's saying not to use the rear cross member as a jack point? i remember seeing various posts where everyone IS using the cross member as a jack point. i stopped by the dealer, actually two, and both service writers told me ok to use the cross member as the rear jack point. and actually saw a few bikes on their lifts with the jack under the rear cross member. what do you guys do? is this for 09's only? then where the hell is the rear jack point? there's not alot of room after the cross member.

 

hey look at your crossmember. it's a piece of 14 gauge sheet metal with a lip that bends down toward the ground. that's what you don't wanna be jacking against, is that lip. it would more than likely bend the lip to a weird position, and that crossmember is there only to maintain the proper spread from your lower lateral tubes. so that the engine and trans aren't the only thing holding the correct distance between your lateral tubes. did this make any sense? hope so. now get out on that shiny roadglide and tear up the road.

 

I think what it really means is to not use a jack (like a bottle jack or something narrower than the frame) that contacts ONLY the crossmember. When I use my Pitbull jack, I position one of the two jacking members across the frame under the motorcycle crossmember. Nothing wrong with doing that.

 

I think that is right. I also use the cross member when jacking up the bike with my el cheapo red sears jack that has worked perfectly for over 5 years now..........

 

+1 i do the same thing

 

It's OK to place the jack across the bowtie cross member as long as it contacts both frame tubes. Just don't place a single point jack on the cross member itself. All bike jacks that I'm aware of would span the two lower frame tubes.