5 Steps to Removing a Motorcycle Front Wheel

Removing a motorcycle front wheel is relatively easy and once you get the hang of it, it won’t take you more than a few minutes to remove and replace the your bike's front tires. To get started, grab some protective gloves and follow these steps.

Step 1 – Put the Motorcycle in Position

Strap down the back of the bike to hold it in place then put the jack under the front frame of your motorcycle to lift the front wheel. When lifting the motorcycle, make sure that it is in the right level to give you easy access to the front wheel. See to it that the motorcycle is also in a secure and safe position to avoid accidents.

Step 2 – Loosen the Front Clamp

The front wheel of your motorcycle is held by a clamp. Find the clamp, loosen it and then spin the wheel. Spinning the wheel will give you an idea if you need to adjust the position of the motorcycle to give you easy access to the front axle and the brake caliper. If you cannot spin the wheel properly, jack up the motorcycle a bit more. Repeat the process until you can spin the wheel comfortably.

Step 3 – Remove the Brake Caliper

Locate the axle nut and the brake caliper of your motorcycle. You will need to remove the caliper first before you can remove the axle. First loosen the mount bolt. When removing the other bolts that are holding the calipers in place, start with the bottom bolts before moving to the upper bolts. Hold the caliper firmly in your hand while removing the upper bolts to prevent the caliper from falling.

After removing the caliper, slide out the brake discs from inside and inspect them for signs of wear and tear. Weak or damaged discs should be replaced. Also, when checking the discs, pay close attention to the brake pads and make sure that they are no less than 1/8-inch thick. If the brake pads are already less than that, you need to change them as soon as possible.

Step 4 – Remove the Front Axle

To remove the axle, loosen up the axle pinch bolts with your wrench. Once the axle pinch bolts are loose, jack the bike up a bit more to make it easier for you to slide off the axle. When sliding it out, watch out for the wheel spacers. The wheel spacers often come in two sizes and usually come off as you move the axle out of place so be ready to catch them before they hit the ground.

Step 5 – Lift the Wheel Out

Now you can remove the front wheel of your motorcycle by simply lifting it off.