Tools (Chassis) - Park Tools Steering Head "stuff" & Frame/Bar bender, etc

[junior varsity]

First off - on Engine stands - quite necessary to use one with a nice lift to put engine cases (even if empty) comfortably into a 748/916/996/998 frame & swingarm.   Awhile back I had purchased a very simple stand from Rif Racing, pictured below. I like it quite a bit. I only wish it was a bit taller so it was easier to get to drain plug or to have the exhaust manifold more easily installed while engine was on the stand - its designed specifically to fit on the platforms of an ATV floor lift/jack.

I definitely see the benefits of that and now have determined I "need" (my wife hates that word) to get a quality ATV lift/jack to make positioning it easier and even allow a bike to be built around the motor (the frame, triples/forks, swingarm parts) and then lowered on to the ground for 'final assembly' (tank/bodywork/brakes, etc).  And apparently you can't trust Craftsman to make one worth a damn so says the 100+ negative reviews on the Sears website. (Open to suggestions of ATV lift for such a purpose - 1500 lb capacity far exceeds my needs - I ain't got no harleydavidsons).  No further ado, here's the stand pictures and link:



With ATV jack as I described:

Here's their contacts - Website (see For Sale link): http://www.rif-racing.com/     and on eBay: http://tinyurl.com/6a895wx


Ok the main question area came more in getting "more appropriate tools" to do the job - similar to my recent posting about the Ducati special tools.  (I did end up ordering a Ducati primary gear puller - sheesh it is spendy, still need a flywheel holder unless I am to hold the primary gear on the other side of the crank...).

SO, Instead of whacking in steering head races with reckless abandon, trying to knock them out with a long screw driver, missing and hitting my own knee, or using a dremel to in-artfully remove the lower race (or complete roller unit on the narrow stem models), I am looking at "real tools".  Currently, I do have an appropriate tool for hammering the races in, but its less than ideal I think, and I'm using the crude method of heavy pipes of "close" to the right diameter to install the lower races/tapered-rollers onto the lower triple. 

I have no 'good' method of removing lower races from the stem and a search on the internets seem to reveal folks using torches to cut them off (no thanks) or the dremel like I'm using or "take it to a professional" or chisel it up with screwdrivers or chisels until you whack at the bottom of it... or lastly 'press out the stem from the triple and knock it off with a clean shot at the bottom' - certainly not going to happen here.   I'd like something like this - but I see people referring to it as a 'bearing splitter' rather than puller, and I couldn't find one that mimicked this drawing's shape:



Then I remembered Park Tools, which seems to make Bicycle mechanics tools and seem to be applicable to the motorcycle. (Lay your opinions or experiences on me please). Here's some tools I'm looking at for 'doing the jobs':

For the Lower Triple / Steering Stem:
Removal:
*Park Tool CRP-1 Universal Crown Race Puller (Park Tool CRP-1)

I realize there are less expensive devices out there, but I'm hoping someone may chime in with experiences - I'd like to get a 'good one'.

Installation:
*Park Tool CRS-1 Crown Setting Tool [or CRS-2 for bigger stems] (Park Tool CRS-1)
    ...its closer tolerance, multisized purpose built 'heavy pipe' like I've been using...


For the Headstock / Frame & Outer Races:
Removal:
*Park Tool RT-1 or RT-2 Head Cup Remover (Park Tool RT-2)

"as seen on the DesmoTimes website"

Installation:
*Park Tool HHP-2 Headset Bearing Cup Press (Park Tool HHP-2)


...seems like a much more pleasant method than wailing away with a mallet using this:


Lastly, the fixer-upper project Monster has a slightly tweaked frame at the very tail. I want to gently bend that end back to parallel with the other side - make sure the tank-hing / front-of-seat receiver frame bar was still robust (had a tiny crack on first inspection) and then get it all powdercoated nicely for reassembly.   Well, to bend the tail end of the frame the slightest bit needed (its pretty small but the taillight looks slightly crooked - I may be the only one that notices - its about 1/4" at the most, more like an 1/8"), I had imagined creating all sorts of jigs and whatnot.   Then a dirtbike friend reminded me that people bend shit all the time, so there are tools for this kind of thing.  Re-enter Park Tool - here's what I found:

*Park Tool FFS-2 Frame & Fork Straightener (& handlebar too I read)(Park Tool FFS-2)


thoughts?

[corey]

regarding the steering head bearing tools...
i mean, i used a piece of pipe from home depot, a piece of wood, the old races with a slit cut in them, and a deadblow mallet. total cost of like $4, plus the hammer i guess if you want to be technical. for something you use so rarely, i don't think a dedicated tool is necessary when you can do it EASILY without.

Yea, sure, the right tools are nice. But really, i'd rather spend all that money on gas for riding, than to have fancy tools for putting in a steering head bearing every 15,000 miles or whatever...

BUT, if you have the cash, then why the hell not?

[junior varsity]

Like I said, I've been using the heavy pipe for install, and crudely cutting them off for removal, same as you say. But I'm at three or so bikes currently, and am interested in getting "good" tools for the long-haul, which includes additional bikes, road and dirt, and many more miles. 

I'm about to do another install of bearings on IMA lower triple w sbk-fork bores, untweak the frame, do a bit o'weldery, remove the old races and blast/powdercoat frame, and finally install new races and install triples in frame, getting it ready for a mock assembly to get parts off shelf and out of way while I slowly finish the motor.

I think my goal, ultimately, is to slowly acquire the proper/good tools for all the jobs - lend em out to friends or invite them over to help

[atomic410]

park tools... not all that great, i been working at bike shops on and off for 16 years and yes they are the standard now but I'm not their bigest fan.  I really don't think those headset tools are built well enough for moto applications. fwiw I have used that frame straightner for subframes on multipule bikes and it works well for that.

[junior varsity]

Sweet, that one is a higher priority for sure

[junior varsity]

If the general quality of Park Tools is only so-so, have any suggestions of a good frame/bar bender tool that is from a company more worth supporting?

[booger]

You could always just buy the Ducati tools, if you don't enjoy using the makeshift versions. Some of them are reasonable, others not so. I don't see the economy of the Park tools you cited versus the Ducati tools. Park tools can be expensive as well. I see plenty of economy in the makeshift versions.

If you want awesome bulletproof tools you can always design your own with a CAD program and take it to a machine shop. Expensive but you can overengineer the tool to your heart's content and make something that will outlast you. I made a bearing headset cup press on a buddy's CNC that mimics the OEM tool. Trouble is I didn't have any Al thick enough so I had to use polycarbonate. Haven't used it yet, and I have my doubts as to whether it will work or not. But the dimensions are correct; if it were made out of a proper hunk of metal I'm certain it would work as well as the proper Ducati tool.

I have a hard time with the notion that a proper piece of pipe won't last forever as a stem race installer. Put a small Ducati sticker on it to make yourself feel better. I can understand your aversion to tapping the cups into the headset with a hammer & drift however.

For the sake of durability and convenience why not just cough up for the proper Ducati tools rather than spend time searching the earth for decent alternatives?

[junior varsity]

While I have bought some of the Ducati tools (primary holders and puller, several others), because the design of headstocks is relatively universal, there is/was a high likelihood of a specific tool used in some shops - either from a manufacturer or aftermarket - that would be recommended.