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Bike lifts

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by skull2007, Apr 19, 2007.

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  1. skull2007

    skull2007 Active Member

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    I'm thinking about getting a lift so i can work on my bike without laying on my stomach. can you guys help me with the pro&cons of certain types and soforth
    skull2007, Apr 19, 2007
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  3. SK

    SK New Member

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    Don't get a cheap one like at Wal-Mart for $99. Your bike is too damn valuable to jacking up off the ground to something cheap. A guy in Sacramento made mine (he does it for a living out of a shop in Rancho Cordova, CA) and it's pretty heavy-duty. Probably paid more than I needed, but I can jack my 780 lb Royal Star 2' in the air and it's really stable. Can roll it around the garage with ease. Sure makes changing oil and cleaning the bike real easy with my little roll-around chair.
    SK, Apr 19, 2007
    #2
  4. kenfuzed

    kenfuzed Administrator Staff Member

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    Depends on what kind of lift you had in mind, available space, and how much work you intend on doing. There's a guy on here who recently did a fat tire build on his bike using one of the full-size lift tables from Harbor Freight, worked well for him and was inexpesnive compared to most commercial brands. Many others prefer a smaller motorcycle lift jack where space is limited and where they will only be doing routine maintenance. I previously did a full top end job with the bike sitting on one of those motorcycle jacks and it did okay. Table lifts are almost always prefered but unless you can get it locally it will cost you in shipping. Personally I don't endorse expensive lifts unless you plan on doing constant work.

    If you just want something cheap to level out the bike while changing oil or cleaning, then there are plans for making a super cheap lift from common lumber.

    Here are some drawings on how it is assembled and the finished lift. If you can't find a 4x8 then you'll need to screw a stack of 2x4's together. Covering the edge that meets the frame with a strip of carpet will protect the frame from getting scratched. You can also add large eye bolts to each end to fasten your tie-downs to. If using this on a Sportster you need to add a short piece of 2x4 as a top shim to keep the wood from pressing against the exhaust. I've kept one of these around for years just for quick cleaning in the driveway. It lifts just high enough to rotate the wheel and clean the mud from under the fender.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    kenfuzed, Apr 19, 2007
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  5. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    I would agree, however you can get a good $100 lift from sears, I have the Craftsman I use for small jobs, oil changes, tires cleaning, it's very well built, heavy gauge metals and stable!

    Friends have the old Sams/Costco/Harbor Freight lifts and they wobble, makes me wonder sometimes but they do work.

    Get one with a good solid feel a T handle to move it and a locking device to hold it in place if you need to leave the bike up for a day or two.

    If you want to go balls out - Kendon makes a good lift that puts the whole bike on it and will lift the bike way up, so you can stand and do work like a real Tech. It's about $700
    hotroadking, Apr 19, 2007
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  6. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    chucktx, Apr 19, 2007
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  7. REED

    REED New Member

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    comment

    I have the pro cycle lift and their black jack motorcycle jack, this works very well at 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of the handy lift however you need an air source to use this but every aspiring mechanic should have at least a small air compressor
    REED, Apr 19, 2007
    #6
  8. voodoochild

    voodoochild New Member

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    WooooHooo, I was the guy that Ken was referring to who is STILL doing the wide tire conversion!! :soapbox: Anyway, I got the lift from Harbor freight for 299.00 and it works like a charm. I have had that thing up and down 100 times already working on my bike. I have jumped up on the bike while the lift was up to check things, I have been up on the lift (while lowered) with the bike to raise the rear end and place a block of wood under the frame to get the tire off the lift, etc. etc. I would recommend it to anyone. I used ratchet straps and the wheel chock on the front end to keep the bike stable with no problems. Just my .02, but for 300 bucks I think it's well worth it. BTW, I also tore the primary off the bike, and changed fluids while up there as well. Good luck! These other guys have plenty of good advice too, this is just my opinion. :D
    voodoochild, Apr 19, 2007
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  9. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    im glad you chimed in about the lift.....and about how slow you work!!!:roflmao: :roflmao: :D :cheers:

    couldnt resist!!!!:eek:
    chucktx, Apr 19, 2007
    #8
  10. voodoochild

    voodoochild New Member

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    I don't mind Chuck.......I deserve it!
    voodoochild, Apr 20, 2007
    #9
  11. skull2007

    skull2007 Active Member

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    thanks for the info

    I'm not sure i might not need to end up getting one of those table type lifts seems that they would rise it higher. can one person get a bike on one of those table types? Oh . . . . ken that is a great idea. I was thinking that i may need both a sm. portable and table. but now with that handy little lift i may just go with a table one. My greatess fear would be having the bike tip over. Those sm jacks just don't look very stable:eek:
    skull2007, Apr 20, 2007
    #10
  12. voodoochild

    voodoochild New Member

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    I pushed my bike up onto the table lift, set the k'stand and then ratcheted her in place, no problems. At 5'-6" and 165, I'm not the biggest guy to be pushing 600+ pounds but i did it. :devil:
    voodoochild, Apr 20, 2007
    #11
  13. SPORSTERBOY

    SPORSTERBOY New Member

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    If Your Crafty And Work In A Manufacturing Inviorment. Just Go Down And Take Some Mesurments And Buy The Hydralic Jack And Make One. It's Pretty Easy Back About 7 Years Ago The Ol' Lady Bought Me A[ Lift This ] Jack. Paid Like 250 For It, Same One Now About 50. All My Buddys Wanted One So They Bought The Tube, A Little Weld, Drill A Couple Hole's Slap In Some Bolts And That's Basicly It. If Your Bike Is Lower'd Be Ware, My Sporty Sits About 2" Off The Ground And It Takes Two Of Us To Get It On The Jack, I Would Say You Need At Least 4" Of Clearence For These Regular Bike Lifts.
    SPORSTERBOY, Apr 20, 2007
    #12
  14. skull2007

    skull2007 Active Member

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    it's low

    I don't think i have more than a coupe of inches. maybe a table would be the way.?
    skull2007, Apr 21, 2007
    #13
  15. kenfuzed

    kenfuzed Administrator Staff Member

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    You only have a couple inches??? What does that have to do with motorcycle lifts? :roflmao:

    Sorry, couldn't resist.
    kenfuzed, Apr 21, 2007
    #14
  16. Ted

    Ted New Member

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    SSHHH We were talking about a skate board
    Sorry Im old and it slips out.
    Ted, Apr 21, 2007
    #15
  17. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    i was trying to figure out if he was braggin or complainin!!!!!:roflmao: :D
    chucktx, Apr 21, 2007
    #16
  18. skull2007

    skull2007 Active Member

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    all mixed up

    sorry about that, thought I was on the loney hearts forum:p
    skull2007, Apr 22, 2007
    #17
  19. SkyKing

    SkyKing New Member

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    I built a bike a few years ago and bought one of the small lift jacks, like Sears and others sell. It worked ok, but you spend all of your time getting up and then back down. I never sit down with the right tool the first time ( or the
    2nd or 3rd). About a year later I bought a table lift and a Black Jack to go with it. Mine lifts up to 40 inches. I can do pretty much anything standing up. Saves a lot of up and down as I retrieved more tools. It also acts as a great place to lay tools and parts. It was not terribly expensive and worth every penny. It is heavy though. it also has a pretty big footprint, but I just use it to stack other things on when the bikes aren't on it.:cheers:
    SkyKing, Apr 22, 2007
    #18
  20. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    hey y'all......your allowed to tell us the mfg. of the table lifts you have.....unless it's a secret.....if it is we promise not to tell!!!!!;)
    chucktx, Apr 22, 2007
    #19
  21. ironhorse

    ironhorse Active Member

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    their skeered dangit. Got an idea for a lift just ain't talked the manufacture into fabing it yet :brick:
    maybe I can bribe me with some more goodies to motivate myself:roflmao:
    ironhorse, Apr 23, 2007
    #20
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