Building a motorcycle lift... anyone????

[beemerdons]

Thank you very much Wheatie, for your experienced opinion! I agree with wheatonFJR, I'd try a Harbor Freight lift first! For $70, plus tax, at you local HF, I would give this a try first!
https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capac...-lift-2792.html 1,500 lb. capacity, twice the weight of an FJR. Hopefully someone here who has one will give us an FJR consumers report.

The best $70 I spent.

Thank you very much, rogdeb! That was exactly the feedback that I was looking for! You just cannot beat "The best $70 I spent." recommendation from a Fellow FJR Forum Member!!!

 

[sgoat]

Thank you very much Wheatie, for your experienced opinion! I agree with wheatonFJR, I'd try a Harbor Freight lift first! For $70, plus tax, at you local HF, I would give this a try first!
https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capac...-lift-2792.html 1,500 lb. capacity, twice the weight of an FJR. Hopefully someone here who has one will give us an FJR consumers report.

The best $70 I spent.

How about a pic of an elevated FJR using the Harbor freight lift? Are you putting it under the exhaust system to lift the bike? I'd ruled these out years ago for use with the FJR. Thanks

 

[olsonm3915]

I've got one of those motorcycle/ATV lifts too, and there is no way I would put my FJR on it. I used to use it with a custom adapter I welded up, for my SV650S. It really only works if the bike has no plastic underneath and/or frame rails below the exhaust pipes, or some other way to interface it to the bike without putting pressure on sensitive parts.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Myself, I'd rather have a stand that raises from the floor, to lift an already secured bike...

I agree.

The guy posted up his idea and asked for opinions.

If he still wants to build this "you-tube video waiting to happen", it's his nut. All we can say is sorry you didn't take our advice. It's still a free country...and you're still free to take your own chances if you wish.

However, I wouldn't want anybody else visiting the garage to get injured by the bike if the platform collapses after the wood connections work themselves loose after being overloaded a few times.

 

[LgFJR]

Thank you very much Wheatie, for your experienced opinion! I agree with wheatonFJR, I'd try a Harbor Freight lift first! For $70, plus tax, at you local HF, I would give this a try first!
https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capac...-lift-2792.html 1,500 lb. capacity, twice the weight of an FJR. Hopefully someone here who has one will give us an FJR consumers report.

I have the same lift as the Harbor 1,500lb lift and it is working out very well. Thought I would use it on my KLR, a little skeptical about the tupperware on the FJR. Now I just throw a towel over the arms and crank either bike up. Just slide the lift in forward of the kickstand on the FJR very carefully, no plastic harmed, no pipes crushed in several uses. I just used it to pop the back wheel out and back on with a new tire. Makes the job a piece o cake. I have carefully ran the KLR up with both wheels in the air, started it in first gear and had an easy time cleaning the rear wheel and lubing the chain. This procedure is not for the faint hearted. So far it has not gotten me on Utube..........lol.........

 

[ahchiu]

Stephen,

I have to agree with the others. I would not put any thing heavier than birthday cake and ice cream for the kids, it will make a great picnic table for midgets.

if you still want to use this for a lift get 5 guys that weight #200+ and see if you can rock it back and forth, side to side. what are you planing to stand on when rolling the bike up on the platform, it looks way too narrow I don't want to read about how you were hurt / killed when the bike falls on you.

 

[SDMac]

"Sorry man but that design looks like a U-Tube disaster clip in the making".

"I love the do-it-yourself nature of this board....BUT I would seriously walk....NO, RUN away from this thing".

I'll second Wheaton's opinion!! You would not catch me, or my Feejer, anywhere near that platform. Yeah, I happen to be a second Engineer that is reading this...

Congrats to whomever shared the link from Harbour Freight. I may just have to get one of those for myself now that I've seen it!! My poor VISA card... Feejer is beating it to near death...

But am I smiling all the while?!?!?! YOU BET!!

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Tom Edison]

It is a very serious disaster in the making. If you want to use wood, make it with bolts, 2X6's, 4X4 post's, twice as wide, lot's of diagonal bracing..... just forget it and buy a lift, you'll save lot's of bucks and I won't have to read about a fellow Washingtonian being killed or maimed in a garage MC accident.

 

[Stephen]

OK, weight has become an issue if I box in the braces (for storage, etc.). Also. 24" is not wide enough... not for the bigger bikes anyway. Alas, everything starts to add weight.

So, here's version 3.0:

 

[Tom Edison]

OK, weight has become an issue if I box in the braces (for storage, etc.). Also. 24" is not wide enough... not for the bigger bikes anyway. Alas, everything starts to add weight.
So, here's version 3.0:

Good for you, now where do I find one of those?

I found it, Harbor Freight.

 

[Texan]

Oopsie.

Safer to use this way:

Another thread on this lift: Here

 

[canucklehead-biker]

We have a similar thing available up here in Canuckistan through Princess Auto (our version of Harbor Freight), but it's a whole lot more $$$... like over $500 bucks. Doesn't appear to be any better quality, I guess just another case of BOHICA on pricing up here. :angry2:

I have one of the lifts like RogDeb mentioned, and it does an OK job on the FJR, although as mentioned you need to be careful how you place the arms. Also a good idea to make sure the sidestand is down BEFORE you lower it... don't ask me how I know... :withstupidsmiley:

Griff

 

[dirttracker30]

try finding a HANDY LIFT(made in Marshalltown Iowa,USA not CHINA). they are the standard that most bike shops use. I have heard a rumor though that the recession has taking a toll on their buss. and they may be going belly up. they are very well built. both air or electric. And they sell wings you can add to make it wide enough that even a QUADBILLY can use it.

 

[Crash Cash]

Oopsie.

And that's why I don't use the garbage chock that comes with it. I use a Baxley Sport Chock, only mine wasn't over $200 friggin' bucks when I bought it. That'd make the chock worth more than the lift it's on!

With the Baxley chock, I don't need to tie down the bike. It's solid. I put two bolts in the front boltholes to keep the chock from sliding forward.

If I keep the FJR on it with the lift fully elevated, the hydraulic cylinder leaks a little, so I put a plastic dinner plate under it. It's about 1/4oz overnight.

My only problem is it's pretty rough to push the FJR up the ramp by myself, even though it's only 10" or so. I probably need more beer-vitamins.

Seriously, though. A guy's got 5 or 6 bikes, including a Ducati, and he can't afford a real chock? WTF?

 

[Fred W]

I would never, ever ride my FJR up a narrow ramp like that up to to a narrow table like that. That's just plumb crazy. :dribble:

If you must have a bike lift (table) then pay the man and get something fairly safe and stable. Since I'm only 52 and can still bend over, I don't see the need for one just to do maintenance on my bikes. Maybe when I'm 80?

 

[olsonm3915]

I'm about the same age but sometimes when I have to lie on the ground or bend over for an extended period, I feel like I'm already 80. Even though I am down to only 3 bikes now I am strongly thinking about buying a bike lift. Probably it will happen the next time Harbor Freight puts the right one on an extra-low sale price.

 

[Stephen]

Texan, that's why I didn't go with that particular model. The one I'm ordering has the better tire chock.

In the picture, it appears that no tie-downs were used at the rear of the bike, as recommended.

 

[Crash Cash]

I would never, ever ride my FJR up a narrow ramp like that up to to a narrow table like that. That's just plumb crazy. :dribble
If you must have a bike lift (table) then pay the man and get something fairly safe and stable. Since I'm only 52 and can still bend over, I don't see the need for one just to do maintenance on my bikes. Maybe when I'm 80?

Well I want to still be able to bend over in a couple decades when I reach 52. Working on a bike for a couple hours bending over kills me for a week. Maybe it's because I'm really tall, I guess, but it makes the $200 for the lift and pain of getting it home well worth it.

 

[Waaane]

OK, weight has become an issue if I box in the braces (for storage, etc.). Also. 24" is not wide enough... not for the bigger bikes anyway. Alas, everything starts to add weight.
So, here's version 3.0:

I own this lift and recommend it highly with the following exceptions. The wheel chock blows...One side is totally fixed so, unless you get your bike onto the ramp perfectly you will end up pushing it sideways to clamp the front wheel. I refuse to do this. I have removed the wheel chock completely

Pushing an FJR onto this ramp is a bitch. IMHO the motorcycle is just to heavy and awkward for one person to muscle it up there safely. Really good (expensive) lifts collapse closer to the floor.

The lift is a bit unstable with a 700 lb bike on it until the stop bar has been inserted through the scissor lift and the weight has been relieved from the pneumatic cylinder. Not unsafe but not rock solid.

FWIW, this is how I use the lift...

I place 2, 8x8 redwood post I have down each side of the lift, one on each side. By happy coincidence the are the same height as the floor of the lift.

I then ride the bike onto the lift placing my feet on the 8x8s. This is very easy and stable if you can flat foot your bike. I stop the bike with the front wheel touching the stop plate at the front of the lift.

I deploy the side stand with the side stand foot resting on the redwood 8x8 and carefully dismount.

Standing on the 8x8, I deploy the centerstand. If you have the bike against the stop plate the centerstand will deploy just forward of the removable plate at the rear of the lift.

After the bike is on its centerstand I use 2 ratcheting tie downs attached to the rider footpegs and 2 U bolts just forward of the foot pegs to fully stabilize the bike. Then and only then do I lift the bike using the pneumatics.

I like this system because it allows me to put a small transmission jack on the lift under the pipes and raise the front wheel off the floor of the lift. After removing the front wheel I can lower the front onto jack stands and remove the rear wheel as well. The bike is amazingly stable when the lift is used in this fashion.

I never wrench on the bike without the tie downs in place and the weight of the bike on the stop bar.

Be very sure that the jack screws under the lift are properly deployed.

I really like the lift when used like this. The bike is very stable and there is just no comparison with working on your hands and knees. Getting up and down for tools and crawling around looking for crap is just not for this old boy any more. I actually enjoy working on my bike again. I won't change the oil without lifting it.

I hope this helps

 

[Blind Squirrel]

When you do come up with the final product make sure to take pics or video of it and post them up here.