bike lifts

[HurstRob]

If you wrench your own bikes, I am curious about which brand of bike lifts are in your garages. Considering getting one, not all are suitable for the Dragon. And it would really get under my skin to order a crappy one.
Thanks in advance, Rob

[BF]

Table lifts?  Or bike lifts?

If you're talkin' bike lifts, I have a Craftsman bike lift.  You need an adapter (sold on eBay) to use it.  It works pretty good, but you have to change the fluid in the bottle about once a year or so. 

[old2soon]

Got the yellow one from Harbor Freight. Built the low cost wood adapter and have NOT had a lift problem at all. Get it on the lift and 2 1 inch ratchet straps and my lady is as safe as can be while on the lift. Don't care which one you get-use the safety stops and NOT the hydraulic cylinder to hold your machine up. RIDE SAFE.

[Gunner]

I use the traditional style lift (like the Craftsman or HF) made by Dunwell.  I also use my EZCarLift with and without the motorcycle kit depending on what I am doing.

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_3773/Aero1.jpg

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_3773/valk11.jpg

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_3773/valk14.jpg

[R J]

Good looking unit there.

I got one suggestion.

In Pic #3 you have the straps tied to the end of the handlebars.

That is not adviseable since the bars can and will drop down onto the tank and zing goes your beautiful ride on its side.

I'd go into the Triple tree for a solid place to strap.

Bikes falling off jacks is not a pretty picture.

Just a suggestion, it is your bike.

[KSDragonRider]

I use a table lift.  I like it alot more than the bike lifts I have been around.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Craftsman with wood adapter. No problems, been great.

[john]

I have a lift with lift adapter   
90 buck from sams club 11 years ago   
another 50 for the adapter
thanks bill 
works great
I am wanting a lift table now   
the lift isn't high enuff   
get down stand up get down stand up ... with a back back its kill'in me   
I need something higher ... I want/need to stay standing up   

[BF]

I use the traditional style lift (like the Craftsman or HF) made by Dunwell.  I also use my EZCarLift with and without the motorcycle kit depending on what I am doing.

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_3773/Aero1.jpg

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_3773/valk11.jpg

http://vrcc.photostash.com/vrcc_3773/valk14.jpg

R J is right, handle bars not such a great idea, but I'd think that you could strap the bike down from the engine guards easy enough instead of using the handle bars. 

I've never seen or heard of the EZCarLift before, but it really looks interesting. 

Here's a youtube video of it with a Goldwing on it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bFoDUqBzbVo

Link to their site

http://www.ezcarlift.com/index.html

And the motorcycle kit....

http://www.ezcarlift.com/accessories/MLK/motorcycleliftkit.php

Check out their photo gallery with all of the bikes on that lift.  Seems really versatile.  However, at 2 grand for lift plus another 300 for the bike kit, I dunno.     .......it's pretty $pendy. 

It does check alot of the boxes for me though.  I might have to take a hard look at that lift.   

[alph]

ask anyone that knows me, and you'll hear how cheap I am!!  I got my lift out of my best friends neighbors garbage!!  he left it out in the rain one day and there was a little surface rust on the hydraulic cylinder.  cleaned that off with a little WD-40 and steel wool, made myself a "rack". 

this is what I've got for my cycle;

Honda Valkyrie cycle jack stand

[Tundra]

 Not to highjack HurstRobs thread and in line with his original post.
I saw a while back someone posted a really cool, very stable screw drive jack, blue in color and from the UK? There was a link posted and it was reasonably priced and well made. I have searched and could not find it again. We even had a member with pictures of his Valkyrie on it.
Anyone have any info. on it?

[t-man403]

Every lift has it's good and bad.
I liked the floor lift as it frees up both the wheels for whatever.............wish at times I hadn't sold it.
For the most part, I feel the table lift is better all round. I still get on my knee's at times but it's better than laying on the floor. I can take the rear tire off know problem. For $399.00 I think it is tough to beat, at least up here.



Actually, the floor lift is in the box to the left, as the old one had a faulty bottle so took it back and got a new one under warranty. Sold it new in the box.

[BF]

That EZCarLift that Gunner posted is looking promising.....





Rear end maintenance looks like a cake walk that can be done from an easy chair......

[old2soon]

Yeah but fer my wallet that EZCarlift be a tad spendy. RIDE SAFE.

[john]

Lift Table | Automotive Shop Equipment For Sale

www.autoshopequipmentforsale.com/lift-table

[Bugslayer]

Those table lifts look nice....... but how do you work on the front end of the bike?  ???

[HurstRob]

You guys have been really helpful, leaning to a table lift.
Thanks

[dan7uk]

Got the yellow one from Harbor Freight. Built the low cost wood adapter and have NOT had a lift problem at all. Get it on the lift and 2 1 inch ratchet straps and my lady is as safe as can be while on the lift. Don't care which one you get-use the safety stops and NOT the hydraulic cylinder to hold your machine up. RIDE SAFE.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Those table lifts look nice....... but how do you work on the front end of the bike?  ???

Strap back end down and use optional small scissor lift to raise front up. I use a Titan lift table.  

[Skinhead]

An inexpensive alternative to a lift table is a motorcycle jack, lift adapter, and 4 jack stands.  Works great if you have saddlebags.  Lift bike, put jack stands under engine guards (I split some old garden hose to put on the guards and protect the finish) and saddlebag mounts.  If no bags, one stand with 2x4 under crankcase.

You can then remove either wheel, very stable.

[t-man403]

"ALI" sits like this right now.



Nice, cause you can still pretty well stand up to do your work. 

[BF]

"ALI" sits like this right now.



Nice, cause you can still pretty well stand up to do your work. 

Looks like your lift is bowing in the middle there.  Is it a H/F table lift? 

[t-man403]

With it holding probably 80% of the bike's weight, if that's all the bow there is I'll be happy.

There is a cross brace of inch by inch angle iron about four inches in front of the jack. Not going anywhere!

The lift table comes from our "Princes Auto", our equivalent to your "Harbour Freight".

[cma1]

i agree on the one from harbor frieght. its inexpensive and if you look at them all you will find a lot of angle iron, the one from harbor frieght uses channel iron. i have had it and a wooden adapter for 8 years now with zero problems.

[BF]

There was a thread awhile back about a design flaw on the Harbor Freight lifts. 

Here....

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,59011.0.html

[t-man403]

Yeah well, that is a 1000 lbs. lift and this one is a 1500 lbs. lift.

If you look at the rear riser you'll see a stop bar that sets into a notched track so the weight isn't on the bottle. That bar is doubled up by the one on the right side. "ALI" has been out there for two weeks in the air and she ain't going no place. 

[BigBod]

Not the cheapest, but a great piece of kit. The bike is bolted to the lift so no need to strap. Lifts just about any bike. The guy gave me the Valkyrie adapter for free when I bought the stand. Also available in the US.

[BigBod]

Oops! Forgot the link...

http://www.on-bike.com/products_original_red

[Tundra]

BigBod, That's the one I was looking for THANKS It gets the bike up for cleaning and maintenance, just like a table lift but it's smaller and portable. You can also get the wheels off safely. I appreciate you posting.

[IamGCW]

While this is not what I use it may be of interest to you.

RWS Valkyrie Jack Adapter

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php?topic=29472.0

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

While this is not what I use it may be of interest to you.

RWS Valkyrie Jack Adapter

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php?topic=29472.0

[frosty]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOOK-VALKYRIE-HONDA-ORIG-RIVCO-JACK-ADAPTER-Save-money-with-ea-use-/170856853623?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27c7dcb077&vxp=mtr

[Hooter]

Geee, guess I'm really cheap I have the wood adaptor too. But I'm upper class, I have two of em!