Building a lift...question.

[Beardo]

So I'm building a lift for my Valk.  It will be for winter storage and for doing maintenance. I have a 2 car garage with 12' ceilings. So I'll be building it so it can lift the bike about 6.5' high for winter storage, so I can park one of the vehicles underneath it and also still walk under it.  I've seen similar single post high storage lifts online. If you're wondering why...we have some damn cold winters here, I want to be able to work on my bike during the winter yet still get both vehicles in the garage, just taking advantage of the high ceilings. It'll have a chock on the front with tiedowns for the front to hold it vertical. It will also have a removable part at the back as most lifts do to be able to remove the back wheel easily out the bottom.

My question is this: all of the lift adapters I've seen are to lift the whole bike up at once. I don't really want to do that, I want to be able to lift the back with the front in the chock and tied down. I don't want to lift the whole bike...while it's on the lift.  Is it ok to lift the back of the bike up just on that cross member where the kickstand is attached to? If I make the usual adapter to lift on that point and under the engine, it'll be at the centre of gravity of the bike and want to lift the whole bike.

How do you guys with lifts just lift the back of the bike?

[BigM]

Here is your best option. Is there when ever you may need it. In shop or emergency on the road. I use mine reg. Is very handy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-VALKYRIE-HONDA-LIFT-JACK-ADAPTER-1-MUST-HAVE-MOTORCYCLE-ITEM-Save-/170918265075?hash=item27cb85c0f3&vxp=mtr

[Beardo]

Here is your best option. Is there when ever you may need it. In shop or emergency on the road. I use mine reg. Is very handy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-VALKYRIE-HONDA-LIFT-JACK-ADAPTER-1-MUST-HAVE-MOTORCYCLE-ITEM-Save-/170918265075?hash=item27cb85c0f3&vxp=mtr

And it's ok to lift the back of the bike up just on that, not lifting on the engine at all?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm not understanding what you want. You want to lift it up 6' in the air just by the cross member ?

[Beardo]

I'm not understanding what you want. You want to lift it up 6' in the air just by the cross member ?

Haha...no. It's a platform lift that you drive onto....Google image single post motorcycle storage lift...that's what I'm building. Just wondering how to lift the back end only when the front will be tied into a chock.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm not understanding what you want. You want to lift it up 6' in the air just by the cross member ?

Haha...no. It's a platform lift that you drive onto....Google image single post motorcycle storage lift...that's what I'm building. Just wondering how to lift the back end only when the front will be tied into a chock.

hmm... I've not seen it done like that. Just a poor boy with a Craftsman lift. 

[GOOSE]

WHY DON'T YOU JUST HAVE AN OVERHEAD HOIST:  TIE OFF UNDER THE SEAT ON THE FRAME, AND LIFT AWAY.

[baldo]

 I have a Kendon lift. It's not a platform type, it uses a rail as the main support. https://www.kendonusa.com/product/stand-up-heavyweight-bike-lift/

It has a small scissor type jack that fits on the rail and goes under the engine. It will lift the rear wheel with the front in the chock. You should be able to do the same thing. Fasten the front wheel to the chock with a strap of some sort, then maybe a bottle jack with proper support under the rear part of the engine. Lift the rear and secure the bike, you should be able to do whatever you want.

[Beardo]

I have a Kendon lift. It's not a platform type, it uses a rail as the main support. https://www.kendonusa.com/product/stand-up-heavyweight-bike-lift/

It has a small scissor type jack that fits on the rail and goes under the engine. It will lift the rear wheel with the front in the chock. You should be able to do the same thing. Fasten the front wheel to the chock with a strap of some sort, then maybe a bottle jack with proper support under the rear part of the engine. Lift the rear and secure the bike, you should be able to do whatever you want.

Sounds good, thanks.

[Garland]

I have a Kendon lift. It's not a platform type, it uses a rail as the main support. https://www.kendonusa.com/product/stand-up-heavyweight-bike-lift/

It has a small scissor type jack that fits on the rail and goes under the engine. It will lift the rear wheel with the front in the chock. You should be able to do the same thing. Fasten the front wheel to the chock with a strap of some sort, then maybe a bottle jack with proper support under the rear part of the engine. Lift the rear and secure the bike, you should be able to do whatever you want.

That Kendon lift looks awesome! I have a Kendon trailer already, did not know they made lifts.

[dr.danh]

Here is your best option. Is there when ever you may need it. In shop or emergency on the road. I use mine reg. Is very handy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-VALKYRIE-HONDA-LIFT-JACK-ADAPTER-1-MUST-HAVE-MOTORCYCLE-ITEM-Save-/170918265075?hash=item27cb85c0f3&vxp=mtr

I installed my adapter Sat. Was extremely fast shipping and easy install. Works great. Will definitely get my money worth out of this. Got plans on using it to do winter maint., tires etc. A must have. Should have been a oem from Honda. And I like the idea of having it there for any emergencies may occur.

[Beardo]

If it wasn't really clear what I was building, here it is.  Almost done, just doing paint now.

Raises by electric winch, has a safety on it so it will only lower with the safety bar raised, pins at maintenance and storage heights, has removable piece at the back and removable chock on the front so wheels can be easily removed.  It will be anchored to the floor and wall with 8 1/2" wedge anchor bolts, 4 on the floor and 4 on the wall(I have 3 feet of concrete up the wall in my garage).

Made for the tire width, anchor points, wheelbase, etc of the Valkyrie.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Impressive 

[baldo]

 

[Robert]

Went a different route, will make an adapter to support the rear of the bike with one of the arms so that no Jack is needed. Have done something similar to my 1500 and also had a VTX 6 foot up.

[Kunkies]

nice Valk' GW

[Beardo]

All finished and installed. Works good.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Nice work ! 

[Jess from VA]

Very nice indeed!!

That's almost big enough for a mother-in-law bed.   

[Kye]

That's the coolest thing I've seen all day.   

[quexpress]

Wow! Very nice! 

[mark81]

that turned out great.  do you have a rough guess on the cost, time and materials. 

[Beardo]

that turned out great.  do you have a rough guess on the cost, time and materials.  

Thanks. Probably $300 in steel, bolts and bearings, another $200 for the winch. Probably 10 hours in the build, but we built it with no drawings, no plans, just a general idea of what we were going to do.

I know I could have bought a regular lift for probably less money, but not one that only takes up a couple sq ft of garage space. And with a welder in the family, it's just what we do with our spare time 

[fudgie]

Looks scary.  I wont walk under car lifts any more since I've seen what they do to people when vehicles fall. 

[Beardo]

Looks scary.  I wont walk under car lifts any more since I've seen what they do to people when vehicles fall. 

It's quite stable. When we were building it, we just had it tack welded to that table behind it. We got it all built and I used it to lift myself up to drill the top safety pin hole. My brother in law reminded me it was only tacked...I lowered it down rather quickly.  I suspect 8 bolts with a sheer/tension strength of 8000lbs each would be considerably stronger.

[Robert]

Nice job looks great and it does look secure also. 

[Beardo]

So I found a nice little bike jack that works perfect with the homemade lift. Used it with a wood lift adapter, it works great, a couple turns of the ratchet to lift or lower it.  Nice and smooth and very stable, left the front of the bike tied into the lift.



The lift worked great to do the rear end service.  Also did the shifter seal and it was nice to be able to work at eye level.

[Hook#3287]

Man, that's nice looking

Helps you got the room and height.

I can't see were the front part can be removed to pull the front tire?

[Beardo]

Man, that's nice looking

Helps you got the room and height.

I can't see were the front part can be removed to pull the front tire?

I don't have a good pic of that, but if you look in the fabrication pics, there's one that shows the chock. It's removable. Just remove the 4 bolts and jack the bike up, secure it with straps by the bars at the back or the handlebars I guess. Have not done it yet.

[BradValk48237]

You should market those... I'd pay $500.... LOL

Actually I bet there a lot of people that would be interested in that... I would if I had a taller garage...

B

[Hook#3287]

You should market those... I'd pay $500.... LOL

Actually I bet there a lot of people that would be interested in that... I would if I had a taller garage...

B

Yeah, if I cut a hole in my first floor,,,,  Uhhh,  I could make it work.  Heck, I could use the lift as an elevator/lift.

Then I would have a use for the formal living room, make it my formal bike shop.

[Beardo]

You should market those... I'd pay $500.... LOL

Actually I bet there a lot of people that would be interested in that... I would if I had a taller garage...

B

Yeah, it really is the crap, I love it, especially the fact it only takes up 1 sq ft of garage space and you can put it at whatever height you want, depending on what you're doing.  But with the size of it and the cost to ship, wouldn't be viable. But I'd take a bunch of pics if anyone wanted to make their own. But it isn't rocket surgery, anyone with a welder could make one.

[Attic Rat]

I like it

[jdp]

There is a company out there but I can't remember the name it's so you can lift your bike high enough to park your car underneath it.i saw them at a bike show, there is a bike show this weekend at Tamonium if they are there I'll get some info for you, it was fairly cheap too

[DK]

All finished and installed. Works good.

Is there more to the attachment of the upright to the wall and floor than is visible from this photo?

Is there an attachment point higher up?

It seems to me to have a lot of leverage on the wall and I don't trust light concrete block walls.

The lift is a really nice piece of work.

Dan

[Beardo]

It's 4 bolts on the floor and 4 on the wall, what you see in the pictures. That isn't a concrete block wall, that wall is solid concrete and it's thick. The bolts go about 6" into it. The bolts are rated to 8000lbs sheer/tension strength each. I don't believe it's going anywhere. And the vertical part is very heavily built, when the bike is at the top, it maybe flexes a quarter of an inch away from the wall. I thought about putting another support further up, but I don't think it's necessary.

When I have it up all the way for winter storage, I attach a heavy duty ratchet strap to the rear of it and up to a hook we made that attaches to the ceiling, just to support the back end and eliminate any of the torque/weight when it's at the high point. I don't think even that is necessary, but just gives piece of mind.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Man, that's nice looking

Helps you got the room and height.

I can't see were the front part can be removed to pull the front tire?

I don't have a good pic of that, but if you look in the fabrication pics, there's one that shows the chock. It's removable. Just remove the 4 bolts and jack the bike up, secure it with straps by the bars at the back or the handlebars I guess. Have not done it yet.

RJ always recommended using the engine guards vs. the handle bars for tie down spots.  
Love the  racks  

[Beardo]

Man, that's nice looking

Helps you got the room and height.

I can't see were the front part can be removed to pull the front tire?

I don't have a good pic of that, but if you look in the fabrication pics, there's one that shows the chock. It's removable. Just remove the 4 bolts and jack the bike up, secure it with straps by the bars at the back or the handlebars I guess. Have not done it yet.

RJ always recommended using the engine guards vs. the handle bars for tie down spots.  
Love the  racks  

Yeah, I intend to use the engine guards but all my ratchet straps and cam straps are too long, I have to find some shorter ones. Thanks for the reminder. 

And thanks...I figured the racks wouldn't bother anyone on here...seems to be a lot of gun and outdoors loving people on here with a similar hint of red on their necks.