jACK

[Big G]

OK WHAT'S THE TRICK TO PUTTING A VALKYRIE OP ON A JACK DO I NEED AN ADAPTER OF SOME KIND?

[PJR]

Big G, welcome! Yes, you will need an adaptor. Check the shop talk/tips area of this site. You can make a cheap wooden one, or ifin you are handy with welder, make a nice steel unit. Good Luck

[DarkMeister]

I bought one of these, stays on bike in case you need a lift anywhere:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VALKYRIE-LIFT-JACK-ADAPTER-STAYS-BIKE-DONT-STRANDED-WITHOUT-IT-1-ITEM-/180737476178?hash=item2a14cb0652&item=180737476178&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

[DenverDave]

I bought one of these, stays on bike in case you need a lift anywhere:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VALKYRIE-LIFT-JACK-ADAPTER-STAYS-BIKE-DONT-STRANDED-WITHOUT-IT-1-ITEM-/180737476178?hash=item2a14cb0652&item=180737476178&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

+1 

[olddog1946]

I put the same adapter on that Denver Dave uses..Works great, though I did bottom it out on a speed bump in a motel parking lot in Oregon..has only happened one time> but have kept my speed down whenever I encounter them now..

[Ricky-D]

I think I'll add my thoughts on the subject.

Wood is not something I would like to depend on when talking about my Valkyrie lifted high up on a jack.

The adapter I use was purchased on eBay for 50 bucks, goes on the bike very easily when needed, stores easily with the jack and will not lower the clearance no how.

Give me full confidence when I jack up the bike.  Very stable also.

***

[Bugslayer]

My "low budget" (wood) adapter has worked perfect for years.

[Willow]

I have two steel adapters today, but I used a cheap wood (home made) adapter for a long time with no issues.

[RTaz]

Someone posted this along time ago.



worked well for me for over ten years.

( I have 4 Valkyries )

[Big G]

Taz that's PERFECT!!!! just what I was looking for about $5 worth of wood

[alph]

i made my own also.  used the plans listed on this site.

[old2soon]

I built the inexpensive wooden one with plans off the tech pages. Had the 2 x 4s left over from another project. Got maybe $2.00 and some time in it. My phat ghurl was on it about 6 weeks with nary a problem.  Works well for the budget concious. RIDE SAFE.

[Ricky-D]

alph,

I like that dolly you welded up.

Now that is what I would consider a very useful shop addition.

***

[PAVALKER]

i made my own also.  used the plans listed on this site.

Alph.... How did you get that dolly to work?  I have an adjustable Dolly (width and height) that I had my VTX on, but with the Valk I have the mounted adapter on and it won't work with my Dolly since the adapter is resting on one arm of the jack already. 

Oh... and +100 on the permanent adapter  DarkMeister cited.

[Gryphon]

Someone posted this along time ago.



worked well for me for over ten years.

( I have 4 Valkyries )

That's the same one I built several years ago.  It works great. and very stable.  I still but a couple straps on the bike when it's on the jack, but I've been able to pull wheels for tire changes, spring changes, fork seals, etc.   It never moves.

[rws]

The wood item is in many ways superior to the metal one.  The metal adapter has two metal tubes under the engine.  The woody has a whole surface in contact with the engine.  The Craftsman jack has less more cobnact with the woody, again due to that large surface of contact.

What keeps the bike from slipping off the jack and adapter?  Friction.  The greater surface area of the jack pictured above provides that.

Now, if you build the device in a slipshod manner, you may be sorry.  But, as shown, the wooden adapter is an excellent design.

Rely on friction?

I designed and used to make an adapter you couldn't knock off a jack even if you tried...

RWS Valkyrie Jack Adapter

[Fritz The Cat]

The wood item is in many ways superior to the metal one.  The metal adapter has two metal tubes under the engine.  The woody has a whole surface in contact with the engine.  The Craftsman jack has less more cobnact with the woody, again due to that large surface of contact.

What keeps the bike from slipping off the jack and adapter?  Friction.  The greater surface area of the jack pictured above provides that.

Now, if you build the device in a slipshod manner, you may be sorry.  But, as shown, the wooden adapter is an excellent design.

Rely on friction?

I designed and use to make an adapter you couldn't knock off a jack even if you tried...

RWS Valkyrie Jack Adapter

That's awesome. Do you sell them?

[alph]

THAT VIDEO IS FRICKEN HULARIOUS!!

i'll be putting my cycle away for the winter in a couple days, that is, if the weather turns crappy, tomorrow it's supose to get into the upper 50's (shut up you darn southerners!!  i hear you making fun of us northerners..... )  any way, i'll make a video of my jack stand and dolly, i'll post pictures of dementions etc.  the worse part is getting ahold of a welder and pipe cutter, i'm lucky to have that stuff available at work.

as for the wooden stand, i agree with PLUGGY, he does make a good point reguarding friction, but you can always put a piece of carpet padding between the jack frame and the engine.  i'd like to know more about RWS's set up also (no i won't copy it, just want to know how he attatched it)

[Gryphon Rider]

Wood is not something I would like to depend on when talking about my Valkyrie lifted high up on a jack.

Believe it or not, with proper design, wood can hold up ENTIRE BUILDINGS!   

Check your Valk for termites before using a wood adapter, however.

[The Anvil]

Believe it or not, with proper design, wood can hold up ENTIRE BUILDINGS!   

They even made cars out of it and wood is the foundation for train tracks too. It's all in the enginurring.

[rws]

That's awesome. Do you sell them?

Quit making/selling them several years ago.  My adapter design included a simple automatic centering system for making the attachment.

An added bonus of being able to tip the bike end to end relying on a mechanical vs friction connection...getting the wheels higher for easier cleaning.

[bg]

rws......mine did that one time when moving it.......rared back on the real wheel and never fell over.
been using your adapter for 10+ years.

[BigBod]

I've got one of these, money well spent. I did a complete rebuild on my Valk using this.

http://www.on-bike.com/products_bigblue.htm

[Ricky-D]

I think the only real drawback regarding the wood adapter is there is no apparent way to make it stay under the bike while moving the jack into place to lift the bike.

The adapter I have, temporarily attaches to the bike making the lifting operation much easier for me.

In the same regard, I feel the permanently attached adapters probably use the same holes that are in the motor case for attachment, which to me presents a danger: To which the possibility exists of damaging the motor cases if ever bottoming out on a speed bump or the like.

The two features I like on the adapter I use is (1) there is a saddle like feature on one upright that locates on the swing arm in a positive manner and (2) the other upright pilots on the bolt & nut for the kickstand
in a very positive manner since it is a hollow square tube.

The biggest pain in the ass however, is now since I put a c/t 55 series on the rear and a smaller tire on the front (m/c rear) I cannot simple slide my jack under the bike but instead have to elevate the bike in order to gain the clearance needed.

***

[alph]

al

[Tim H]

Great video Alph!

[BF]

That's awesome. Do you sell them?

Quit making/selling them several years ago.  My adapter design included a simple automatic centering system for making the attachment.

An added bonus of being able to tip the bike end to end relying on a mechanical vs friction connection...getting the wheels higher for easier cleaning.

That's awesome.  If you make more, I'll buy one.  If you've got any laying around that you'll sell, I'll take it.  Just let me know how much you want for it. 

[Westernbiker]

Yes, I would be interested in one also. 

[John Schmidt]

I made and used the wooden one about nine years ago using the dimensions listed in the pictures above. Then while attending InZane in Paducah I bought the Rivco centerstand. Even though I now have a metal adapter, I've never used a lift and adapter to change a rear tire since installing the centerstand. If I have to do something to the front of the bike, I don't have to use an adapter because the bike is only raised a couple inches. For that, I simply lay a piece of plywood across the lift to spread the weight a bit, jack it up enough to get the front wheel clear and no more. To change a rear tire, I refuse to jack an 800 lb. bike nearly two feet in the air and hope nothing breaks or slips. In fact, even if you don't have a centerstand you still don't need to raise the bike more than 2-3" off the floor to pull the rear wheel. Over the years I've seen bikes slip off jacks and have seen jacks fail. Not often, but once in a lifetime is enough....especially when it's your close friend. Fortunately there were a couple of us nearby, he found he couldn't bench press 500 lbs. with a broken collar bone.