Not long ago I released my permanent belly tank compatible lift adapter to be installed and remain on your bike; useful especially on a road trip if you need to lift your bike - just do it, it's ready for a standard bike lift. Lightweight and discrete, I had tested it for strength with a hydraulic press, compound leverage, a bathroon scale and dial indicator. It actually took right at 500# to start bending a 1/2" 16ga piece of steel tubing at the 2" point. The test setup:
BUT - one of our members managed to find a way to bend the larger, stronger 3/4" tubing. With 4 support points, that should have required the bike to be well over 2,000 lbs.
I want to be clear, not dissing him. He found a problem I didn't expect; perhaps put it through a torture test and it failed.
Uh-oh. So I got to work, tried to replicate what he did. Couldn't with reasonable weight. But then he didn't tell me how he did it.
So if he could do it someone else could too. Though no one else reported that.
So I said, OK, I'm gonna make it crazy strong. Doubled the wall thickness of the stressed part of the frame. It's 0.120" now instead of 0.055".
I also said, don't lift on the 1/2" tubing if it isn't supported right above by a belly tank. I said, put the lift so it's also lifting the 3/4" tubing in that case.
But then, what if someone uses it w/o reading the instructions. Or ignores them. So I decided to make 2 versions. One for bikes with belly tanks, and one without. Now I maintain one can use the belly tank compatible adapter w/o a belly tank, if you don't lift on the small tubes only. But if you know you will never install a belly tank - why not get the adapter with full-length bigger tubes.
The adapter for stock bikes:
The adapter for belly tank equipped bikes:
The belly tank adapter installed on my Jade:
The no-belly adapter installed on my George:
I should mention, I am talking about the R&M Works belly tank here. I don't know of any other brand - to my knowledge, they are the only belly tank available. This is for the standard version, not the smaller one for 6-6 pipes (Cobras I think). Haven't tested the adapter with that tank.
Note, the 1/2" tubing locations is not a mistake. The belly tank is asymmetrical.
Note also, the improved mounting hardware. The mounting bolts now pull the adapter up tight against the bottom of the oil pan. No shims like in V1.0.
If you don't have V1.0 lift adapter and want V2.0, the price remains at $59 even for the more expensive tubing, plus priority mail of $14, for the black lacquer finish. Add $8 for powder coat.
Just call it in or use paypal, contact info at website
http://www.horseapple.comOK so if you have V1.0 now, here's how we are doing the recall:
Get a free priority mail box from your post office, Regional Rate B side loading - it's dimensions are 14.4X3X16.25. Make a label and be sure I can read your postage cost. Put in the box which version lift adapter you want - for belly tank or not. Be sure I can read on or in the box, who you are. Add some padding around especially the back end of your v1.0 adapter so it doesn't poke through the box. I will return the appropriate lift adapter with a check up to $15 for postage.
EDIT ALTERNATIVE TO RETURNING V1.0: If you want to cut the recalled adapter in fourths and send me a picture of it, that will be accepted in lieu of returning it. then I can ship your V2.0 replacement immediately.
