M/C Lift

[dna9656]

I bought Harbor Freights 1,000 lbs. lift in January 2014 and have had all three (2 VRs and a Road Star) of my bikes on it. The bikes are heavy and I'm not as strong as I used to be so I need to make the ramp a little longer (2X) and the front wheel holder leaves much to be desired. This can be rectified with HF's M/C wheel chocks of your choice. It comes fully assembled and it's REALLY heavy. The store loaded mine into my Yukon with a fork lift.

You have to add your own hydraulic oil to it. It has a foot pedal pump and a separate pedal to release (let down) the table. It's very stable, it has 2 steel caster wheels that can be raised off the floor immobilizing the lift. The bike is held onto the stand with your tie down straps, there are 4 tie down points. There are 2 rollers on the other end that stay in contact with the floor. When not in use it could be stood up and leaned against a wall in an out of the way corner; just get some help when you do this. I see it being used to wash the bike in the drive and of course for maintenance. The section of deck under the rear wheel is removable so you can get the rear tire out from under the bike. Getting the front tire off will require a small lifting device of some kind between the bike and the deck; in my case I will have to remove the wheel chock I chose but hey how often do you need to do that anyway? Otherwise I have no complaints.

If you have a membership in their "Inside Track Club" it's available for $300.00 according to the mailer I got.

Well worth the $$$.

Beats laying on the ground/floor.

Edited March 6, 2014 by dna9656

[BigLenny]

Dna,

 

Thanks so much for your report on this specific lift. I am on the verge of purchasing it, but I kinda had reservations because HF isn't know for selling top notch quality stuff. I have the creaking rearend thing going on with my bike, and I'm gonna yank the rearend off and grease the gears.

 

I have read online that this lift has an issue with a locking bar bending. have you had that issue.

 

Thanks again.

 

Lynn

[dacheedah]

my jack broke, I got a much heavier bottle jack at Farm and Fleet, drilled the top and it works awesome.

[Midrsv]

I've got the HF air/hydraulic version of the lift and I wish that I had spent a little more money and bought a higher quality lift with a drop tail. Mine is about 5 years old and it won't lift itself empty now. I've checked the fluid level and it's fine. I like quality tools and I am sorry I bought this lift for more reasons than this.

 

Dennis

[dna9656]

Dna,

 

Thanks so much for your report on this specific lift. I am on the verge of purchasing it, but I kinda had reservations because HF isn't know for selling top notch quality stuff. I have the creaking rearend thing going on with my bike, and I'm gonna yank the rearend off and grease the gears.

 

I have read online that this lift has an issue with a locking bar bending. have you had that issue.

 

Thanks again.

 

Lynn

 

Lynn

The (locking) safety bar that came with my lift MUST be 3/4"; if THAT puppy bent on some one they must have severely overloaded the lift or got some cheap Chinese steel.

I have full confidence in my lift.

Now let me tell you a story about HF auto jacks. I bought the 1.5 ton "racing jack" at HF. I used it on the son's 83 Omega (GM A body) that might have weighed in at 3700 lbs. I lifted the front end no problem. Then the lift arms bent enough that the jack couldn't be used. I suppose a case could be made based on the total weight of the car vs. that capacity of the jack BUT the jack lifted the weight. If it was too much for the jack the jack should have NOT lifted the load; there is supposed to be a relief valve in the jack for loads that are too heavy. SO I mentioned it to HF. Their response? : Did you buy the warrantee?" That ain't the GD point! The jack design ISN'T safe!!! It took THREE managers to tell me to bring the jack in and they would replace it. But the design is still unsafe!

So I wouldn't buy those GD racing jacks.

[dna9656]

I've got the HF air/hydraulic version of the lift and I wish that I had spent a little more money and bought a higher quality lift with a drop tail. Mine is about 5 years old and it won't lift itself empty now. I've checked the fluid level and it's fine. I like quality tools and I am sorry I bought this lift for more reasons than this.

 

Dennis

Get a new jack for it. Jacks do get tired. They aren't worth repairing. I got a cherry picker engine hoist that wouldn't hold the load, so I went to HF and bought a replacement cylinder/pump assembly for it. Works fine now and has for 4 years.

[Midrsv]

Below is a post I made in another thread about HF lifts.

Don,

 

 

 

I have the HF air/hydraulic lift and if I were buying again I would not buy a HF unit. The lift is sturdy enough but it is not possible to remove the rear tire without jacking the rear of bike extremely high, nearly to the point of being unsafe. Due to the long wheelbase of the RSV the tire will not drop directly down through the trap door. Once you remove the door panel there is a bar across the back that prevents the tire from dropping. So you have to raise the rear of the bike so the tire can roll forward to drop through the opening. Since I change about 3 sets of tires a year (mine and friends) I really whish I had spent more and bought a lift with a true drop tail. Something like this

 

 

 

http://www.derekweaver.com/motorcycle-lifts/?sort=priceasc

 

 

 

After having used my lift for a few years I regret being so cheap and not spending the extra $300 to$400 to get a better lift. The HF lift is fine if you don't plan on servicing the rear wheel.

 

 

 

Dennis

Edited March 6, 2014 by Midrsv

[RedRider]

I also have a HF platform lift. Best $300 I ever spent. Replaced the front wheel chock with the HF upgrade (http://tinyurl.com/HF-chock-link) and have been very pleased.

 

My Venture has been on it for the last month as I went through it rear to front. Purchased a small jack from HF to lift the belly so I could get the rear wheel/end off using the removable deck opening. The KLR is now up there for some engine work.

 

The Venture is a little heavy for the HF unit to work smoothly. Kind of jumpy when lowering. However, steady as a rock when being held in place.

 

I drilled several additional tie down locations along the side rails and installed loops to hook to.

 

And I agree with what was said earlier - if the 3/4 steel holding bar bends, there is something really wrong going on.

 

I understand there was a batch of these lifts sold with a flat top (edges were not bent up). These allowed the top to bend and fail. Make sure the unit you have has the right angle bends on the sides (about a 1" lip on each side).

 

I would buy again. Although, if a used Handy lift falls into my hands, the HF unit will be for sale immediately.

 

RR

[BigLenny]

I also have a HF platform lift. Best $300 I ever spent. Replaced the front wheel chock with the HF upgrade (http://tinyurl.com/HF-chock-link) and have been very pleased.

 

My Venture has been on it for the last month as I went through it rear to front. Purchased a small jack from HF to lift the belly so I could get the rear wheel/end off using the removable deck opening. The KLR is now up there for some engine work.

 

The Venture is a little heavy for the HF unit to work smoothly. Kind of jumpy when lowering. However, steady as a rock when being held in place.

 

I drilled several additional tie down locations along the side rails and installed loops to hook to.

 

And I agree with what was said earlier - if the 3/4 steel holding bar bends, there is something really wrong going on.

 

I understand there was a batch of these lifts sold with a flat top (edges were not bent up). These allowed the top to bend and fail. Make sure the unit you have has the right angle bends on the sides (about a 1" lip on each side).

 

I would buy again. Although, if a used Handy lift falls into my hands, the HF unit will be for sale immediately.

 

RR

 

So, RedRider,

 

You said you have a small jack to lift it so you can take the rear wheel off. Dennis in the above post mentioned the lift has a bar across the back that you have to lift the bike high enough to get the tire to move forward to miss the bar. Is that why you have the lift, or is it simply because you do not have a center stand? I was thinking since I have a center stand on my RSTD, I would be able to set it on that, drop the opening on the lift and take my rear tire off. Am I mistaken?

 

Thanks,

 

Lynn

[Midrsv]

So, RedRider,

 

You said you have a small jack to lift it so you can take the rear wheel off. Dennis in the above post mentioned the lift has a bar across the back that you have to lift the bike high enough to get the tire to move forward to miss the bar. Is that why you have the lift, or is it simply because you do not have a center stand? I was thinking since I have a center stand on my RSTD, I would be able to set it on that, drop the opening on the lift and take my rear tire off. Am I mistaken?

 

Thanks,

 

Lynn

 

Lynn, you will have to lift the bike much higher than what a center stand would allow. With my Goldwing on the center stand I still can't drop the rear wheel out without lifting it higher. I don't use the lift to change my rear tire on the GW. At a minimum I would go with a lift like this one: http://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-lifts/tx-1000/

which when the trap door is removed it is clear behind it. Check out the owners guide on that page.

 

If I buy another lift it will be this one (or one like it): http://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-lifts/pro-cycle-droptail/

 

It drops the rear completely out of the way so you could get by with leaving the bike on the center stand or small jack.

 

Had I bought one of these to start with I would have long forgotten about the extra $300 I would have spent and it would have saved me a fair amount of time on tire changes.

 

Dennis

[Midrsv]

This thread got me to thinking about replacing the pump on my lift. I called Harbor Freight and a replacement pump minus the air motor was $148. I won't be replacing it.

 

Dennis

[MiCarl]

Lynn, you will have to lift the bike much higher than what a center stand would allow. With my Goldwing on the center stand I still can't drop the rear wheel out without lifting it higher. I don't use the lift to change my rear tire on the GW. At a minimum I would go with a lift like this one: http://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-lifts/tx-1000/

which when the trap door is removed it is clear behind it. Check out the owners guide on that page.

 

If I buy another lift it will be this one (or one like it): http://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-lifts/pro-cycle-droptail/

 

It drops the rear completely out of the way so you could get by with leaving the bike on the center stand or small jack.

 

Had I bought one of these to start with I would have long forgotten about the extra $300 I would have spent and it would have saved me a fair amount of time on tire changes.

 

Dennis

 

I have a drop tail in the shop and think it is the better design. You can pull the wheel off the drive splines and remove it without repositioning your hands. I used one like the TX1000 in school and you have to get moved around to remove the wheel rearward rather than out the side. Sometimes it's handy to have the table out of the way to work on things like brakes too.

 

I also have a Harbor Freight hydraulic lift. Been in service for six years with no major issues. It really shines when you want to load a motorcycle backward. Pushing a motorcycle backward up a ramp takes a lot of skill and the lower height makes it easier. Also, you cannot put most cruisers or tourers on the other lifts backward because the tall vise hits bags, fenders and pipes. They all clear that low vise on the HF lift. This is the sole reason I hang on to the HF lift. The turned up edges on the HF lift help keep sockets from rolling off too.

 

That bar across the HF trap door is a problem in getting the rear wheel off longer bikes. If I remember correctly, a first gen on the center stand will let the wheel forward just enough to get it out. Pretty much a 2 person job though because you have to pass that heavy wheel through the hole.

 

The drop tail lift is also made in China and mine had a couple quality issues that were simple to rectify.

[bj66]

Ive had my eye on this one......1500 pound lift. Can add extensions on it for width for another 170 bucks. I have 2 zero turn mowers on my farm as well as the 3 bikes here at home. I am really tempted to pull the trigger....Would be nice to get the mowers up there as well to service them out and clean up the decks etc.

 

http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-lift-tables.htm

 

I figure with these heavy touring bikes, the extra 500 pounds capacity is a bonus....

Edited March 7, 2014 by bj66

[RedRider]

So, RedRider,

 

You said you have a small jack to lift it so you can take the rear wheel off. Dennis in the above post mentioned the lift has a bar across the back that you have to lift the bike high enough to get the tire to move forward to miss the bar. Is that why you have the lift, or is it simply because you do not have a center stand? I was thinking since I have a center stand on my RSTD, I would be able to set it on that, drop the opening on the lift and take my rear tire off. Am I mistaken?

 

Thanks,

 

Lynn

 

I don't think the center stand will lift it quite high enough. My Venture does not have a center stand.

 

It would be nice to have the deck opening extend all the way to the back. However, it would eliminate some of the strength.

 

RR

[RedRider]

Ive had my eye on this one......1500 pound lift. Can add extensions on it for width for another 170 bucks. I have 2 zero turn mowers on my farm as well as the 3 bikes here at home. I am really tempted to pull the trigger....Would be nice to get the mowers up there as well to service them out and clean up the decks etc.

 

http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-lift-tables.htm

 

I figure with these heavy touring bikes, the extra 500 pounds capacity is a bonus....

 

That looks pretty nice. And they are in my backyard. Didn't know about them. Once the weather clears up I may need to go for a ride and find them.

 

RR