Bike work stand

[Kronk]

I am going to build the sweetest work stand for my bike... too many back aches working on the floor...

It will include a bearing swivel, so I don't have to move to get to the other side of the bike, A work area under neath for tools, rubber on the brackets so I don't scratch the frame, and anything else I decide from seeing the drawings come to life, and from your suggestions... Will scan drawings and post them soon!

[Kronk]

And please feel free to tell me I'm dumb if you see something that just won't work!

[Wildkat]

Best of luck!
Looking forward to the pics and plans...

And please feel free to tell me I'm dumb if you see something that just won't work!

lol
That might have been opening a can of worms...



Have fun with your project

[CatatonicBug]

Sounds like fun! One concern I have is the idea of the "bearing swivel". IMO, it will be MUCH easier to roll a wheeled stool around the shop floor than it would be to provide the momentum needed to "swivel" one of these bikes. Not to menion the fact that it would require a much larger floor area to be clear of debris when "swiveling".

I would concentrate on making it a secure platform that could be raised and lowered easily and controlably, and make it easy to get the bike on and off of it by yourself.

[Kronk]

Well I was up till 3 am getting the drawings done... then my scanner broke... Had to use the one at work, but it e-mails you the pics in PDF, so I am almost to the point of hetting the drawings on Photo bucket, and on here

[natemoen]

I am quite intrigued to see this and am very interested.

[Kronk]

Ok, so here it is:

The Concept


The Guts


The Bearing Construction


The Bearing Assembaly

[Kronk]

NOTE: When It says ''actual size'' The squares are 1'' by 1''

[prometheus578]

Now, don't get me wrong....

And please feel free to tell me I'm dumb if you see something that just won't work!

It's a nice project and you've obviously put some thought into it.

Now, let me put some in, as well.

The swivel is a bad idea for several reasons. Ok, let's not say bad. Uhm... maybe just impractical.
You want a swivel so that you can spin the bike and not have to walk around to the other side. Regardless of which direction you spin the bike, you'll still have to walk around the box platform it's mounted upon. As that's the same dimensions of the bike, what have you gained?

Secondly, you'll be balancing a 500 lb machine on one pivot point. Sure, it can be done, but... that's a lot of stress; not just the weight straight downward, but care must be taken that the bike isn't mounted "front heavy' or "rear heavy" on the bracket.

Also... the bike will need to be strapped down so that it doesn't lean or tip off at one end. Strapping it to the bracket won't cut it. Needs to be strapped to the box frame. (and then... it can't be swivelled, so that again defeats that.
Also, if'in it was just balanced on the swivel mount... caution must be observed, as when taking off the front tire. The loss of weight on the front end will cause the bike to tip rearward and fall off the mount. I've even seen this happen on regular motorcycle lifts when someone puts a jack under the center of the frame, which is similar to what you propose.

What you haven't addressed yet, at least to us, is how you intend to get the bike up on the box frame. I can imagine you plan to build it maybe 2 1/2 or three feet high.
"I'll use a ramp... just like putting a bike in the back of a pick-up truck."
Yes, fine concept, except... there's someone in the bed of the truck to help steady it and pull it in. There is no room on the box for someone to stand (at the same level as the bike) to assist in the effort. Dangerous.

I'll agree that it's nice, and gives a great sense of achievement, to build something to make your work easier, but sometimes... well... it's often better to spend the money for a safer, more practical and time tested design.

The lift bench you propose, when not in use, will still take up the space of a bike in your garage. A regular bike lift, when not in use or used as a table can be lowered, flipped up on it's side and leaned against a wall, where it'll only take up maybe 8 inches of floor space.

Regular lifts can be also used for many different purposes. I've used mine to lift up and move a hot tub out of my sunken patio.
At a rally at DennyZ's several years ago, I used my lift to load a broken Goldwing and an XS into a UHaul for a trip back to Canada.



You may want to reconsider your "lift needs" and what would be more practical for you in the long run.

[Kronk]

I was concerned about the bike falling, but I decided on (after the drawings) a C-type clamp that could latch over the frame rail be held in with pins with the inside lined with old cut up hockey pucks to prevent scratching. I was also concerned with getting the bike on with a ramp.. I will fabricate a mach set up, and see how low I could put the box. I am shooting for a foot and a half...

This might also be a semi permanent parking spot for the bike... My truck is too tall for the garage, so I don't use it for parking, and I told SWMBO that if it turns into a storage, I am turning the deadbolt around, and taking her keys so I can lock her out...lol...(and then the fight started) My garage is a single wide, and my driveway is steep, and gravel, and I don't want to be backing down, or (trying) to back up it. The garage width is just enough for about a foot clearance on one end of the bike when it is parked across it, and trying to turn it around like Austin Powers gets that little car in the hallway turned around (an 89 million point turn) gets really old in a hurry, and even if U just used it to turn the bike around, and had another system for stabilization, this could be a good Idea. This Is a solution for what I have to work with...

I am getting all the metal from scrap from a welding shop. Through my old high school shop, I have unlimited access to a lathe, a computer lathe, and program, milling machines, and welders, so maybe I'll mach something up, and see what Kind of spacing requirements I have, and maybe see about some solution to the loading, and off loading...

But thanks for the constructive criticism, I would have just gone and built it without it, and would have ended up pinned under a 900 lb bike... And I have a theory in life to never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the EMR / Paramedics., so this may have saved my some embarrasmnt!

[DGXSER]

Very creative and thought out! Kudos on the enginuity!

I do have to agree with Prom that you want to look carfully at how your supporting the shaft that the pivoting mount is connected to as well. From the diagram, it raises and lowers from "the box". the bike and its moving weight, even when clamped to the pivoting mount, will be creating moving forces on that shaft and its contact points that keep it veritcal. Think of holding a piece of pipe in your hand, one end on the ground and your bike rotating on the other end. Even pulling and tugging to get that front tire off, or to remove that stuck valve cover bolt creates ALOT of force on those mounting points of that shaft.Your going to want a sleeve bearing there capable of ALOT of force and the movment or it will undoubtly become a weebles wobble point in short order.

As much as I love hearing those EMS stories, you may want to look into pouring a small pad to the side of the drive you can back and turn the bike into out of the garage so you then pull out of it down the driveway. May be alot easier and perhaps safer.

[81xsproject]

Why not just add some heavy duty spinning wheels to one of the type of lifts pictured. The you could spin, have easy bike-on and bike-off, would be as stable as you wanted, and with the big metal deck, you could add different options for holding it without wheels on. Just seems like the most simple and practical solution.

[fredintoon]

Ok, so here it is: - - -

Hi Kronk,
NOT what I'd do, that sucker will fall off or fall over for sure once the bike is on it.
BTW, not to brag but I have 43 years experience as a machine designer so trust me in this, your design is not practicable and I'd hate to hear that the local fire department had to come and lift the bike off you.
What I'd do?
Buy or build a full length lift table like the one in Prom's photo.
Weld cross-members to each end of it's base so it looks like a giant letter H.
Add a fixed caster to each end of the H arranged so that the whole thing will roll in a circle.
Put a locking jack at each corner so it'll only turn when you want it to.
And only turn the thing when it's down, eh?

[fredintoon]

- - - Add a fixed caster to each end of the H arranged so that the whole thing will roll in a circle.

Hi Again Kronk,
thinking it over, use swivel casters instead of fixed ones.
That way the whole thing can be moved from one place to another AND be turned in a circle as needed.
The rest of my previous post still applies.

[xs11jack]

Bike lift

I would think about using a steel tube instead of the shaft sitting on the turning bearing. Something like a 4 or 6 in in diameter tube. On the top of the box, use a steel plate about 2' square with a short tube welded to the plate. The tube aught to have a inside dia. the same as the outside dia. of the tube that lifts the bike. Also the short tube should be 1/2 above the plate and 1/2 below the plate this will stabilize the lift tube. I would think that the bearing the lift tube sits on should have twice the load capacity that you will put on it, just for safety sake.
Ole Jack