Bike Lift

[CRXSi90]

Anyone have any recommendations on a bike lift?

I was looking to do some front end stuff on my KE175. Stuff like change the front tire, fork oil, fork seals, grease stem bearings, etc... So I gotta lift the bike off the ground. Last time I had to do that stuff, I came up with a precarious arrangement using a floor jack and 3 jack stands in a tripod arrangement. It got the job done, but was kind of clumsy having the bike teeter on the jack while I got the stands in place. So this time I figured I should just "man-up" and lift it. I got it onto a 5-gallon bucket (~12") but that still wasn't quite high enough to get the front wheel off the ground. And I don't figure it's great for my back to be lifting it too much, at least if I'm not conditioned to do so.

If I get a stand, I think I'd also like it to work with the XS also. I searched here and it looks like the exhaust causes some clearance issues, but not insurmountable with the use of some creative shimming/adapters.

Now the one thing that the XS has that the KE does NOT is a center stand. Is a center stand sufficient for XS maintenance? i.e. if working on the rear end, just put it on the center stand...if the front, get a 6-pack and a neighbor and have him sit on the back of the bike. Or would a stand actually be useful for the XS?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

p.s. I almost forgot to link to a few stands that I've found...Some of these stores are regional, so sorry for those of you not in the mid-west.

The compact storage of this one is appealing:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...ty-center-jack

Good ol' harbor freight motorcycle lift:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb...ift-60536.html

Might do the job for the KE:
http://www.harborfreight.com/350-lb-...and-66552.html

Northern Tool - a step up from Harbor Freight?
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...6249_200326249

Menards jack which has a striking similarity to the one that Northern Tool sells:
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-ha...978-c-9113.htm

Possibly the least expensive jack of the day from Farm & Fleet ($74.99 on sale):
http://www.farmandfleet.com/products...l#.U1XWaFea_o4

[Radioguylogs]

I'm able to do everything on the centerstand.

To remove the front axle and forks, it is easy to lift up the front by hand and slip a stack of 2xwhatever lumber underneath.

I seems to me the main need for a stand would be if you have a bad back.

I'm 54 and so far I don't mind bending.

[CRXSi90]

Cool, thanks. I won't worry about accommodating the XS with a lift for now. My back is okay, but the KE is an awkward ~230 lb package and I don't want to needlessly turn a good back into a bad back.

[fredintoon]

Cool, thanks. I won't worry about accommodating the XS with a lift for now. My back is okay, but the KE is an awkward ~230 lb package and I don't want to needlessly turn a good back into a bad back.

Hi CRXSi90,
first, this ad from a 1950s bike magazine:-
Now available! The HYMOL-WRIGHT JACK 3-way bike stand, this massively strong fired ceramic device will fit inside most pannier bags, has no moving parts to fail and will hold up your bike at a 3", 4" or 10" height!
Do not confuse this superior product with the common builder's brick that is offered by our rivals.
But these days it's difficult to get my aging body down to the floor level to work on the bike and eff nigh impossible to get back up again afterwards.
What I need is one of these:-
http://www.atlasautoequipment.ca/atl...0lbs-capacity/
or even the Bargain Harold version from princess Auto.
While what I can afford is to bribe my son with beer and steak to do the work for me.

[motoman]

Just throw that bike up on a bike stand like we used for our moto-x bikes....

[Aches n Pains]

The big advantage of a lift is to be able to work 8n the bike at eye level. Changes your life!

I bought a used Kendon lift that folds and then stands up vertically to save space. A bit heavy to lift to vertical but I love the convenience when working on a bike

[CKlamer]

This is what I use and it does just fine.
Now if you want to change the oil this lift will be in the way.
But my recommendation is get four jack stands and use this lift and get it up high enough to put the jack stands under it and it works great.

I actually did this the other night since I don't have any wheels on mine.

But if no jack stands set on center stand change the oil then put it on the lift. Don't worry just center the stand slide it under and hold the bike upright as you use the foot pump and it will lift straight up.

I have had no problems building two motorcycle with this lift.






You of course can find these on sale at Harbor Freight for around $59-$69 and look for the coupons for the discount in motorcycle magazines.

Good Luck

[IanDMacDonald]

The only issue with those motorcycle jacks is that they were meant for v-twins with side exhaust, and not our's with exhaust running under the bike. Jacking the bike up with weight on the exhaust would simply crush your pipes and turn your prized OEM exhaust into a future piece of scrap metal to cry ovee.

[CaptonZap]

http://www.harborfreight.com/automot...ift-69904.html

As was mentioned, check the adverts in the MC mags for discount coupons.

[jwhughes3]

I think one could make a wooden cradle with tubular cutouts that fit up in the frame to lift. That would keep any weight off the pipes.

John

[Aches n Pains]

This is the Kendon lift - http://www.kendonusa.com/cruiserlift.html

These guys are great engineers. This is their video of the lift - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3jcJQVWdl8

[MPittma100]

This is All You Need

This is what I use and it does just fine.
Now if you want to change the oil this lift will be in the way.
But my recommendation is get four jack stands and use this lift and get it up high enough to put the jack stands under it and it works great.

I actually did this the other night since I don't have any wheels on mine.

But if no jack stands set on center stand change the oil then put it on the lift. Don't worry just center the stand slide it under and hold the bike upright as you use the foot pump and it will lift straight up.

I have had no problems building two motorcycle with this lift.






You of course can find these on sale at Harbor Freight for around $59-$69 and look for the coupons for the discount in motorcycle magazines.

Good Luck

+1 here. I agree that this and a five gallon bucket or two turned upside down for a seat is all you will need to do everything needed to be done to the bike.

I have looked seriously at getting one of the nice lifts. My neighbor bought one and he uses his 95% of the time for a shelf? One thing to keep in mind is that a nice big lift takes up a lot of room - "it is always there". I researched quite a few of them. The more desirable ones have a lift system that is hydraulic rather than the cheaper pneumatic.

Another thing to consider is that the big lift does not allow you to have the front end off of the ground to remove forks. The smaller one (pictured here) does.

My 2 cents.

Mike

[hamjam]

Fred do you have a Princess auto around you they have that that type for $600 http://tinyurl.com/kr495dk

and 4 hockey pucks properly placed on the jack so as to lift by the frame avoids getting the pipes or anything else

[CaptonZap]

I think some of you guys are over playing the crush the pipes argument.
Here is a little experiment for the Mr Wizard types.
Next time you take your pipes off set them on the ground and put a board about 5 inches wide on one. Now step on the board. Now get off, and pick up the board and see if you bent the pipe. How much do you weigh?
Didn't bend the pipe? Get back on and jump up and down. Still didn't bend it?
How many of you would it take to weigh what an XS does?
The trick is to spread the contact area of the lift.

This is not to say that an after market set of pipes might not have the support that the OEM have, so that might be a thing to consider. But I have lifted an 80G with stock pipes using a piece of plywood about 10 inches fore and aft, and wide enough to span across all the pipes, with no harm done.
I have also straightened out a header that was run into a concrete tire stop, and I can tell you, the stock pipes are stout.
YMMV, CZ

[hamjam]

in my best Rob Ford voice ....hockey pucks ...hockey pucks