Easy way to lift my bike?

OK... I'm going to attempt to turn myself into a mechanic and do some
minor things to my ride. What's the best way to lift it up? How cheap
can I get a lift? What's a cheaper alternative?

Thanks

 

Harbor Freight? Now that IS quality stuff :>



also Sears/craftsman

 

I paid $80 for the Sam's club lift (search for item # 288826 on
http://www.samsclub.com) which comes with a universal adapter to allow
it to be used on bikes that don't have a nice flat bottom area to lift
them from. I used the adapter as a starting point for a custom welded
fixture to lift my SV650S. My fixture uses a bolt through a convenient
through-hole on the bottom of the SV's engine to positively attach
the bike to the fixture and hence the lift. If you do buy one of these
lifts, or a similar one, I strongly recommend that you fabricate a custom
adapter that fits your bike and that you have some way of attaching the
bike securely to the lift, just balancing the bike on the lift is a good
way to have it fall off when you remove one of the wheels, etc.

It's really a joy to be able to get the bike up off the ground, where
I can work on the carbs, etc. without having to lean over.

 

http://www.cyclelifts.com/

The "detail lift" works well, at least for V-Stars

 

If you have a beam in your garage or the kid's swingset, you could sling it
and use a comealong. Not bad if you do one end at a time, otherwise you
might have to chase it around in circles.

 

I'm with you on that one. If I was to buy one, the Sam's Club model
with the extra attachments would be the one. My PC800 has an exhaust
pipe that hangs just a little below the frame members and wouldn't
set well on a flat platform. Customizing it for a perfect fit for your
own bike makes a lot of sense safety wise.

 

:OK... I'm going to attempt to turn myself into a mechanic and do some
:minor things to my ride. What's the best way to lift it up? How cheap
:can I get a lift? What's a cheaper alternative?

Sears sells a functional lift for about $100. Depending on your
bike, you may need to make some sort of jig or remove some parts
to use it.

I bought a $130 lift from Great Northern. It's not great, but it
works with all of my bikes.

 

I use a come-along and a wire loop over the rafter of my garage. I use
nylon straps around the frame of my bike and lift it with the come-along.
Total cost about $35.
Phyloe

 

You could just make your own, based on a simple design. Check out
http://xidos.ca/FirstTestStore.asp [1]

I have a hydraulic lift as well, but the one above is the one I use
95% of the time. It's just much simpler and it's very stable.

[1] The page referred to is not completely functional; it is the
start of what was to be an online store I was going to put together.
It demonstrates the gist of the lift idea, though.

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what you want is a fulcrum I believe. You can have some metal pipe bent in
such a manor that with a handle (to give the leverage needed) I have seen
them in the motorcycle and go-cart racing. that it will lift your bike just
like a center stand. you could also use a jack. or you could get a center
stand, that would always be with you.

chuck

 

Any help on lifting/standing a virago to takr the rear wheel off would be
apreacted too. I 'stood it on blocks' but just about strained my 'nads. I
cant use a padock stand as it is shaft drive and this makes one side of the
swinging arm around 4inches lower than the other

 

Why are you replying to 3-year old threads?

 

If you think it will help, NAPA (a USA autoparts chain) is offering a
2-ton floor jack and two 2-ton jack stands for $30 US. I had a KZ650
that is sans a centerstand up on the jack last night. I didn't find much
of a spot for the jack stands, though. The mufflers didn't seem like a
good idea.

The jack has a ring with cutouts that fit around the frame member behind
the engine quite nicely. Left to right stability is a bit of an issue as
the ring is not very wide.

- Nate >>

 

\

I first put a concrete block on either side of the front tire to keep
it pointing straight ahead. I have a small 8 to 10 inch vertical
hydraulic jack that just fits under the Sportster and there is a cross
bar of the frame at the back of the engine. I pump the jack and as the
bike is about to lift off the floor, I balance the bike very carefully
and pump the bike/jack up as it comes off the kick stand. I insert
about 5 pieces of 2 X 4s handlebar width behind the jack motor side as
opposed to rear wheel side and let the jack down.