Gentlemen: my wife - of all people - has brought me the Harbor Freight insert/mailer and pointed out that the following lift is on sale AND she has a 20% coupon:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-motorcycle-lift-68892-8495.html
Her motives are fairly pure. [}:)] She knows that my lower back has not been cooperating recently and she's trying to help. Even sitting in my little roller chair like I usually do is painful. Do/Have any of you used this product before (or something similar? The local is actually stocking this beast and the reviews are pretty good, with some recommending you mount up a wheel chock on the front. There is another style of lift (aluminum) listed also which is closer to a bike stand approach (lifts bike ~ 19 inches):
http://www.harborfreight.com/lightweight-aluminum-motorcycle-lift-94715.html
Thanks for feedback,
Bob "Ohh...that hurts" Close
A friend of mine owns the 1000 lb unit, and really likes it, does all kinds of work to all kinds of bikes. A better front wheel holding unit is a plus. It's not a bad unit for the price.
I had a craftsman unit similar to the "jack-up" style shown.In my opinion did not work very well with my KTM. Too much ground clearance on the bike, the jack only lifted it a couple inches. I mounted an old aluminum stand to the top and it lifted it up to a comfortable work height, but I had to use tie-downs to balance the bike which made removing either wheel a pain.
I have the 1000 lb unit, and I love it! I used the wheel chock that came with the unit, but I stacked washers under the chock to raise it up a bit, but have not had any issues (or fallen bikes!). The floor has holes to put your tie downs in, but I used eyelet bolts instead.
I also use one of these scissor jacks along with my lift so that if I want to remove one of the wheels, all I have to do is slide it under the frame, and then I can raise the bike up with no problem.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Lift-Scissor-Jack-1000-lbs-Fits-Harley-Honda-Suzuki-Kawasaki-Yamaha-/300669591700?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item46014de094&vxp=mtr#ht_2585wt_681
I had the Harbor Freight unit and it worked ok. My friend has the real deal(pneumatic type) and it's a lot sturdier. I paid $299 for mine but steel is more expensive now. The front wheel clamp is not that great but I would have my bike on a regular lift stand and used tie downs to secure it. I could then pull the front or rear end off without a problem. One bit of advice if you do buy it is to replace the zerk fittings right away. I had a new grease gun and squeezed in the grease and when I tried to pull the gun off, they broke(3 of them).
I got rid of mine because I have a tiny garage and was constantly tripping over it, but it did what it was supposed to do when I needed it. 3 stars out of 5.
If you are patient you can still find it for $299.00. I have a couple flyers and magazine tear-outs with it at $299.00.
I have the same one and use it all the time. You can always make anything better, but that stand is a great place to start.
I have the real deal, not the one made in China. I know mine cost almost $600.00, but it has lasted me over 11 years with zero maintenance. It came with i-bolts for the tie downs and I did no modifications at all and works perfect. Sure beats hanging a bike from the overhead with tie down straps. Well worth the investment, IMO.
Donny Smith
Paragould, AR
I have a ramp from back in the day. It's a steel H beam. When I'm working on a bike the motor is about stomach high off the ground.The bike is tied with tie downs just like hauling your bike. Nice and easy for working on bikes. The only negative is you can't work on the front end since it's tied down. Then I use a wood stand. When I'm not using it I slide it off to the side of the garage. The best part is it was free.
74 puch 175 SD
73 Husky 360 WR/RT
76 Husky WR360
75 Penton 250
10 ktm 250xc
02 bmw r1150r
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-ATV-Hydraulic-Scissor-Lift-Floor-Jack-Center-Stand-AMA-Racing-Shop-/281052554226?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item417009a3f2&vxp=mtr#ht_456wt_904
i have one almost identical to this, the only exception is mine has a foot release pedal instead of a release knob. i love mine and i use it everyday. i have had it over three years and never any problem other than the protective rubber mat on the top surface came off. for me, the other type of lift similar to a wide floor jack was more headaches than what it was worth. just my take, chi jer
Hi Jerry; If you can, post a picture of a bike up on that lift. It does look intersting, and doesn't take up much floor space. Do the hooks on the side attach to the footpegs? The only problem I see with this device is on some vintage bikes that don't have flat bottoms, like late 70's and early 80's Huskies with that tube that runs under the frame. Might have to consider this one.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
i never use the hooks. pretty stable. obviously won't work with a down pipe but that can be handles with wooden frame work. i will try to post pix later. chi jer
i've got the kendon sport/dirt bike lift willing to part with if interested email to
[email protected] can send picture.
http://www.kendonusa.com/motolift.html
i;m in columbus ohio area
steve
steve barber
I have the the same HF 1000# lift.
First thing I did was pitch the wheel chock and installed this chock which I bought at the same time as the lift:
http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-69026.html
Then I drilled several holes in the platform for tie down points.
Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good
hey steve. you win. thats the nicest lift i have seen. how much are they? chi jer
just sold it to a guy in tulsa. i paid about $900 a few years ago
its a little different from whats on the web site. as it has a bike lift that raises bike and wheels off stand. pic on the way to you
steve barber
Quotequote:Originally posted by wfopete
I have the the same HF 1000# lift.
First thing I did was pitch the wheel chock and installed this chock which I bought at the same time as the lift:
http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-69026.html
Then I drilled several holes in the platform for tie down points.
The reviews posted at HF had several people doing the same mod you did using one of the wheel chock products also available at their store.
Thanks to everyone for the feedback/thoughts. I'm pretty close to buying the ticket...
Bob, I've been plagued with the lower back issue for years, and racing with short suspension on a rough track the day after bending and squatting during bike prep was the worst. Had a few spasm episodes come Monday that had me flat on my back.
I went to Chi-Jer's solution 8 years ago http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-ATV-Hydraulic-Scissor-Lift-Floor-Jack-Center-Stand-AMA-Racing-Shop-/281052554226?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item417009a3f2&vxp=mtr#ht_456wt_904
...and I added a short tool tray to the front, and drilled/tapped the legs and added the roller wheels I scrounged off a cheapo work stool. I can pump the bike up to the ideal height to work on most everything w/o stooping, set a stand under the rear wheel and drop down to the right height to make shock/wheel/swingarm removal easiest. Plus I can roll the bike around the shop while still up on the stand to get it out of the way, and its small and out of the way when not in use. A bit shaky when up at highest point but with pegs clamped in, have never had an issue, even with my heavy LC4 dualsport on it.
The back likes it much better, best tool in my shop and price is right.
Jon McLean
Lake Grove, OR
I have the unit like Jerry's and absolutely love it.
You can walk completely around the bike without obstruction.
The height range is great - jack it way up to work on the engine, or go to moderate heights for other work.
I use the footpeg cleats to hold the bike down - they work just fine, and keep the bike stable when removing wheels.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do almost anything, with nothing."
1972 Penton Berkshire 100
1983 Husqvarna 250 XC
2011 Jayco 31.5 RLDS
2009 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax
I bought the HF #1000 table lift 7 years ago for just over $200 at that time. I looked seriously at the smaller lifts because of the compact floor size, but went with the table unit because I can use it for many other applications. I use it for working on Mowers and Snow Throwers when they need service, as well as many other uses I've found for it to get the work at my level. I keep an old auto platform jack on it as well for many uses. It has been a big help and paid for itself several times over. Nelson McCullough
Several years ago, I built a platform big enough to put a bike on. It is 2'x 8' and 20" tall. Up to now it has worked fine. Recently I bought a street bike and although I am sure it is strong enough to hold the bike, getting a bike that weighs twice as much as my dirt bikes will not be an easy task. So a bike lift seems like a good idea. I am glad to hear the. Harbor freight version will work pretty well, but I wonder if spending a few more bucks would be worth the expense. Time to save the pennies and nickels.
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
74' 1/2 440 maico
70' 400 maico (project)
72' cr125 Husky (project)
93' RMx 250 suzuki
Honda TL 125
2004 Suzuki DL1000
To all,
After reading this e-mail on bike lifts was wondering I have a smaller more compact lift that I have for sale. It works fine but I just don't have a need for it. I'm offering a Penton owners discount, and I can deliver to Vintage days, E-mail me if interested for price and details.
See attached
http://www.completehydraulic.com/lifts-motorcycle-jmml450.html
I've got one of the small lifts, when I first got it I didnt use it much, but now it's my primary go-to lift. You can readily break a whole bike down to the frame on this lift.
I've had several and currently own 2 of them. They are handy and don't take up much room, even with a bike on them. The problem is, I usually have a bike on them and might be interested in another at Mid-Ohio if you still have it. Mike
Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
1975 Can Am 175 TNT & 77 250 Black Widow
1979 Husqvarna OR390
1976-78 RM & 77-79 PE Suzuki's
1974 CR250M 07 CR125R 79 CR250R