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Motorcycle lift

Hello Chaps, I'm starting to suffer with back troubles and thus looking for a motorcycle lift to make working on them more tolerable. My heaviest bike is circa 250kg and all have centre stands. I'd like one that can be folded away for storage and ideally with hydraulic actuation. Have any of you any recommendations? - There certainly seems to be plenty of choice out there.

Cheers.

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My bike lift utilises a two ton trolley jack from one end but I notice that as it lifts, the bending effect on the base frame is high. Once it is up to height and the pins are in place to take the weight then the base frame is fine. It also lifts in a slightly nose down configuration which needs to be thought about if your centre stand only just goes over centre

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Looks good, Barry. Not sure how an ES2 would sit on it? Robert - I'm alright rolling round the garage floor - it's the getting up is the prob!George

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Hello George. i just cut a couple of pieces of thick decking wood to raise the bike up from the lifts rails creating a gap for the exhaust and shaping the wood around the stand on the bike or what ever is lower than the bikes frame rails so as to centralize the lift. Baz

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Barry - I've just watched the video of the lift in use - it looks OK but seems to rely on the lower frame rails being the lowest 'point of contact' where the lift engages - this will rarely be the case with my bikes as exhausts/ sumps etc. all are lower than the frame (my 'superscooter' has large areas of glassfibre fairing enveloping the lower frame rails) - as you state various spacers etc. could be used to overcome this issue. I can see that this type of lift is very compact compared to the 'table' type however.

Cheers,

Mark.

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I bought a Wheelchair lift which I then added a steel platform to with a front wheel chock, its connected to the mains and raised on lowered with electric motor, the foot print is large and it does not tilt. Total cost was the same as a hydraulic lift but it takes more room.

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Hello Mark. i see what you mean its probably better with the table type as long as you have enough head room also you will have somewhere to put your spanners and a cup of tea smiley. Baz

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I have one like Barry posted but find it doesn't work on most of my bikes as engine, exhaust etc are lower than the frame rails. It was fine for the 99 but not the Guzzi, Enfield, Yamaha.... I then got a table type and love it.

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Previously Bruce Mitchell wrote:

I have one like Barry posted but find it doesn't work on most of my bikes as engine, exhaust etc are lower than the frame rails. It was fine for the 99 but not the Guzzi, Enfield, Yamaha.... I then get a table type and love it.

Hiya Guys, I have a table type made by Sealey, I have had it for 10 years. It has never let me down (no pun intended). It is rock steady on raising and rock solid when its in the raised position. It has 2 positions, fully up and 3/4 up which I suppose is for people shorter than me. I am 6 foot and the fullyraised position is just right for me. It has an easily operated front wheel clamp to prevent the bike from rolling off the stand, and a removable panel at the rear to allow rear wheel removal. The wheels are made of steel, two are fixed and two are castors so it can be moved around the workshop. I have pushed it around with a bike on the table but only with the table lowered I think trying to move it with the bike up in the air would be a risk I'm not prepared to take.It also has two screw down adjustable legs to give it extra stability.I know Sealey gear is good but expensive, I paid £475 for this table 10 years ago I don't know how much they are now but I believe you get what you pay for, I have worked on another non Sealey table at a friends house and was shocked to see how wobbly it was both raising and when fully up. Regarding storage room, at one time I used to park the car in the workshop and I simply unbolted the front wheel clamp, removed it and the table was then low enough to fit under a Ford Fiesta with no problems or concerns. I have worked on the table thousands of times and it has handled everything from Norton Commandos through Honda Pan Europeans and a full fat Harley Davidson. Hope this is helpful.

Cheers Big Alan Clarke, Shenstone Branch Sec.

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Hi Alan, based on what you say, this sounds like the job I'm after - can you give a model name/number etc.?

Cheers,

Mark W.

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Machine Mart supply a similar lift by Clark, may be the same item under a different suppliers name, ref no. CML3, I've had one for about ten years, so useful I got a second one, the model currently listed is foot operated with compressed air option, mine are foot operation only which is fine. Two slight issues, the wheels are rather small for moving the ramp on a rough surface and will also jam if a bolt or spanner etc get in the way, if you have a tidy workshop with a smooth floor the wheels should be fine, also the hydraulic ram on one ramp has a slight weep on the seal if the weight is left on the ram without using the locking bar. Price is £466 inc. VAT but machine mart run VAT free promotion days every few weeks and if you register with them you may be able to buy for the VAT free priceof £389

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Hi Mark, I've sent some pictures of my Sealey Bike lift to your Roadholder email address. Its a MC40 lift, capacity 400kg.

Cheers Alan

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A hoist costs 1/3 the price of a full lift and there are many advantages.

Like being able to reach bolts, etc. from below. Also you can sit or stand where ever you like and rotate the bike.

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Previously George Phillips wrote:

Thanks for the pic, Barry. That makes it clearer. Superb machine BTW. George

thanks George. i did all my work on the bike using the lift its just a handy size.

Baz

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Previously alan_clarke2 wrote:

Hi Mark, I've sent some pictures of my Sealey Bike lift to your Roadholder email address. Its a MC40 lift, capacity 400kg.

Cheers Alan

Hi Alan, thanks but I haven't received the email - nothing unusual there though! ...

Regards,

Mark

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Previously mark_woodward wrote:

Previously alan_clarke2 wrote:

Hi Mark, I've sent some pictures of my Sealey Bike lift to your Roadholder email address. Its a MC40 lift, capacity 400kg.

Cheers Alan

Hi Alan, thanks but I haven't received the email - nothing unusual there though! ...

Regards,

Mark

Hi Mark, I sent 4 pictures altogether, I will send you 2 emails with 2 photos in each. That might work. I have had bother like this before. Its something to do with the cache size of aol. Cheers Alan

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Has anyone any experience of the Timbertech? MRBN02 Motorcycle Lift? It's a scissor style lift and under £40.George

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I have one looking like the Timbertech. It came with my hydraulic lifting table. On that table you can turn the spindle all way round. Never uses it on the floor. Works well on featherbed frames. On my H***a racers I had to make a new longer frame supporting stud, because they have lower frame tubes on different height!

The type mentioned by Barry works very well and is a favourite with the kids. They seems to be closer to God because they spend so much time on their knees. I use it both for featherbeds and the 16H. On some other bikes you need pieces of wood. A drawback is that is impossible to use on bikes with modern fairings or classic racers with diapers. In that case I use paddock stands or a engine lift of the type Jonathan mentioned. Modern types are foldable so they don't take so much valuable floor space.

On an old picture from a racing paddock, I saw a type of stand under the footpegs with a long handle, which seems to work singlehanded. Same idea as a central stand.

On the racers without any stands, I use a T-shaped side stand with a tube fitting over the footpeg. They are easily made with angles and length to suit a specific bike.

It can be recommended to use straps to secure the bike. I almost always use a 35cm (14") stool to save my knees.

Mike

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Saw a great one at Mallory a few weeks ago....company called SOLO I think. They seem to do all sorts of stands/lifts/adjustable workbenches etc

 



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