Bike lift

[dark_bike]

A question for the dirty nails brigade.

 

As I plan to do most work on my Guzzi myself I find that I need a decent lift or some other device to get the wheels off the ground. I found lifts of this type (see image) but are they suitable for a V11 as the oil pan is not flat?

Or would a paddoc stand be better? It will have to be something I can safely use alone.

 

cheers Tom

 

bike lift

[gstallons]

There is no 1 stand that will do everything. Look at ALL options, think of the type of work you are capable (and wil be) of, then make your decision. I have a similar stand or jack to the one pictured and a MotoGuzzi stand. I think i like the Guzzi best.

p.s. There are drawbacks to every one of them though.

[TDF]

I used a lift like that to hoist up my V11 sport when I pulled the rear swingarm off this spring. It worked OK. I had to use a few thin strips of wood between the lift and the pan due to the rounded pan but it ended up fairly stable. About a month ago I picked up the lift in the below photo. It's one of the ones from Harbor Freight, but I got it used (and very cheap). I actually prefer it to the lift you're looking at, but it does take up a heckuva lot more space in the shop, which from the picture you can tell is a premium in my shop.

 

[Steve G.]

I've got one of these lifts. I had my old GS on it, was working on the front wheel, when it decided it wanted to tip forward. I stopped it, but my finger got caught in the spokes, broke my finger and ripped my fingernail off. NEVER USE IT AGAIN!!!

Bought one of these,,,,,, http://kendonusa.com/lift.htm best money I ever spent in the garage.

 

Steve

[dark_bike]

I've got one of these lifts. I had my old GS on it, was working on the front wheel, when it decided it wanted to tip forward. I stopped it, but my finger got caught in the spokes, broke my finger and ripped my fingernail off. NEVER USE IT AGAIN!!!

Bought one of these,,,,,, http://kendonusa.com/lift.htm best money I ever spent in the garage.

 

Steve

 

Auch, yes, that is exactly what worries me Steve as the load bearing surface is a bit narrow.

I've seen similar product here in Germany. Is it possible to take off the wheels with this one, though?

 

Tom

[dark_bike]

There is no 1 stand that will do everything. Look at ALL options, think of the type of work you are capable (and wil be) of, then make your decision. I have a similar stand or jack to the one pictured and a MotoGuzzi stand. I think i like the Guzzi best.

p.s. There are drawbacks to every one of them though.

 

I don't want to go to the length of dropping the engine from the frame, at least not in my lock-up, but everything else would be within my capabilities.

 

I need somthing that gets the wheels off the ground and raises the whole bike so its easier to work at. Thats why this lift seemed appealing as it does both, but I'm a bit worried about the narrowness of the lifting surface, and that's not entirely unjustified, see Steve's post

 

what I could do is fit a two rods to the bottom plate of the lift that are in line with the bike, so it wont tip forward or backward so easily. hmmmm

[Murray]

There is no 1 stand that will do everything. Look at ALL options, think of the type of work you are capable (and wil be) of, then make your decision. I have a similar stand or jack to the one pictured and a MotoGuzzi stand. I think i like the Guzzi best.

p.s. There are drawbacks to every one of them though.

 

I don't want to go to the length of dropping the engine from the frame, at least not in my lock-up, but everything else would be within my capabilities.

 

I need somthing that gets the wheels off the ground and raises the whole bike so its easier to work at. Thats why this lift seemed appealing as it does both, but I'm a bit worried about the narrowness of the lifting surface, and that's not entirely unjustified, see Steve's post

 

what I could do is fit a two rods to the bottom plate of the lift that are in line with the bike, so it wont tip forward or backward so easily. hmmmm

 

Depends on the space you have but a basic ramp platform and a couple of paddock stands will do what you want it to do. The stand originally posted usually rely on sitting on the bottom frame rails of the bike. Mainly seen them used on cruisers and ATV's I suggest if you want something a bit more than paddock stands save your dollars for a bit longer and get a full platform.

[eas1rider]

Recently got the bike back on its own two wheels after a bit of TLC over the winter. The bike sat on one of the jacks that your looking at in your original post. Like others i had to use a couple of pieces of wood strategically placed beneath the pan but I was confident enough to leave the bike this way for a couple of months. I was able to remove the rear wheel along with the front wheel and forks etc at the same time. I did however place a further couple of pieces of wood at the rear of the bike for my own piece of mind.

I have used a number of different jacks etc on numerous bikes and there are always limitations depending on the task you are trying to perform, sometimes you just have to be a little creative...

[dark_bike]

Recently got the bike back on its own two wheels after a bit of TLC over the winter. The bike sat on one of the jacks that your looking at in your original post. Like others i had to use a couple of pieces of wood strategically placed beneath the pan but I was confident enough to leave the bike this way for a couple of months. I was able to remove the rear wheel along with the front wheel and forks etc at the same time. I did however place a further couple of pieces of wood at the rear of the bike for my own piece of mind.

I have used a number of different jacks etc on numerous bikes and there are always limitations depending on the task you are trying to perform, sometimes you just have to be a little creative...

as far as I know it is also possible to tie the bike down to the lift with belts. hmm I think I'll give it a try. And have plenty of blocks of wood handy

 

thanks for the comments guys.

 

tom

[dark_bike]

on second thoughts, I found this: a centre stand that allows either wheel to be lifted of the ground. Should do for most jobs...and can be also be used on one of those big lifts, should i ever buy one..

[gstallons]

Buy it!

It's made in Germany........you know it's perfect.

[dark_bike]

Buy it!

It's made in Germany........you know it's perfect.

 

Just did

[Buzzard]

I want one. I'll email the company in Germany to find if they will ship to the USA, or have a dealer in the USA. Let you know what I find.

[dark_bike]

I want one. I'll email the company in Germany to find if they will ship to the USA, or have a dealer in the USA. Let you know what I find.

 

You also need two size 18 sockets, mind.

Shouldnt be a problem by the look of it...if you require assistance don't hesitate to PM me..

[Buzzard]

A Mr Becker replied to me, stating that they didn't ship to the USA or Canada, due to the lack of product insurance in these countries. A shame, looks like a great product.