Bike stands/lift, what do you use?

[willis]

so I am in the process of building a new workshop after a tree fell through my storage building earlier this year. I am making some upgrades since it is all new construction. It was supposed to be 14x27, but due to some construction obstacles it was reduced to 10x27. This will be a dedicated bike workshop so I am curios what people are using for bike stands. I have a small craftsman bike lift which works, but considering building a table with tie downs. Being only 10'wide, I want to leave myself as much room as I can to work around the bike. Let me know what works for you, or any tips/suggestions you may have

 

[Ratranger]

http://widgets.harborfreight.com/ws...tml&cust=10064683651&keycode=1021&single=true these seem to be a popular choice with a bunch of people.

 

[5twins]

Yes, you can't beat the HF table lift, with a few mods (grind the sharp corners off). We just discussed these in a recent thread and the consensus is the older ones were made better. So, if you're not in a hurry, shop for an older used one. As far as floor jacks go, I prefer the screw type over the hydraulic ones. They are more compact and more adjustable. You can set them at the exact height you need and easily adjust up or down just a little if need be. That's very difficult, if not impossible, on a hydraulic jack. And I mentioned them being more compact. They are actually designed to be used on a lift table, in combination with it.

I bought the good one, the real Blackjack 1000. It wasn't cheap but I don't regret the purchase one bit. It's built like a tank and will last a lifetime. There are cheap Chinese knock-offs on eBay for around $50 but I've read the lift screw strips out on some.

https://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-jacks/weaver-w-blackjack-motorcycle-jack/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1100-LB-Mot...id=100005&rk=2&rkt=6&mehot=pp&sd=321687048090

 

[fredintoon]

Hi willis,
10 x 27 is more of a corridor than a workshop but I'm sure that if it could have been built wider it would have been.
Think about maximizing the workshop's overhead space to put stuff.
For instance, an air compressor is just about essential but sucks up floor space.
Bolt it to the rafters instead.
There are bargains to be had in used bike lifts.
Buddy bought a nice one for $250 complete with the Yamaha Twinjet that was on it and sold the Twinjet for $200.
And if you fancy using jacks, Mr. Cheapskate sez that scissor jacks are best because every car in the scrapyard
has one in it's trunk that likely has never been used and they'll sell 'em for $2 each.

 

[Grimly]

And if you fancy using jacks, Mr. Cheapskate sez that scissor jacks are best because every car in the scrapyard
has one in it's trunk that likely has never been used and they'll sell 'em for $2 each.

Bingo on that; my lift table is completed by a Toyota scissor jack, and with a bit of c-channel iron across the top of it, it lifts under the frame rails nicely. If I could be fussed, I'd glue a rubber strip on the channel and add some end stops, but it works well enough for now.

 

[5twins]

I tried adapting an automotive scissors jack. It didn't work very well, too wobbly.

 

[Grimly]

I tried adapting an automotive scissors jack. It didn't work very well, too wobbly.

I use with the front wheel well snugged in and tensioned into the front clamp thingy. So far I haven't had anything fall on me, and I'm acutely wary of that, as nobody would know about it.
Also, the Toyota jack is quite well made, as cheap auto jacks go. Another good one I recall was a Renault scissor jack - probably designed to lift the car in the Saharan sands.

 

[jabcb]

Have the you-can’t-beat-the-price HarborFreight lift.

Have the Cycle Gear roll on wheel chock. Its better than the cheaper HF unit because it stays put when you roll a bike onto it, but the HF unit has a wider stance that might be important to you.
Currently on sale:https://www.cyclegear.com/accessories/trackside-roll-on-wheel-chock

RedLine Stands scissor jack.
https://www.redlinestands.com/catal...line-1000-lb-motorcycle-mini-frame-jack-p-469

 

[Fleksta]

This one is much cheaper than the redline: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01860HLCU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works great, I just wish I had thought to put some foam on the bottom before using it...garage floor scuffed the paint pretty good.

 

[Mailman]

Good old Harbor Frieght bike lift. Some people have complained that they leak hydraulic oil, but the trick is to Jack the bike up and flip down the mechanical catch , then let the bike down until the weight is sitting on the catch. That way there isn't a constant load on the hydraulic Jack. The benefit of using a bike Jack over a permanent table is space, when you are not using it, just pick it up and lean it against the wall and you have your floor space free. I put my bike up on the lift, then use a roll around stool to work on my bike and it's pretty comfortable. Also this jack will allow you to get both wheels off the ground at the same time.

 

[wrenchjohns]

I use a jack very similar to what mailman shows. It even feels safe rolling the King around partially lifted. john

 

[upthemaiden]

As far as space, one of those HF lift tables is nice because you can just park the bike on it where it sits on the floor, so you're not really losing any space.

Yes, you can't beat the HF table lift, with a few mods (grind the sharp corners off). We just discussed these in a recent thread and the consensus is the older ones were made better. So, if you're not in a hurry, shop for an older used one.

As far as floor jacks go, I prefer the screw type over the hydraulic ones. They are more compact and more adjustable.

Is there a good way to tell the difference between the new one vs old one by looking at them? I plan on picking one of these up eventually, but I'm not now sure what the difference is between new vs old?

I also have one of those flat motorcycle scissor lifts. I just used it this weekend for the first time and it made the job amazingly easier. I could've used a normal floor jack, but just like you said, it would've been a giant hassle to try and get things lined up properly. I had to replace the front rubber isolator mount on a bike with a hanging engine, and I was able to put the lift under it, take pressure off the engine mount to easily remove the hardware, then drop the front of the engine down an inch or so to get to the hardware to replace the mount, then lift it back up to the perfect height for the bolt to slip in without any resistance. Would've been practically impossible with a hydraulic jack. I just bought one of the Chinese versions on ebay. I won't kid myself with trusting the 1100lb weight limit, but for projects where you're just supporting an engine or lifting the front or rear of a bike while the other side is on a stand, it seems pretty decent for the money.

Aside from that, I have a lift similar to what mailman has above. Very convenient when it comes to being able to move the bike around the garage. Otherwise you pull the wheels off of a bike and it's pretty much stuck in place until you get it back to where it way.

I also always park my bike on rear stands(or a center stand if you have one) when the bike is at home. I had a sidestand bolt break once, which resulted in the bike flopping onto it's side on the ground. Luckily it was only a supermoto, so all you have to do is chuckle and pick it back up, but that's a lot more painful on other bikes that are easily damaged. Because of things like that I try to keep them off of the sidestand as much as possible, even if I'm not working on the bike.

 

[upthemaiden]

Yes, you can't beat the HF table lift, with a few mods (grind the sharp corners off). We just discussed these in a recent thread and the consensus is the older ones were made better. So, if you're not in a hurry, shop for an older used one.

I spent some time looking into this, found all of the stories and pictures online showing where the newer style lifts were changed, and how that caused them to break. I even went to HF the other day to compare. It looks like HF has switched back to the original style, so you can pick up a new lift from the store and shouldn't have issues.

The difference is where the support/lock bar fits in the stand. The *good* lifts have a lock bar with a ring welded to the end and the top of the frame where the bar sits has a horizontal surface about an inch wide. The *bad* stands have a bar that is drilled with a metal ring through it, and the part of the frame where it rests is just the vertical surface(which is where they bend, which causes the support bar to fold). Another way to tell is the location of the threaded support feet. The good stands have them in the plate with the castor wheels, the bad stands have them on their own separate welded tab.

Good:
http://www.m109riders.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=108449&d=1382784793

Bad:
http://www.m109riders.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=108457&d=1382784794

 

[CoconutPete]

I have this for when I'm working on her:
https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-capacity-atvmotorcycle-lift-61632.html

And this for when she's parked:
https://www.harborfreight.com/1800-lb-capacity-motorcycle-standwheel-chock-61670.html

Both have worked fine for me for over a year, but I probably wrench less than some of the serious builders on here.

 

[willis]

Money is going to be tight while I finish rebuilding my shop. As much as I'd love a lift I think I will have to settle for a wood table stand with a ramp. If I build it right I should be able to slide it under my workbench when not in use.

 

[upthemaiden]

That's my plan when I get around to making a work bench, tall enough to slide a lift under.

 

[Ratranger]

I'm using pitbull stands. But I had them from my last bike, and bored my stem for the front one to work.

 

[Grimly]

I went looking for a genuine Black Jack, but they're not to be found on Amazon UK, so purchased a Sealey instead of chancing my arm with any of the array of cheap junk with shiny paint on them. This one comes with three pairs of adjustable arms, which might be useful.
The Sealey is doubtless made in China too, but hopefully they have some QC going on.