Bike Lifts - Looking for Advice

[VinnyM]

Hard to beat a table lift for stability and safety. This Handy came off of Craigslist.

[jj8823]

+1 on handy lift

[Wings]

Best money I've spent. Haven't had the RG on it yet but I'm sure it'll be fine. It is too heavy to move around but does go low enough to park my truck over it if I need to. Had it for about 3 years now.....

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Di...t-Pro-Cycle-DT

[Louisville Joe]

Originally Posted by Flexin

How stable are the sears, harbor freight lifts with the bike on them. The footprint seems small 32" x 15". Thanks for your help..

For reference, I finally bought a lift a few days ago. Sears 950191. Internet price $179, in store price $199 but the salesman matched the $179 Internet price. Very stable. Aluminum, 42 lbs, no assembly required. I am not a die hard (no pun intended) Sears buyer but I have been very satisfied with everything I have ever bought from Sears. Sears also has a cheaper model but the reviews were not so favorful on the cheaper model. Sure makes it a lot easier moving the RG around my side of the garage when my wife's vehicle is in the garage.

[Easyryder01]

Is that the yellow one or the red one ? I've wondered about getting the yellow one just to wash my bike with. The red jacks have been a dissapiuntment to me and returned all of them. Looking for an in ground jack if I can.

[SMOKENJOE]

Got one at Harbor Freight for around 300 bucks added a wheel chock for 39.00 works great

[CajunAg]

If this helps, then it helps. I bought a bike lift from Sam's Warehouse back in 2001 a little after I had bought my first Harley. I changed out the stock bolts for Grade-8 bolts that were made in USA (China bolts at that time sucked, still do not trust those originating there on my normal job). I used the snot out of that lift and even lifted my bike with my wife sitting on it. Original bike was a Fat Boy.

I have never had my old bike as much as wiggle when up on that lift, and it let me check tires and do any wheel removal when I needed to haul a new tire and the old tire/wheel to the dealership when I needed a new tire.

I put my new Road Glide Custom up on the same lift two weekends ago with two ratcheting straps helping to hold it steady. Lift worked like a champ ad did not have a problem hoisting the glide up in the air. It gave me plenty of room to change out my primary cover and do some fiddling up underneath my tank with spark plug wires. I had to take oe of both straps to loose at a couple of times, but did not have any trouble with stability as long as I kept one strap tight (for my sanity and bike safety) (only had to do that to change out primary cover).

I'm not sure if Sam's still sells the same bike lift, but the $110 I spent initially plus the extra $20 for grade-8 bolts let me save quite a bit on shop labor as I could do a lot of maintenance myself.

[2012FLTRU_BigBlue]

+1 on J&S Jacks. Had mine up on the lift since last fall (still working on it - and it's killing me given the incredible weather this week). I can move it around the garage on the stand no problem. Check YouTube if you want a center lift. There's a great video comparing the J&S, Pitbull and Harbor Freight center lifts. That's what sold me. The Pitbull is really low profile, but if your garage floor isn't level - it'll get caught and not move as easily. J&S has a bit more ground clearance and is just as rock solid IMHO. I've pushed, pulled, dragged, climbed on my bike while on the stand without a single tie down to the lift. Total peace of mind with that jack.

Good luck,
G

[Brian B.]

1+ on J & S. I have a Larin & while it lifted the Dyna fine the RGU was just too tippy.
Ordered Tues & here last Thur.
I use it daily to spin the bike around.
I've made a few "improvements". I drilled the T handle & the T handle receiver so I can drop a clevis pin / a keeper on & then the handle is a rigid mount where I lean down & push the jack up on the back pivoting caster for very easy movement. I also have drilled & tapped a(1/4 - 20) hole through the mounting pod the casters are on and will be running a 1/4 -20 bolt out that hole with a rubber fender washer against the housing so that I can secure the T handle in a upright secure storage position when not in use. I'll use a 1/4 - 20 wing nut over a steel over a rubber fender washers. I don't know if I would use this mount of the T handle to try to move the lift around with the bike on it. I guess I'll have to finish the tapping / wing nut to see how strong it is & then decide.
B.