[Blackbag1]

I'm seriously thinking about using a $299 coupon for this $699 lift. I think it's a decent price for a DYI'er looking for a budget table lift. $300 will get you some fancy MOCO bling for the bike, but it won't make changing fluids and general maintenance any easier for this 60 year-old arthritic body. I know we get what we pay for, but are there things we can do to this lift that'll make it a no-brainer purchase? I already have the 1800lb HF wheel chock/moto stand that'd be replacing the "flimsy" wheel chock that comes with it. Help my girls spend my money for this early Father's Day gift!!!

 

[Blackbag1]

Where's the coupon? Online?

BAGGERS magazine ad....May 2015 issue. HF advertises these table lifts at $699 retail, but I've seen it listed at $429 ALOT. I recently saw them at $329 in another ad. The HF dude stipulated that I MUST bring the specific coupon in to get that $299 price. The BAGGERS mag is in my bagger

 

[Blackbag1]

Good to know...thanks!

 

[Blackbag1]

I like your solutions, PGR. In the end we only have to justify our choices and purchases to ourselves. Although I'd like to buy a table lift that's MADE IN USA, I'm not going to get into "table lift snobbery" lol. Hey if someone can make one in the USA and be competitively priced, I'm all over it . I'll keep an eye out for used Handys, etc.

I don't have the space for a 125psi+ compressor/airtank, there aren't very many manual/hydraulic motorcycle table lift options out there, and I'd like to lift my bike "quietly" when I'm tweaking late at night and want to lift my bike late at night in my garage to work on it without waking the family...ok...just kidding about the tweeker part lol...

But back to the original purpose of this thread....what can be/has been done to help the HF MTL become a better MTL?

 

[Blackbag1]

The problem I've always heard was that they weren't stable because of not having the wide stance in the rear. My direct lift has a pipe that is a foot or more wider at the back to aid not tipping over.

I've often wondered about the stability of any of the MTLs where the working deck is wider than its base. Seems like a simple enough mod to make/do with round or square tubes on the HF MTL.

 

[Blackbag1]

I pulled the trigger today. I think I'm going to have almost as much fun modifying this to suit my needs as I have any of my motorcycles

I'll buy a Handy or Pro-Lift as soon as I win the Lotto and buy a house with a higher garage ceiling height...for now, this'll do...it'll be leaps and bounds waaaaay better than sliding, slithering, rolling on the floor, and putting dents in my skull on the next 3hole fluid change and other scheduled maintenance

 

[Blackbag1]

You'll like it. Make sure you get some jack oil. Some come already filled like mine did, others didn't. Also you'll probably want to get rid of the lil wheel clamp and bolt down a wheel dock like mentioned previously

I have the jack oil and their black wheelchock

 

[Blackbag1]

Yeah....that's a concern, but not totally insurmountable...I could K.I.S.S. it or go crazy...the ol sow's ear into a silk purse kinda thing

 

[Blackbag1]

Well.....got the HF MTL in working order...had to fill it with almost half a bottle of jack oil...that stupid rubber plug for that inspection/fill hole is STUPID...took me longer to wedge it back on than it took me to install the wheels/casters...I cycled the lift about a dozen times to check its operation and its GTG...

I notched the vertical sides toward the front of the deck so that the front cross member of my HF wheel chock sits flat and ON the deck about an inch from the front edge of the deck, then I drilled holes on the deck on each side of the cross member and used u-bolts secure the front end down...I then drilled a couple of holes on the deck using the existing holes on the approach side of the chock as templates and bolted the rear end down to the deck...it WILL NOT MOVE...

FOR SURE I'll need to install side extensions on my lift...I can ride it into the chock no problem, but it's percarious pushing it out with very little space for my size-13s to push and support me and the bike....I'll probably use PGR's solution....

I lifted the bike to full height with no issues for me, but I can see what some are saying about the "stability" concerns...I tend to not to be rushed and careless around my bikes and cars when they're not balanced on their own tires/wheels, so a little shake here and there doesn't bother me as long as I understand why it's wobbling...nonetheless, I might do a few things to this HF MTL to make it less shaky or wobbly at full height with a full load...just gotta go to the scrap yard for materials to keep costs down

But, yeah, I get it...the Handys and DirectLifts of this world would be much more preferable if I had the room for a compressor/airtank....

 

[Blackbag1]

Roger that...