Harbor Freight 1000lbs motorcycle lift

[ChucksKLRST]

I think suitable outriggers as some members have done can make it a one-person job depending on the person.

Riding a bike say— up a ramp into the bed of a pickup truck would be a whole matter entirely. Color me Maj. Wimp.


edit: I'd also want a small block affixed where the sidestand would rest. I'd be a little uncomfortable dismounting while holding the bike up to put it on the center stand and it doesn't need to lean as much for that transition.

One person job with good out rigger boxes. I park one of my bikes on my lift full time. And put it on the center-stand. I have had a HF lift for close to 15 years now. No issues once past the learning curve. I ride the bike up. yes it is a bit disconcerting the first couple of times but after that, no problem. You will get the hang of it.

 

[SupraSabre]

I bought one last year. It's a mixed blessing for me. I built two boxes, about 6" x 9" by 6' long out of flake board and 2x4's. One goes on each side of the lift for my feet when I ride the bike up or down. That works perfectly. The lift has wheels and screw down feet to immobilize the lift - another great idea. Someone reported denting the 'table' with his center stand so I put down a 1/4"x 2' x 4' piece of steel for the bike to land on. It works great.

However, I found that the frame is not beefy enough. With my ST aboard and strapped, and the table elevated the whole shebang wobbles, flexing of the table and its frame. I doubled a 2x6 and cut 4 pieces to just fit under the table's corners when elevated and the locking bar was in place. I now raise the platform with the feet screwed down to lock the whole unit in position, place the wood supports under the platform's corners, insert the locking bar, and drop the table down that last inch or less onto the bar and wood 'legs'. Rock solid. The table is fine with my Moto Guzzi, so it's the weight of the ST that makes it wobble (flex).

One last comment. I put the bike on the lift, took out the 'trap door' under the rear tire and tried to remove the tire. The wheel dropped down into the well, but I still had to remove the rear fender piece to get the wheel out. I've given up on this feature and block the bike up on wood w/ a small hydraulic jack. I want to get one of those screw type bike lifts but haven't gotten around to it.

That's why I sold mine to my son, who is only putting smaller bikes on it and it works great for him.

Until I built my shed out back, I didn't have room for one anyway, but I had been watching one on ebay for the longest time. The problem, it was like $1,821. Well, wouldn't you know it, no sooner I got my shed built, the company advertising the lift was moving locations and they had one lift left and they didn't want to have to move to their new location so they reduced it down to around $1,548 with free shipping New Lift

Yeah, I know it's more than most want to pay, but I've really like it and I just feel better with a heavier lift under my bike.

 

[TMUS]

Had mine for years too. works great, I even store the ST on it during winter.

 

[TMUS]

Had mine for years too. works great, I even store the ST on it during winter.

 

[Nevada]

Head over to GarageJournal.com, there's a lot of feedback on these. In general, they are considered to be an decent value, i.e. you get what you pay for, in the positive sense.

 

[SMSW]

If anyone builds outrigger boxes like TMUS shows in his pictures, I suggest one addition that is not obvious. Mine tend to slip on my trowel finished garage floor, so I'm going to get those little screw on rubber feet (Hopot or Lowe's). Maybe 8 per box, and put them on the bottom.

I drilled a couple of holes in the table so I could use the ramp on the 'front' of the lift to ride the bike off. If you do this (after removing the front wheel chock), the overhanging table will cause the whole table to tilt, dropping the front and lifting the rear. Be sure to block the front to prevent this. Nothing but a loud noise and surprise for me, but it could have ended badly.

 

[klaproth]

I just noticed that, in my most recent HF email, there is a coupon for this lift at 299.99. If anyone needs a coupon, drop me a line. I can copy and email it.

 

[bikerdrumr]

Riding a bike say— up a ramp into the bed of a pickup truck would be a whole matter entirely. Color me Maj. Wimp.

That's a level of skill or confidence that is foreign to me. Do people do that????

 

[T_C]

If anyone builds outrigger boxes like TMUS shows in his pictures, I suggest one addition that is not obvious. Mine tend to slip on my trowel finished garage floor, so I'm going to get those little screw on rubber feet (Hopot or Lowe's). Maybe 8 per box, and put them on the bottom.

I used some squared style u-bolts, 2 per side. Drill a 1/4" hole in the ramp and table bed and just drop them in (no need to actually bolt them in). Boxes can move at most maybe a 1/4" from the table.

 

[SupraSabre]

I just noticed that, in my most recent HF email, there is a coupon for this lift at 299.99. If anyone needs a coupon, drop me a line. I can copy and email it.

You can usually find that coupon in any of the motorcycle rags.

 

[KCJones]

I own one of these (at home) and 4 pro-level pneumatic lifts (at work). Whether this one will satisfy depends entirely on how you intend to use it.

For occasional use, oil changes & maintenance, they're great (if you get it on sale for $300). I wouldn't put a big GL on it, but for all but the beefiest bikes, fine.

If you're a more frequent home-mechanic, I suspect you'll eventually find the foot-pump frustrating and the durability suspect.

FWIW, discount ramps has good heavy pneumatic ones for ~$1,000. Definitely a bigger investment, but if you're a serious wrencher (vs 'shadetree' maintenance) might be worth it. We use "black widow" ones, and beat them up good - up and down many times a day. Never a problem.

I agree that the diciest part of any ramp is getting the bike on and off. Personally I -always- push them on, not ride-on, even with the supplemental 'side' platforms. Never had a problem with that, though I'm a pretty beefy fellow. In any case, it's always nice if you've got another person to hold it steady while you get the wheel-clamp cranked down.

On that note, putting a bike in a wheel clamp is a great way to tell if your front tire is at all under-inflated... Squishy tire = wobbly bike on the lift.

Last tip: many lifts come with a supplemental crank-up jack. Always a good idea to put that under the frame (not always possible on faired bikes like our ST's) and firm it up as additional support/stability.

 

[SMSW]

I used some squared style u-bolts, 2 per side. Drill a 1/4" hole in the ramp and table bed and just drop them in (no need to actually bolt them in). Boxes can move at most maybe a 1/4" from the table.

Good idea, but I need to move the boxes at the halfway point if I'm not riding the bike off the ramp. I usually inch along under power and stop when I run out of outrigger. My wife pulls each one forward and then I power up (or roll down) the rest of the way. Yes, I could have made the outriggers longer but then storage becomes an issue. They are about 6' long and stand up in a corner of the garage. Those of you with longer legs (who can flat foot the bike) can probably get away with one placement of a 6' box.

 

[ToddC]

Good idea, but I need to move the boxes at the halfway point if I'm not riding the bike off the ramp. I usually inch along under power and stop when I run out of outrigger. My wife pulls each one forward and then I power up (or roll down) the rest of the way. Yes, I could have made the outriggers longer but then storage becomes an issue. They are about 6' long and stand up in a corner of the garage. Those of you with longer legs (who can flat foot the bike) can probably get away with one placement of a 6' box.

Video....????

 

[SMSW]

Video....????

I don't understand what a video will tell you. I cannot flat foot the bike (bike stopped, my feet flat on the ground). When I stop, my heels are off the ground, so when I try to bring the bike up the ramp, as the front wheels lift above the floor, even my toes leave the ground (and the bike tips over unless I'm riding it up at a few mph). Riding the bike up at speed is dangerous, so I put the two boxes, one on each side of the Harbor Frt. lift's ramp. With my feet on the boxes, I can use the bike's engine and slipping clutch to move the bike up the ramp - my feet stabilizing the bike. By the time the front wheel is solidly on the lift, and the rear is on the ramp, I have come to the end of the 6' boxes, so I stabilize the bike with one foot on one box, while my wife slides the other box forward. I stablize the bike on the aft end of the just moved forward box, and she moves the other box forward. Now I can inch the rest of the way up, put down the side stand, get off the bike and put it on the center stand.

Coming down, I can ride it and balance it because there is plenty of paved driveway outside my garage door so I don't need the boxes. However, in bad weather I remove the front wheel chock/clamp, put the boxes along side the lift, and slowly inch the bike down with my feet on the boxes. The bike ends up on the floor of the garage with the front wheel maybe 6" from the (closed) garage door, and the boxes on either side of the bike. Midway in this process of going down the ramp my wife moves both boxes forward so that I don't run out of support.

No video is going to come because the bike is NOT going back on the lift til fall. I've done enough service on it this winter! Basta! Done! Hey, ST, do you hear me? (Do I hear my bike laughing at me?)

 

[ToddC]

I don't understand what a video will tell you. I cannot flat foot the bike (bike stopped, my feet flat on the ground). When I stop, my heels are off the ground, so when I try to bring the bike up the ramp, as the front wheels lift above the floor, even my toes leave the ground (and the bike tips over unless I'm riding it up at a few mph). Riding the bike up at speed is dangerous, so I put the two boxes, one on each side of the Harbor Frt. lift's ramp. With my feet on the boxes, I can use the bike's engine and slipping clutch to move the bike up the ramp - my feet stabilizing the bike. By the time the front wheel is solidly on the lift, and the rear is on the ramp, I have come to the end of the 6' boxes, so I stabilize the bike with one foot on one box, while my wife slides the other box forward. I stablize the bike on the aft end of the just moved forward box, and she moves the other box forward. Now I can inch the rest of the way up, put down the side stand, get off the bike and put it on the center stand.

Coming down, I can ride it and balance it because there is plenty of paved driveway outside my garage door so I don't need the boxes. However, in bad weather I remove the front wheel chock/clamp, put the boxes along side the lift, and slowly inch the bike down with my feet on the boxes. The bike ends up on the floor of the garage with the front wheel maybe 6" from the (closed) garage door, and the boxes on either side of the bike. Midway in this process of going down the ramp my wife moves both boxes forward so that I don't run out of support.

No video is going to come because the bike is NOT going back on the lift til fall. I've done enough service on it this winter! Basta! Done! Hey, ST, do you hear me? (Do I hear my bike laughing at me?)

Good response.... And no I didn't hear a word..from the bike.... really. It was the video of the process....I was thinking of........wife moving boxes.....legs flailing.....

Just my self indulgent humor ........no offence intended. Thanks for the great response.

ToddC

 

[ChucksKLRST]

A couple of minor mods to the HF lift. Because I have mutable bikes to maintain through the course of the year (three of mine and four of my Daughter and Son-in -Laws) I have added 4 extra eye loops. One on each corner for the lift. I now have additional tie down points if needed. Also because, I was always looking for the safety bar. It was ether across the room, out of reach, or on the floor where I would trip over it. So I made a sheath and attached to the peddle side of the lift.

 

[FrogmanDave]

Can any of you guys tell me how tall this thing is when fully lowered? I'm trying to determine if it will fit under my truck when not in use.

 

[Rdt1953]

Can any of you guys tell me how tall this thing is when fully lowered? I'm trying to determine if it will fit under my truck when not in use.

7" to top of flanges at sides plus 5 " to highest point of wheel chock- let me know if you need more and be aware mine is approximately 5 years old.

 

[FrogmanDave]

Oh crap. I hadn't thought of the wheel chock. Is it easily removable? Like bolts on from the top?

Btw, thanks for the quick reply!

 

[FrogmanDave]

Another question. How far is it from the front of the lift to the back side of the chock? I may be able to let that stick out in front under the bumper.