Delighted with my new to me 2008 with 20K (owned 1 week, ridden 450 miles so far, but need new front tire). Planning maint. projects over the winter and wondering about using my Craftsman jack I used on Goldwing. On Wing, it balanced well under the engine in front and front of center stand in rear. (there are 2 lift surface arms and jack goes under from side of bike). I see references to using a bock of wood and small jack under oil pan while on center stand. I want to jack entire bike up to ease my ancient back when working on it. Oil pan LOOKS solid enough to support weight, but I find nothing in shop manual. It also LOOKS like I could use a 2x4(6) under front of center stand to clear the plastic and also even the height with the oil pan. Anyone familiar with this jack (not too different from Harbr Freight one I'm told)? Or with putting that much weight on oil pan (assume half or more ...350-400 lbs). Jack easily held the 1000lb Wing, but my concern is not jack put jacking points.
Motorcycle jack
- Thread starter oldjoe
- Start date
CYYJ
Michael
Joe:
What scares me about your plan to lift the entire ST 1300 up is not any concern about the motorcycle (I'm pretty sure the oil pan can support the weight, considering that the weight is spread out over two horizontal arms), it is worry about the very narrow - relative to the Gold Wing - lower surface of the ST 1300, and the great risk of the moto toppling over on you if you or someone else accidentally bumped it while both wheels were up off the ground.
The Gold Wing has a flat 6 engine and, presumably, a much wider oil pan at the base... hence it would likely be more stable when lifted up. The ST 1100 is a much narrower motorcycle, and, I think, might be more prone to tipping over sideways.
If you do go ahead and lift up the ST 1300, I suggest you ensure the two saddlebags are loaded equally - if nothing else, this will adjust the moment of inertia of the motorcycle in your favour.
Michael
What scares me about your plan to lift the entire ST 1300 up is not any concern about the motorcycle (I'm pretty sure the oil pan can support the weight, considering that the weight is spread out over two horizontal arms), it is worry about the very narrow - relative to the Gold Wing - lower surface of the ST 1300, and the great risk of the moto toppling over on you if you or someone else accidentally bumped it while both wheels were up off the ground.
The Gold Wing has a flat 6 engine and, presumably, a much wider oil pan at the base... hence it would likely be more stable when lifted up. The ST 1100 is a much narrower motorcycle, and, I think, might be more prone to tipping over sideways.
If you do go ahead and lift up the ST 1300, I suggest you ensure the two saddlebags are loaded equally - if nothing else, this will adjust the moment of inertia of the motorcycle in your favour.
Michael
When changing the front tire I usually put the bike on the centre stand then use my floor jack under the oil sump to lift it just enough so the rear tire comes in contact with the ground, that will raise the front tire enough to effectively change the front tire. Yea it is tuff for us old guys to then get down on the floor and do the wrenching but I feel much safer then raising the bike. I don't have room in my garage for a bike lift with the removable front section.
I use my Chinese 1,100 lb scissor jack on my ST with great success. I think I paid $50 for it. My Craftsman motorcycle lift that I use on my HD and KLR is too wide.
Congrats on the 
! 
! 
I used a similar jack on my 1100. There is a thread on this site from a number of years back, where a person put a piece of 3/4” ply that was 20” wide by 30” long. He put a 2x4x6” at the end to go under the centre stand and a 1x1x6” that fit on the oil pan between the edge tines. You do need to use tie down straps to the lift. Once up there and the straps fastened it is rather stable
Yes you can use a MC jack like the wing uses. No it is not as stable. I had two of those jacks I used on my previous bikes, Valkyries. I made boards to fit under the ST1300 bottom and jacked it up once. Took it down and sold the jacks, just too unstable that way to work on the bike on the jack.
I use 3 2x10 boards and 1 small 2x4 block. 2 are cut on one end at a 45 angle to make ramps. Place ramps in front of the front and rear tire and and place small board for the side stand to the side. Drive up on the 2 boards and lower the side stand down onto the other small block. Now place that third 2x10 under the center stand and put the bike up on the center stand. Now you can remove the front or rear ramp and the bike will rock back and forth and won't fall (never has yet). Helps if you have someone help do a little balancing but it can be done alone.
I use 3 2x10 boards and 1 small 2x4 block. 2 are cut on one end at a 45 angle to make ramps. Place ramps in front of the front and rear tire and and place small board for the side stand to the side. Drive up on the 2 boards and lower the side stand down onto the other small block. Now place that third 2x10 under the center stand and put the bike up on the center stand. Now you can remove the front or rear ramp and the bike will rock back and forth and won't fall (never has yet). Helps if you have someone help do a little balancing but it can be done alone.
Thanks - I did use tie down straps (they came with the jack) on the Wing - of course the crash bars were easy points of attachment. Being new to this forum, I'm still having a hard time finding threads. A search on jack, jacking, Craftsman, lift, motorcycle lift have come back empty, or nearly so. What is the trick to finding threads?
I've attached photos of what I did. I cut some notches out of the plywood so it would sit properly on the steel supports of the jack. I now noticed that the wood under the center stand was the 1x1 and the 2x4 was under the oil pan
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Great pics - thanks! That's similar to how I envisioned it, but slightly different...the whole reason for asking the question of this forum. I MIGHT have figured it out on my own, but if someone else has already invented the wheel... Thanks again!
That looks mighty unstable to me. Pull off a wheel and the balance changes. Kiltman's jack looks to me like a transmission jack and it is wide enough to drop the tie down straps from the tip over bars. Fore and aft stablity? A bit iffy from my pov, but I've not tried to rock his bike on that jack. Search for Harbor Freight (or motorcycle) lift on our forum. I found my HF lift to be wobbly at altitude, so i cut 8 pieces of 2x6, doubled and nailed pairs together and put one block under each corner. Now the whole thing is rock solid. You can buy the HF lift for $289 on sale....
The jack I am using is one designed for Crusers and ATV’s and are meant to work when you have access to the frame. If the exhaust wasn’t directly under the frame then it wouldn’t be an issue the bike would be really stable. The jack I’m using also has outriggers. The worst part in the whole process is in fact getting it up to height. I have one hand on the seat the other on the bars as it is ascending. The straps are in place when raising the bike and are to the length so they are taught when I come to full height with the jack. Like the original poster I had the jack from when I owned a previous bike and you work with what’s on hand.
I have gone a step further and now have made a motorcycle table for the jack to lift up. The table is 22" wide 7' long and sits 9.5" from the ground. The jack sits under the table at the centre point. It can lift the table so it's 18" off the ground. Once I get to the final height I insert supports at the front and back of the table and lower it so that the supports take the weight. Before lifting the bike, it is secured in a chock for the front wheel and strapped to the table. There are YouTube videos on this modification. I spent close to $75 for the lumber and hardware. The jack and chock I already had. I got my dad to make it for me on his 90th birthday this past weekend.
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That’s a neat rig Robert - I’ll bet it makes winter maintenance tasks a lot easier. Your Dad must be quite a quy!
Pete
Pete
Great pics - I hope i can still be riding at 90 (even if i don't look that good)
Yes on both counts. My father is amazing, as well as my mother. She turns 89 next week and still teaches ballet. They both rode motorcycles when they came to Canada in 1953. It was their first mode of transportation. My father helped me in both purchases of ST’s. We went to Goderich,ON. to buy my first one, a black 1990, I rode that one home. A few years later he helped me acquire my 1997. We drove 11hours round trip to Kingston to get my current 97 ABS model. (That one had to be trailered home)
I have to keep giving him projects so he doesn’t get bored.
He deserves a birthday cake at the very least.Yes on both counts. My father is amazing, as well as my mother. She turns 89 next week and still teaches ballet. They both rode motorcycles when they came to Canada in 1953. It was their first mode of transportation. My father helped me in both purchases of ST’s. We went to Goderich,ON. to buy my first one, a black 1990, I rode that one home. A few years later he helped me acquire my 1997. We drove 11hours round trip to Kingston to get my current 97 ABS model. (That one had to be trailered home)
I have to keep giving him projects so he doesn’t get bored.
Upt'North.