Thoughts on a Princess Auto MC jack for an ST1300

[Obo]

Princess Auto has one of these on sale for Black Friday @ $70. Thoughts?

• Capacity (lb): 1,100 lb
• Min. Lift Height (in.): 3-1/2 in.
• Max. Lift Height (in.): 15-7/8 in.
• Platform Size (in.): 17-3/4 x 5-7/8 in.
• Material: Steel construction
• Overall Length (in.): 19-3/4 in.
• Overall Width (in.): 12-3/16 in.
• Overall Height (in.): 6-5/16 in.

I'm thinking perhaps remove the top U cradles and put one of the platforms on it some of the others here have used. I'd need 2-4 additional supports towards the front / rear down to the floor to keep it from being tippy.




Or just splurge and spend $180 for one of these and build the same platform above?

 

[paulcb]

Or just splurge and spend $180 for one of these and build the same platform above?

That's an easy one... something like option 2. The ease of use of the 2nd one, relative to the first, and lower hassle factor is well worth the extra $100 IMO. FWIW, I have one similar to the 2nd option.

 

[CYYJ]

I agree with Paul.

There's also a safety benefit to option 2 - if the moto should fall over when lifting it, you won't be crouched down beside it when it tumbles.

I use a hydraulic jack that is very similar to option 2 (same two horizontal bars & pantograph) and it works very well. You won't need to build a platform.

Michael

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Not knowing if you are restricted by price or space issues or you simply do not want anything higher off the floor here is my perspective. I have both of the items that you have pictured. I progressed from one to the other until I finally bought a lift table so now I have all three. I wish that I had saved the money and had gone to the lift table right away.

I have the centre stand that you have pictured above. I bought it on sale from Princess Auto. It works great. The only thing that I have noticed with it is that the threaded rod that operates the scissor jack is not butter smooth. It does not bind nor is it difficult to operate. It simply is not butter smooth as you would have with a much more expensive one. When you are buying discount priced products they are not machined to the same quality level as the expensive stuff but they are not as expensive either. I would recommend it and I would buy another one. I removed the cradles and just put it under the oil pan with a piece of rubber between the two. I use it on a lift table and it is very stable.

If space is not the issue my recommendation to you would be to buy a lift table and the centre stand to use on the lift table. You will not regret being that much higher off the floor while working on your bike. If the restraint is budgetary you can find used lift tables quite cheap if you look long and hard enough because the market for them is not really that big. I missed out on a fully equipped one year old professional lift table like is used in a motorcycle shop. It was equipped with the front and rear drop sections, a top quality front wheel vise and centre stand, the side extension wings and was for sale for only $750.00. The guy bought it and then decided that doing his own maintenance was not his thing so deals can be found if there is no immediate rush.

If space is the issue I stand my table up on edge fastened tightly against the garage wall when it is not in use to free up floor space if that option is helpful to you.

I bought a lift table from Princess Auto on sale. It is the same cheap (probably Chinese made) one that is always on sale at Harbor Freight for our American readers. It works perfectly well and gets the job done but you do get what you pay for. It is a little on the narrow side, it does not raise as high as a better quality one and the front wheel vise that it came with is pretty much useless. Knowing what I know now if I were in the market today I would search for a much better quality used lift table that is wider, has the extension wings and has a much better front wheel vise that will hold the motorcycle more securely until you can get the tie-down straps attached.

 

[SMSW]

Option two. Safety should not be compromised. When you approach the max capacity of any lift, you start to discover its weaknesses. I have the HF lift table, and the whole table wobbles with my ST aboard. I ended up making 4 doubled 2x legs and put one under each corner when at max height and then I lower the lift an inch or so so the weight is supported by the 4 legs and the safety bar. The HF table is fine w/ my Moto Guzzi on it, but wobbly with the ST.

 

[catcher]

I have a Princess Auto lift table, not perfect, but does what I want. I use a small scissor jack under the front of the engine, to lift the front of the bike enough to remove the front wheel. As for space utilization, in winter I just park a bike on it.

 

[sky.high]

I have option 2, picked it up on kijiji for $50, use it all the time, works great on all my bikes

 

[Obo]

I was thinking more about when working on the front end. On my old bike I tipped it back on the center stand and propped the front up with blocking under the engine/exhaust to work on the front end. I also secured the front with straps to the rafters.



I wasn't sure I wanted to do this with the ST given it's heavier & could tip.

Space is sort of an issue this winter, but I'm having a new garage built in the Spring to store the bikes and 2 Summer only cars.

I hadn't considered a table to raise the bike up for any other maintenance so I've got some more things to think about. A table would definitely be easier on the back & I wasn't aware you could drop certain portions. I always thought (perhaps incorrectly) that a table was somewhat more dangerous as the bike had further to fall and land on you if it was bumped or off centered (if secured to the table).

 

[RaYzerman]

Option 1 is perfect for tire changes and other maintenance, I have two..... they say rated for 1100 lbs., but I'd say less than half that is all I'd attempt to lift. When you first get it, be sure to grease the threaded rod and pivot points, way better........ I wouldn't be without it, it's a great jack, simple, cheap, stable.
But I also have a more professional lift table with wings and it is very stable at any position or while being lifted or lowered (I don't feel the need to tie down the bike at all). I agree get the best one you can find.
Had option 2 some years ago, just didn't do it for me. I would build a cradle if I had one.

 

[RaYzerman]

Want to attempt a DIY lift?

 

[Obo]

Watching that first DIY build, do you think the support on the table is just a jack similar to the first one I posted? It would have to be different I imagine or it would be just as unstable as if it was on the ground - just higher up now.

 

[kiltman]

I use the second option and made a table.

 

[Obo]

I use the second option and made a table.

Yes, I've looked thru many of the other threads already. All I need is a (I forget the age in the post) year old father who needs to keep busy

 

[Jim C-G]

I have a variation of the 2nd. Old "Black Jack" lift bought at Costco for $90. I have to roll the bike up on 2 pcs of 3/4" plywood to get the clearance to get the jack under (a piece under each wheel) and use a piece of 1'x 3/4" x 12" hardwood on the rear lifter of the jack in order to keep the pick up points level. My winter shed is too narrow to turn the bike around so I do like that the 2nd option does let you pivot it 360 degrees in place. I do have a plywood support I will put under the wheel staying on the bike when I take the other wheel off. I have never taken both wheels off at once.

 

[ReSTored]

I have a Princess Auto lift table, not perfect, but does what I want. I use a small scissor jack under the front of the engine, to lift the front of the bike enough to remove the front wheel. As for space utilization, in winter I just park a bike on it.

I too have the PA 1,000 lb lift that is hydraulic/pneumatic, lucked into a 3 year old one on Kijiji for $200. Very stable and, IMHO, really minimal to nil risk of a tip over. If you're looking at a new garage sometime soon in the future I'd go this route. Once you've worked on a bike on a lift vs. getting your weary bones up and down off the floor you can never go back.

I also have the option one lift purchased at PA and I use it to lift the front of the bike while on the center stand on the lift or on the ground to pull the front wheel off. It works very well for this, but you could never use it to support the whole bike, just too unstable I think. You can use an impact wrench on the crank if you want to raise or lower the bike vs. the wrench provided.

 

[kiltman]

Yes, I've looked thru many of the other threads already. All I need is a (I forget the age in the post) year old father who needs to keep busy

91 in two weeks

 

[migresch]

Princess Auto has one of these on sale for Black Friday @ $70. Thoughts?

• Capacity (lb): 1,100 lb
• Min. Lift Height (in.): 3-1/2 in.
• Max. Lift Height (in.): 15-7/8 in.
• Platform Size (in.): 17-3/4 x 5-7/8 in.
• Material: Steel construction
• Overall Length (in.): 19-3/4 in.
• Overall Width (in.): 12-3/16 in.
• Overall Height (in.): 6-5/16 in.

I'm thinking perhaps remove the top U cradles and put one of the platforms on it some of the others here have used. I'd need 2-4 additional supports towards the front / rear down to the floor to keep it from being tippy.




Or just splurge and spend $180 for one of these and build the same platform above?

JimC-G has a Youtube Channel: Old Guy on a Bike. In one of the videos he uses the 2nd jack (or a very similar one) to lift his ST1300 to remove the rear wheel. Take a look. Seems to work very well.

Mike

 

[Andrew Shadow]

All of the options that you have listed will work fine. It becomes a question of how much convenience and relief for old aching bones and back (no idea of your age) you want out of your equipment and how much you are willing to spend to get it.
Below are a few of my thoughts on the comments you made regarding a lift table.

I hadn't considered a table to raise the bike up for any other maintenance so I've got some more things to think about.

I put the bike on the lift table for doing just about everything because it is so much easier to work on when you are standing up. If you are the type who likes to keep his bike all spit and polish you will appreciate the lift table for that too. It is much easier to clean and wax/polish all of the Tupperware when you are standing up or even better sitting comfortably on a stool that has wheels.

A table would definitely be easier on the back & I wasn't aware you could drop certain portions.

Even the cheap ones have a plate at the rear that you can remove. This is so you can lower the rear wheel down below the surface of the lift table deck to make removing it easier. The better quality ones are designed better in that the rear section completely drops out of the way so there is no interference with the wheel at all when you are trying to remove/install it. Some of the better quality ones also have a drop away section in the front as well for the same wheel removal/installation reason. I use a centre stand on the lift table placed under the oil pan to raise the front wheel high enough to remove it without taking off the fender.

I always thought (perhaps incorrectly) that a table was somewhat more dangerous as the bike had further to fall and land on you if it was bumped or off centered (if secured to the table).

I have the cheap one from Princess Auto. It is narrower and less structurally rigid then the more expensive ones and therefore there is a little more lateral wobble when using it. However, if the lift table is sitting on a solid, flat, level surface with the bike centred on it and tied down such that it remains balanced vertically while you are raising/lowering the lift there is no danger of it tipping over in my experience. I even move mine around in the garage while the bike is on it and have never felt that there was any danger. I have also raised the lift with the bike on it while the bike was on the centre stand without any tie-downs without any concern. It is no more likely to tip over 30 inches off the floor while on the centre stand on the lift table than it is on the floor on the centre stand if it was put on the lift table properly and the lift table is level on a solid surface.

Having said that, there a couple of people here who have had their bikes fall off of a lift table. I don't know the circumstances that lead to it tipping over however. If the surface that the lift table is sitting on is solid, flat, and level, and the bike is properly placed on the lift table, there should not be any reason why it would tip over.

 

[Igofar]

Once again I'll have to go against the grain on MY choice.
While I have a Handy Table Lift, I also use a K&L Center jack for 90% of the support needs (changing tires, removing forks, etc.)
Over the years I have see MANY hydraulic lifts fail dangerously!
They tend to drop things down too fast, leak oil, and suddenly fail and toss your bike on its side, or even better yet, upside down, while throwing the stand in the other direction, either at the mechanic, or his automobile that is also in the garage.
I've personally had at least 3 fail in my garage.
These were not the cheap internet knock off clones either.
I had a PitBull lift raise a HD Road King up in the air, then placed the locks in postion, then lowered it down against the locks per the instructions.
While working on the bike, I had hydraulic oil squirt out across the garage and the lift died right there.
So what you asking? It took 4 full grown men and several 2x4's to lift the weight up enough to remove the lock bar to lower the bike.
I've also had a J&S lift decide to toss a customers Yamaha Cruiser on its side to take a nap while I was in the house getting something.
The ONLY type jacks I trust are worm driven ones. With these you can raise or lower the bike manually and avoid all these issues.
My K&L is almost 30 years old and has never failed me.

 

[CYYJ]

Over the years I have see MANY hydraulic lifts fail dangerously!
They tend to drop things down too fast, leak oil, and suddenly fail and toss your bike on its side, or even better yet, upside down...

Hi Larry:

I agree totally with the point you are making, which is that a hydraulic jack should never be relied upon as a sole method of support for a heavy object.

But, in the context of the OP's question, I think that it would be safer to use a hydraulic floor jack (with a fairly long handle on it) to lift the motorcycle up in order to permit solid blocking to be put underneath it to support it, rather than using a screw-type jack that requires the user to crouch down beside the moto in order to lift it.

I use a hydraulic floor jack to lift my moto, then I put blocks of wood (sourced from the cut-off scrap pile at the local Home Depot) under the bike to hold it up while I work on it. I then remove the hydraulic jack and stow it until I have finished work. I also use the same hydraulic jack to lift my car wheels each spring and fall for snow tire installation (not a concern you would have in Arizona ).

Michael

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