Are Bike Lifts A Pain In The Arse?

Discussion in 'Technical Help' started by bootsam, Mar 10, 2018.

  1. My back and my knees have fallen out with me. Therefore I wondered about bike lifts. TBH I dont have a lot of room in my garage. So storage is my main concern. My garage is 1966 so it fine for a skinny ford anglia. But it has my workbench (basically a big shelf for shit) 2 bikes and a crummy old vespa that I really should shift but Im lazy. Plus my 916 has the cool lean and takes up as much space as she sees fit.

    I'm guessing those of you with them have detached garages with their own wine bars. Therefore Im guessing you have space to store it. Or can I just ride in and park on it? Parking on it would be okay. I could probably deal with that.
     
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  2. They are typically too tall to easily ride onto....
    We've one in our workshop and it's best to load it with two people.
    Have you tried an Abba type stand (other makes are available)?
    [​IMG]
    You can take one leg off easily and slid 80% of it under your bench...
     
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  3. In my garage after the wine bar, came the Michelin restaurant and then the full spa with olympic pool & wave machine. I had to get rid of the lift - there just wasn't space...
     
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  4. Hmm. No I can see that as a thing that will kneecap me occasionally.
     
  5. I have a modest garage, slightly extended from a standard 60's model.

    I can fit the lift (a Clarke ramp type), with one of the bikes on it, with my car over-hanging the ramp slightly, no sweat. But the garage extension makes it work.

    If you have no car in your garage, you won't have to worry about the flattened height of the lift but don't think that you are going to be able to move the lift around when you need to shift stuff about - those things are heavy. Draw yourself a scale diagram so you can work out if you have the space. Don;t forget, if room is tight, you can store one of your bikes on the lift.

    I love me lift and wish I could have afforded one years ago.
     
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  6. I'm not a fan of things with attachments that will block me. Ive an abba and that annoys me sometimes.
     
  7. STOP PRESS: Not sure I trust the lift enough to ride up on it so I am with AC on that point. It's a one man job to place it on the lift though.
     
  8. i know you dont boots but for those that do, these are great. simply plug it in to you wall socket a v.portable. get two bikes on it
    [​IMG]
     
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  9. I got one of these, https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cml3-air-foot-pedal-operated-hydraulic/ on a vat free coupon. I’ve pushed it to the back of the garage and have a bike parked on it when not in use. Used in anger for the first time today and it was easily man handleable to pull it into the middle of the garage floor and made life hugely more convenient. Andy
     
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  10. Store the 916 on it, hmmm. But not easy to shift? Hmmm. Prob not gonna work for me then. 916 lives by the wall as near as dammit that indicators dont scrape. Pani has middle slot and thats essentially my work room. Back of garage is tools, bench and parts. (I dont throw stuff away, I have all 916 oem bits and now filling up with pani oem bits).

    We're gonna need a bigger boat.
     
  11. Just read the comments about riding a bike onto the ramp. No need, it’s less than 6” high in the lowered position and I pushed both my Multistrada and Carole’s Diavel onto the ramp with ease. Andy
     
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  12. The sky lift thing AC showed is possibly your best bet.
     
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  13. one of the benefits of that ramp i posted it sits v.v.low, you can drive over it easy peasy if you garage is for a car to.
     
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  14. Not all lifts are flat enough to drive over, unless you own some sort of 4x4 with high clearance.
    However, you can buy lifts that are flat enough for a family car to drive over.
     
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  15. Maybe I need to limber up before I start all the twisting and contorting that you have to do sometimes. I might look again at that on ac posted. I can make room by selling abba...mebbe

    No Fin, my garage is bike only. Car can sit in the rain and shit for all I care.
     
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  16. Keep the 916 on paddock stand there by negating the lean :upyeah:.

    I thing I guarantee, doesn't matter how big the garage is, you'll always fill it. Is like kitchen cupboards.

    I've just found a way to get shot of the 3 push bikes out the garage, I'm really pleased about that. Double bonus is I've sold it really well to the better half and she thinks it's a good idea, not that I'm making more bike space!
     
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    • Ive this one, Its great in the way that you can pull of a few bits and stack it up against the wall, Only downside is you cant remove the front wheel because of the width of the ramp, Rears not a problem, Ive an adapter plate that site on so I can use padock stand
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  17. deffo, that ramp i posted probably aint 4inch tall when fully lowered.
     
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  18. Single garage, 4 bikes and the car goes in as well. Andy

    648EFBA1-DA06-4883-92A1-9464797489F9.jpeg
     
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