After a trip to pick up some panels, I saw a very nice motorcycle lift, doing some research there are quite a few to choose from, does anyone have any recommendations?
Clarke from Machine Mart. They do VAT free days where you can save some cash and you can also get an air powered version if foot pumping is too much for you.
Yep. A bike can sit on the side stand, centre stand and you have the front wheel clamp too. I wouldn't fancy having the bike on a side stand in the air though, myself.
The Clarke one is just a cheap Chinese one with a sticker on it, they are all exactly the same. Got rid of mine and bought the Abba Skylift, never looked back.
We use the Clarke ones at work, they're horrendous, One of them cracked a weld. Mine is an air powered one that's less than 4 months old and already has a small leak, anything above 600 weight it slowly goes down.. it's infuriating. If you're not using it everyday it might last a bit longer. The probike ones are the best on the market, hands down...although the price also reflects the quality!
You are supposed to lower the table down onto the bar inserted into the scissor legs after raising the table so the hydraulic / pneumatic system isn't taking the weight of the bike and table. I wouldn't leave mine jacked up under pressure with a bike atop. Like leaving your car jacked up and not using axle / chassis stands. I wouldn't work under it. You can see the supplied bar on the table below.
Yup, you're right but... The whole point of a ramp rather than a bench is that it can be used at multiple heights, having only two or three presets ruins the point. All the probike ones have a stepped runner on the bottom that mechanically locks the ramp every inch or so you can pick the exact height for the job and saving your back
Yep, that's another option as long as the weight is off the ram. I've found 2 height settings perfectly adequate on mine tbh.
Yes the probike lift looks the dogs bollocks. But at 4 times the price of the clarke lift. 99% of us just want a lift for a bit of tinkering, cleaning and servicing. It'l be used much closer to 10 times a year than 10 times a day. So better buying the clarke lift and having more money to spend on other ridiculously priced ducati bits and bobs
Could you drill a couple of holes in the other two uprights at slightly different levels to get extra options?
If I’m working on the bike, I only insert the rod as a safety feature not to take any load off. If I have to stop mid job, I always lower the ramp to the ground if it’s going to be left overnight. Andy
Years of my father insisting I always took the load from a hydraulic lift when I 1st started working on cars. "Jacks are for lifting. Stands and chocks are for holding". I'd never work under a simple single hydraulic ram lifting mechanism with it under load and no protection in place. I'm not saying it's wrong, but I've always worked this way. Actually, Page 2 of the Clarke manual.... And page 3.............. And again a few times in the rest of the manual.
Nah, I know best In a different life time when health and safety wasn’t an Act of Parliament, I used to work for Eric Ten Kate who ran a hydraulic lift and lifting equipment company. Know your tools and never but never put more than half the swl on the ram. Andy
Mine does not have any rods or notches.. has infinite positions... it utilises 2 rams and circuits for safety... but cost a lot - LV8 - Nano 600KG
Totally agree, it's not worth it for the average guy. One thing to add is that they're a bit flimsy, so undoing a big beefy axle nut can make the lift flex a bit, which is a bit of an arse pinching moment
