Topic: Motorcycle lift table

[Bankerdanny]

The DIY shop that I used to belong to in Chicago before it closed had both air powered lifts and foot powered HF lifts. The air powered is convenient, but the HF lift worked great and for tall inflexible older guys like me, any lift makes working on your bike so much easier. Used lifts are pretty easy to find on marketplace and Craigslist for $300-$500.

danny,did they ever discover what caused the fire at that DIY shop you used to belong to ?

Yes. Someone parked a stolen car in the alley by the roll up door entrance to the shop and set it on fire and the fire spread to the building. Sadly he never re-opened the shop.

[grcamna2]

The DIY shop that I used to belong to in Chicago before it closed had both air powered lifts and foot powered HF lifts. The air powered is convenient, but the HF lift worked great and for tall inflexible older guys like me, any lift makes working on your bike so much easier. Used lifts are pretty easy to find on marketplace and Craigslist for $300-$500.

danny,did they ever discover what caused the fire at that DIY shop you used to belong to ?

Yes. Someone parked a stolen car in the alley by the roll up door entrance to the shop and set it on fire and the fire spread to the building. Sadly he never re-opened the shop.

I hope you find/start another type of coop type shop similar to that one Danny,not far from you.

[beemerbum]

There is a Harley shop near me that use the HF lift with full dresser baggers. They claim the cheap units work just fine. I have used mine for years with no issues. You do have to put the pin through the bars to keep it from sliding down after a while. The Chicom hydraulics are not to be trusted.

[WhyNot2]

There is a Harley shop near me that use the HF lift with full dresser baggers. They claim the cheap units work just fine. I have used mine for years with no issues. You do have to put the pin through the bars to keep it from sliding down after a while. The Chicom hydraulics are not to be trusted.

I always put the bar in, no matter what........I've never trusted hydraulics. I've seen too many fail.

[Johnie]

The Handy lift has a safety bar too. I like the removal door under the back wheel used when you need to take the tire off. The front wheel chock is super strong too.

[grcamna2]

The Handy lift has a bar too. I like the removal door under the back wheel used when you need to take the tire off. The front wheel choke is super strong too.

Johnie,that piece of removable rear deck for the back wheel is a very nice feature.

[RAFster122s]

Some plans are out there to make your own lift tables using angle iron or even wood...
The question becomes how strong does it need to be? The price of wood has gone up so much the wooden designs are too costly.
Bedframes can supply decent angle iron to defeat the costs if you have access to them cheaply.
You can buy steel diamond plate for the tabletop surface. The advantage of building your own quickly becomes a mute point if a used HF lift can do the job for you for less. Depends really as to what you value more, your limited time or if you have the cash to spend.
If you are t working, then sometimes you have the time but not the money.

[Alan F.]

I built a table about ten years back, not a lift just a table.
https://dropbarscinder.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2011-03-03T10:35:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=12&by-date=false&m=0
Cost was under $70 then.
A month or two ago I spotted a HF bike lift table on Craigslist for $100 but had no place to put it.
I'm still kicking myself.

[CBJoe]

I've had a Handy Lift for years......best $$ I ever spent for servicing larger motorcycles.   

[grcamna2]

I've had a Handy Lift for years......best $$ I ever spent for servicing larger motorcycles.   

They're a solid lift/table and built to last for a lifetime.

[Johnie]

Amen there Bill. I could have gone cheaper, but I just needed peace of mind when I had that Goldwing SE on there. If I had to get on the lift with the Wing at full rise it was just as stable as on the floor.

[CBJoe]

Amen there Bill. I could have gone cheaper, but I just needed peace of mind when I had that Goldwing SE on there. If I had to get on the lift with the Wing at full rise it was just as stable as on the floor.

Another thing that I like is with the handy moving bar, even with my big guzzi california 1400 on it I can move the lift forward and backwards or rotate it without issue.   Not easy by any means, but way easier than unloading mid-project just to get something around it.

[BenelliSEI]

Amen there Bill. I could have gone cheaper, but I just needed peace of mind when I had that Goldwing SE on there. If I had to get on the lift with the Wing at full rise it was just as stable as on the floor.

+1 to that! I even added some extra length, when needed. The larger unit handled it without any drama.

A buddy of mine did a very clever thing when he poured his new garage floor. He built in a shallow box that just fits his lift table, and even ran a 1/2” galvanized line to the “pit”. The air is controlled by a globe valve on the wall. The table is “drive on” and he added one of those wheel clamps that flips and grabs the front wheel snuggly when he rolls in. He can have his bike in the air in seconds.

[grcamna2]

Nice yellow motorcycle lift John.