best diy bike lift

[peteseddon]

Hi - I would like to buy a decent (but affordable) bike lift for my son's tenere to make maintenance easier.  Can anyone offer suggestion or 2 ?

 

 - pete.

[jdub53]

I have two lifts from Harbor Freight that work well:

 

1.  1500 lb. Steel ATV/Motorcycle Lift (harborfreight.com)    Used for maintenance tasks like lubing the chain, removing wheels, removing forks/steering head to change bearings, etc. Pictured here in use on my old DR650 but works great on my T7 also.

 

 

 

2. Motorcycle Lift Table, 1000 Lb. Capacity (harborfreight.com)   Bought this a few years ago when on sale for $399, great for maximum vertical stability during maintenance when down all the way, or for maintenance tasks on the engine, rear suspension, etc., so the area being worked on is higher and access is easier.

 

 

Lift isn't at max height in this picture:

 

  

 

[Firebolter]

I have #1 above as well and it is a great lift. You can make plywood bases to fit the lifting arms for specialty fit needs too! I use mine to lift up the big ADV bike.

[Hibobb]

@peteseddon

I wouldn't use the words "Great" or "Best" when describing anything from Harbor Freight.

They ARE functional and for the price they may be good enough...

 

In the USA there is a company named Handy Industries that makes Motorcycle lifts.

These are the ones you see in the service departments of bike shops.

Pretty expensive, but solid and will last a lifetime (Like a good tool should).

 

Handy Industries | Quality Lifts & Shop Equipment

---

Handy Industries is proud to manufacture superior quality lifts, shop equipment, fuel and tool combos, and tailgates. Made in USA. Lifetime Limited Warranty.

 

 

[Hollybrook]

For a higher quality lift similar to #1, check out the Pitbull Motorcycle Lift.  No, it's not the Pit Bull company that makes the awesome stands that we are all familiar with.  This lift goes up to 25", which is quite a bit more than the  common lifts.  That is a both good and bad.  I am tall, so the higher lift height makes it easier to work on a bike without having to lean over.  The downside is that the lift is bigger to be able to lift that far and not tip over.  There are videos of 1,000lb bikes on this lift, spinning around on the optional turntable!

 

It's also not cheap, but the quality is excellent.  I found mine on Craigslist for $150, but that was an uncommon price.