What is the safest and best way to lift your bike?

**Waihou Thumper** · 1st December 2009, 12:21

I am talking about in the garage. I only ask because this happened...
I have a DRC stand and the bike is now too low for it, it winds down and it is still too high. The KTM was good, just put it under and lift.
The DR is a different story, the ground clearance isnt there.
I went to Mitre10 and bought a trolley Jack. The idea was to jack it up enough to put the DRC stand under it and away I went...
Trouble is, the foot of the jack was so small it was very unstable, and I mean really unstable.....
Trying to jack and hold bike at the same time caused a bit of a calamity..

Suffice to say, I now have some new handlebars on order....
Went for a ride this morning and wondered why my mirror was so high and I sort of had a Hunch Back of Notre Dame look about my posture....

Oh, farrk! They are bent......
So, returned the Jack, got a refund, now I am back to square one.
All I want to do it lift the bike to remove the rear wheel or the front safely and have it stable enough so when I am cleaning it, the thing doesn't pin me to the garage floor....

What do you guys recommend without getting a Hydraulic Hoist.....

**Ixion** · 1st December 2009, 12:22

I use a lifting strop from the garage rafters and hoist it up .

**Waihou Thumper** · 1st December 2009, 12:28

Bit worried about the weight. I guess 180Kg shouldn't be an issue. How do you hoist it? I have done this fancy ropes rescue course and thought of rigging a nice set of pulleys, that would work...

By the time I buy the rigging, I may as well get a nice big 3 tonne trolley jack with a huge footprint to put under the engine.

**Ixion** · 1st December 2009, 12:41

I use a truck ratchet tiedown thing. Like the tiedowns y'use for bike trailers , but bigger. Cost , can't remember, but not much, $50 maybe. Holds about 3 tonne I think .

Weight- well, with one wheel still on the ground, you're only supporting half the weight, so about 90KG. I weigh more than that.

**bart** · 1st December 2009, 13:02

Get one of these bike lifter things. Best $200 I ever spent. Can lift to any height, so just roll the wheels on and off the bike.

www.topmaq.co.nz

**bart** · 1st December 2009, 13:07

Looks like they have 2 models. $183.71 and $199. I added a piece of plywood through the centre to give a larger base for the bike to sit on.

Also added a bungy cord to stop the locking machanism engaging all the time.

http://www.topmaq.co.nz/product_detail.aspx?id=AUHO2010

http://www.topmaq.co.nz/product_detail.aspx?id=AUHO2000

**clint640** · 1st December 2009, 13:07

You could just make a couple of little ramp/platforms out of timber to roll the bike on to so the DRC stand fits underneath.

I quite like the look of those work stand size sissor lift platforms, they drop down quite low. For now I just lift the bike onto a couple of big wooden blocks.

Cheers
Clint

**Waihou Thumper** · 1st December 2009, 13:15

Originally Posted by bart

Looks like they have 2 models. $183.71 and $199. I added a piece of plywood through the centre to give a larger base for the bike to sit on.

Also added a bungy cord to stop the locking machanism engaging all the time.

http://www.topmaq.co.nz/product_detail.aspx?id=AUHO2010

http://www.topmaq.co.nz/product_detail.aspx?id=AUHO2000

Yeah, this might be good...Bit of a cost but secure enough.

**Waihou Thumper** · 1st December 2009, 13:17

Originally Posted by clint640

You could just make a couple of little ramp/platforms out of timber to roll the bike on to so the DRC stand fits underneath.

I quite like the look of those work stand size sissor lift platforms, they drop down quite low. For now I just lift the bike onto a couple of big wooden blocks.

Cheers
Clint

I could imagine the ramps going adrift or the stand tipping or sliding around..
Possibly?

**Crisis management** · 1st December 2009, 13:23

100x50 (cut to the right length naturally) stuffed under the footpeg on the opposite side to the side stand, I've used this when removing wheels, motors and even air filters.........

It's a DR Mark, you're back in the stone age now!

**Ixion** · 1st December 2009, 13:27

Eh, wait, what? A DR? In that case, just lie it on its side.

**Waihou Thumper** · 1st December 2009, 13:38

Originally Posted by Ixion

Eh, wait, what? A DR? In that case, just lie it on its side.

Already did it that....The Dr Pig....(I mean Big...)
left a hole in my concrete...

**JATZ** · 1st December 2009, 17:26

Originally Posted by NZKTM

Already did it that....The Dr Pig....(I mean Big...)
left a hole in my concrete...

They don't make em like that anymore aye

Stronger than concrete

I use a trolley jack under the foot peg, opposite the stand, if I need to get the front wheel off the ground I just stick it under the bashplate.
Mind you safety comes second

and I got the scars to prove it

**Motu** · 1st December 2009, 17:36

I sometimes use a couple of axle stands - with the bike on the side stand fit the stand under one footpeg or frame rail,then lift the otherside and pop the other stand under with your foot.That lifts the rear wheel and is pretty stable - to remove the front wheel I use a small floor jack under the front of the engine/frame.

**Waihou Thumper** · 1st December 2009, 18:21

Originally Posted by Motu

I sometimes use a couple of axle stands - with the bike on the side stand fit the stand under one footpeg or frame rail,then lift the otherside and pop the other stand under with your foot.That lifts the rear wheel and is pretty stable - to remove the front wheel I use a small floor jack under the front of the engine/frame.

A good tip, thanks...