I'm Thinking about a motorcycle lift...

[dylanfan53]

Sure...now that the bike is almost back together.  I was looking at the Titan lift at:

http://www.excel-equipment.com/catalog/titan-1000-motorcycle-lift-wvise-smooth-surface-includes-side-front-extensions-p-898.html

What's the opinion of the masses out there?  Are these things worth $700 or so?  Worth two set of tires? 

[proechel539]

I have built two for myself the first one was out of wood and the second was out of 1/2 " aluminum. Neither are adjustable for height nor did they cost $700.00. I just use my ramp to get the bike on the stand. Works great!

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

The price of that lift is really right with all the accessories.  Don't forget shipping.  I just calculated shipping on the one you're looking at to Kankakee and it was $121.00.  Probably similar to where you live, maybe more on a snowy day....

Coming from a motorcycle shop background, there was no way I wouldn't have one myself.  Even before I began racing, I did plenty of side work on bikes in my garage.  I paid for the lift 100 times over with all the bikes I've fixed on it.  You could almost say that lift financed my whole program!  I have a Handy Lift, pretty much identical to what you're looking at but without the sideboards.  Equipped like the one you're looking at, a Handy Lift would cost about $1065.00.

Recently, after 15 years, My Handy Lift stopped going up and down.  My fault, since I'd NEVER oiled the cylinder in all that time.  I tore it apart and found that I needed an o-ring for the ram piston.  Handy doesn't list any parts online, so I sent them an email.  No reply.  It's been a month or more.  I called them, told the switchboard operator what I needed and was switched to sales, where I spent 20 minutes on hold.  Finally I hung up and called back.  Ten more minutes on hold and she picked up again to tell me the salesmen were all on other calls but that one would call me back.  That was two weeks ago.  Do you think they ever called me back?  Remembering that WD40 swells rubber, I sprayed the o-ring down thououghly and put everything back together.  After a few treatments with air tool oil, the lift is back in business.  With customer service like that, I'll never recommend a Handy Lift to anyone....

I blew a disc when I was 34 years old.  I'd already owned my lift for 5 years at that point.  There's no way I'd live without one.  I really hate not having a lift at the track.  There are plusses and minuses to having a lift.  On the minus side, it's big and bloody heavy.  In the box, there's no way you could pick it up off the floor and put it in the back of a pickup or van by yourself.  You'll have to be home when it's delivered for sure.  Nobody is going to leave THAT thing on your doorstep.  In use, it has wheels on one end so you can grunt the beast around the garage OK in the lifted position.  Don't think you'll roll it into the corner after every job.  That lift will find a spot and stay there, plain and simple.  If space is tight, you'll always have to store one of your bikes on the lift.  Mine isn't as long as the one you're looking at, so I can only use a rearstand when a bike is on the lift.  DO NOT trust the wheel vise alone to hold a bike.  Use the centerstand or a rearstand, plain and simple.  It's a long way to the floor when that stand is in the raised position.... The wheel vise would get in your way if you wanted to use a front stand, but you have enough room there with the one you're looking at to use both.  I still have to change front tires on the floor.  If you put a touring bike on the lift, the windshield can hit the rafters of a normal height garage, so position the lift accordingly.

Plusses?  God, I couldn't live without mine.  It's my defacto engine rebuilding stand.  I made a wooden frame to set an engine in so it's not tippy, and I just stand there and build away.  I also set my tire balancer on the lift, since a workbench against a wall is too narrow and I hate doing anything on the floor.  It's so damn nice to have the bike up in the air where you can work on it and walk around it without having to get up, not to mention SEE it.  Old eyes need all the help they can get.  With my back, the lift doubles or triples the time I can stand there and wrench, plus I'm not so sore at the end.  We even used the lift to install a heater in the rafters, raising it as high as it would go with the heater on the lift and then two of us standing on it to lift the heater the rest of the way and secure it.  I stand on my lift often to access parts stored in the rafters.

My lift cost $800 delivered, 15 years ago.  At this point it's cost me less than $5.00 a month to own, and I'll always be able to get four or five hundred out of the thing if I ever decide to sell it, even if that's 20 more years from now.  To me it's a no brainer.  I almost wish I had two.

[dylanfan53]

Thanks guys.  I couldn't have asked for a better assessment. 

Chris, I know you appreciate the value of a dollar so your endorsement means all the more.  Great writeup.  Ever consider sending in an article or ten to an online mag?   

[vnvbandit]

I have a standard lift at my house. And what he said.............. lifts ARE THE ONLY WAY TO GO!!!!
However, I have used a lift with the side extensions.... Always in the way!!!! Get one without the extensions and save $$$$$  http://www.excel-equipment.com/catalog/titan-1000-motorcycle-lift-wvise-smooth-surface-p-894.html

[APP_Racing]

It took a long time to find but found a HandyLift used.  It was about half the price of a new one.  Solid piece of equipment and will surely out live me.

[RCR_531]

I 2 from Harbor freight and wouldn't be with out them. My 3yr old gets more uses out of them then me that is why I have 2.

[dylanfan53]

I think I'll go without the side extensions.  They did look like they'd get in the way and I don't work on ATV or sleds.
Thanks. 

[Ridgeway]

I bought the one in this link used this winter for $350.

The wheel clamp is a POS, but I've got a Baxley chock, so I set that on there and it works like a champ.  Nice thing about this one is that you can raise it with a foot pedal or using an air line.  It also sits low enough with the wheel clamp removed that I can park my pickup over it when it's not in use.

http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-table-lift.htm