Bike Lift question

Hoss,

It looks just the Larkin/Sears/etc lifts for HD........they will probably handle the weight but they are not going to be very stable because they are narrow and 1500# is really on the edge for them.

To adapt, you have to fabricate a pair of frame lifts that will support the bottom frame rails and leave sufficient room to clear the pan/exhaust/etc........I think several have done it.....but don't know how successful they have been. One of the problems adapting these lifts is going to be the extra length in the arms to go under the Boss and hit both frame rails. Someone on here may have photos of their fabrication.

Wag & I were going to have our lifts changed to do the Bosses, but after looking at the Pitbull in Sturgis, I decided to cough up the $500 for it...........the Pitbull works really well and is really stable with thebike up high.

Tim

Thanks for the tip Grumpy.

If it ain't gonna be stable, I don't want no part of it. :x I just had my fingers crossed is all. A lift for the Boss that costs under a hundred bucks is to good to be true.


Hoss

I know what ya mean. Between Wag & I we had 3 lifts.......but if you look at the lifts in person, you 'll see how small of a 'footprint' they have.

Once you get it in the air the front to rear weight is going to be tough for the small lifts to handle. Here's their website...take a look at how much bigger 'footprint' the BH lift has.

http://www.pitbullmotorcyclelifts.com/Products.htm

Tim

lift

My opinion is that the red one is the same as the yellow one and those little arms ain't gonna cut it.

Hoss,

The red lift is identical to Wag's HD lift........it has the "adapter" kit to get to the frame railes of smaller bikes.

Here's the problem with the Boss and those lifts..........the spread on the BH bottom frame rails is so wide compared to anything else, that the "adapters" cannot get to the rails....they do not spread out from the base enough.

As Wag said...those arms, like the ones he has....they'll bend the first tiime you start to reef on a torque wrench or breaker bar...........you would never be able to start the bike on it.

I know th epitbull is expensive....I really hesitated about buying it, even after Joe said he had one and it worked so well......but once I saw it and watched them sit on a Boss while on thelift I figured it was owrth the money........I guess I was pretty happy putting it up on jack stands, but this does make some of the projects (like a good detailing) a lot easier.

Tim

I wondered about the strength and length of those arms myself. OK, I am convinced. I will have to ask Santa for a Pitbull.
:roll:

hossman said:

Grumpy,

I checked out the Pitbull and it looks good. The fact that it was made for the Boss Hoss "with the factory" assistance is reassuring. The 600 dollar price tag is intimidating though.

Do me a favor if you have the time and tell me what you think about this lift. . . http://www.motorcyclejacks.com/MAL-2.shtml

It has an adapter that is supposed to be able to reach hard to reach frame rails and allow for stuff to sit in the middle, like the pan. It is under 200 bucks and also claims to have a 1500 lb capacity.

Click to expand...

That's the one I use on the Boss. Works fine except you need to stick some jacks under the front of the frame if your going to be pulling the rear tire.

Having a lift is nice and I have a nice one for lifting Harleys but I am so used to using 4 jack stands to work on my Boss that it has become second nature . I have my own routine for jacking the bike and placement of the stands that the whole process takes me about 5 mins. to have both wheels off the ground and once on the stands it is very stable. I just think the jack stands are more versatile and safer than a lift and definitely more reasonably priced . Just my 2 cents .

Jack,

You're right. Even though I sprung for the lift, I still think the jack stands are just as easy once you get the 'system' down for getting it jacked up.

Even the Pitbull is difficult for one person to get aligned and set to lift. On mine, I have to put the bike up on 2X10 to get enough height for the lift to go under it. First time I tried it, it scratched the sh-t out of my side panels :evil: - didn't make me a believer.......now I always have someone there to help align it and tilt the bike into the lift......if I'm by myself, I use jack stands.

Tim

I hear you Tim, and another thing I like about the jack stands is you have nothing sticking out off the side of the bike to be triping over and working around . They work Ok on a Harley because usually your working on either the primary side or the push rod side of the bike but seldom are you working on both sides at once. It seem that on the Boss your working on both sides most of the time.

Have been using the Pitbull lift for over a year and actually bought the first one sold to a consumer. The first adapters didn't fit properly so I called Jeff at Pitbull with suggested modifications which he made and sent to me.
Once the bike is up it's totally stable but it's still a bit of a pain to set it under the bike properly. The lift is also very heavy...close to 150 lbs. but is strong as hell and very well made. Also has a 12 ton jack and very large strong wheels which ride on very strong bearing so that the bike can be moved safely around while in the air. I recommend it for peace of mind. All grade 8 bolts and very beefy members. You do not want you lift to fail with the bike 2 feet off the ground.
Joe

I use a snap-on lift like you see on american chopper. The kind you ride up on. only thing is.. I still have to use the jackstand method to get the front wheel off. The back is no problem and is always very stable... Even with the axles at eye level.

Tom,
You have a Snap On drive on lift? Do you know a website where it is pictured? Maybe you could tell me how wide it is, and how many inches it is off the ground when fully in the down position. Could you park a car over it when it's all the way down? That's why I need to know how "tall" it is when all the way down. And, if ya don't mind, what did it cost ??Thanks..........Don B

Don,
The snap on lift is roughly 28 inches wide and 6 inches high when all the way down. I imagine you could park a car over it if not for the tire chock on the front. a little narrow to get on until you get used to it. These days I go on and off very comfortably. They do make side extensions and different type chocks for it but if I were going to change mine I would build that stuff myself. Works great though for all my bikes. As far as cost goes, they are a little pricey 1600 if I remember right. Still.... if I had it to do again, I would buy one in a heartbeat. But then, I work for a ford dealer so all my tools are tax deductable. I`ll try to find a picture.

Don,
There is a very similar one on e-bay if you search for "snap on lifts" The one shown will actually lift your car as well. I think you would have to add a ramp and wheel chock for the bike..... Just a thought. Might be a good buy at 1500. I looked and the snap on lift I have now retails for 2200...ouch! Now that I think about it... I bought mine while it was on sale for 1600. It is pictured on their site.... Just use key words snap on tools.

I remove the seat pan and pull the bike up with a motor hoist (cherry picker) . I use a couple of axle straps to loop through the frame. Really nice when changeing oil or tranny fluid.

KAVEMAN

Thanks for the replies fellas! I have an Acura TL, and I think 6 inches will be too high. But I'll look into it. Thanks again! :capwin: Don B