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| fishy | | Set |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 18 May 2013 - 19:45 Post title : Harbor Freight High Lift? What's the best for the "Bird"-lift table? Looking for ideas. | | | I saw this lift that looked pretty slick online and was curious if anyone had tried one out. I know that you would have to move the pipes to get a solid connection but I'm thinking about doing a Big Bore kit when I need to do my valves and my back and knees suffer enough from my job.
Sometimes I really surprise myself and something I got at Harbor Freight actually works more than once and was a good purchase. Others I say that's the last Harbor Freight thing I buy.
I wonder is in China all the tools at Harbor Freight are made in the USA?
EDIT-
I just got back from Harbor Freight and this is a very poorly made hydraulic jack and I would not trust this with a bike as heavy as the bird. They also have a lift table that was 300 lbs but much more solid and $422.
For our 32nd Anniversary the wife and I want to get a really good bike lift for working on the bikes. I am actually thinking of buying the best I can find now. So what is going to be the best most solid one.
I would even consider buying the Triumph lifting bracket if that is going to make this work.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 19 May 2013 - 00:19 |
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| mjgt | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 16/09/2011 | | Posts | : | 2,201 | | Location | : | North Somerset, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 18 May 2013 - 21:09 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: fishy) | | | What are the hooks near the ankle straps for? 
| Mick . . .  Keep the rubber side down!!
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| Xfarmer | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 05/11/2011 | | Posts | : | 407 | | Location | : | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
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| | Posted : 18 May 2013 - 22:39 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: fishy) | | | Never seen one quite like that. How high does it lift? If it doesn't go much higher than it is in the picture, I don't see any advantage over a conventional scissor style lift that Harbor freight used to sell. (And Probably still do). One thing that I wouldn't like about it is that it doesn't appear to have casters to roll the bike around when its on the lift. Actually, now that I look at it, if it did lift higher than in the picture, I don't know that I would trust it to be stable.
| John
Suzuki Boulevard S83, 2010 T-Bird 1700
***Love one woman.... many guitars.***
artjohnmayer.com
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 19 May 2013 - 00:23 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: Xfarmer) | | | I currently have a Harbor Freight aluminum jacking lift and pick up the bike by the sump then use jack stands to hold up the bike. I want to try to go with a frame lift or a table type and just started looking. With the long pipes it's hard to get a regular lift to work solid as it does not hit the frame.
This is the one I have now: 
I got it for !29 on sale a few years ago. It survived a few high tides by Hurricane Sandy and was under water for a few day.
(I'll take a hurricane over a fire any day)
Just looking for one that goes higher and solid.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 19 May 2013 - 00:24 |
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| Xfarmer | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 05/11/2011 | | Posts | : | 407 | | Location | : | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
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| | Posted : 19 May 2013 - 01:05 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: fishy) | | | fishy wrote:
(I'll take a hurricane over a fire any day)
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Yeah... I will try to avoid both in the future.
That lift you have is basically what I have as well. I modified mine to make it more stable. I bet yours could be modified the same way. I bumped the thread in the technical talk forum in case you haven't seen it.
If I could have any lift I wanted, I'd get one of those nifty tables that the bike shops use. Those are sweet!
| John
Suzuki Boulevard S83, 2010 T-Bird 1700
***Love one woman.... many guitars.***
artjohnmayer.com
| | Post edited by Xfarmer on 19 May 2013 - 01:08 |
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 19 May 2013 - 04:16 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: Xfarmer) | | | I looked at the Harbor Freight table today and I realize that if the the table is going to be hard to store in my garage or even worse on my bike trailer that I tow to my various jobs when I take the bikes with me.
I remembered the Easy Rizer that someone has found and see that they now have it adapted to the Thunderbird. It attaches to the 2 holes that the crash bars bolt to the bottom of the frame go and then one on the frame. It locks the bike with the wheels free then uses a simple threaded rod to raise the bike. I just saw a you tube video of it.
It's about 700 bucks but looks like it might be real safe. It is number one on my list. I will check out your mods.
Link
Check this from Oz picking up a Tbird
Link
I checked your mod and that's great and exactly how the Easy Rizer works to hold the beast. Thanks for bumping that up.
BTW-still nothing from Clearview.
I've still not ruled out a table and the Kendon one has some promise as it stores easily.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 19 May 2013 - 04:25 |
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| Xfarmer | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 05/11/2011 | | Posts | : | 407 | | Location | : | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
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| | Posted : 19 May 2013 - 20:05 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: fishy) | | |
fishy wrote:
I looked at the Harbor Freight table today and I realize that if the the table is going to be hard to store in my garage or even worse on my bike trailer that I tow to my various jobs when I take the bikes with me.
I remembered the Easy Rizer that someone has found and see that they now have it adapted to the Thunderbird. It attaches to the 2 holes that the crash bars bolt to the bottom of the frame go and then one on the frame. It locks the bike with the wheels free then uses a simple threaded rod to raise the bike. I just saw a you tube video of it.
It's about 700 bucks but looks like it might be real safe. It is number one on my list. I will check out your mods.
Link
Check this from Oz picking up a Tbird
Link
I checked your mod and that's great and exactly how the Easy Rizer works to hold the beast. Thanks for bumping that up.
BTW-still nothing from Clearview.
I've still not ruled out a table and the Kendon one has some promise as it stores easily. |
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I saw that easy riser lift and used it as a pattern for my lift mod. You have to remember... I was a farmer for my entire life and the prevailing mantra of that segment of society is, "aw hell... It can't be THAT hard." Followed by, "Hold my beer n' watch this!" 
Anyway, the easy riser appears to lift higher than our scissor lifts, and it's still cheaper than a full-blown table lift. Buy one... We'll all be envious.
| John
Suzuki Boulevard S83, 2010 T-Bird 1700
***Love one woman.... many guitars.***
artjohnmayer.com
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| PES | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 03/01/2009 | | Posts | : | 927 | | Location | : | Tulsa, OK, United States |
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| | Posted : 19 May 2013 - 22:01 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: Xfarmer) | | | I would go with this one if I had the bucks. I don't like the idea of lifting the bike under the pipes. I've seen them as cheap as $298 in some mc magazines.
Link
| "Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul."-author unknown
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 19 May 2013 - 22:58 Post title : Re: Eazy Rizer in the lead. | | | Hi PES-
I just went over again to HF (Horror Freight) and the table is on sale for 322 today. It' got a cheap ass hydraulic ram and not real well made. It's a shade over 300 lbs. Yeah it's cheap but that's about it.
The main advantage of the table is it's cheap
But you still have to worry about the bike falling off the table just like falling over on the ground. With the Eazy Rizer or with X-farmers modification the bike is bolted to the lift and can't get away.
X-farmer-your mod is great. The T1600 is dangerous on a lift with just a sump pick up. I never have seen the Triumph bracket but for sure your mod is much better than any bracket.
I wanted to make some joke about seeing you last night (John Mayer) on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 show for Albert King that Mayer did. What a great concert. I hope you got to see it some really good jams.
I'm leaning real hard toward the Eazy Rizer lift and looking high and low for a used one or a demo model but going to get one. I really would love the height.
Deep down I'm a tool snob and hate to get anything of lesser quality than Sears Craftsman which is my base line. This Eazy Rizer looks to be of that grade. The Harbor Freight lifts are of lesser quality and are price likewise.
I'll let you know if I order one. If you come across a used Eazy Rizer PM me.
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 21 May 2013 - 13:29 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: Xfarmer) | | | I have been analyzing the lift table vs portable lift. We've decided to stay onboard for a few more years so have to think more portable solutions and am going to put off the table or bigger Eazy Rizer for now.
I just purchased a creeper so I can be comfortable working on the ground .
My knees can't take kneeling any longer one is currently swollen the size of a softball.
I'm going to get a
That's the place to start to safely lift up any bike. In the past ALL motorcycles had a center stand so you could change all tires and secure the bike upright. Thats going to make the bike much more stable to lift up.
I usually put a wedge of wood under the kick stand but I work in parking lots or sometimes will lift the bike up on the ship so the wheel chock will be a nice tool and steady the bike for what ever I use
So for a while my dreams of working on the bike standing up are put on hold so I will just due with the jack stands or go with the ABBA Superbike stand that I have been putting off buying.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 21 May 2013 - 13:42 |
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| BizRider | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 19/04/2013 | | Posts | : | 98 | | Location | : | Pompano Beach, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 21 May 2013 - 18:26 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: fishy) | | | I have one of those wheel chocks. Picked it up on my local Harbor Freight. Its solid enough for my T-Bird. I bolted mine to the garage floor to make it more stable. Thats where my TBird sleeps every night. 
| When life throws me a curve, I lean into it...
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| mjgt | | Thor | | | | Reg. Date | : | 16/09/2011 | | Posts | : | 2,201 | | Location | : | North Somerset, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 21 May 2013 - 20:15 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: fishy) | | | I have one of the wheel chocks and agree that you should bolt it down, it's OK for smaller lighter bikes on it's own but a bird is a heavy bike and could easily overcome one. They are great things to have around the garage.
| Mick . . . Keep the rubber side down!!
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| EnGage | | Thor | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 14/07/2009 | | Posts | : | 3,155 | | Location | : | Grand Rapids, MI, United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 02:52 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Position Motorcycle Lift and the T-bird-anyone got one? (Re: BizRider) | | |
BizRider wrote:
I have one of those wheel chocks. Picked it up on my local Harbor Freight. Its solid enough for my T-Bird. I bolted mine to the garage floor to make it more stable. Thats where my TBird sleeps every night. |
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Yup, I have one to. Under. $50 works nice
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| davetac1 | | Thunderbird | | | Reg. Date | : | 06/09/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,379 | | Location | : | Haverhill, Ma., United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 03:22 Post title : Re: Eazy Rizer in the lead. (Re: fishy) | | | You could buy a wheel vise for 100 bucks or so and bolt it on to the front of any table lift.That's what I did and it works pisser.Just use a couple of straps tied to either, the front or back end of the machine,depending on if it's backed or driven on to secure the machine.Don't want no accidents.  And I also bought a heavy duty scissors jack to lift either the front or back of the machine for service. Dave!!!
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| Thumperama | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 20/02/2012 | | Posts | : | 68 | | Location | : | McKinney, TX, United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 05:09 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight Lift Table | | | I have a Harbor Freight lift table that I picked up for $300 with a coupon out of a motorcycle magazine. The wheel vise supplied is junk and I replaced it with their wheel chock (like the one mentioned earlier). The table is very stable and handles the Bird with no problem. Not sure how long the hydraulic ram will last, but I know of a few mechanics that have used their HF lift tables daily for several years with no issues. I also have one of their jacks that I only use on my dirt bikes, as the Bird is just too heavy and it just doesn't seem like a safe way to lift it.
| I don't know how or when I'll die, just that someone will be holding my beer for me when I do.
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 05:54 Post title : Re: Eazy Rizer in the lead. (Re: davetac1) | | | What scissor lift did you get? Does it have the 2 u shaped arms on it? I'm looking for a scissors jack that I can slide under with the frame supports so I can lift from the frame and the exhaust pipes are as you know in the way.
I'm away from the bike now so have to measure the height from the pipes to the ground and determine if these jacks will fit under bike to the frame. I think sliding the front wheel in a chock will raise the frame off the ground a bit.
So even if I get a table down the line as you point out I wlll still need a small lift to be able to change my rapidly diminishing tire tread. It's so much fun to wear these tires out!!! I'm going to equip myself to change and balance my own as I know you do 
This Redline with the nylon looking frame supports looks good
I suspect ALL scissor lifts are made at one factory in China
I ordered the frame scissor lift and then can jack up front or back wheel and have it solid enough to crank down on the axel bolts.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 22 May 2013 - 15:04 |
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 16:57 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight Lift Table (Re: Thumperama) | | | Thanks Thumper-It seems the HF lift table will hold up and I'm glad to hear that it works and hold up better than I thought.
I'm still trying to decide between a lift table and the Eazy Rizer but if I go table I can see no reason to not get the Harbor Freight one.
I took a pass on the HF wheel chock and splurged on a Condor brand chock as it could bolt on a lift table and like mentioned will make a great way to park the bike with it bolted to the floor. Bike would take up much less space and I won't have to worry about it falling on me.
Thanks for all the responses here.
I think this is about the best motorcycle forum going and makes owning the T1600 that much more fun.
Even with the Eazy Rizer having the bike upright would be a good way to start the pick up and lowering with the bike solidly planted. I have had a bike fall over on top of me and it's not a lot of fun. At the time I was dressed in full gear and did not suffer too long.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 22 May 2013 - 16:59 |
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| fasteddy | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 16/10/2008 | | Posts | : | 963 | | Location | : | Wisconsin, United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 19:34 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Lift? What's the best for the "Bird"-lift table? Looking for ideas. (Re: fishy) | | | There is a coupon for one of these in motorcycle magazines for $299 I cashed a coupon in last year and with tax it was $320, go the extra on the lift and get the ramp so much nicer than anything I have ever used. It will be the last time you lay on the floor to change oil. raises up 30+ inches off the ground.
| www.fasteddysports.com
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| fishy | | Set | | | | Reg. Date | : | 15/09/2012 | | Posts | : | 440 | | Location | : | United States |
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| | Posted : 22 May 2013 - 20:46 Post title : Re: Harbor Freight High Lift? What's the best for the "Bird"-lift table? Looking for ideas. (Re: faste | | | Here it is:
It's out of Cycleworld and I have shown HF coupons on my iPhone and they scanned them and accepted them a few time so this should work.
I think I'm holding out for the Big Blue as it does take up so much space.
This table is 300 lbs and shipping would be 90 bucks. I found out a friend has one and he cautioned me it you buy one to to get the exteneded warranty as the pump is going to break. You also should pick up a pint of hydraulic fluid as it comes empty and has to be bled. And as everyone says the front chock is crappy.
Big Blue:
Big Blue and front chock pick up a Gold Wing-
Link
I just sold my Kawasaki Vulcan 900 so I'm feeling flush this week.
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| | Post edited by fishy on 22 May 2013 - 23:50 |
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| davetac1 | | Thunderbird | | | Reg. Date | : | 06/09/2010 | | Posts | : | 8,379 | | Location | : | Haverhill, Ma., United States |
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| | Posted : 23 May 2013 - 03:42 Post title : Re: Eazy Rizer in the lead. (Re: fishy) | | | My scissors jack is called "BLACK JACK" and is actually the same jack as you show in your first illustration fishy,except the scissors part on yours' is RED while mine is BLACK. If ya look at my photo album you'll see my lift, the Black Jack scissors jack,and Triumph's lifting jack setting on top of the Black Jack.Dave!!!
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