nklr watch out for ebay seller "steelescycle"

[Bob Monahan]

KLR Buffs, OK... Insomnia strikes again... I just spent several hours researching bike jacks, stands, and tables and came up with a review of the one used in many motorcycle shops and I've seen a few myself. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-table-lift/ After reading this review and remembering that I've seen a few of these lifts myself I did some googling and found several other favorable comments on this table lift. So.... I went to the Handy Industries website and found their lifts. Here's the one in the review... http://www.handyindustries.com/shop/product_view.asp? idProduct=1059&D=1&S=21 Then I looked some more and it appears that they have a less expensive version for home use here... http://www.handyindustries.com/shop/product_view.asp? idProduct=1153&D=6&S=0 I know they're VERY expensive but when you consider what bike shops get for labor ($135/hr here) it's well worth it to have a professional lift for our bikes to save our backs and knees and we'll be much more willing to work on our own equipment. The runaway cost of gasoline might very well force many of us to start using our bikes MUCH more very soon too. I bet I'd be much more willing to do all the work and cleaning on my KLR if I could raise it to a 31" table height and these people have replacement parts unlike all the Chinese equipment in Sears and Harbor Freight and everywhere else I looked. Read the reviews at Sears.com on their lifts and they read like horror stories. The hydralic parts fail and the jacks are useless and there is just no solution but to throw them away. The Handy table lift I've selected requires an air compressor but I have one so it's fine for me but for those that don't have one you can get the electric model for more money. They say it doesn't require a very big compressor so you might save money buying a small one and the air version. Compressors have a LOT of great uses. $bob$

[Andrus Chesley]

Bob To me and most other people that have spent time working in MC shops, the Handy is the best. Still, by far,the most popular you'll see in motorcycle repair shops across the country. Very easy to add extensions to for 4 wheel lawn mowers ATV, etc. Very easy to keep up and as you said, you already have an air compressor. Repairs, after tons of shop use, is just rebuilding the air cylinder piston seals. Very easy job and not near as messy as Hyd. fluids. That said, my history at home with one is , bought one from a bike shop closing down about 20 years ago, sold it when I had got hurt and had to quite riding at one time. ( bad move ) Last one I bought was kinda like a Harbor freight on with the foot pump which cost about 400 bucks plus the trip to go pick it up in the Arlington , Tx area.. It leaks a bit,but not too bad yet. I guess one day I'll dig up another Handy Lift or convert the one I have to electro Hydrauics. Who knows, I may find another one in a bike shop shutting down. But, be assured , any full lift is better than none. Especially when you cross the 60 year old mark and the bending over to do work gets harder as the years go by. ;-=))))). '43 Andy in Louisiana '00 KLR650 '06 DL1000

[Horton Oliphant]

Before you buy check out this site first, I've been looking also. Alan http://www.handy-lift.com/Handy-Power-Lift-and-Accessories.htm Bob Monahan wrote:

> KLR Buffs, > > OK... Insomnia strikes again... > > I just spent several hours researching bike jacks, stands, and tables > and came up with a review of the one used in many motorcycle shops > and I've seen a few myself. >

[Greg May]

Hi Bob, I considered the type of table that you linked to from Handy and agree space permitting they would be great and also I'm pretty sure that the shop I've dealt with for years uses a similar lift. At one point I built a heavy wooden version with complete with a loading ramp for getting the bike up on the table. Pluses were great height for working on the bike and a nice flat surface for setting tools and parts on as I worked, Minus was getting the bike on the table, which you won't have to deal with but mostly after I got the bike on the table I still had to find a way to lift the bike if I wanted to change a tire or service any part of the suspension. I have one of the side lifts that were mostly mentioned in this thread and have found for the money it has been great (problematic back and torn up knees) . I think the one I have is about 4 inches high when it is lowered and lifts to 18 inches at full lift, certainly not 36 inches but perfectly ok for me. One problem I did find when using it was in locating the KLR frame on the lift supports. If I remember right I settled on the lower suspension link on one lifting point and the front of the frame on the other. This worked great but put the bike in a nose low position when it was lifted. The solution for me, which I have yet to fabricate is to make a small jig that fastens to the lift supports but is custom made to support the KLR's frame. This will have two benefits right off, firstly since the bike is no longer supported by the lower suspension link I can remove it if needed for servicing and secondly since the 4 inches of static height is much lower the the static ground clearence of the KLR's frame I can make my attachment in such a way to take up the space between the lift and the bikes frame which will effectively give me several extra inches of total lift and because it is a side lift and quite wide there should be no stability issues. Anyway just another opinion....have a great day.....Greg Bob Monahan wrote: KLR Buffs, OK... Insomnia strikes again... I just spent several hours researching bike jacks, stands, and tables and came up with a review of the one used in many motorcycle shops and I've seen a few myself. http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-table-lift/ After reading this review and remembering that I've seen a few of these lifts myself I did some googling and found several other favorable comments on this table lift. So.... I went to the Handy Industries website and found their lifts. Here's the one in the review... http://www.handyindustries.com/shop/product_view.asp? idProduct=1059&D=1&S=21 Then I looked some more and it appears that they have a less expensive version for home use here... http://www.handyindustries.com/shop/product_view.asp? idProduct=1153&D=6&S=0 I know they're VERY expensive but when you consider what bike shops get for labor ($135/hr here) it's well worth it to have a professional lift for our bikes to save our backs and knees and we'll be much more willing to work on our own equipment. The runaway cost of gasoline might very well force many of us to start using our bikes MUCH more very soon too. I bet I'd be much more willing to do all the work and cleaning on my KLR if I could raise it to a 31" table height and these people have replacement parts unlike all the Chinese equipment in Sears and Harbor Freight and everywhere else I looked. Read the reviews at Sears.com on their lifts and they read like horror stories. The hydralic parts fail and the jacks are useless and there is just no solution but to throw them away. The Handy table lift I've selected requires an air compressor but I have one so it's fine for me but for those that don't have one you can get the electric model for more money. They say it doesn't require a very big compressor so you might save money buying a small one and the air version. Compressors have a LOT of great uses. $bob$ --------------------------------- Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Stuart Mumford]

I have a Harbor Freight special, got it for 239.90. 299 + 20% off coupon. Works OK, but the front wheel clamp sucks, so I hought a front wheel vise off ebay for $40, works great. Just search Ebay for "motorcycle lift wheel vise". For less than $300, I have a great bike lift, my KLR is sitting on it right now. Thanks CA Stu

[CA Stu]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Stuart Mumford" wrote:

> > I have a Harbor Freight special, got it for 239.90. 299 + 20% off

coupon.

> > Works OK, but the front wheel clamp sucks, so I hought a front

wheel vise

> off ebay for $40, works great. Just search Ebay for "motorcycle lift

wheel

> vise". > > For less than $300, I have a great bike lift, my KLR is sitting on

it right

> now. > > Thanks > CA Stu >

PS I've had 2 of the ATV scissor type lifts, the first one sucked, I kept the Craftsman one for when I need to yank the forks or wheels off the KLR, and it works well for that. For all the other stuff like monkeying with the carb, clutch, valves, etc., you can't beat http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91764 Coupon: http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/emails/GrandOpenings/bowlinggreen/Images/Go_Coupon.jpg IF you are patient and use Google, they often have 20% and 25% off coupons, you too can set up a sweet motorcycle lift for less than $300! Thanks CA Stu

[Michael Nelson]

When I worked in a shop we had a lift sold by K&L, the MC650. It was stout... I used it many many times by myself to lift Goldwings, all the way from GL1000s to GL1800s (we were a Goldwing speciality shop). The lift always worked great. http://www.klsupply.com/lift/mc650/ If you have the money, this is the lift. -- "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open manhole and die." -- Mel Brooks San Francisco, CA

[CA Stu]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Michael Nelson wrote:

> > When I worked in a shop we had a lift sold by K&L, the MC650. It was > stout... I used it many many times by myself to lift Goldwings, all

the way

> from GL1000s to GL1800s (we were a Goldwing speciality shop). The lift > always worked great. > > http://www.klsupply.com/lift/mc650/ > > If you have the money, this is the lift.

At 2000 lb capacity, you could put 5 KLRs on it at the same time. I'll stick with my :-) Thanks CA Stu

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Michael Nelson wrote:

> > When I worked in a shop we had a lift sold by K&L, the MC650. It

was

> stout... I used it many many times by myself to lift Goldwings, all

the way

> from GL1000s to GL1800s (we were a Goldwing speciality shop). The

lift

> always worked great. > > http://www.klsupply.com/lift/mc650/ > > If you have the money, this is the lift. > > --

Michael, Oh, Baby. That looks nice! cough. It truly fits the KiLleRista criteria: It only cost 75% more to go first class. cough. Yeah, only 75% more.... revmaaatin. who is only guessing that this lift is 75% more as the link never loaded prices. shrug. I suppose, if you have to ask the $$$ you can't afford it.

[Ed Dobson]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "CA Stu" wrote:

> > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Michael Nelson wrote: > > > > When I worked in a shop we had a lift sold by K&L, the MC650. It was > > stout... I used it many many times by myself to lift Goldwings, all > the way > > from GL1000s to GL1800s (we were a Goldwing speciality shop). The

lift

> > always worked great. > > > > http://www.klsupply.com/lift/mc650/ > > > > If you have the money, this is the lift. > > > At 2000 lb capacity, you could put 5 KLRs on it at the same time. > > I'll stick with my save to go riding. > > Thanks > CA Stu >

How about this sweet one. http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=15181&group_ID=2464&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog ED