It depends on how much you want to spend. I have a Princess Auto table lift that cost $500.00 CDN on sale. and I believe the similar lift in the U.S. goes for $400.00. It works great. Very simple design and can be manually or air lifted. If you don't mind working your back, you can get a decent scissor lift for under $100.00 like this one . Often these go on sale for 30% off or more.
I want something inexpensive. It would be mainly for raising the front wheel off the ground in the garage.
I recommend this: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00950190000P $80 I have this: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00950191000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3 $170
I was in a similar situation and recently got a Pit Bull stand. Simple, effective, easy to store. Got mine from Moto superstore. Around $140 I think.
+1 The Pit Bull works great. I have the Sears lift and it does not mate to the undercarriage very well. I find it not very useful for the F8, but works great on a number of my other bikes.
I find that if you take 2 2x4's and lay them flat in the opposing direction of the lift arms (like the red lines in the pic below) it will mate with the bottom of the BMW large enduro skid plate perfectly, being the bottom of it is kind of V-shaped slightly:
Honestly, unless you're getting a full lift (at which point, you'd need another jack anyway), a small car floor jack (~2 tons) is the best bet. Its even cheaper than the more unitasking motorcycle floor jack, plus it's more useful when it comes time to change the oil in the cage. You can find them for less than $30.
Yes to Griz. I have used the Sears lift in exactly the manner he describes and it works OK. I have also used the floor jack as bxr suggests, and it too is OK. The nice thing about the Pit Bull is that it holds the front wheel very securely. The bad thing is that it is not useful for removing the forks. Each approach has pros and cons, and you should really have both. The Pit Bull works well on every bike I have tried it on.
I strongly advocate using jack stands or equivalent fixed supports when using hydraulic lifts. The jack should serve only as the device to lift and lower...not hold.
Here is mine with a safety pin engaged and before I attached the straps that secure the bike to the platform using 4 loops hooks on the top platform of the lift. It is probably closest to Griz's in design, being aluminum.
Anyone tried the Powerzone 380047 yet? Amazon B003UM9GDM http://www.amazon.com/Powerzone-380...torcycle/dp/B003UM9GDM/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp I would like to get a lift to get the tires off the ground or stabilize the front of the bike when removing the front tire. This one looks like it has decent reviews.
Not what you had in mind? Can be found for under $300 on sale at harbor freight. I have since put a different front wheel holder on it (below), but it don't really work without tie downs on 21" wheels. Plus it prevents me from using the center stand. I think this wheel chock will end up in my trailer and I will make something better for my Harbor Freight bike lift. Yes I do move my bikes in trailers some times when I am taking both of them to where I park RV. I also have one of these (below). It also fits on the lift above for jacking up the bike to change tires.
A table lift is good if you have the room for it. I can't see what the PitBull does that a centerstand doesn't. All others methods are dangerous in my opinion! The bike has NO frame under the engine, the bottom of the engine is nowhere near flat and the skid plate is rubber mounted. I have a motorcycle lift but would never use it for the 650-800GS. It's not like the OP will be servicing his bike every day. Whats the big deal if you have to sit on your ass a couple of times a year to change your oil or lube the chain?? GH
I am lucky, my "man cave" is a 24' X 24' inside dimensions garage with 2 floors that's built into a hill. From the front of the house it looks just like a standard detached 2 car garage. Up top you have one 36" walk through door and 2 standard size garage doors. Roof is trusses with no center support in your way. Drive around the back of the garage and you see a 36" walk through door and a 10' garage door. inside the bottom is 11' ceilings, 10' to bottom of 5 heavy steel beams that support the top garage floor (reinforced concrete over corrugated metal pan) with no center supports. 110,000 BTU heat that I run at 35deg during the winter to prevent the top floor from freezing. Crank up the thermometer and it's warm within minutes. Plus a dehumidifier downstairs. I designed and built it myself. Sorry, back to motorcycle lifts (But I'm proud my man cave)
I have limited room ,like no room in my 1930's one car garage so I used a plastic milk crate and 2 pieces of plywood. I put the bike on the center stand , then slid the milk crate under the skid plate, then tilted the bike back towards the back wheel and slid in 2 pieces of plywood on top of the milk crate and had both tires off the ground so I could take them off. Very easy to get off too. Just tilt the bike back on the rear wheel and pull out the plywood and it is back on the center stand. The weight of the bike was always on the center stand the crate just kept the front tire off the ground.