Motorcycle lift and the GSPD

Guys,

I'm finally going to start tearing down my R100 GSPD that took a hit from a car and I want to pull the bent forks off first. I was going to build a wooden table to put the bike on while working on it but then thought I might just get one of those lifts that pick the bike up from under the engine like the one Sears sells. Looks like there's too much stuff in the way to use it though. Any ideas? This will likely be a long project so the bike will be on the lift or table for quite a while.

Thanks,
Russ
Tucson

I have one of those and don't care for it very much (Seats lift). Too unstable for me. I'd suggest you look at the made-in-China Harbor Freight full size lift, they're on special for $ 299 right now ( if you get the coupon for $ 200 in the back of the current Cycle World magazine on the stands now). That's a lot of lift for the money.

If you want to go first class, get the air lift made by Handy Industries, its the benchmark standard and USA built. About $ 1,250 with shipping, and always good resale on it.

Harbor Freight lift is great for the money, I have had this one for a couple years and work perfect.

can you believe its $299 to build, assemble, paint, and SHIP THAT THING FROM CHINA??!!

I dont know if I could buy all the straight up steel needed to make that thing here for less than that.

I'm buying a HF and put a 1/4 steel to make a welding table out of it.
So cheap and will help so much to weld

A couple years ago I bought two air operated HF lifts with the better front wheel chock added for less than $780 by combining all the offers with a 20% off coupon.

I'm with Stagehand on this one--how can they afford to build, transport, and store these heavy lifts for that kind of money? I am just glad I have them. They are in constant use. One is dedicated to a longer term project and the other is set aside for maintenance on one of my other bikes or, often, the bike of someone else.

1. No Environmental Regs.
2. They pay their 'employees' (slaves?) next to nothing.
3. No safety rules / regs
4. Cheap steel from India / China
5. Cheap fittings and rubber from India / China.

It's pure economics. Why would any company make something in the US for $100 when they can make it, import it, and stock it on the shelves of US retailers for $10?

It's sad. And you know ... I'm part of the problem. I buy that Chinese stuff ... for the exact same reasons mentioned above.

Hey, I resemble that remark!

I kid you not, I live near the harbor of LA/Long beach Ca and there's a huge amount of scrap steel being sent back in the containers that stuff like theses lifts came over in.

Just today, I built a new stand for my tube bender. I paid significantly more for the steel alone (at scrap prices, mind you) than I could buy the whole thing built, painted, ETC at Harbor Freight, and I have not even painted it yet!:huh

Im going to build one.

I mean, eventually, for sure.

Just picked up one of the Harbor Freight lifts this past weekend. $299 with the coupon from the back of Cycle World. Got it set up in about 20 minutes. Should have a chance to use it this coming weekend!

Expect to tear the whole bike apart!

I'm not joking.

The 100GS forks are stiff enough that if they've gotten bent, it's practically guaranteed the frame needs to be straightened!

I've built lots of bikes without a lift or box to stand them on. But I guess it depends on whether it kills you to work crouching or sitting on a low stool.

About 8 years ago I got a wrecked GS (bent forks), pulled it all apart, got replacement forks and triple trees, but also tore it all down to the bare frame and mailed it off to be straightened. Did it all on my mom's front porch (where I was temporarily living at the time). Just put it on the center stand and pull the front end. Probably better to pull the engine and trans first off. Then the front end, then the rear. Not much to it really!

I've got a HF stand like those pictured, and it's nice, but it only makes some jobs easier - like pulling the rear wheel - but isn't mandatory. As a matter of fact, if you don't have a lot of space, it'll be in the way unless you store stuff on it. But it can make a really nice work bench!

I would love to get the HF table but it just takes up too much room. I figure I can dismantle a wooden one if I go the table route. But the smaller under frame lift could work if I can come up with a way to keep the weight of the bike off the bits that hang down below the frame rails.

Russ
Tucson

Yeah, I've resigned myself to accepting the frame will be bent

I noticed the other day that the final drive housing is also cracked so I added that to the list of items to replace. I've about decided to buy another GS and take what I need and sell off the rest.

Russ
Tucson

What I've heard is that exhaust systems are designed to support the bike. Don't know if that's true for the beemers, but I have used lifts like you speak of supporting my airheads by the exhaust.

I'll never forget seeing a freighter steaming into Elliot Bay (Seattle) delivering container cranes made in Shanghai, China...to be installed at the Port of Seattle...to unload more plastic crap from China. The US doesn't even make the cranes needed to unload all those imports from Asia.

These are the cranes mfd. by Zen Jua Port Machinery being shipped to the Port of Seattle. I was dumbfounded both at the fact that the boat didn't tip over and that we had to import these cranes. The cranes are about 200' wide and the ship is about 750' long.

Are these HF lifts? I thought the one's from HF were like the one in the earlier post (#3 I believe), that "tilted" up on two arms, rather than these "scissor" type. I want a scissor type lift merely because of them taking up less floor space, at least I'd think they'd be more compact.

I agree with others about the cost. If I hadn't used a lot of "drops" of material from my fabricating business I would have spent close to the $299 HF charges, when I built my own lift a couple years ago. I used a long ram jack that also is used with my "cherry picker", so at least that part is a two-fer.

Lynn

You can put the HF lift in your garage and park your car over it when not in use.

You put a car in the garage? :eek1