Bike moving

[Skywagon]

Anybody ever tried this tool for moving the bike around in the garage?  Watch the 32 second video on how it works....or doesn't work for our bikes.

I'm familiar with the Legal Speeding tool.

 

1300 lb. Capacity Self-Loading Positioning Wheel Dolly (harborfreight.com)

[MikeB60]

Don't think that's gonna work for motorcycles. 

[Rougarou]

That'd be some funky balancing on eight wheels that go to the path of least resistance.

[wbw6cos]

I had to look around on the world wide web, so I have no personal experience, but seeing how they work is intriguing.    Just a thought.   Also, it appears more stable that the one you referenced, even though I cannot attest to that one, either.

 

LINKY for Dynamoto USA.

[Hosstage]

3 hours ago, MikeB60 said:

Don't think that's gonna work for motorcycles. 

I was thinking the same, how to balance it. I see the wheels kicking out sideways away from you. Set up the camera, we wanna see!

[Skywagon]

It's why I asked.  HF advertises as car and motorcycle mover.  I didn't see how that was possible unless they had some kind of tire clamping device as an accessory.  Sorry no video of me doing something stupid with this tool...hang on though, I'll find sumpin/hillbilly stupid to do later.

 

P.S @Hosstage  Serious question.  I've never ridden a bike with ape hangers.  Do your arms get tired, especially working thottle and clutch?

[Scott9999]

4 hours ago, wbw6cos said:

I had to look around on the world wide web, so I have no personal experience, but seeing how they work is intriguing.    Just a thought.   Also, it appears more stable that the one you referenced, even though I cannot attest to that one, either.

 

LINKY for Dynamoto USA.

I've seen that before; pretty nice stuff for about $480 (Wethead RT).  That's what the harbor freight dolly's would cost of you bought four, plus the stand ($50).   

 

My preference by a wide margin costs twice as much (of course).  

https://abbastandsusa.com/product-detail.asp?item=sky-lift&pid=44

This would give a working stand as well.  However, I suspect that the Dynamoto set up would be quicker to use, for just manuvering the bike around a small garage (i.e. just like mine).  

 

 

Thus far, I've avoided the temptation of buying one of these dohickies by studiously avoiding riding the bike.  Keep it parked in one place in the garage, and ya hardly every have to move it around.    However, this system has some obvious flaws, which I expect to become very evident in the coming riding season when my antique, hardly used 2018 RT gets a real work out.   The Dynamoto stands would save me a heck of a lot of effort going in and out the garage.  (Hmmm, I just noticed that although the website quotes $480, when you actually go to the order page, it's $745.00.  That price would have me definitely going after the Abba Sky Lift first, for the benefit of functionality while working on the bike).

[Hosstage]

@Skywagon

"P.S @Hosstage  Serious question.  I've never ridden a bike with ape hangers.  Do your arms get tired, especially working thottle and clutch"

 

Yes, your hands can go a little numb, shoulders can get a little tired, long rides with no breaks start to wear a little bit. I ride one handed quite a bit, swapping hands as I go.

They are certainly not perfect, but not as bad as most people think. I tell people to go ahead and sit on the bike and grab the bars, almost all say they're more comfortable than they thought they'd be.

I've put 130,000 miles on those bars, many multi-day trips. I'm starting to get used to them.

And I look good riding them...

 

 

[MikeB60]

3 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

And I look good riding them...

That's all that matters!

 

Just for the record I hate em. I've got a buddy who has a Ultra with mini-apes that loves my K1600. Always has a big grin when I ask if he wants to switch bikes. Me, not so much...

[Hosstage]

5 minutes ago, MikeB60 said:

That's all that matters!

 

Just for the record I hate em. I've got a buddy who has a Ultra with mini-apes that loves my K1600. Always has a big grin when I ask if he wants to switch bikes. Me, not so much...

They are an acquired taste.

I would put on 14" instead of 16" were I to do it again. 

Fun fact: I had to drill and pin them to keep them from moving in the clamp as I briskly accelerated. Turns out 250 pounds of beef hanging on for dear life while launching from the line to get out in front can overwhelm the light knurling meant to hold them in place.

[simskid]

On 2/1/2024 at 4:49 PM, Skywagon said:

Anybody ever tried this tool for moving the bike around in the garage?  Watch the 32 second video on how it works....or doesn't work for our bikes.

I'm familiar with the Legal Speeding tool.

 

1300 lb. Capacity Self-Loading Positioning Wheel Dolly (harborfreight.com)

I guess I'm assuming you want to move your bike around easily...have you seen the Park N Move?  I have it and its a fantastic way to move the bike around the garage or wherever.  Just google it.  Otherwise I apologize if I assumed wrong.

 

John 

[szurszewski]

I guess if you bought two AND something else with wheels to go under your deployed side stand - but then you’d basically be buying their motorcycle dolly - except you’d you’d not have to roll the bike onto it. 
 

I have the dynamoto stands for my GSA. Had been intrigued by them since they were first offered but I don’t have the budget for them - was very lucky to find a set on adv for less than half price. They are really fantastic. My garage is an odd shape and being able to put the bike on those had made it easier to get it and other bikes in/out and I have literally ridden, because of that, times I otherwise would have said, nah - too much hassle to get the bike so I’ll just drive. 

[Skywagon]

Thanks SimSkid.... I'm familiar with the Park and Move but heard and read a few reviews saying it was hard to get it back off the stand as the wheel locks weren't very good

 

Szursewski....  Same thing...odd shaped garage.  Sometimes I don't ride as moving two cars out is a pain.  Do you need both front and back on the Dynamoto or can you move it around with just the rear.  Their website only shows usage with both.

[Mellow]

On 2/1/2024 at 9:47 PM, Scott9999 said:

I've seen that before; pretty nice stuff for about $480 (Wethead RT).  That's what the harbor freight dolly's would cost of you bought four, plus the stand ($50).   

 

My preference by a wide margin costs twice as much (of course).  

https://abbastandsusa.com/product-detail.asp?item=sky-lift&pid=44

This would give a working stand as well.  However, I suspect that the Dynamoto set up would be quicker to use, for just manuvering the bike around a small garage (i.e. just like mine).  

 

 

Thus far, I've avoided the temptation of buying one of these dohickies by studiously avoiding riding the bike.  Keep it parked in one place in the garage, and ya hardly every have to move it around.    However, this system has some obvious flaws, which I expect to become very evident in the coming riding season when my antique, hardly used 2018 RT gets a real work out.   The Dynamoto stands would save me a heck of a lot of effort going in and out the garage.  (Hmmm, I just noticed that although the website quotes $480, when you actually go to the order page, it's $745.00.  That price would have me definitely going after the Abba Sky Lift first, for the benefit of functionality while working on the bike).

I have a skylift.  Takes some practice to get the bike connected to it but after a few times it's fairly quick.

 

I don't use it all the time, mostly when I'm changing out tires or moving the bike more against a wall in times when I know I won't be riding it for a  while.

 

[szurszewski]

On 2/4/2024 at 11:04 AM, Skywagon said:

Thanks SimSkid.... I'm familiar with the Park and Move but heard and read a few reviews saying it was hard to get it back off the stand as the wheel locks weren't very good

 

Szursewski....  Same thing...odd shaped garage.  Sometimes I don't ride as moving two cars out is a pain.  Do you need both front and back on the Dynamoto or can you move it around with just the rear.  Their website only shows usage with both.

 

 

Great question - I don't think I've ever tried, but logically it seems like it should work. You obviously wouldn't be able to push the whole bike sideways, but I feel like you could roll the front normally with the back following along, or pivot the back wheel around while the front wheel stays still. I won't be home until Wednesday night but I'll try it out when I can. 

[Skywagon]

Thanks...all I really need to be able to do is move forward about a foot and sideways maybe 8 inches or so.  If I had their device on the front, it would defeat my ability to move forward I think.  DONT DROP your bike doing a test for me.  If it doesn't look solid don't do it.  I'll write them and see what they say.

[Oldrider51]

Look at Harbor Freight for the Pittsburg Motorcycle Dolly, 1250 lb capacity, $129.99.

[szurszewski]

4 hours ago, Skywagon said:

Thanks...all I really need to be able to do is move forward about a foot and sideways maybe 8 inches or so.  If I had their device on the front, it would defeat my ability to move forward I think.  DONT DROP your bike doing a test for me.  If it doesn't look solid don't do it.  I'll write them and see what they say.

 

As long as it doesn't fall on me or anything valuable, no worries - the bike won't care! 

 

You do end up with about six inches (maybe even eight) sticking out in front, so if you need to tuck into a corner that could be an issue. 

 

 

[Lowndes]

David - I have a hydraulic lift kinda like Mellow's above.  OK to get the bike up to work on it but doesn't work too well for moving it around.  Not nearly as good as a hydraulic table for working on bikes, either, but doesn't take up much space.

 

 

I have to use a rear paddock stand fo the K1300S because it has a full belly pan and no center stand.  This keeps the bike vertical and works ok for moving it around but not nearly as well as the CS dollies do.

 

 

Then I got a "Saddle" center stand dolly below but the kick-down pedal on the centerstand interferes with the left rear castor mount unless you can get it positioned just exactly right.  Getting the bike up on the centerstand on top of the dolly requires about 10 times the effort of doing the center stand on level concrete, maybe more.  Once it's up it works really well for moving the bike around, rolls very easily, plus the bike is vertical and doesn't take up as much room as parking on a side stand.

 

 

Then, I made a similar center stand "dolly" with one of these (from the same HF page you posted in your OP).  I modified one by cutting a notch for the rear wheel to clear it and replacing the castors with shorter units to make it easier to get it on the center stand.  This works very well, too, for moving the bike around and getting it positioned exactly right in tight places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put a metal blade on my band saw and cut this out (1/4" mild steel):

 

Plenty of rear wheel clearance on the R1100S  but precious little on the K1200RS - notice the CS pedal just clearing the side of the dolly:

 

[simskid]

On 2/4/2024 at 2:04 PM, Skywagon said:

Thanks SimSkid.... I'm familiar with the Park and Move but heard and read a few reviews saying it was hard to get it back off the stand as the wheel locks weren't very good

 

Szursewski....  Same thing...odd shaped garage.  Sometimes I don't ride as moving two cars out is a pain.  Do you need both front and back on the Dynamoto or can you move it around with just the rear.  Their website only shows usage with both.

Haven't had too much of a problem.  Love the product

[szurszewski]

On 2/5/2024 at 12:13 PM, Skywagon said:

Thanks...all I really need to be able to do is move forward about a foot and sideways maybe 8 inches or so.  If I had their device on the front, it would defeat my ability to move forward I think.  DONT DROP your bike doing a test for me.  If it doesn't look solid don't do it.  I'll write them and see what they say.

 

But, did I die? No. 

 

Works really well. The only way it seems like it could go badly is if you were going forward and the rear stand got caught and then the bike rolled forward out of it. I think you would have to REALLY put some weight into pulling forward to make this happen. Just to be safe though, I did something I have maybe only done once before and moved the stainless "U" piece from its "handle" position to the "safety" position. With it used like that - which I'm sure the instructions (of which I don't even have a copy) say to always do - even if you try to roll the bike out of the rear stand you will be stopped with it still firmly held upright. (You can see this U piece in the foreground of the video sticking forward along the swingarm.)

 

Enjoy!