Motorcycle jack

[daveinatlanta]

I think I know the answer - but thought I'd check with the experts here. I have a motorcycle jack/lift, not the table kind, but the one that Pep Boys and Sears sells that slips under a cruiser type bike and lifts it up approx 12 inches. It has a capacity of about 1000# and cost $69.

 

Now that I have an 1150RT and am getting rid of (hopefully) my Suzuki Cruiser, I'm also wondering if the jack needs to accompany the Suzi as I think it will not work with the Beemer. True?

 

I sure don't want to spend $400 or so on a table type lift that is referenced on this site...!

[ShovelStrokeEd]

It'll work for the Beemer as well, you just have to take off the tupperware first or make some fancy bracketry to attach to the top of the jack to hit 4 hard points on your bike. Those type of jacks really work best on a bike with a cradle typer frame (frame tubes running under the engine and no part of the motor sticking below the tubes.

 

Your center stand and one of those nice rolling seats will serve you quite well for 90% of the maintenance tasks. It is all I use. I do have a couple of pit stands that I use for maintenance on the Blackbird and use the front stand, into the bottom of the fork type, on the VFR. The single sided swingarm on the VFR doesn't lend itself well to a rear pit stand except for some very expensive options.

[Jim VonBaden]

+1 to what Ed said!

 

Jim

[philbytx]

+2 for what Ed said

And if you are cheap bugger like me , just upturn a plastic bucket and scoot around the bike on it

 

I put an epoxy floor in my garage and not only does it make it easy to brush/wash off the muck, it makes for a nice slippy surface for the bucket

[daveinatlanta]

Thanks to all for 'jack' advice. The weather here is conducive to staying inside so the next few days are opportunity to get close and personal with the RT. I bought it sight unseen and it has no maintenance records or history thru BMW. However it is in excellent condition w/27K miles. I'm starting out by giving it all new fluids (except for the brakes - let the pros do that) and I might even peek under the plastic, polish pipes, etc. I have a scooter/creeper suggested by Ed so we'll see if I even need a jack. But it is nice to know that I may be able to use it if necessary.