This is how I get it on and off.



I built it into the garage floor

 

^^^^Yup. That's been my dream.




Me too. But if the hydraulic cylinder or ratcheting device ever take a dump I'll just replace it all with a straight pneumatic ram.

 

I've been using one of these for several years...

http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb...ift-61632.html

And I couldn't be much happier (Bafulgaro's lift would be pretty sweet, maybe one of these days). Anyway, it was very easy to put together, it operates nicely (you can lower it as slowly or quickly as you want, it won't jerk unless you mash the lowering pedal), and has been 100% reliable for me. My bike has sat on it over two winters so far, and when I go to lower/raise it after 4-6 months it doesn't skip a beat (I wouldn't normally jack it up for the winter, but for winter modding I do)

It's pretty sturdy and balanced on its own (just have to find the right center of gravity for your bike, but that goes for any lift of this style), but if you want to you can turn it and your bike into a brick. Get it centered, lift it up, tighten down the two bolts that dig into the ground next to the wheels, throw on a ratchet strap or two...your bike isn't moving unless you run into it with a truck. When I get mine secured like this, I violently shake it to make sure it's good to go. It doesn't even flinch. It's also easy to move around the shop (with the bike still on the jack) if needed

I got it for like $59 (on sale + coupon + the employee gave me an extra 20% off for the hell of it), but I would have had no problem paying full price for it

 

Hooray, I bought a lift. Oops, not so hooray. I need a lower one.
At minimum height it does not fit under my 99 Heritage FLSTC when the bike is leaning on its stand. Needs to be a quarter inch lower.
Sure, a second person could bring the bike vertical, or slide the jack under, but such a person is not just any adult. Helper needs to be a motorcyclist if he/she sits on 700-lb bike to verticalize it especially when I'm kneeling lining the lift arms. If helper slides jack under, helper must have mechanical sense because Big Red's lift arms clear the Softail horizontal shocks by only half an inch front and back.
So I'm selling the Torin Big Red lift. Min. ht 4.5". Width btwn arms 6-3/4" Arm width 11-3/4". Used once. Might be fine for a Sporty. Virginia. PM me.
and
I'm looking for a lift with at least 8" between arms, 4" minimum height, stable both for me and any nonmechanical person who stumbles in the garage or thinks it fun to climb on it while lifted. Cuz there are Darwin Award contestants in the family. . . (hey! I was adopted!).
Not those thousand dollar buy-the-best-first-time things.
How about $100 used? Because $1,000 can buy me a used $300 lift for $100 plus $900 gas for 12,600 miles of riding, or a $1,000 lift and no riding. Easy choice. ($3/gal,42mpg,Aug2015)

 

Nice Job Dude!!

 

It was a lot of work, but the end result is well worth it. I just leave the bike parked on it all the time so my lift doesn't take up any extra space. Works awesome!!!

 

So I have front fork stand and rear swing arm stand. Something like these... Will they not work with sportsters?? Had them with my Yamaha 6R..

 

Curious to know if that rear swing arm stand works also... I need to get a low rider off the ground far enough to find oil leak.

 

I'm looking to get one of these: http://www.jsjacks.com/motorcycle-li...l-pan-adapter/ $480 shipped.

Here's a video of it

 

I went with the K&L MC655 full hydraulic no air compress required , a little more money but theirs nothing better than a lift in a pit, keep in mind it needs to be able to lift higher than a standard lift keeping the 7.5" pit height you lose.