I need some helpful advice on choosing a motorcycle lift:

My wife and I have realized lately that whenever I wash/wax my 2023 Breakout 117, or work on it making minor mods, I need to do a lot of bending and up/down motion to get at each part that I need to reach, and it has been significantly aggravating a muscle on my left side to the point of the muscle becoming painful for days. (I am 73 years of age). We think a good motorcycle lift will likely make a favourable difference.

But, my needs and wants for a suitable lift include:

- NOT a table lift, because it is too physically large "all the time" (even when not in use) AND does not get BOTH wheels elevated and rotatable for easy cleaning
- Cannot require an air compressor because i don't have one and will not tolerate the noise of one, so mechanical or hydraulic
- Must have more than enough weight capacity to not have to worry about it
- Must be heavy enough, and have a wide enough footprint, to provide reliable stability when bike is elevated
- Must have a way of securing the bike to the lift when elevated so that large forces applied by tools can't knock the bike off the lift
- Must have wheels of some form to make it easy to move the lift around without lhaving to "lift the lift itself"
- Is reasonably easy to operate
- Enables me to elevate the Breakout for hand washing the bike (not just mods or maintenance), with a shallow catchpan under the bike to catch the water dripping off it, so I can do it in the garage near the garaghe door entrance, where the floor (unlike the driveway) is almost dead level except for very tiny drainage slope (This is another reason the table type lifts aren't a good idea foy my needs)

So far, I have found 2 candidates:

The "Big Blue EazyRizer" mechanical screw lift:




and the TMG hydraulic lift:



The Big Blue EazyRizer's notable apparent features (postive and negative):

- Designed specifically for HD cruisers and other dual parallel tube frame motorcycles (like the Victory shown in the photo)
- Mechanical, so no hydraulic cylinder to be concerned about
- Mechanical screw operation, long screw through nut, so totally dependent on the nut that the screw threads through to not fail
- Requires a dual speed, mechanically geared, high amp, low rpm drill with 22mm socket to turn the screw up or down
- Requires maintaining grease on the screw for lubrication to keep the electric drill power required sensible
- Fits under a bike with 3" or more of frame ground clearance
- Lifts to 30" maximum height, which is much more than I need (top of my Breakout's 26" seat height would be at 56", and top of tank over 5 feet ! )
- Wide footprint and angled lift to actually improve stability as height of lift is increased
- Weighs 77 lb
- Wheels only at one end, so SOME lifting required at the other end to actually move the lift across a floor
- Comes with J-hooks to "clamp" the frame tubes to the lift once the lift has lifted the bike off its side stand
- Made in Britain, by a specialized company whose entire product line is motorcycle lifts only
- Rated for 1650 lb and apparently tested to over 4000 lb without failure
- Available only though a Canadian distributor who adds an extra $150 plus tax for the "Beam kit" that enables lifting the HD bikes, while the British manufacturer who sells it in Britain says the beam kit is included at no extra charge. When asked about this, Canadian distriobutor says simply "We are not in Europe", which pisses me off. He just wants the extra margin. I'm trying not to have my anger at his add-on price overwhelm my overall comparison with the TMG offering
- Total price is $985 + $150 Beam kit + $140 shipping from another Canadian province + 5% sales tax = $1339 Canadian dollars (about $972 US)

The TMG features, positive and negative:

- Hydraulic, with foot pedal operation, so not dependent upon one nut
- Hydraulic can still fail
- Have to check to make sure that it can slide under the low Breakout ground clearance like the Big Blue can
- Angled lift like the Big Blue,and even wider foot print than the Big Blue for even more stability
- Once lifted, can be positively locked at 3 different heights by simple insertion of a 1/2" steel pin
- 4 wheels, including 2 caster type for easy movement
- At 137 lb, weighs more than the 77 lb Big Blue, so more stable but also less portable if need to move further than a few feet across a level floor
- Can only lift 18" (unlike the 30" of Big Blue), but probably sufficient for me for maintenance, mods, and washing & waxing (The Breakout's 26" seat height top would be 44" above the floor!)
- Would have to add my own "tie-downs" of some mechanical (J-hook) or strap type to secure the bike positively to the lift
- Rated for 1100 lb (my Breakout weighs 683 lb, so 61% safety factor)
- Canadian company, but place of manufacture not stated so likely Aisa?
- TMG is an industrial products company with a wide rnage of products, not specialized to motorcycles only
- Total price is $649 CDN plus $100 shipping (despite the lower weight), + sales tax = $786 so HUGE difference in price (The big Blue would cost 70% more)

I can't find online references for either lift, except one review by American Iron magazine on the Big Blue that points out that the Big Blue only has wheels on one end making movement less easy, and the whole low rpm 2-speed mechanical drill requirement is a pain, and a user needs to keep his hands away from the grease on the screw, but the reviewer likes the lift overall.

Any opinions, experiences, etc that could be helpful?

Jim G

 

Having had several acme screw lift systems fail over the decades, I am not especially enamored of them. It’s rarely the screw that fails, but rather the lifting block. The threads strip out, and the unit collapses instantly, completely, and usually catastrophically.

My personal preference is some sort of lifting system that uses ratcheting safety latches, preferably passive or automatic. In the case of a motorcycle lift, this will usually be a hydraulic lift.

Beware on all lifts that pick up from the frame that the bike can slip on the pads, and will slip with enough force. The pads on the lift are almost invariably rubber. Painted frame tubes will slip on rubber, especially if wet or oily. None that I am aware of have a positive locking system that will prevent the frame tubes from slipping.

The mounting points of the lift arms under the bike frame, are narrow, and the width of the lift itself, are narrow. Care must be taken when it comes to removing wheels, as tipping can occur. Be that the bike tipping off the lift, or the entire bike and lift tipping. Think about this when setting the bike on the lift, as it can be offset somewhat to compensate for this.

I would strongly recommend you remove a wheel axle with the bike on the ground, and lift it up over the wheel, paying attention to the bike and jack. It is far better to find the bike tipping over 2-inches off the ground than 18-inches up.

Tiedown points on a motorcycle jack do work, somewhat. The straps will be almost straight down, not outwards, so stability is quite limited. Just be aware of this.

Understand too that the higher you lift, the more unstable a lift becomes.

If you’re not in a rush, searching used lifts can yield some excellent units and often at a good price. I can’t remember the brand, but there used to be a very stable brand that had an optional swiveling table.

Mistake me not, I’m not opposed to a jack. I have a Harbor Freight one myself, and use it. It’s fine for my needs. But use any lift with caution and respect. Even a bit fear. They are not forgiving to mistakes.

 

Perhaps looking at the used markets in your area could net you a J&S jack. I found one locally and it replace my 25 year old bike master lift. The arms are wider than most, and once locked down on the stops, it is stable enough to remove both wheels at max lift.

I am leery of the two lift the OP posted photos of. One issue is the narrow lift arms.

A standard motorcycle lift from Harbor freight does work for many folks. As well as the many others out there that seem to come from the same place in China.

 

I looked at the Easyrizer when I got the Harley, hell it's UK made and only 500 quid, but decided against it in the end, just didn't vibe with me as being that stable, however;

​​​​​​​https://on-bike.com/motorcycle-lifts...-davidson-lift

That'd stop it slipping on the beams

 

I been using a Craftsman yellow jack. It's not the best m/c jack, but it serves my purpose. I also use two Black Widow Scissors jack.

 

TMG doesn't even list that lift on their web page any longer.

1. The rear wheel caster mounts are extremely weak, and will probably give way under the weight of the bike.
2. The long, basically sheetmetal, lift arms have no lateral stability, so they would wiggle and could easily bend. I'm not seeing any positive lock for the apparently movable lifting pad/arms.
3. It does have positive locks for height.


EazyRIzer

1. Positive locks are described in the blurb, but I cannot find them anywhere in the assembly manual or users guide. Seems you are relying only on the acme screw to hold the bike up.
2. Two M10 bolts are all that are holding the upright arm against the weight of the bike. 6 are installed, but only 2 are taking the load.
3. There are no provisions to protect the acme threads from being overstrained at the ends of motion.
4. J-hooks or U-clamps are used as frame catches, with wing nuts. This is not a very secure lock, but it is certainly better than nothing.
5. It does look like it should be a simple matter to drill the unit for pin insertion as a positive lock to get the resting load off the acme threads.


If I had to pick between the two, I think I prefer the EazyRizer.
1. I would drill the lift stand for a shaft lock to rest the bike against, and not on the acme threads.
2. I would probably upgrade the mounting bolts where the lift stand mounts on the base.
3. Your garage is probably clean and dust free enough that the exposed acme threads will probably be fine. Though I might still figure out a way to cover and protect them from contamination while sitting there. Perhaps split PVC pipe with velcro straps.

 

Yes, I agree fully. I am very reluctant to get ANY lift, but my physical condition now really requires one. I'll be VERY careful.

Jim G

 

Thank-you, Foxtrapper! That's a lot of good advice there. TMG Industrial does actually have the motorcycle lift on their CANADIAN (.ca) website:
https://tmgindustrial.ca/collections...pump-tmg-alm50

But, I also found on multiple sites that IF any of their products come with missing or faulty pieces, their customer service is frustrating and even antaganistic.

Jim G

 

By the way, NO Harbour Freight stores here in Canada. Closest thing we have to HF is a chain called "Princess Auto" (No, not a sissy name. It was named after the street it was on at the original sole store in Winnipeg, Manitoba). They sell the same kind of stuff, but don't have the Big Blue or TMG style of single post lifts, only table lifts and small jacks.

Jim G

 

Foxtrapper, you said "Your garage is probably clean and dust free enough that the exposed acme threads will probably be fine. Though I might still figure out a way to cover and protect them from contamination while sitting there. Perhaps split PVC pipe with velcro straps."

That's another issue with the Canadian distributor. The British webpage mentions, and shows, that the screw is now encased behind a metal shield in the latest model improvements. But the Canadian webpage does not mention or show that, so I think the Canadian owner (small time sales operation) is probably still selling the OLDER version without the screw coverage.

That Canadian guy's whole attitude makes me reluctant to buy from him.

Jim G