I have a 2002 Deuce and I want to get a jack. I'm not sure how to get the bike up on the jack.

The jacks I see look as if I would first jack the bike up and then strap it down. Do you just cross your fingers and hope it doesn't fall when you jack it up, or am I missing something more obvious?

Any recommendations about jacks? I just want a "cheap" basic jack.

Thanks.

 

I have the craftsman motorcycle lift, the red one. Most of the time I put the jack under it just to hold the bike vertical and I leave both tires on the ground or position the jack to raise just the front or just the rear tire. If I need both tires off the ground, I jack it up, put the safety brace down, and then strap it to the jack. It's pretty stable but I keep one hand on the handle bar while it's going up just in case.

 

If you Get the balance right when you first put the jack under the bike then it is fairly stable. The strap is just a safety measure to keep it stable.

If the bike doesn't go up evenly on the jack then I reset the jack position. If you just take the time to do this then you would have no problem. The bike should be rock steady on the jack by it self. The strap is just extra precaution.