How do ya get it DOWN without that handle jumping up and whackin' ya in the groin, or elsewhere?

 

the quick lift(cyclelift) thing is ok for cleaning your wheels, but it's nice to get the whole bike up to clean @ eye level sitting on a shop seat. plus you don't have to reposition it to lift the front then rear. i thought the price was kinda crazy for some bent 14 ga steel!

 

If you're using a regular motorcycle lift, you don't need two people, nor do you need to stand the bike up. Leave the bike on the kickstand, position the jack (as others have mentioned) and lift the bike. It will right itself on the lift as you lift the bike. If you have a big bike, you don't need to strap it down. I also put in the mechanical stops to keep it from dropping if the jack fails.

Exception to the above opinion on standing the bike up first - if your bike is lowered, the jack may not fit under the bike if its on the kickstand.

Something I haven't seen yet posted by anyone - make sure your kickstand is down fully before lowering the bike down to the ground. If the kickstand isn't fully down, you might end up dropping your bike...

 

I can relate, the first time i had my bike up on the stand, i was nervous as hell, you have visions of the whole thing tipping over and the carnage, the crying, the depression...

After a few time you become more confident. Trust It It works well. I am more worried about that STUPID jiffy stand, manb what a poor design, could they not have the stand go past 90 degrees and therefore be more secure, poor poor design.

 

I have been using the craftsman lift for about 3 years and the only problem I have is, even when the bike is standing straight up it doesn't fit under. I run the bike up on a couple pieces of 1x6's and it slides right under. Make sure you have a piece for under the kick stand too or the bike leans too much to the left. I don't use straps unless I'm going to be doing some heavy wrenching like removing a wheel etc etc. I leave it up on the jack during the coldest months in the lock position to keep the weight off the tires. Also check the hardware( nuts and bolts) periodically to make sure nothing gets loose.
You can make one of those cycle lifts out of a couple 2x6's or 2x8's and a bar. Used to be directions on "how to build a lift for under $20.00" somewhere on this site or another.

 

Preach on brother.. that jiffy stand scares the hell out of me as well. i have to kick it few times just to be sure it is out all the way..

 

Just do it Man! I've had mine up more than a couple of times so far (different jack). Just strap her down and lift away!

 

It's this new fangled thing called...leverage.