Jacking Wing with Harbor Freight Lift

[myYellowbird]

I am using a harbor freight motorcycle jack to lift a 1800 wing. Were is the best place to place the jack the bike. I put it on part of the center stand and part of the header pipes which is were i thing is center. Bike seems very unstable when i lift it. Just wondering if any other of you have these problems.

[WingAdmin]

The jack really needs to be where the center of balance is for the bike. On my 1100, I lift it just behind the front of the engine to just in front of the center stand, resting the bike partly in the headers and partly on the frame. It will obviously be different for your 1800...but not TOO different.

[FlyBoy2121]

I my Yellowbird

Here's a modification I made to my bike to jack it more stale,If you have a jack like mine.

FlyBoy2121

[rrmiller73]

Let us know how it works. I looked at those in the Nashville store the other day and wondered wether or not they would lift a wing?

[FlyBoy2121]

I rrmiller73

I have some pictures.

FlyBoy2121

[myYellowbird]

Thanks Flyboy2121 thats about were i put my jack. Got it up used some jacks stands on the engine guards just in case. The harbor freight jack is not bad for the money. The 1st one i got for Xmas was defective would just slam to the ground no way of letting it down easy. Brought it back paid extra for the aluminum one very nice but can't handle the weight not wide enough. Took that back got the yellow one much better.There is a mod for this jack on utube on how to let them down easy must be for the older model jacks the one i have is fine.

What type of jack are you using seem very stable.

[WingAdmin]

I have the yellow HF lift, and while it lowers nice and gradually to the ground if someone is standing on it, with an 800+ lb Goldwing on it, it crashes to the ground when you press the "lower" pedal.

I've seen mods mentioned on the Internet where people screwed bolts into the thing to limit the travel of the pedal, so that it doesn't open the valve as much, which causes the bike to lower slowly and gently to the ground.

Here's a video showing an example of what I mean:



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[FlyBoy2121]

I WingAdmin !!!

I find a model of a motorcycle jack lift, making witn playwood and pipes plombrie very strong, in the spring I will begin construction.You get up with a car jack.

FlyBoy2121

[kds111]

Nice lift for the money.
Works great on the 1000 and 1100.

[FlyBoy2121]

I kds111

I will strengthen it and it'll lift a GoldWing with no problems

FlyBoy2121

[wilf]

I have a very similar jack for my Wings. On mine if you press the foot pedale down the bike comes down rather fast but if you push the pedal all the way down it comes down real slow. Seems kinda backwards but you have to push it hard right away and good smooth drop
Wilf

[WingAdmin]

I have a very similar jack for my Wings. On mine if you press the foot pedale down the bike comes down rather fast but if you push the pedal all the way down it comes down real slow. Seems kinda backwards but you have to push it hard right away and good smooth drop
Wilf

That's how mine is supposed to work...but pushing it partway down causes the bike to come crashing to the ground instantly, and pushing it all the way down causes the bike to come crashing to the ground a bit less quickly.

[myYellowbird]

Here a Mod someone did on a harbor freight jack.



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[wilf]

hey flyboy
Where coul one find plans for is lift
wilf

[FlyBoy2121]

I Wilf

Go to see your PM

FlyBoy2121

[FlyBoy2121]

I Wilf

I just do not put the dessing on the site, I do not remember where I found his dessing, is a PDF file.

If you give me a Hotmail address I just return it.

FlyBoy2121

[myYellowbird]

Feeling kinda stupid i am not one for reading instructions i mean its only a jack. But after reading a post from another site these jacks have a two speed release system. Press the pedal half way and the bike drops very fast. Press the pedal completely down and the bike is lowered very slowly the way it should. So these jacks work not a defect from china. Not feeling to bad guess the guy who made the utube mod didn't read the instructions either.

[WingAdmin]

Feeling kinda stupid i am not one for reading instructions i mean its only a jack. But after reading a post from another site these jacks have a two speed release system. Press the pedal half way and the bike drops very fast. Press the pedal completely down and the bike is lowered very slowly the way it should. So these jacks work not a defect from china. Not feeling to bad guess the guy who made the utube mod didn't read the instructions either.

You're correct, that's how they're supposed to work. However, even on the "push it completely down" position, with the weight of our bikes, the HF jacks slam your bike to the ground. The valve just isn't small enough. That's why putting a bolt through the pedal to limit the pedal travel is a good idea - I'm going to do it to mine the next time I have it out.

[2008retiredplb]

I looked at a cycle lift at the International Motorcycle Show in Chicago from Australia. It looked like a very sturdy lift but the cost was a little to rich for me, $300+. This guy is just starting to make these available in the US. I cant find his card right now, so I don't know what his company is.
He showed how sturdy it was with a GL1800 goldwing on it. I wouldn't be afraid to use it for mine. His used a regular bottle jack that is easily repaired. I have been told the harbor freight lift has some problems with repairs if need later.
I did find the brand of lift. It is IB Bike Lift, If you google it you can see what they look like.

[thrasherg]

I have the harbour freight lift ( the type you drive the entire bike onto and then it jacks up with either a foot pedal or compressed air). It cost $400 but has worked great for 2+ years (I bought it with an unexpected bonus payment!), I also like that there is a panel under the rear wheel that lifts out making it easy to remove a rear wheel. I still prefer to remove the rear cover on the wing as that rear wheel is too heavy to man handle about, but for other bikes, the inspection hole would make it a lot easier to change the rear wheel.

Gary

[Viking]

They sell attachments to add to jacks in order to lift wings, so it must be pretty simple to modify those same lifts at home, rather than shelling out an additional $40 or so. It also must mean that lifts are not specifically designed for the wing. Thanks for the ideas on adding a piece of plywood, flyboy. Some rubber over those bolts would probably just about cover it for me. I have not introduced my lift to my wing as of yet, so had not actually seen what needed to be modified. My jack came from Costco, tho, so hopefully it will lift more than a Harbour Freight jack would.

[myYellowbird]

Taking my jack back for another this one will not lift used it about a month ago no problems. Pulled it out today tried pumping it up dose not work, thats the problem with Harbor Freight stuff to many defects. Will try one more if theres problem with i'll get my money back and purchase a better model some were else.

[jwg1950]

I am using a harbor freight motorcycle jack to lift a 1800 wing. Were is the best place to place the jack the bike. I put it on part of the center stand and part of the header pipes which is were i thing is center. Bike seems very unstable when i lift it. Just wondering if any other of you have these problems.

I used the jack one time and as soon as I jacked up the bike I had water coming from the underside.. I assume it was from the water bottle for the radiator. Maybe had the jack to close to the front. Also what is the silver looking foil under the bike? Mine is a 2002 GL1800

[echinus1988]

I know this is an old posting but there is one thing I have never found listed anywhere and would like to find out opinions or the correct way to do it.

My son received a gift and bought the Harbor Freight lift. Just the small one that centers under the bike.

When lifting it, is it supposed to be strapped on to hold it in place? Looking at the one picture, the bike was lifted but there wasn't a strap to be seen. I can't believe it's stable and safe enough to lift without strapping it to the lift. The problem I run into is figuring out where to strap it and make it work to hold the bike. There is no place to put a strap but I won't work on a 800# bike lifted up that could tip.

Anyone have any information on this? Should it be strapped? If so, How? If not, how do you make it safe?

Thanks for the help. This is a great site!

[DaveO430]

I know this is an old posting but there is one thing I have never found listed anywhere and would like to find out opinions or the correct way to do it.

My son received a gift and bought the Harbor Freight lift. Just the small one that centers under the bike.

When lifting it, is it supposed to be strapped on to hold it in place? Looking at the one picture, the bike was lifted but there wasn't a strap to be seen. I can't believe it's stable and safe enough to lift without strapping it to the lift. The problem I run into is figuring out where to strap it and make it work to hold the bike. There is no place to put a strap but I won't work on a 800# bike lifted up that could tip.

Anyone have any information on this? Should it be strapped? If so, How? If not, how do you make it safe?

Thanks for the help. This is a great site!

You can't strap it while lifting it but once you get it jacked up. I put the straps over the foot pegs on both sides.