You need a motorcycle lift or jack if you work on a motorcycle. It improves safety while working, keeps the motorcycle off the ground, can allow you to move the bike, and keeps you from laying on the floor.
I will share my experiences of using a motorcycle jack over the past 10+ years in the post while giving you information on the other to consider before buying your next lift or jack.
Different Motorcycle Lifts
First, we need to distinguish between a motorcycle lift and a motorcycle Jack.
A motorcycle lift is a table lifting the whole motorcycle where you roll the bike upon it. Motorcycle lifts, as you can see from the links in the bottom table, are rather big and take up a lot of room. You’ll see them later and they are rather expensive.
A motorcycle jack rolls under the machine and you lift from there. Motorcycle jacks take up less room or more fordable and allow you to move the motorcycle around in the garage. They are easier when compared to a motorcycle lift.
An additional benefit to a motorcycle jack is the ability to have access to work on your wheels or front and rear ends. This is because your wheels are up in the air on a motorcycle, Jack. With a motorcycle lift, the wheels are actually on the table and you end up using some form jack to raise the front or rear end.
The downfall to a motorcycle jack is that the motorcycle is not as stable as it would be on a lift.
We can breakdown the jacks into scissor jacks and hydraulic jacks.
Scissor jack
Scissor jacks are the most common and affordable type of motorcycle lifting mechanism.
They’re made of metal and have a crossing action with two metal bars that spread the top from the bottom that’s lifting the motorcycle. It’s relatively simple.
These types of jacks do not carry as much weight as a hydraulic jack and mainly used on things like dirt bikes.
Hydraulic Jack
Hydraulic jacks allow it to carry more weight because of the high hydraulic pressure to raise the motorcycle. They contain this fluid within a pump that puts leverage on the lift that’s allowing the mechanic to raise the motorcycle.
These types of lifts are more expensive, but you get to work on heavier motorcycles.
The Jack that I have is a hydraulic jack. I love it and it was still economical when you compare it to a motorcycle lift.
My jack, while not as small as a scissor jack, still takes up a lot less space than an actual motorcycle lift. And I get most of the same benefits.
They subdivide even hydraulic lifts. I won’t get into the specific details but you can check out this video that I found on YouTube that shows you another version and a can of a product review for a jack that lives a motorcycle even higher than the floor jack that I use.
How Much Does A Motorcycle Lift Or Motorcycle Jack Cost?
For an economical motorcycle jack, expect to pay around $100. For higher quality and more versatile jack, expect to pay $160 or more. Quality and features will differ between the models, so compare characteristics and value for each model.
| Description | Type of Jack | Cost |
| PITTSBURGH AUTOMOTIVE | Hydraulic | $179.99 |
| Strongway 1500-Lb. Hydraulic Motorcycle | Hydraulic | $159.99 |
| Extreme Max 5001.5044 1000 lbs. Motorcycle Scissors Jack – Wide | Scissor | $97.99 |
| Bikemaster Easy Lift & Lower Stand | Hydraulic | $88.36 |
| Waveguide Table Jack, Large | Scissor | $125.86 |
| Zoro Motorcycle JackTitan Red Air/Hydraulic Pump | Hydraulic | $214.02 |
Motorcycle Jack Features
There are a few features to look for when purchasing your motorcycle jack.
First, make sure there is a safety mechanism to keep things secure while the bike is on the lift.
I found out the hard when I came out to the garage and my bike was leaning up against the wall. In my case, the bike just happened to soft-land against the wall. Picking up a 700+ pound motorcycle does not excite anyone.
My jack has the safety lock, but I did not activate it.
Second, make sure your motorcycle jack has wheels on it. You will thank me in the long run.
You’ll be able to move the bike and put it into places you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Like shoving it tightly into a corner for winter storage.
Also, if you’re like me and live in the suburbs and don’t have an enormous garage, being able to pull the bike out on the jack to work on it and then shoving it back is a tremendous advantage.
Motorcycle Lift Costs
Expect to pay nothing less than $500 for a lift. While many people love to work on their bikes, I do not find it very practical for most bikers who do some maintenance on their machines.
The lifts take up a lot of room. Do not allow you to move the motorcycle out of the way for winter storage and cost a lot of money. With that being said, I still wanted to show you few options.
Keep in mind I cannot speak to the quality or use of these lifts and I intend to only give you a starting point if you’re looking at buying one.
| Description | Cost |
Ranger RML-600XL | $1235 |
| iDeal Air/Hydraulic Motorcycle Lift Table | $1499.99 |
| TUXEDO M-1000C 1,000 LB MOTORCYCLE LIFT | $665 |
How Do I Use a motorcycle lift or jack?
There are many ways to use a motorcycle jack. I found this video on YouTube that gives a few pointers on how to lift the bike up. Give it a watch.
Not to be critical of the video, but there are a few things I wished he would have gone over. As mentioned before, there are many ways to use a motorcycle jack.
I shot a few videos going over a few points that may keep you safer and prevent you from dropping your bike. You can find a written description below the video.
Know The Safety Stops For Your Motorcycle Jack
Learning about the safety stops for your motorcycle jack is the most important feature to know about your lift. It will stop your bike from falling over in the eventual event a hydraulic jack fails.
It can also stop the motorcycle from crashing down if you accidentally hit the release to lower the bike.
As you can see from the picture of my lift, it has a safety mechanism where a bar requires activation. The feature does not fully gain my confidence for two reasons:
- The safety latches are not as pronounced as I would like. I could see a situation where the release lever is hit and the latches do not catch. Make sure your jack or lift has pronounced latches.
- I have to put a bungee cord on the safety bar to keep it engaged. I have found this out the hard way.
Holding On The Motorcycle While Operating The Jack
While you’re raising the motorcycle, hold on to the handlebars. This will help keep it steady and possibly prevent it from falling over.
It will also help you identify the balance point of the bike. As you jack up the bike, and you feel or see the handlebars coming up before the back of the bike, you know you might not have found the balance point yet.
The important aspect of holding onto the bike is making sure you stay far enough away in case the bike falls over. The closer you are to the machine, the more likely you will be to catch it. You want to stay out of the way on a falling 700-pound bike.
Finding The Balance Point Of Your Bike On The Motorcycle Jack
I already talked about holding onto the handlebar while lifting your bike. If you’re using a new jack or putting a new bike on your existing jack, you need to likely move the lift around under the bike a few times to get the right spot.
The best way to lift the bike is by making a reasonable guess of the centroid point of the weight. You will find this to be easier than you think.
Slide the jack under the bike, give yourself some distance and start jacking. If the front or rear wheel comes up before the other, then you’re likely off a bit.
Pull the jack out and reposition it. Try again.
You need to know to make special adjustments if the bottom frame rails do not run parallel to the ground. One wheel may raise before the other so you need to adjust the bike or put a chalk on the jack so it will lift the frame rails at the same time.
Moving The Motorcycle While On the Jack
If you have to move the bike while it is on the jack, make sure you tie it to the lift in some fashion. Take a ratchet strap or rope and tie it down.
When you push initially on the bike and jack to move it, try to avoid pushing at the very top as it will increase the chances of pushing the bike over.
Sometimes I find the jack needs a little nudge with my foot and then things move easily across the garage floor.
Should I Build My Motorcycle Lift?
You should not build your motorcycle lift unless you’re a professional machinist or fabricate with metal. The increased risk to a weekend mechanic is high. The people who manufacture motorcycle lifts and jacks have done all the research for you and build a great product.
Search YouTube for DIY motorcycle lifts and you’ll frequently see wooden versions or changed jacks that have been turned into lifts. I would not put my bike on these.
Think about how much money you’ll throw down the drain when the bike falls off.
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