DIY Motorcycle/ATV Lift

[MagnaRider]

Hi all,

Just sharing a project I am started this weekend. Finished the design over Christmas/New year and got material coming to build it.

Its a motorcycle/atv lift table that uses a standard floor jack as the lifting component. Its a 8' x 3' platform that gets 2' of lift from the floor. It'll have an 8' x 1' side section that can be attached for when I want to lift an ATV up. I'll keep posting pictures of the project as I build it. Total cost I have in this is just cheaper than a harbor frieght motorcycle lift of $550. If this goes well, I'll be able to design it a little cheaper for the next one if I find someone who would purchase one! As well as buying more bulk material etc.

I'm looking for ideas on quality-of-life improvements I can make to this, like some way to easily drain oil into a container or eyebolts to tie down the front or rear tire etc. Any ideas suggestions are great!


Made good progress on the lift this weekend. Both top and bottom frame put together and tacked up, and all my material cut on my wonderful bandsaw.

Bandsaw is early 1940's Johnson. Picked it up in Minneapolis 2 years ago and repainted/restored it. One of the best pieces of equipment I have in my little metalshop.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would've been to drill accurate holes in my pivot arms and my bearing mounts with a cheap harbor freight drill press, just had to spend extra time measuring and making sure everything was square. Patience.

Last night I was able to get the assembly together and I surprised myself with how easily it jacked up and then came back down on its own weight! Now I need to finish welding the frames, add a few supports and put the top sheet on and it should be good to go for first real test with a motorcycle on it.

 

[mvk24_imp]

Looks like a fun project, out of curiosity how much is it basically costing you in material compared to getting say the harbor freight lift?

2014 CB1100, 1981 KZ440 LTD, 1993 Yamaha XJ600 Seca, 1994 Yamaha XJ600 Seca

 

[MagnaRider]

Right now I am at the same cost, about 550 for materials (1.5 x .125 SQ Tubing, 8x4x.125 sheet with cut charge, 1.5x.375 flatstock, bearings, bearing housings, and shoulder bolts for pivots). I definitely can use thinner gauge material but for my first one I wanted to go a little heavier duty for ease of making it.

 

[mvk24_imp]

Very cool Magna, I like the restoration if the old saw too. Looks like you've got a good helper there with the yellow lab. Good lookin dog!

2014 CB1100, 1981 KZ440 LTD, 1993 Yamaha XJ600 Seca, 1994 Yamaha XJ600 Seca

 

[MagnaRider]

Thank you! Dogs name is Ollie, my first personal dog and definetly my best friend.

 

[MagnaRider]

Got the frame welded up last night after work. Almost not even worth it by the time I get the woodstove going and the shop workable when its below 0 deg F out. Was happy I didn't warp anything and verified the lift still goes up and down super smoothly!
Finally, gonna warm up here in Wisconsin this week too! Getting sick of the cold and ready to ride soon!

 

[mvk24_imp]

Haha yeah its only been in the 20s F° here and I decided to get one of those radiator style space heaters for the garage so I could try to get some stuff done but I think I need to get a fan to blow on it or something because the radiant heat seems to take hours to warm up the garage slightly.

Might switch to one of those ceramic heaters that have the fan built into it if they make them in a decent size.

Glad to hear the lift is coming along

2014 CB1100, 1981 KZ440 LTD, 1993 Yamaha XJ600 Seca, 1994 Yamaha XJ600 Seca

 

[the Ferret]

My brother has one of those torpedo heaters that seems to do a good job in his 3 car garage.

 

[Frulk_imp]

Following this thread with interest. Hard to believe the HF bike lifts are $550. Bought two for $220 each about 6-7 years ago.

 

[MagnaRider]

Following this thread with interest. Hard to believe the HF bike lifts are $550. Bought two for $220 each about 6-7 years ago.

Me too, sadly I didn't motorcycle 6-7 years ago otherwise i would've gone that route. I like a fun project tho to test my abilities so I get that. Keeps me from just sitting around.

 

[MagnaRider]

Attached a sheet to the bottom that allows the jack to full be connected to the bottom frame. Reinforced it with some 1x1 angle and I am loving how stable this thing is now. I can jump on the end of it when fully raised and it doesn't budge a bit. Added some washers to all my pivots and there is very little movement side to side, especially when loaded unevenly. Feeling extremely confident in the design now and excited to put the top sheet on and hopefully put a bike on it this weekend!

:beerchug::beerchug::beerchug::clap::clap::clap::biker:

 

[MagnaRider]

Got my locking mechanism complete this weekend, still have to add a few more stops for lower heights but very happy with its operation.

It rachets up as you jack up the lift and locks into a 1/2" round on the bottom. Once locked this thing has 0 flex up down or side to side. Connected both arms so you can raise the locks and pin them out of the way all from one side and doesn't get in the way of my jack! I am leaving the vise grip handle on it, I like the look to much and keeps it so I can disassemble the lock mechanism easily.

Would have liked to do more this weekend but the high of -2 yesterday and morning Church kept me from wanting to wait to heat up the shop lol.

On a side note, I am 1 week free of cigarettes! Very happy with that accomplishment and still going strong.

 

[Nachodaddy]

Beautiful.

 

[Gone in 60]

That is a cool project! When not in use and the jack is pulled out of it, looks like it’s flat enough to easily store out of the way.

 

[rdprdp01]

Nice work on the lift and your health! I look forward to seeing a motorcycle on your lift. David

 

[MagnaRider]

looks good. i would suggest a cross bar welded in at the hinged uprights since you have 4 single shear pivot points on the lower frame though. this will keep it from kicking left or right over time.

you could mig in just some square tube or brace it w gussets. will stiffen it up a LOT.

.02

Thank you for the suggestion. I was planning on doing this soon, but I am going to bolt in a gusset so I can disassemble if needed. Since this is my first one/prototype I want everything removable so I can come back to painting it when its all done and make any tweaks easier. I think I will only be able to gusset the front two pivots so I still have adequate jack clearance.

 

[MagnaRider]

Thanks! Always like getting suggestions, thats why I post it on here, I can't think of everything thats for sure.
I'll be curious to see how it behaves over time. Currently very rock solid I can jump/push all over it with very little flex, but that will change with my top plate on and a bike.
For reference the pivots are all 5/8" alloy steel shoulder bolts through a Oilite Bushing rated well over the capacity of my floor jack (which is 3 Tons), but I definitely never want to see a bike fall off of this thing because of a design failure!

That is a cool project! When not in use and the jack is pulled out of it, looks like it’s flat enough to easily store out of the way.

Yep that's the plan! Planning on mounting casters to the side of it so it can be flipped up and carted around!

 

[MagnaRider]

Got the stops welded in fully last night and set the top plate on to see how sturdy everything felt. With it up I can jump all around it with very minimal movement. I am going to put a cross brace between the front two pivot arms tonight to help with side load stability. Then finish welding the last few joints, add some D-Rings to the sides for strapping the bike down before I mock up the top plate and tack weld it in. Very excited to hopefully put a bike on it this weekend! :clap::clap::biker:

 

[peterbaron]

It's getting more and more practical and functional, good job
The red color would be fantastic IMHO

 

[MagnaRider]

Thank you!
I do have a lot of Candy Red from when I painted my bandsaw (see beginning pics) that I was thinking of putting to use on this once its complete, my only holdback is I don't want it to look like the Harbor Freight ones which are red.