# Wooden Motorcycle lift/stand



## SECULARHUMAN

I don't have any welding tools but lots of wood tools.

I need a rear/front lift for my motorcycle to do wheel work.

Has anyone ever built one from wood?:scooter:

Thanks

Secular


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## firehawkmph

Sec,
Years ago I did. I now have one of those airlifts like they use in the shops and a smaller one with a bottle jack that lifts the bike under the engine. The wooden one was built out of 2x lumber and 3/4" plywood. It's almost like you are building the frame work for a coffin shaped box. Except on the top you build the framing so it starts from the front level for about the first third, then it angle downward toward the rear. The top is made out of the 3/4" ply over a 2x frame to stiffen it. It is all in one piece. Then you hinge it at the point of the angle on top where your main framing went from level to angling downhill. You have to make an end piece that attaches to your top section at the very rear. Picture this now how it works once assembled: Take the endflap and fold it out so it is inline with the top. If the top is hinged in the correct place, the whole top will tilt up in the front and form a ramp. Roll the bike up the ramp. When it meets the balance point it should lay back down and be level. Kick the flap in so it forms the rest of the box shape and holds the top from tilting back down. the flap should have some kind of catch to secure it in place. When this thing is done, it should be somewhat heavy. This way it doesn't move on it's own. Put a cleat on the front of the top so it acts as a wheelchock for the front wheel. Add a couple of stout eyebolts on the front corners so you can use tiedowns to secure the bike. Now if you want to take the wheels off and the bike doesn't have a centerstand, you will have to build an additional piece to lift the bike at the center under the motor. Wooded frame box with a bottle jack and some ingenuity should get you lifted. Now you see why I have the metal ones. Hope this helps,
Mike Hawkins:scooter:


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## markp154

*using wood for a jack*

Hi all, I'm new to this site but would like to say that I have built a recumbent and atv ramps out of wood ( plywood mostly ) and wood like to say that with careful study wood costruction can be as strong as using stee:smile:l.


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## woodnthings

*The guys at the motorcycle shops use*

A low screw jack, made of steel, under the center of the bike. They are around $100.00 to buy. 
http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/...35&zmam=73771597&zmas=21&zmac=126&zmap=530535
Second best, would be a scissors jack from a truck with a plywood base top and bottom for stability, some wood, some steel. Dirt bike or street bike? 400 lbs or 1000 lbs? You find the balance point and then move forward or rearward and block the wheel you're not working on for stability. Are you working off the ground or off a bench higher up? Can you tie the bike down to anything to prevent tipping side to side? Maybe be a platform say 6 ft long by 12" high with a ramp, and the center portion raises up after you roll the bike up? This would allow for a convention auto style jack in the center. The center filler panel would remove after the bike is on, and you insert the jack. Heck just build in a DYNO while you're at it. A motorcycle workstation sort of with eye bolts for tie downs. :thumbsup: bill


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## ihackwood

i made a stand for mine, it keeps it out of the way when i don't need it too, you have to drive it up though, i wanted it easy


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## Willie T

Here's something one of the local bike shops uses. They even put Goldwings on theirs.

Of course, this is drawn without all the necessary braces, locking pins and reinforcments, etc. that you would need... so you can see the concept more clearly.

(And, also, my light blue wedges aren't drawn exactly right. They should sit flat on the floor when the ramp is extended... for supoort.)

I also think they have both handles on the sides of those wedges, and maybe some kind of a winch setup pulling the blue ramp from the front to assist in the lifting. I'm not sure, it's been years since I saw this. But it worked perfectly.

I could see how a worm drive garage door opener could be adapted to power this thing if your bike is one of the heavier ones.


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## Willie T

Here it is in SKP format so, if you have GOOGLE SketchUp, you can rotate it, explode it, move it, alter it, redesign it... whatever.

I have a more complete file on this, but it exceeds the forum limit. If anyone wants that bigger one, I could send it by e-mail.


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## firehawkmph

Willie,
That's basically what I was trying to describe above. The only difference is the angles on the red sides match the angle of the ramp when the ramp is down. Where the pivot point of the ramp is, is where the angle started. That way the sides don't stick up and get in your way when you are running a heavy bike up on it. 
Mike Hawkins


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## Willie T

firehawkmph said:


> Willie,
> That's basically what I was trying to describe above. The only difference is the angles on the red sides match the angle of the ramp when the ramp is down. Where the pivot point of the ramp is, is where the angle started. That way the sides don't stick up and get in your way when you are running a heavy bike up on it.
> Mike Hawkins


You're right. If I had taken a little more time to draw it, they probably would have ended up matching. I've made that modification to the drawings above. I left a 3" rise on the sides as a tire runoff safety barrier.
Thanks.


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## woodnthings

*THis thread has 8 replies*

and 1698 Views! Woah! My wooden motorcycle avatar, needs a wooden motorcycle stand! You think?:blink: bill


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## Willie T

I personally like Mike's idea of the fully pivoting top deck. But I asked about that point with the mechanics that used this kind of a ramp. As I recall, they were nervous with the weight transition (client's bikes, so it could get costly to have to repaint something), so they elected to make the top section (shown yellow) as a solid piece that didn't move. The front wheel is held steady and locked by the tubular upright. And they always had enough manpower around to lift the rear portion up and slide the blue ramp in tight.


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## woodnthings

*Guys I think we are talking amongst ourselves*

The OP has not been heard from for over a month.......:blink: bill
Maybe he crashed his bike?


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## Willie T

I never concern myself with missing OP's. I just thank them for bringing up a new subject.

Here is a shop stand that employs the weight shifting tilt Mike talked about. It works well for plywood in a shop.

I broke it down into exploded pieces for easier understanding.

Please excuse the missing radius on the left view of the stand.... I got lazy.


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## Willie T

By the way, here's the whole sequence of the tilting idea. (without a sheet of plywood on the cart)


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## JAISONLEE

made this in about 20 min with about $3 materials


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## klr650

SECULARHUMAN said:


> I don't have any welding tools but lots of wood tools.
> 
> I need a rear/front lift for my motorcycle to do wheel work.
> 
> Has anyone ever built one from wood?:scooter:
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Secular


This is a very simple one that works for the KLR650 - i can imagine that it would work for other bikes as well. This of course is for the swingarm - the front forks might be a bit more challenging.

http://klr6500.tripod.com/lift.htm


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