Choosing a Motorcycle Lift for Your Workshop

Motorcycle work sits awkwardly in a car workshop. The jobs are quick, the margins can be good, and the customers are loyal — but a bike will not go on a car lift, and working on one at floor level is slow and hard on the back.

A motorcycle lift solves that for a relatively modest outlay. Here is what separates them and what to look for.

What a motorcycle lift is

Most are scissor-type lift tables: a flat platform, usually with a loading ramp, that raises the bike to a comfortable working height. The bike is held upright by a front wheel clamp and secured with straps.

Many platforms include a removable section over the rear wheel, so the wheel can be dropped out without taking the bike off the table.

Air, hydraulic or manual

• Air-operated. Fastest and least effort, using your workshop compressed air. The usual choice for a busy bay — see our guide to workshop power and air.
• Hydraulic, foot-pumped. No air required, low cost, and perfectly serviceable at lower volumes.
• Electro-hydraulic. Powered without needing air, and convenient where the compressor is a distance away.

What to check

• Capacity. A large touring bike or a full-dress cruiser can exceed 400kg. Specify above the heaviest machine you expect, not the average.
• Platform length and width. Long-wheelbase cruisers and touring bikes need more table than a sports bike.
• Maximum height. Enough to work standing rather than stooping.
• Lowered height and ramp angle. Low-slung bikes ground out on a steep ramp, and a low platform makes loading easier for everyone.
• Front wheel clamp. Adjustable for different wheel and tyre sizes, and genuinely secure. This is the component that holds the bike upright.
• Rear wheel drop-out section. Worth having if you do tyre or chain work.
• Tie-down points in useful positions along the platform.
• Mechanical safety lock that holds the platform independently of hydraulic pressure.
• Side extensions, which give somewhere to stand and to rest tools.

Loading and securing

Most incidents with motorcycle lifts happen during loading, not while working:

1. Lower the platform fully and set the ramp before starting.
2. Walk the bike up rather than riding it on.
3. Set the front wheel into the clamp and tighten it before letting go.
4. Strap the bike down at manufacturer-recommended points, front and rear, compressing the suspension slightly.
5. Check it is genuinely stable before raising.
6. Raise smoothly and engage the mechanical lock.
7. Remember the centre of gravity changes as components come off — re-check security as you work.

Does it pay?

A motorcycle lift is a small investment against a car lift. It pays if:

• You already turn away bike work, or do it badly at floor level.
• There is bike traffic locally — commuters, couriers, a club, or a dealer without a service department.
• You have a corner of the workshop that does not justify a car bay.
• You want winter work, when bike servicing and pre-season preparation cluster.

Bike jobs are typically shorter than car jobs, so the lift turns over quickly, and MOT-adjacent servicing, tyres and chain work are all straightforward once the bike is at height.

Space and floor

A motorcycle lift needs less than a car bay, but it still needs room to walk both sides and to load from the rear. Surface-mounted tables bolt to the floor and the slab requirement is lighter than a two-post lift's, though it must still be sound and level — see our guide to concrete requirements.

Compliance

A motorcycle lift is lifting equipment under LOLER. It requires thorough examination by a competent person before first use and at the usual intervals thereafter, and it belongs in your records alongside your car lifts — see our LOLER guide.

Frequently asked questions

What capacity motorcycle lift do I need?

Specify above the heaviest machine you expect. Large touring bikes and full-dress cruisers can exceed 400kg, so a table rated only for average road bikes will limit you.

Air or hydraulic?

Air-operated is fastest and suits a busy bay, provided you have the compressed air. Foot-pumped hydraulic is cheaper and fine at lower volumes.

How do you secure a motorcycle on a lift?

Front wheel into the clamp and tightened first, then straps front and rear at manufacturer-recommended points, compressing the suspension slightly. Check stability before raising and again as components come off.

Do I need a rear wheel drop-out section?

It is worth having if you do tyre or chain work, since it lets the rear wheel come out without removing the bike from the table.

Does a motorcycle lift need LOLER examination?

Yes. It is lifting equipment used at work, so it needs thorough examination by a competent person like any other lift.

Choosing one

Tell us the bikes you expect to work on and the space you have, and we will match a table to both. See our motorcycle lifts, request a quote, or get in touch and we will reply within one working day.