Motorcycle Lifts

Choosing a motorcycle lift

Bike work sits awkwardly in a car workshop until there is somewhere proper to put it. A motorcycle lift table is a modest investment against a car lift, and it turns floor-level work that is slow and hard on the back into ordinary bench-height jobs.

How they work

Most are scissor-type tables: a flat platform with a loading ramp that raises the bike to a comfortable working height, with a front wheel clamp holding it upright and straps securing it. Many include a removable section over the rear wheel so it can be dropped out without taking the bike off the table.

What to check before buying

• Capacity. A large touring bike or full-dress cruiser can exceed 400kg. Specify above the heaviest machine you expect, not the average.
• Platform length and width. Long-wheelbase cruisers need more table than a sports bike.
• Lowered height and ramp angle. Low-slung bikes ground out on a steep ramp; a low platform makes loading easier for everyone.
• Front wheel clamp. Adjustable for the wheel and tyre sizes you see, and genuinely secure — this is the component holding the bike upright.
• Rear wheel drop-out section, if you do tyre or chain work.
• Mechanical safety lock that holds the platform independently of hydraulic pressure.
• Air, hydraulic or electro-hydraulic. Air is fastest for a busy bay if you have the supply; foot-pumped hydraulic is cheaper and fine at lower volumes.

Our guide to choosing a motorcycle lift covers loading technique and the questions worth asking.

Does it pay?

It pays if you already turn bike work away, if there is local traffic from commuters, couriers or a club, or if you have a corner of the workshop that does not justify a full car bay. Bike jobs are short, so the lift turns over quickly, and servicing and tyre work cluster through winter and into spring.

A motorcycle lift is lifting equipment under LOLER like any other, so it needs a thorough examination before first use and at the usual intervals after — see our LOLER guide. The floor requirement is lighter than a two-post but the slab still needs to be sound and level.