Help a broken old man! 🦴 Best way to lift my R18 without a spine transplant?

[DRACKO]

Hey guys,
I’m 60, had spinal surgery, and currently have a herniated disc. My "bending over" days are officially over, but I have a mountain of accessories to install and I want to do it myself.
What I need:
• A lift, jack, or dolly to get the bike about 24 inches (60 cm) off the ground.
• Budget: Under $500.
• Space: Small garage, so I can't fit a pro-sized table.
As we all know, the R18 is a "big girl." I need something rock-solid. Stability is my #1 priority. The last thing I need is nearly 800 lbs of German engineering tipping over while I’m fumbling with a wrench . It’s for occasional use, so I need the best "bang for my buck" that won't damage the underside.
What are you guys using to stay off the floor? Thanks for the help!

 

[bdalameda]

I'm pushing 70 and have had a spinal fusion years back with two ruptured discs, I have bought two of the jacks shown below. On one of the jacks the adjustable saddles fit perfectly on the exhaust tubular mounts and will lift the back very securely. For the front I take the two threaded saddles out of the other jack and thread two m10 X 1.5 thread allen head bolts into the threaded lifting point holes in the front of the engine. You can then line up the two threaded tubes on the jack onto the allen bolts and lift the front end without worrying about the lift slipping. With these two jacks you can lift the front and back of the bike fairly high and it is very secure. The jacks are each rated at 1100 lbs. and are reasonably priced. These will only lift the bike about 16 inches if that is enough for you.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266251495525

 

[DRACKO]

I'm pushing 70 and have had a spinal fusion years back with two ruptured discs, I have bought two of the jacks shown below. On one of the jacks the adjustable saddles fit perfectly on the exhaust tubular mounts and will lift the back very securely. For the front I take the two threaded saddles out of the other jack and thread two m10 X 1.5 thread allen head bolts into the threaded lifting point holes in the front of the engine. You can then line up the two threaded tubes on the jack onto the allen bolts and lift the front end without worrying about the lift slipping. With these two jacks you can lift the front and back of the bike fairly high and it is very secure. The jacks are each rated at 1100 lbs. and are reasonably priced. These will only lift the bike about 16 inches if that is enough for you.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266251495525

Hey @bdalameda, that’s a clever setup! I really appreciate you sharing the details. I’ve been checking out the link you sent, and I’d love to see how those M10 bolts look on the engine and how they lock into the jack. If you have a couple of photos of that, and maybe one of the whole bike up on both jacks to see the height and stability, that would be awesome. Also, do you think it’s necessary to use one jack in the front and one in the back for it to be stable, or is a single jack strong enough to handle the bike on its own? Cheers!

 

[bdalameda]

The m10 bolts are only used as guide pins that thread into the existing lift points on the engine front. I only thread them in when I use the jack. the bolt heads simply fit into the inside of the vertical tubes that are welded to the adjustable mounts on the jack. This keeps the lifting tubes aligned and secured to the engine while it is lifted. You can use one lift jack for either lifting the rear wheel or the front. I use both to lift the entire bike so I can remove both wheels if I want to. When using both you can also keep the bike level if you are lifting the bike on a sloped surface like a driveway. I can take a picture and post it the next time I lift the bike.

 

[DRACKO]

The m10 bolts are only used as guide pins that thread into the existing lift points on the engine front. I only thread them in when I use the jack. the bolt heads simply fit into the inside of the vertical tubes that are welded to the adjustable mounts on the jack. This keeps the lifting tubes aligned and secured to the engine while it is lifted. You can use one lift jack for either lifting the rear wheel or the front. I use both to lift the entire bike so I can remove both wheels if I want to. When using both you can also keep the bike level if you are lifting the bike on a sloped surface like a driveway. I can take a picture and post it the next time I lift the bike.

Thank you my friend. I put my phone on the floor and took this photo of the front-bottom of my engine. Just to be 100% safe before I buy anything, are these the threaded holes you are using for the bolts? Also, I’m looking at the jack you recommended, but I’m a bit confused about the height. The video in the product description in eBay says the max height is 13.3 inches, but another photo in the same listing shows 15.7 inches. So I want double-check with you how high yours actually goes? I'd like to get as much height as possible. Lastly, what length should the M10 x 1.5 bolts be, and how much of the bolt should be sticking out once they are threaded in so they seat properly into the jack tubes? Thank youuuu!!!

 

[bdalameda]

I've never actually measured how far it lifts as I don't lift it all the way up. I'll have to check that out. I am not sure why there is a discrepancy in the measurements they show. Since this does not lift as hight as the big platform service lifts, I have a stool on wheels that I sit on when working on the bike. As far as the bolt length, a 40mm long bolt should suffice. You are not using the bolt itself to lift, the bolt is only used as a guide for the vertical tube. I only hand tighten the bolts into the threaded lift points. The tube will bottom on the surface of the engine and that is where the lifting pressure occurs. The threaded holes you show are the lifting points.

 

[DRACKO]

Thank you @bdalameda for sharing your expertise in this matter . I really appreciate the info. I ended up buying two Black Widow jacks instead of the Vevor ones because they reach a bit higher. Also, thank you so much for the tip about the lifting points and the bolts; I was originally going to buy a flat platform jack, but my bike would have been resting right on the exhaust pipes or the oil pan. That would have been a very expensive mistake!

 

[DRACKO]

Hey everyone! Quick question: I got the Black Widow jacks with saddles as @bdalameda suggested, but te bike is too low to slide them under with the saddles on. I need about 8cm of extra clearance. What are you guys using to lift the wheels before jacking it up? Are simple wood blocks enough or should I look for small ramps? Appreciate the help!

Maybe something like this could work too?

 

[Slim]

if it's of any help .. the best set-up I've used is to lift the bike was with a couple of chain blocks (on to what was an old coffee table (reinforced)) from the headstock and frame (at the back). Of course you need strong enough overhead joists etc. and I very much appreciate being able to sit and work at a comfortable height.

 

[bdalameda]

Hey everyone! Quick question: I got the Black Widow jacks with saddles as @bdalameda suggested, but te bike is too low to slide them under with the saddles on. I need about 8cm of extra clearance. What are you guys using to lift the wheels before jacking it up? Are simple wood blocks enough or should I look for small ramps? Appreciate the help!

Maybe something like this could work too?

The R18 Classic must be lower than the R18b as the jacks slide right under my bike. It only fits towards the rear by the exhaust hangers however. Have you tried having someone hold the bike straight up when you slide the jack under the bike? I would think that putting the bike on the ramp would be fine if it won't fit any other way. Maybe the Blackwidow jacks are taller than the Vevor Jacks.

 

[bdalameda]

I took my bike out yesterday and took some pictures of how I lift my R18b using the Vevor bike jacks. One picture shows the m10 X 1.5 Allen bolts inside the upright tubes with the threads sticking up. These bolts are threaded into the front of the engine lift points to keep the tubes centered to lift the front of the bike. The rear jacks use the saddles to lift the bike using the muffler hanging mounts welded to the frame. When lifted the bike is very stable. In the future I am planning to make a frame with wheels to tie the two jacks together.

Dan

 

[DRACKO]

I took my bike out yesterday and took some pictures of how I lift my R18b using the Vevor bike jacks. One picture shows the m10 X 1.5 Allen bolts inside the upright tubes with the threads sticking up. These bolts are threaded into the front of the engine lift points to keep the tubes centered to lift the front of the bike. The rear jacks use the saddles to lift the bike using the muffler hanging mounts welded to the frame. When lifted the bike is very stable. In the future I am planning to make a frame with wheels to tie the two jacks together.

Dan

@bdalameda I really appreciate you taking the time to take and share these photos! They are excellent and clearly show me exactly what I need to do. I already bought everything you recommended, and today two ramps arrived to help me get a bit more height before putting the jacks in. This weekend I’ll post some photos of the whole setup so it can serve as a reference for anyone else who might need it. Thanks again for your time and help!

 

[BER18 100]

I have been using the Kern Stabi lift from Hornig in Germany. Works even better if you buy the extra trucks. While the bike is off the ground I can roll the bike to any corner of the garage. Does not roll easily if you don't buy the multi- wheel set.

 

[bdalameda]

The Kern Stabi Lift is nice. It is expensive though and does not lift very high. The total cost of these two jacks is only around $130.00. I like having the two separate jacks as I can lift either the front or rear of the bike separately if I want to and also can use the lift on a non-level surface and keep the bike level. Being able to lift the bike around 15" also makes tire changes really easy. Using the independent jacks also makes servicing the bike easy as accessibility to the underside of the bike is quite good.

 

[skidward]

Horrible Freight has these. $230

 

[buellwinkle]

Use the Kern Stabi along with the Big Blue lift, all is well and you will enjoy lifing the bike and keeping it clean !!!

 

[DRACKO]

Hey everyone! Finally!!!!
I promised I’d give you all an update and share some pictures once I got everything settled in, so here it is! Huge shoutout to everyone who helped, especially @bdalameda.

Here is how the final setup looks:
The Two Jacks: I bought two Black Widow steel motorcycle jacks. Each one has an 1,100 lb capacity, which is plenty of strength and gives me perfect stability to lift both the front and rear of the bike safely. Highly recommended and officially approved by @bdalameda! Since my garage is tiny, these jacks are perfect because I can just stack them on top of each other on a shelf.
The Screws: I needed these specific socket head cap screws because square-headed ones won't fit into the saddle holes. These allow the jack to bottom out directly on the screws instead of the engine casing. Another great pro-tip approved by @bdalameda!
The Detachable Ramps: These raise the bike just enough to slide the jacks underneath. Since they are two-piece ramps, once the bike is up, I can remove the back section and roll the jacks right into place.
The Rubber Blocks: Perfect for placing under the kickstand so it stays at the exact same height as the wheels on the ramp.
The Rubber Mat: My garage has polished concrete, so this rubber runner gives everything a much better grip and solid support.
The Power Drill Setup: With the socket adapter set and that massive deep socket, using the power drill makes lifting the bike absolutely effortless.

I know for those with big lift systems might look a bit crazy! But with my limited space, it was the best way to go. I hope this helps anyone else tight on space who, like me, doesn't want to annoy their wife by taking over the whole garage. It houses our washer and dryer, and I only have strict authorization to use exactly half of the space. If I cross that line, my bike is definitely sleeping outside!

I'm attaching a few images so you can see it all in action. Thanks again for the incredible help, guys.