Anyone who has tried to hold their bike upright while looking into the crankcase sight glass knows that even simple tasks like checking oil level are easier if the motorcycle is held in position. While some cruisers are designed so oil level checks and even oil changes can be performed with the bike on the side stand, on most motorcycles even basic maintenance jobs like lubing the chain are difficult or downright impossible unless the bike is supported upright with one or more wheels off the ground. In this article we'll explore a wide range of motorcycle stands and lifts that will help you get the job done safely, from inexpensive jacks that get the rear wheel off the ground temporarily to sophisticated table lifts that raise the whole bike to a comfortable working height.
Dirt Bike Stands & Lifts
Dirt bikes are the lightest motorcycles and only a basic stand is needed for support. A standard dirt bike stand is a box-shaped structure with a square platform to rest the bike on. They're made of lightweight aluminum or heavy-duty plastic and typically have a rubber mat on the top to protect the bike's frame and keep it from slipping off. The Pit Posse Aluminum Stand comes in 17" tall and Mini MX 13" tall sizes. Both can support up to 350 lbs. and feature drain holes for oil changes and 4-sided internal platforms to support a drain pan, parts or tools. The 552 lb. capacity polypropylene Polisport Stand also has an oil drain hole and as a bonus it can be folded flat for compact storage.
Standard dirt bike stands are loaded using muscle power, and most riders put their bike onto the stand by grabbing the rear and leveraging the bike onto the stand with their hip and knee. But if that proves to be too difficult or you have a heavier dual sport machine, then a lift stand is a better choice. Lift stands employ a pedal and linkage for leverage, so the bike can be raised into position with your foot. The aluminum Motorsport Products P12 Lift Stand can be adjusted to 11 different height positions from 9 1/2" to 14 1/2" tall. Just adjust the height, position the stand under your bike, and push down on the foot lever. This stand features a thick oil and gas resistant protective rubber pad on top and comes in an assortment of colors.
The Ride-On Lift Stand from Risk Racing is an innovative solution for riders that struggle to get their dirt bike onto a standard stand. Just push or ride the bike onto the stand, when the front tire contacts the front of the stand, the stand will start to lift up against the underside of the bike. Then push down on the lever with your foot to finish the lifting process. The stand can be locked in the raised position and it features a rubber contact pad and oil drain hole.
Scissors And Hydraulic Jacks
If your motorcycle has a center stand, then you're already ahead of the game. With the bike on the center stand you can change fluids and check fluid levels; clean, lube and adjust the chain; replace the chain, sprockets, rear wheel bearings and brake rotor; and service the swingarm bearings and rear shock(s). But if you want to do similar work on the front wheel, like replace wheel bearings or the brake rotor, or maybe replace your fork seals, then you need to get the front wheel off the floor as well. Getting both wheels off the floor at the same time is a must if you're replacing a set of tires. You'll save money by dropping the wheels off at the bike shop for tire mounting and balancing instead of taking the bike in and having the shop do the wheel R&R.
If you can lift against the frame or something sturdy like a skid plate, then the K&L Supply MC450 Center Jack is perfect for the job. This scissors jack features a rubber pad on its 16" x 5 1/2" lifting surface, and a base width of 14". Using a socket and ratchet it can raise up to 1100 lbs. from 3 1/2" to 13". But if your bike's design won't accept a flat lifting surface, the elevated cradles on the BikeMaster Center Jack will allow you to lift directly against the frame tubes. This 1100 lb. capacity scissors jack can be raised from 3 1/2" to 16" and it comes with a hex socket handle for jack operation.
When you want to lift a typical cruiser or any other bike without a center stand, and you can lift against the frame, then a traditional hydraulic motorcycle jack like the OTC Motorcycle Lift works best. Big cruisers and tourers are heavy bikes and this jack has the 1500 lb. capacity to handle the job. Plus, it features large 17" long non-slip rubber lifting pads, a 3 1/2" to 16 3/4" lifting range, foot activated pump and release pedals, automatic safety lock, locking rear casters, and a removable handle. When raising a heavy motorcycle on this type of jack, the bike should be secured in place with tie-down straps, especially if the bike will be moved while on the jack, and several sturdy metal loops are provided on the jack frame for use as anchor points. You'll find many types of tie-downs, including handlebar harnesses, extensions, protective sleeves and more in the Motorcycle Tie-Downs & Straps section of our Motorcycle Stands & Lifts department.
Sport Bike Stands & Lifts
With easily crushed or damaged bits like exhaust pipes and fairing and engine parts on their undersides, and no center stands, sport bikes present unique lifting challenges and several types of stands have been developed to meet the servicing needs of these machines. Most stands have been designed specifically to raise the front or rear wheel, and they should be used together to lift the entire bike. And although these stands were created primarily for sport bikes, they can be used on other motorcycles like adventure bikes with similar lifting requirements.
Rear
Without a center stand, even simple maintenance tasks like lubing and adjusting your chain can become tedious chores. But not when you have the BikeMaster Liftstick or Tirox V2 Snap Jack! These inexpensive and easy-to-use jacks are designed for use with your bike on the side stand. They'll lift the swingarm just enough to get the rear wheel off the ground for drive chain maintenance.
But when you're engaging in more extensive service like removing the rear wheel, you need more substantial support, and your stand choice will depend on your bike's swingarm design, conventional or single-sided. Stands for traditional swingarms support the bike with padded tabs that lift under the swingarm at each side or with hooks that engage spools threaded into bosses on the swingarm. Just engage the tabs or hooks at the swingarm or spools, then push down on the handle to raise the bike until the handle is on the floor. The handle grips are angled so you won't pinch your fingers between the handle and the floor.
Spools are year, make and model specific, so you must make sure you have the right ones for your bike if you want to use a spool-type stand. Spools also help protect the swingarm if you go down and you'll find a large selection of Sliders & Spools in the Guards & Protection section of our Motorcycle Accessories department. If you have bikes with spools and others that may not have provisions for them the Pit Posse Sportbike Rear Stand has you covered. Made of heavy-duty 1.5" O.D. 15-gauge steel this stand features both spool hooks and paddles and it adjusts from 8 3/4" to 13 3/4" to fit a wide range of swingarms.
A single sided swingarm rear stand lifts the motorcycle via a pin that fits into the rear axle, but just like the conventional stand, it has wheels and a handle for leverage while lifting. The PSR Single Sided Swingarm Rear Stand is reversible to allow easy wheel, chain and sprocket maintenance. It has an extra-long handle for easy leverage and comes with 5 different size axle pins.
Front
We showed you the rear stands first because the motorcycle should always be supported at the rear before using a front stand. There are two types of front stands, those that lift the front of the bike from underneath the fork legs and those that lift the bike at the steering head. A fork lift stand works fine if you just want to do wheel related service, although, depending on the design of the forks, you may have to loosen the axle pinch bolts first because you may not have access to them with the stand in place. However, if you want to perform fork maintenance or repair, you'll need a steering head lift stand.
Front fork stands like the Vortex Front Fork Lift Stand support the bottom of the fork legs on rubber-covered swivel pins. The front of the bike is raised in the same way as a rear stand, just make sure the swivel pins are centered to properly cradle the forks, so the bike won't slip off the stand. The Vortex stand is compact, so it won't get in your way, and it features heavy-duty steel tubing, sealed bearing 4 1/4" quad wheels, and a pivot angle that's optimized for easy lifting. A steering head lift stand has a pin that fits inside the steering head. Some front stands, like the PSR Triple Tree Or Fork Lift Stand, come with both setups, so you can raise your bike by the forks or steering head, according to your motorcycle servicing needs. The steering head pins are year, make and model specific, and pins are available for most popular bikes.
Frame
Frame stands and lifts are alternatives that increase your bike service options and allow maintenance and repair that aren't possible when using front and rear stands. For example, since the motorcycle is supported at the swingarm, you can't work on the suspension and swingarm when using a rear swingarm stand. But with the Sport Jack Kit for the K&L MC450 scissors jack shown earlier, the motorcycle is raised and supported at openings in the frame, allowing unobstructed access for rear wheel, suspension and swingarm service.
The versatile and affordable PSR Service Jack Stands can support the bike at the frame sliders for front end service or at the foot peg brackets for rear end service. These stands are solely for support in a desired position, and the bike must be properly raised with a swingarm jack before they're installed. The PSR stands are ideal for front fork service and rear suspension and swingarm service.
But perhaps the most innovative frame stand available today is the Bursig Center Lift Stand. This universal stand lifts and supports the entire motorcycle at one side of the frame. The bikes that this stand is designed for have super-strong trellis or box section steel or aluminum frames that are more than up for the job. The stand attaches to the motorcycle with a model specific adapter plate. Your choice of adapter plate comes with the stand and adapter plates are available for most popular sport bikes, sport tourers, adventure bikes and naked bikes. Once the adapter and stand are in place, just push down on the handle to raise the bike until the lock pin pops in and holds the bike in the elevated position. The galvanized and powder coated stand comes in your choice of white, red, orange or black, and it rolls on four dual wheel locking casters.
Motorcycle Lift Tables
If you do a lot of motorcycle work, you know how tiresome it can be getting up and down off the floor every time you need a tool, and the level of discomfort that arises from having to bend down or kneel or lay on the floor to access components increases proportionately with age. You'll have a lot more fun in your shop and be more productive if you bring the motorcycle up to a comfortable working height with a Motorcycle Lift Table.
Once exclusive to motorcycle shops, motorcycle lift tables are large scissors jacks with room on the table for an entire motorcycle. They range from basic but very affordable 1000-1200 lb. capacity air lifts to heavy-duty 2000 lb. capacity electric/hydraulic tables like the K&L Supply MC655R Heavy-Duty 29.5" x 86.5" Hydraulic Lift. Available in your choice of black, red/gray, blue/gray, and black/orange, this lift can be raised to 48" and features front and rear drop panels for easy wheel removal and installation, a 5-position automatic locking system, a standard loading ramp, and anchors for tie-down straps to secure the motorcycle. This table and similar tables can be equipped with optional equipment like a wheel chock or wheel vise and front, rear and side table extensions that enable ATV and golf cart servicing.
Cycle Dollies & Wheel Chocks
Motorcycles don't take up as much room as cars do in a garage, but when you need every inch of space even a bike can present a problem if you can't get it far enough into a corner or as close to the wall as possible. When you've got to tuck your bike into a tight space, a cycle dolly is the answer. With its 1500 lb. capacity, the Cycle Dolly from Auto Dolly can handle any bike including the largest and heaviest touring bikes. The deep V-channel helps to hold even the widest tires securely in position and it's only 3/4" off the ground for easy loading. The side stand plate is adjustable to suit any bike's side stand position and the 10-ball bearing swivel casters allow the bike to be moved with ease when it's aboard the dolly.
A wheel chock is another bike storage solution because it holds the bike upright, so it takes up less room than it would resting on the side stand. A ride-on chock like the one from Condor Lift has a pivoting cradle that locks the wheel and the entire motorcycle in position. It's not only great for storage, it also makes it easy to check fluid levels, perform maintenance, and easily get at the nooks and crannies on both sides of the bike when you're washing it. The Condor Lift Chock can also be mounted on a trailer or truck bed for secure bike transport.
The motorcycle stands & lifts we've shown you in this article are just an overview of what is available, and we invite you to check out all the stands, lifts, tie downs & straps, dollies, and wheel chocks in this web site. Safety should always come first when working on your motorcycle, but especially when you're lifting it off the wheels. We recommend that high-torque fasteners like axle nuts be loosened before lifting the motorcycle, to prevent toppling the bike off the stand.