Motorcycle Lift Upgrades

Always room for improvement

Since this was now our third go around in fitting a bike on the lift, and have new found knowledge and experience at what works and what doesn’t, I figured we should probably do it right this time. To that end I decided to do more than just add another bike mount.

The first thing, which you have already seen, was to create new handlebars that fold so we clear the tire. That was a big one, as it basically allows much of the rest to happen. The next was to build a new motorcycle bracket assembly, and this time make it adjustable for tire width. This in case we use different tires that may have slightly different widths.

Motorcycle Mounting Assembly

First on the list of to-dos was the mounting assembly for the bike. From our previous experience, we learned what was needed not only to hold the bike in place when traveling over roads with much different qualities, but also to facilitate an easy on-loading and off-loading of the bike from the lift platform. This time we also decided to manufacture our own motorcycle bracket rather than trying to adapt a commercially sold one to fit our needs. We did that last time and it was both expensive and not very user friendly. Unfortunately, I didn’t spend much time photographing the process, but aside from cutting out the front wheel side plates with a hand held jig saw, most of it is pretty straight forward cutting and welding.

Since the addition of the top case added length to the bike, we had to relocate the position of the front wheel bracket closer to the passenger side of the platform. We wanted to try and have the tail end of the top case so it was inside the dimension of the habitat box. Although it was tight, we managed to make it happen. The weight of the bike was a little off centre, but not enough to adversely affect the lift operation. By being able to leave the top case on the bike when it’s on the lift, we eliminated the space problem of storing the top case somewhere in the truck. It also allowed us to store the helmets in the top case, on the lift, so they too didn’t have to take up space in the truck storage areas.

Securing the Motorcycle

Also learning from past experience, we know we wanted to improve the ease, and therefore, the speed at which we secured the bike to the lift. Fortunately for us, the fellow in Edmonton to whom we sold the first GSA, had held onto the special bracket I had made to mount on the bike frame and interface with the lifting post. The bracket kept the bike from pitching forward and backward as the truck accelerated or braked. The bracket was a very fussy item to make, and getting the old one back was a huge benefit for us. Much thanks to him for hanging on to it, and for sending it back to us, no questions asked. All we needed to do was trim it a bit, and then get it anodized in black so it would blend in with the bike.

The other major improvement to loading the bike on the lift was done by re-making the forward/backward pitch brace. The old one was made from aluminum, and because of this, a bolt had to be used to slide through both parts to fasten them. It was fussy, and time consuming.

The new, stainless steel brace, has a permanently welded stud on the end of it. So it just slips through the hole in the bracket with a hairpin style cotter pin to hold it place. It’s really quick, and we don’t have to worry about a nut backing off and the brace disconnecting. The big plus is that no tools are needed to mount the bike!

The added benefit of an anodized frame bracket and a stainless steel brace is that there is no worry about chipping paint on either, as the parts are connected and disconnected over years of hopeful use. This mounting design closely resembles the first R1200 GSA in that this one also takes advantage of the bike’s live suspension as it sits on the lift. When the truck goes over a nasty bump, the shock imparted to the bike, and therefore the lift itself, is greatly reduced as the bike can absorb the shock by moving up and down on its own suspension, just like it would if it was being ridden on the road.

Added Lift Security

The last upgrade we made to the motorcycle lift was a secondary set of lever clamps to hold the lift firmly in the up position. Until this point we have relied partly on the lifting post and cable to the hoist, along with a set of clamps underneath the lift platform that holds it to the back wall of the truck. The problem with the clamps is that they are pressure clamps, and are prone to being pried open. So they aren’t 100% rock solid. Having the lift also being supported by the hoist cable means that any shock to the lift will be transmitted through the cables to the hoist and its mounting system.

Since we didn’t want either of these two things happening, we finally found some robust stainless steel draw clamps that can be mounted partly to the structural channels on the back of the truck, as well as to the side plates of the lift itself. When secured, the lift is pulled into the channel and cannot be pulled away. We had to import the clamps from Britain, but it was well worth it. Not only are the clamps the higher grade 316 alloy stainless steel, but they are designed to have a safety cotter pin installed so the handle can’t somehow spring open, and they also built in a larger hole so a padlock can be installed for lockable security. Something that we haven’t had up to now. If someone was really ambitious they could have undone the lower clamps and cut the hoist cable to have the hoist come crashing down. Whether it would or not remains to be seen, since the way the lift arms work, they would probably over centre and then jamb in the up position, slightly away from the back wall. That however, would probably cause some damage that we don’t ever want to experience.