Lift bike by Skide plate??

[offcamber]

I have the ACD skid plate and was wondering if its okay to use a transmission jack to lift the bike at the rear of the skid plate where it attaches to the center stand mount. It looks like it should be sturdy enough. The weight would be evenly distributed across the plate. The reason I am asking is when the bike is on the lift I don't use the center stand....just the front wheel chock and a couple of straps. I'd like to lift the rear high enough to take the weight off the rear suspension and or remove the wheel.

Thoughts??

 

[Dogdaze]

Not really knowing the answer to the strength of the skid plate, what if you are able to place center stand on the jack (I have a platform jack that is 2" in the closed position) and then lift?

 

[offcamber]

Well if I put the center stand down then I don't need the jack....

Here is a pic of the bike on the lift....

I suppose the easy answer is to not use the wheel chock to hold the bike up..

 

[Dogdaze]

Actually I meant something like this, just to give you more clearance...

 

[offcamber]

Ahh Isee what You mean....that looks a lot like the jack I have.....I'll look into that..thanks

 

[Ironhand]

How do like that lift offcamber? I was looking at something similar, if not the same at a place in Bow, NH.

 

[Don in Lodi]

I have the ACD skid plate and was wondering if its okay to use a transmission jack to lift the bike at the rear of the skid plate where it attaches to the center stand mount. It looks like it should be sturdy enough. The weight would be evenly distributed across the plate. The reason I am asking is when the bike is on the lift I don't use the center stand....just the front wheel chock and a couple of straps. I'd like to lift the rear high enough to take the weight off the rear suspension and or remove the wheel.

Thoughts??

The ACD should be able to take the load. But, as easy as the plate is to take off, why not remove it.

 

[offcamber]

The ACD should be able to take the load. But, as easy as the plate is to take off, why not remove it.

If I remove it I will be lifting directly on the sump and or the exhaust......

 

[Don in Lodi]

Ah, I was thinking you might have something like that pancake jack Dogdaze showed us.

 

[offcamber]

Ah, I was thinking you might have something like that pancake jack Dogdaze showed us.

Yeah I see where you were going with that now.... I could do it that way. I guess if I was going to go through all that it would just be easier to put the bike on the center stand and be done with it.... I am probable over thinking it....

 

[Don in Lodi]

I've seen bikes on their stands on a lift, couldn't quite picture how it was done and keep the wheel in the chock.

 

[Dogdaze]

I've seen bikes on their stands on a lift, couldn't quite picture how it was done and keep the wheel in the chock.

The bike has a tendency to tilt / rest on the front wheel anyway, so once on the center stand, it's quite easy to slide into the chock and strap it in to secure.

 

[JRE]

Without the skidplate, it there a good surface for using a center lift? I haven't looked closely at mine but I thought the cat and exhaust ran under the bottom or would it be resting on the center stand pivot point? Someone turn their bike upside and take a pic for me )

 

[Checkswrecks]

The skid plate is sized for impact loads, and you are just going to give it a slow distributed lift? I wouldn't hesitate to put a piece of wood under the lift plate and jack that. Recognizing that my SW-Motech is not as good as your ACD, I'll tell you that I've already done this a number of times with mine. Never seen the mounting ears deform doing it.

 

[offcamber]

The bike has a tendency to tilt / rest on the front wheel anyway, so once on the center stand, it's quite easy to slide into the chock and strap it in to secure.

Not sure how easy it would be to slide it forward.... I wonder if those furniture sliders would work

I probably could adjust the front stop farther out roll it as far forward as possible then see if when I put it on the center stand it would be positioned correctly in the chock.

 

[ejy712]

I have an ACD skid plate installed. I lift my S10 on the skid plate all the time. Great for cleaning, inspection, and tire changing. I have had no problems with this damaging the skid plate. As Checkswrecks says, it's designed for impact loads, which are much higher than the weight of the bike alone. For one thing you're on it when it impacts. I used to work for Army R&D. Among other things we tested mine activations. I could generate 2000 lbs peak load by jumping on a sensor plate back when I weighed 180. Put a piece of wood on the lift if required to distribute any point loads and go for it.

 

[Dogdaze]

Not sure how easy it would be to slide it forward.... I wonder if those furniture sliders would work

I probably could adjust the front stop farther out roll it as far forward as possible then see if when I put it on the center stand it would be positioned correctly in the chock.

The only reason I say that is because mine always slides forward when trying to take it off the centerstand in the garage or on concrete unless I really give it some beans, so metal on metal should be a breeze............
I know this is obvious, but do all this while the bike ramp is in the lowered position, just saying. :lamp:

 

[markjenn]

I have the SW-Motech plate and would never remotely consider lifting the entire bike by this plate. I'm sure there are other skidplates that are stronger, but since the plate is near the CG, you're putting a full 600-lbs of load on the plate. Unless a bike has under-engine frame rails, I wouldn't attempt to lift any bike this way. And doing it while the front wheel is clamped in the chock just adds more weirdness (and probably weight) as you're attempting to pivot the bike up around the front wheel contact patch.

If the bike is on the centerstand it is a totally different story as the forces necessary to tilt the bike back (so all the weight is on the centerstand) are an order of magnitude less. I do this all the time.

Unless you have a good reason why you can't use it, I think putting the bike on the centerstand is the way to go. I have a similar lift and never have felt the the wheel chock was trustworthy enough to depend on this to keep the bike upright. Maybe a 21-inch front wheel, 220-lb MX bike, but not a 600-lb behemoth like the S10.

- Mark

 

[offcamber]

I have the SW-Motech plate and would never remotely consider lifting the entire bike by this plate. I'm sure there are other skidplates that are stronger, but since the plate is near the CG, you're putting a full 600-lbs of load on the plate. Unless a bike has under-engine frame rails, I wouldn't attempt to lift any bike this way. And doing it while the front wheel is clamped in the chock just adds more weirdness (and probably weight) as you're attempting to pivot the bike up around the front wheel contact patch.

If the bike is on the centerstand it is a totally different story as the forces necessary to tilt the bike back (so all the weight is on the centerstand) are an order of magnitude less. I do this all the time.

Unless you have a good reason why you can't use it, I think putting the bike on the centerstand is the way to go. I have a similar lift and never have felt the the wheel chock was trustworthy enough to depend on this to keep the bike upright. Maybe a 21-inch front wheel, 220-lb MX bike, but not a 600-lb behemoth like the S10.

- Mark

The ACD skid plate uses the same mounts as the center stand. So lifting directly under the mount location would create the same CG as the center stand. My question was whether the Skid plate mounts would be strong enough. As it was pointed out ( and I didn't consider this at first) the plate is designed to take an impact load which would be far greater than just the weight of the bike. The bike is always strapped down to the lift for added stability.

 

[~TABASCO~]

Any customer with our Ride On plate, your more than welcome to lift your bike under the skid plate. Use anything you like, jack, floor lift, bike floor lift, rock, stump, tree, or anything else you see fit !