Lift adapter for Roadster

[jpool]

Does anyone make a lift adapter for safely lifting both ends of a Roadster simultaneously for tire changes etc.? I tried searching some of the old threads but it sounds like the Roadster frame is slightly different from the earlier bikes, and also some of the earlier lift adapters are no longer available.

I have a basic ATV / motorcycle lift that looks like this:

And here's a picture of Roadster frame behind the oil sump:

I tried lifting the bike with the rearmost arm of the lift under the frame brackets marked in red and the front arm under the sump, but only the front tire came off the ground. I figure the lift arms should be located at the areas marked in green to find the balance point, but that would put the rear lift arm underneath the starter.

Would it be safe to put a 2x4 underneath the starter and just lift from these locations, or has anyone come up with a lift adapter that would solve the problem? If a good commercial product is available I'll probably go with that, but I'm also open to ideas on fabricating an adapter if necessary.

 

[Mittzy]

This is my jack, lugs locate inside the two lower sections (You circled in red) and I bolt the bike to the jack - Although it is rear end heavy especially with standard mufflers.
@bruce aussie has the same jack but better attaching bracket.

 

[cr0ft]

You want the adapters in the frame holes at the rear, there, just to the right of the upper red circle in the image. That's the balance point, or rather lifting there will raise the rear and put minimal weight on the front. I'd be hugely surprised if it was anything different on the R3R to the R3T in that respect. I just got a Becker-Technic stand that works like a center stand, it lifts on only those two points and the bike is balanced with the rear wheel in the air.

Lots of people have made blocks that have a pin on it, where the pin goes in the hole; there are images here of such setups. The blocks then rest on the rearmost arm of the bike lift and put most of the weight there.

Here are some - the pin goes into the hole, the flat metal part forms the lifting surface.

http://www.r3owners.net/threads/lift.15570/#post-196003

Personally, I've just spent myself out of that problem - I bought a German Kern-Stabi adapter plate. The ****ed thing cost a fortune, but it was the quickest and easiest way to get a superb lift adapter so I grinned and bore it.



It also hooks into those exakt frame holes, and I haven't seen any info anywhere that the R3 Roadster is any different to any other Rocket. The one thing to keep in mind is that newer Rockets have 9mm holes there, the older ones were 13mm or some such.

 

[CanberraR3]

I made an adapter which works fine. Piece of hardwood, 2 bits of angle, couple of high tensile bolts & nuts and some screws. And a flanged spacer I had lying around.

 

[albertaduke]

I made an adapter which works fine. Piece of hardwood, 2 bits of angle, couple of high tensile bolts & nuts and some screws. And a flanged spacer I had lying around.

those metal brackets sure looks skinny

 

[CanberraR3]

those metal brackets sure looks skinny

Maybe so but even with the full weight of the bike there's no flexing at all. Whole thing is steady and solid. They're thicker than they look in the pics - about the same as the brackets holding the wheels on the jack, and the jack's designed to take a lot more weight than the Rocket. The bike just sits there; could have used much heavier materials but no point over-engineering it.

 

[idk]

I made a bracket as a part of a paddock stand a few years back. I no longer use the paddock stand, but still use the bracket with the same type of lift as you have. Plans are here.

 

[albertaduke]

Maybe so but even with the full weight of the bike there's no flexing at all. Whole thing is steady and solid. They're thicker than they look in the pics - about the same as the brackets holding the wheels on the jack, and the jack's designed to take a lot more weight than the Rocket. The bike just sits there; could have used much heavier materials but no point over-engineering it.

good on you if they stand firm

 

[Joesmoe]

Personally, I've just spent myself out of that problem - I bought a German Kern-Stabi adapter plate. The ****ed thing cost a fortune, but it was the quickest and easiest way to get a superb lift adapter so I grinned and bore it.



It also hooks into those exakt frame holes, and I haven't seen any info anywhere that the R3 Roadster is any different to any other Rocket. The one thing to keep in mind is that newer Rockets have 9mm holes there, the older ones were 13mm or some such.

The newer bike holes are 8 mm.

What happened to your Becker ? You convinced me to get one . . . no good and you've gone to the adapter instead ?

 

[jpool]

Thanks for all the good ideas so far. I think something that attaches to those 8mm holes in the frame tabs is the way to go. My only concern is that when I tried to lift the bike with the rear arm of the jack underneath those tabs, the front arm of the jack is still under the sump and the bike feels very rear heavy. Mittzy commented on the same with his setup.

As of now I'm leaning towards making some kind of bracket that bolts to the jack and the frame holes, but allows me to position the jack a couple of inches farther back for better balance.