ST1300 on an Abba Sky Lift
Henry, it really comes down to what you want it for and how often you'll use it.
If just for tire changes, a simple bottle jack, or any jack for that matter, to slightly lift up the front tire by using the bottom of the engine will be fine - maybe a board there to keep from damaging the fins on the engine.
For working on the bike pretty much all other lifts will be good enough but if you know a table lift is not what you want due to space - same reason I went with the Abba Skylift.
The Skylift is pretty awesome. You can easily move the bike while on the lift and some will use it for bike storage by keeping the safety peg in the desired location and then opening the jack so it's not under pressure. The rollers look questionable at first but they do a great job and the whole thing, with bike on it, moves around easily.
It makes it very easy to clean the bike. This isn't as high as it will go but is easily moveable and easy for replacing tires/wheels. You will have to call them for the ST1300 adapter, you can see the gold part pushed into the frame - that is different based on different bikes.
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It is tricky when you first start to put the bike on the lift, I think all lifts have a level of risk, you have to balance the bike with side stand up and maneuver the lift aligning the adapter into your bike. Once you do that side and make sure the lift wheels are locked, you have to carefully walk around the bike while keeping some pressure towards the lift and attache the other side on. That is the most precarious part of this as you feel you can easily drop the bike but once you do it a couple of times you get more comfortable with the process. Obviously, taking it off the lift is similar but in reverse.
I like that if I'm in a middle of a tire change and found I put the bike in the wrong spot for the work, I can just move it around - wheels on or off.
I don't know if I'll use it for valve checks as I've never seen the benefit if everything being at eye level and can do one just as easily with the bike on the centerstand.
That is true for ANYTHINGYeah, the Canadian price quickly gets scary... LOL
My neighbour had one of these and we placed it under my ST a few years back to see if it would work. There was no place to situate the lifting pads that wouldnt damage the plastic underneath. I dont know if it would have worked if I had removed the lower fairings. I wasnt interested in trying as I felt that the bike would not have been stable, perched on top of it.Bought what seems to be a pretty good used hydraulic MC jack; Torin seems to be the brand [embossed on the foot pedal] measures almost 13" across the outside edges of the two parallel pads and about 11 3/4" along the rubber inserts between the small diameter rods. The two white knobs are for adjusting the caster height of the outriggers that hinge out, no means to lock them in place once they're out. Two fixed [straight] position steel wheels and two swivel steel castors, seems to roll nice on concrete with nothing on it. There's a pair of stakes which sequentially drop and drag back out of the first four of five slots to lock it up should the hydraulic leak down. Rated for 1,500 lbs, found it listed new for [works out to] about $350.00 Canadian, paid $75.00.
I wonder if anyone has one of these and if it would work for lifting an ST1300.
I wonder if anyone has one of these and if it would work for lifting an ST1300.
Got pictures, and/or a video of the build? A lot of us are time rich and money poor, and it sounds like a good project! I recall thinking that it would be interesting to build one when I saw Mellow's Skylift. Thanks!About two years ago I got photos of the Abba Skylift.
I bought wheels with locks, a long travel ram and some 1.12x1.25 tubing and built one (copy).
A little shaky at first mount ,but, once attached rock steady.
Front wheel up, whole bike up or rear wheel up.