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Rolling your bike(s) around the garage

SilverGirl

Rapunzel
I know that there is equipment out there that enables a person to roll one's bike around in the garage. I've seen them at vendors at the National rally, I've seen them written up in the Owners News. Both were quite some time ago for me so remembering product names is not going to happen for this person. I've had garages/storage sheds of several varying degrees of ease of getting the bike in and out. The garage I have now has a very nice smooth almost new cement floor - the kind where if it's wet you want to watch your step. And it's about 1 & 1/3 cars wide. I'd really like to find one of those rolling bike equipment thingies (a technical term, I know, but stay with me) so that I can easily snug the bike into it's resting space. I am not looking for a lift for maintenance/repair work on the bike. I have a 2004 R1150R set up for touring. It's around the 500 pound mark (a bit less) and I am not a real large person and am coming off a reverse total shoulder replacement. Just to add to the fun the bike suspension is 2" lower than stock so I can't get the bike onto it's center stand. So, I don't want to deal with the lovely cement floor muscling the bike around and would really prefer get something that will let me roll the bike around the garage. I simply don't trust the floor surface. I've done a cursory search on the forum to see if I can find chatter about this sort of equipment to use in the garage and came up with not a lot. What do others have that fill the need to push the bike around the garage?

[OP edit]: Anyone have one of these?

https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/motorcycle-atv/1500-lb-steel-atvmotorcycle-lift-60536.html

Thanks in advance!

Louise
 
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I believe you are remembering a Park and Move. (https://wingstuff.com/product/product-review-park-n-move-wheeled-motorcycle-dolly) I have one and had three at one point. It works very well for what you want to do. It can be a bit difficult to get the bike up on its center stand on the Park and Move, particularly if the the bike is lowered version. If you normally struggle to get your bike on the center stand, then you can count on it being worse when using a Park and Move.
 
Harbor freight has a roll on motorcycle dolly that may work better for just moving a bike around the shop. I had one in the shop for a few years. I also have the lift you are considering which I use for quick servicing. If the bike is not on the centre stand it will require you to balance the bike while setting it to lift the bike and you should strap the bike on the lift to ensure the bike will not shift while you move it around the garage. Balance can be difficult if you are on your own. I also have two of the rolling units Kevin refers to and agree it can be difficult to get a bike on to it without help and this difficulty will increase with the centre stand on a lowered bike. I have read where some riders roll the back wheel on to a 2x6 to raise the height of the bike to make it easier to deploy the stand but this can be difficult without assistance. The roll on dolly allows you to push the bike onto it.. put the side stand down and is relatively easy to move around. Have someone with you when you assemble the dolly to help balance the bike when you initially set the location for the centre stand. My 2 cents...
 
Louise,

The Harbor Freight lift that you referred to is not intended for moving the bike around as the bike just balances (sort of) on the two bars when it is lifted. The center of gravity is way too high and the base is too small to be doing much moving around. It is made to lift the bike for maintenance. I would not recommend it for your application.

I have two of these and almost never use them as the bike doesn’t feel as stable as I would want. I have a good imagination and all I think about is all the ways that things could go wrong when using these (even with the bike securely strapped to the lift). I finally bought one of their lifts for maintenance.:thumb


The type of dolly that 81twins referred to is specifically made to do what you want. I’m just not familiar how well it accomplishes the task. https://www.harborfreight.com/low-profile-motorcycle-dolly-95896.html




:dance:dance:dance
 
Here is my advice. The Park and Move might be great but is hard to get the bike up on it. So get a couple of two by sixes about 18 inches long. Cut the leading edge of each at about a 30 degree angle. Position them so they are the distance between your axles apart. Park the bike on the side stand just ready to climb up on the 2 x 6's. Position the park and move where it will be under the center stand when the tires are on the 2 x 6's. Roll the bike forward and lower the center stand onto the park and move. Roll the bike sideways to its spot in the garage. You might find that 1 x 6 boards will work better unless the bike has been lowered.

Kevin: am I nuts?????
 
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Something else to think about Louise, is to have your stands shortened. Maybe someone in your area, another rider, has the tools and skill to help you with this. Maybe a nearby machine shop could help. This wouldn’t take care of your original problem but may help you find a solution. Good luck 😉.
 
A bike that’s hard to get on the centerstand, combined with recent shoulder surgery, does not sound like a good combination for any roll-around that requires a centerstand. I seem to recall a vendor at Great Falls pitching a dolly rail, but can’t recall the vendor or product names. A quick interweb search pulled up these examples—a bit spendier than one might like, but gets around the centerstand issue.

Best,
DeVern
 
Louise,

The Harbor Freight lift that you referred to is not intended for moving the bike around as the bike just balances (sort of) on the two bars when it is lifted. The center of gravity is way too high and the base is too small to be doing much moving around. It is made to lift the bike for maintenance. I would not recommend it for your application.

I have two of these and almost never use them as the bike doesn’t feel as stable as I would want. I have a good imagination and all I think about is all the ways that things could go wrong when using these (even with the bike securely strapped to the lift). I finally bought one of their lifts for maintenance.:thumb


The type of dolly that 81twins referred to is specifically made to do what you want. I’m just not familiar how well it accomplishes the task. https://www.harborfreight.com/low-profile-motorcycle-dolly-95896.html

:dance:dance:dance

Thanks for your thoughts! I had not considered the points you make. So, I’ve kept looking. Harbor Freight does seem to have some really nifty stuff. I could quite easily bankrupt myself buying stuff from them. (Same is true for me of hardware stores.)

Yes, this one is sort of OK.

Motorcycle dolly_HarborFreight01R.jpg

What I don't like about it, even doing the things that Paul Glaves suggested, is the very fact of it being so minimalist. I would have trouble with this dolly logistically.

I like the one below better but the price is something else!:

motorcycle dolly_HarborFreight01.jpg

Thoughts on this one though?

I like the concept of the next one below, too, but I think it is two separate items that I would then have to get put together. I think it’s the above lift with the accessory bolted to it.

MC_Screenshot_dolly03.jpg

Lucky for me there is a Harbor Freight location near where I live so I’m thinking I will go visit them. (Ignore the crying noises! It’s just my credit card complaining like a toddler.)

Louise (I'm not really familiar with adding pictures on this forum so please pardon the sloppiness.)
 

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A bike that’s hard to get on the centerstand, combined with recent shoulder surgery, does not sound like a good combination for any roll-around that requires a centerstand.

Exactly. Shoulder is OK now (2 surgeries later...!) but I don't really want to test it trying to catch my bike.

~L
 
I think you nailed it with the motorcycle dolly. I have the lift you show and I would never attempt to use it to move a motorcycle around in my garage.

Doug
 
Something else to think about Louise, is to have your stands shortened. Maybe someone in your area, another rider, has the tools and skill to help you with this. Maybe a nearby machine shop could help. This wouldn’t take care of your original problem but may help you find a solution. Good luck ��.

I'd love to have that done! So far, no one I've asked thinks it doable. It's a crowded neighborhood where the center stand lives. As it is, I have to have boots that are the thin-soled variety because the space available to get my foot into to operate the shifter is pretty tight. The other problem is the tab on the center stand that sticks out perpendicularly from the stand. The thought is there is no room for it if you cut the stands down. I keep thinking that I just have to find someone who can think outside the box to find a solution for this. Even with them shortened, though, I think I would have a tough time getting the bike onto it. My back does not like that particular sort of movement.

~L
 
Here is my advice. The Park and Move might be great but is hard to get the bike up on it. So get a couple of two by sixes about 18 inches long. Cut the leading edge of each at about a 30 degree angle. Position them so they are the distance between your axles apart. Park the bike on the side stand just ready to climb up on the 2 x 6's. Position the park and move where it will be under the center stand when the tires are on the 2 x 6's. Roll the bike forward and lower the center stand onto the park and move. Roll the bike sideways to its spot in the garage. You might find that 1 x 6 boards will work better unless the bike has been lowered.

Kevin: am I nuts?????

Bike has been lowered 2 inches. I would be very nervous using the Park and Move that the H-D is shown on. I live on my own and the visions of falling off that gives me the willies. But I do appreciate the thinking!

~L
 
I have two of this type that go under the center stand. don't need them anymore. lol...obviously as I am only using this one to store and move 275lbs of ballast for my race car. if anyone is in the DC/VA/MD area you can have one for a six pack of good IPA. they need to find new homes...



 
Bike has been lowered 2 inches. I would be very nervous using the Park and Move that the H-D is shown on. I live on my own and the visions of falling off that gives me the willies. But I do appreciate the thinking!

~L

I had my K100 lowered half an inch and without a 1” board under the rear tire, for me, a reasonably fit (but now shorter) old man, it was impossible for to put it on the centre stand. I can’t imagine putting a bike lowered 2” on to its’ centre stand, never mind a dolly that would make it an interesting feat each time when taking it off.

Louise, possibly your best option is the Harbor Freight low profile dolly for moving the bike around in the garage. Having said that I would also find someone who is able cut your centre stand and able put the foot tag where it will still function as intended. Having had my stand cut made putting my lowered bike onto its’ stand effortless. Having a functioning centre stand most likely would not help moving the bike around the garage but certainly has other advantages.
 
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