Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:34 pm**

Why do you guys keep doing things the hard way? 1. Lean KLR against inside of garage door. 2. Hook a tie-down from each side of the handlebar to the waist-high handle on the inside of the garage door. Pull enough slack through the friction clamp on both tie downs to leave about 4' of hook-to-hook length on each tie-down. 3. Attach a tie down from each side of the luggage rack to the same handle on the garage door. Leave these about 8" longer than the straps on the handle bar. 4. Hit the button on the garage door opener. The garage door will raise, taking the slack out of the tie downs. Then the KLR will be gracefully lifted and moved it to a point in the middle-front of the garage where it is suspended for your convenience: inside where it's nice and dry, but close to the garage opening where the light from outside is still good. Depending on your particular garage characteristics, you may need to experiment with the starting lengths of the tie-downs for optimum resulting height once the bike is lifted. Took me a time or two before I got the bike perfectly level and the height off the floor I wanted. Just mark your tie downs with a Sharpie once you're happy and you're good to go from there on out. There are many benefits to this approach. First, in true KLR fashion, its dirt cheap and dead easy. No heavy and expensive lift to buy (or store when you're not using), and we all have several clamp-type tie downs in our motorcyce gear. You get unobstructed access to all sides of the KLR for most general maintenance needs, and you can drain the oil without spilling it all over a mechanical lift. Wheels can be pulled without any worry of unbalancing - the motorcycle will automatically adjust its position as its fore-aft center of gravity changes. Being suspended by a single point, you can also pivot the motorcycle around the vertical axis at will, but if you spin it around, don't let go or it will swing back with enough energy to get your attention. I solved this problem by using a chain swivel from Smith Fastener snapped to the garage door handle with two carabiners. http://www.smithfast.com/iichain.htm> Now I can swing it around and it stays there. No more dragging tools from one side of the bike to the other - the side of the bike I want comes to me. Need to close the garage door before you're finished working? No problem. Just hit the button. The moving door will gently deposit the KLR on the floor at the front of the garage, and half the time it will lean against the door by itself. Just be ready to lean it in the proper direction if it tries to tilt away from the door as the tires or frame touch the floor. Piece of cake. I've only run into two drawbacks with this setup. First, sometimes a second set of hands is required to steady the bike if you're trying to break loose a large, difficult fastener or assembly The bike will move around on you if you't not thinking things through. Second, and not least, unplug the garage door opener while the bike is suspended and you're working on it. You don't want the wife clicking the button on her remote control as she turns the corner towards the driveway assuming the door is down. DAMHIKIJKOK. Steve Hangin' loose in Norman, OK

---- Tengai Mark Van Horn wrote: For me, the main reason for needing a bike lift is to get the wheels off the ground. For that, $69 at PepBoys does the trick. The lift below doesn't appear to accomplish that task. Mark At 01:50 PM 2/23/2007, you wrote:

>One of my friends attended the large m/c trade show in Indianapolis >last week and was telling me about the lift below: > >I just checked and shipping to Ohio would be $100. Still, it's hard to >believe you can buy something this involved for $300 delivered! > >http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/SBL-800-Motorcycle-Lift-p/ht1001.htm

Posted: **Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:21 pm**

Thanks for all the suggestions. The platform lifts are really interesting and have good prices, but I am space limited. Maybe when I move in a couple of years I'll have room for one. Right now, I've settled for the inexpensive Sears lift. I've seen a few minor complaints and some remedies on the internet. I really appreciate all of ya'lls comments. Steve in Niceville. and I'd love to have one--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, wrote:

> > > Why do you guys keep doing things the hard way? > > 1. Lean KLR against inside of garage door. > 2. Hook a tie-down from each side of the handlebar to the waist-

high handle on the inside of the garage door. Pull enough slack through the friction clamp on both tie downs to leave about 4' of hook-to-hook length on each tie-down.

> 3. Attach a tie down from each side of the luggage rack to the

same handle on the garage door. Leave these about 8" longer than the straps on the handle bar.

> 4. Hit the button on the garage door opener. > > The garage door will raise, taking the slack out of the tie downs.

Then the KLR will be gracefully lifted and moved it to a point in the middle-front of the garage where it is suspended for your convenience: inside where it's nice and dry, but close to the garage opening where the light from outside is still good. Depending on your particular garage characteristics, you may need to experiment with the starting lengths of the tie-downs for optimum resulting height once the bike is lifted. Took me a time or two before I got the bike perfectly level and the height off the floor I wanted. Just mark your tie downs with a Sharpie once you're happy and you're good to go from there on out.

> > There are many benefits to this approach. First, in true KLR

fashion, its dirt cheap and dead easy. No heavy and expensive lift to buy (or store when you're not using), and we all have several clamp-type tie downs in our motorcyce gear. You get unobstructed access to all sides of the KLR for most general maintenance needs, and you can drain the oil without spilling it all over a mechanical lift. Wheels can be pulled without any worry of unbalancing - the motorcycle will automatically adjust its position as its fore-aft center of gravity changes.

> > Being suspended by a single point, you can also pivot the

motorcycle around the vertical axis at will, but if you spin it around, don't let go or it will swing back with enough energy to get your attention. I solved this problem by using a chain swivel from Smith Fastener snapped to the garage door handle with two carabiners. http://www.smithfast.com/iichain.htm>

> Now I can swing it around and it stays there. No more dragging

tools from one side of the bike to the other - the side of the bike I want comes to me.

> > Need to close the garage door before you're finished working? No

problem. Just hit the button. The moving door will gently deposit the KLR on the floor at the front of the garage, and half the time it will lean against the door by itself. Just be ready to lean it in the proper direction if it tries to tilt away from the door as the tires or frame touch the floor. Piece of cake.

> > I've only run into two drawbacks with this setup. First, sometimes

a second set of hands is required to steady the bike if you're trying to break loose a large, difficult fastener or assembly The bike will move around on you if you't not thinking things through. Second, and not least, unplug the garage door opener while the bike is suspended and you're working on it. You don't want the wife clicking the button on her remote control as she turns the corner towards the driveway assuming the door is down. DAMHIKIJKOK.

> > Steve > Hangin' loose in Norman, OK > > > > ---- Tengai Mark Van Horn wrote: > For me, the main reason for needing a bike lift is to get the

wheels

> off the ground. For that, $69 at PepBoys does the trick. The lift > below doesn't appear to accomplish that task. > > Mark > > At 01:50 PM 2/23/2007, you wrote: > >One of my friends attended the large m/c trade show in Indianapolis > >last week and was telling me about the lift below: > > > >I just checked and shipping to Ohio would be $100. Still, it's

hard to

> >believe you can buy something this involved for $300 delivered! > > > >http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/SBL-800-Motorcycle-Lift-

p/ht1001.htm

>

Posted: **Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:24 pm**

What a remarkable imagination you must have! Never would I have thought of that, but then I hardly trust my garage door to hold up it's own weight, much less a KLR650. It would be a death wish. Steve in Niceville

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, wrote: > > > Why do you guys keep doing things the hard way? > > 1. Lean KLR against inside of garage door. > 2. Hook a tie-down from each side of the handlebar to the waist- high handle on the inside of the garage door. Pull enough slack through the friction clamp on both tie downs to leave about 4' of hook-to-hook length on each tie-down. > 3. Attach a tie down from each side of the luggage rack to the same handle on the garage door. Leave these about 8" longer than the straps on the handle bar. > 4. Hit the button on the garage door opener. > > The garage door will raise, taking the slack out of the tie downs. Then the KLR will be gracefully lifted and moved it to a point in the middle-front of the garage where it is suspended for your convenience: inside where it's nice and dry, but close to the garage opening where the light from outside is still good. Depending on your particular garage characteristics, you may need to experiment with the starting lengths of the tie-downs for optimum resulting height once the bike is lifted. Took me a time or two before I got the bike perfectly level and the height off the floor I wanted. Just mark your tie downs with a Sharpie once you're happy and you're good to go from there on out. > > There are many benefits to this approach. First, in true KLR fashion, its dirt cheap and dead easy. No heavy and expensive lift to buy (or store when you're not using), and we all have several clamp-type tie downs in our motorcyce gear. You get unobstructed access to all sides of the KLR for most general maintenance needs, and you can drain the oil without spilling it all over a mechanical lift. Wheels can be pulled without any worry of unbalancing - the motorcycle will automatically adjust its position as its fore-aft center of gravity changes. > > Being suspended by a single point, you can also pivot the motorcycle around the vertical axis at will, but if you spin it around, don't let go or it will swing back with enough energy to get your attention. I solved this problem by using a chain swivel from Smith Fastener snapped to the garage door handle with two carabiners. http://www.smithfast.com/iichain.htm> > Now I can swing it around and it stays there. No more dragging tools from one side of the bike to the other - the side of the bike I want comes to me. > > Need to close the garage door before you're finished working? No problem. Just hit the button. The moving door will gently deposit the KLR on the floor at the front of the garage, and half the time it will lean against the door by itself. Just be ready to lean it in the proper direction if it tries to tilt away from the door as the tires or frame touch the floor. Piece of cake. > > I've only run into two drawbacks with this setup. First, sometimes a second set of hands is required to steady the bike if you're trying to break loose a large, difficult fastener or assembly The bike will move around on you if you't not thinking things through. Second, and not least, unplug the garage door opener while the bike is suspended and you're working on it. You don't want the wife clicking the button on her remote control as she turns the corner towards the driveway assuming the door is down. DAMHIKIJKOK. > > Steve > Hangin' loose in Norman, OK > > > > ---- Tengai Mark Van Horn wrote: > For me, the main reason for needing a bike lift is to get the wheels > off the ground. For that, $69 at PepBoys does the trick. The lift > below doesn't appear to accomplish that task. > > Mark > > At 01:50 PM 2/23/2007, you wrote: > >One of my friends attended the large m/c trade show in Indianapolis > >last week and was telling me about the lift below: > > > >I just checked and shipping to Ohio would be $100. Still, it's hard to > >believe you can buy something this involved for $300 delivered! > > > >http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/SBL-800-Motorcycle-Lift- p/ht1001.htm >

Posted: **Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:30 pm**

Friends, I thought we had a 'for sale' page, but don't see it so here's the note. After three years of easy and fun riding, am selling my 2003 KLR 650. In Tallahassee, FL, Condition is excellent, dropped twice at standstill (stories if interested), no dents, scruffs, etc., as close to new showroom as a 2003 could be without sitting still the whole time. has 4400 miles, really cared for (various oil changes) and fresh rear tire/Yuasa battery. I'm looking for $3350 for the bike, also have tall screen and Kawi. bags available. It's been great and a real pang to part with, but got a new street ride and just ready for a change (my wife thinks I'm crazy, and of course I am!). Larry K.:email direct lkrieger@...

Wilsons Sandbox

klr for sale, southeast

lift? what lift? i gotcher lift riiight here

lift? what lift? i gotcher lift riiight here

lift? what lift? i gotcher lift riiight here

klr for sale, southeast