Tag Archives: Harbor Freight

A Busy Time at Motopsyco’s Asylum

Posted on by Motopsycho

Boy life has been running wide open these last few weeks, There have been a few ups and downs but overall more ups than downs, so if you hear me complaining, just ignore me things are actually pretty good around here.
In my professional life (the one that pays the bills since I seem to be unable to sell enough motorcycle parts to survive) the last few weeks, my spare time has been devoted to studying to take the Certified Solidworks Associate exam and this past Saturday I took the test and passed it! So now in addition to my other software skills & certifications I am now also certified for Solidworks 3D CAD as well.

<Solidworks CSWA>

A couple of weeks ago I was trying to change out a 20 year old motorcycle tire when I bent a top of the line name brand made in U.S.A. tire iron. Instead of taking this as a warning I continued try to wrestle with the ancient rubber until I pulled a muscle in my shoulder.

<not supposed to happen>

So I decided at last to try to buy a manual tire changer. My Dad already had the Harbor Freight cheapie car tire changer that he used to change his truck, lawnmower, & small tractor tires and was very happy with it. He finally got himself a new truck and decided last week that being 72 years old, he didn’t want to fix his own tires anymore, and sent the tire changer home with me. I ran up to my local store and grabbed the motorcycle tire attachment. Unfortunately as delivered out of the box with the changes that have been made to the rim clamps on this latest redesign, it was useless. It might be capable of mounting a fresh new tire without modifications, but if you are like me and frequently deal with the treasures, (‘er junk heaps) that you have dragged up from old barns, cow pastures, and junkyards then it won’t be of much use to you either.

<needs serious improvement>

Since the next cheapest manual motorcycle tire changer I could find was 600 bucks it’s time to order a few parts & make a few changes. I will post more about those adventures later after I get all the parts in and put it all together. In the meantime I broke out my reciprocating saw and took care of the next pesky tire.

<I like cutting up>

I like cutting up

We are heading into the heart of motorcycle show & rally season now here in the southeast, The Myrtle Beach Hog Rally, and Atlantic Beach Bikefest are the two biggies along the coast. For the vintage & antique bike lover, this weekend (May 2, 2015) in Panama City, Florida is Bikes on the Beach, in Spencer, North Carolina is the Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show, followed in two weeks by the AMCA Southern National Meet in Denton N.C.

<Carolina Classic Motorcycle Show>

Have fun & I hope to see you on the road!

Good & Cheap! The Harbor Freight Motorcycle Rear Wheel Stand

Posted on by Motopsycho

I’ve had this for a couple of weeks now and so far so good! What prompted me to buy this thing was believe it or not a craigslist ad. Some guy had a used one that he was trying to sell for $30, but it turns out a new one is only $35 bucks at the regular retail price (in October 2013) and since it is getting nearly impossible to find a motorcycle with a center stand on it I decided to try this one out. I wanted one with the paddles on it so that I could use it for the greatest variety of motorcycles possible.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

Haul Master Model 65620

Here is how it came from the store, bubble wrap & packing tape.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

It only took my lovely assistant a minute or two to unwrap it and put it together for me.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

According to the paperwork that was taped to it it is rated at 1000 pounds capacity! If you have a thousand pound motorcycle don’t bring it to my shop, I don’t want to deal with it. It is obviously cheap and looks it. The only thing that really concerns me is the wheels are kind of lightweight looking but I guess as long as I don’t throw it against the wall or smack the wheels with a hammer they will be okay.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear tire lift >

For the first test lift I stuck it under just the kind of motorcycle it was designed for, a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja. Easy enough, to use and stable even outside on the grass.

<ex250 ninja on harbor freight swingarm stand>

An inexpensive motorcycle on a cheap stand!

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

Some exhaust systems can interfere with universal paddle stands. This is why most people whom have a single motorcycle, and race teams use stands with spools but for me there is no telling what I will be working on next so the most universal fit possible is what I am after.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

A shot of the ground clearance with this bike.

If you have a vintage bike with round swing arm tubes this stand will work on those as well, if you have enough clearance around the exhaust system, such as the high mounted mufflers on this 1971 CL450.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

Lets try this out with an old motorcycle.

Properly adjusted it is sturdy enough that I feel safe using it to work on motorcycles with.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

If your vintage bike has low exhaust pipes this stand probably won’t work for you.

Just for shits & giggles I took a picture of it holding up an old dirt bike too.

<Motorcycle swingarm rear lift & stand>

It worked great for this old dirt bike.

Let’s be honest here, it is cheap, and as far as looks and finish go, it is not in the same ball park as some of the really expensive stands  out there, but to me function is king. It has turned out to be safe & useful so I really don’t care if the paint fades or if the rubber coating on the paddles gets a crack or two in it, just as long as it holds up motorcycles like it is supposed to. And if it ever fails at that job, I’ll be sure to come back here and let you know what happened.

Peace Y’all