Sliding off floor lift (GAH!) - What do you do to keep your Spyder from sliding off the jack?

[Gwolf]

If you can afford a Spyder, you certainly can afford a stealer (dealer) to work on it for you. Ambulance trips and hospital stays are just too damn expensive these days.

If I trusted them I might let them work on my Spyder. I worked in Machine Shops and chemical plant shops for decades. There is a safe way to do anything you need to do to a Spyder. I have my own shop and the tools I need to do the work without getting hurt. I work on everything from farm tractors, trucks, mowers, and motorcycles. The only times I was ever hurt working in a shop is when somebody on the other side of the shop did something foolish and broken parts came flying across the shop. I have tractors, a truck, and mowers bought brand new that never went back to the dealership for anything. Some are 25 or 30 years old. Anything a dealership can work on, I can work on. I do not work by the hour. I don't need to rush any job. If I don't already have the manuals, I get them. I care more about the quality of the work being done on my machines, than any paid dealership grease monkey. It is not about having the money to pay the dealership, it is about the quality of the work. When I am no longer able to do my own work, I will get rid of the machine, whatever it might be.

 

[UtahPete]

Did you have the rear tire chocked with the rubber wedge chocks? How could it move? If you need to put a strap around the bottom, flat sides of the wedges and ratchet them together more. You can actually ratchet the rear tire clear of the floor and it be supported by the rubber wedges. It can't go no place.

If the rear tire is chocked, it is not going to move.

A picture would help understand this better. Thanks.

There are better jacks... Harbor Freight 60536 ATV/MC Jack - lift from the left side, the balance point is just in front of the dangling shift linkage, then place 3 jack stands. Good Luck

This is very good advice, I think, about using (any brand) ATV-style motorcycle lift for simple lift of a Spyder, then securing with jack stands. The problem is finding a lift with a minimum height less than 4", to clear the undercarriage of the bike (with an RT, anyway)

I use a hockey puck! Easy to source; solid rubber; won't slip, at least in my experience.

Great idea. Thanks.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Hockey+puck&crid=25B5O3SHN933A&sprefix=hockey+puck%2Caps%2C360&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Agreed... get an ATV lift. Slip it under the Spyder at the front/rear balance point and it'll lift it level and straight up... and it'll stay reasonably balanced. Make up some wooden cribs (like those shown below) from 2x4's with a layer of thick plywood on top. Once the Spyder is clear of the ground enough, slip a crib under each wheel for safety. If you want, lower the Spyder down onto the cribs and remove the ATV lift for safe working underneath. If you want the front wheels free to turn, leave the Spyder on the ATV lift with the front wheels just free to turn above the front cribs, or lower it down onto axle stands under the A-arms.

You need to pay attention to the left-right balance with Spyders. A single-point lift under the centre front exposes you to tipping/slippage as you discovered... especially if you don't lift the rear at the same time. As you lift, your floor jack's plate is trying to stay horizontal, but the Spyder's bottom frame rail is rotating upwards about the rear wheel, so the higher you lift, the more you actually move closer to a very unstable point of contact. Using a soft piece of wood allows the jack to dig-in to the wood in an attempt to even out this situation, but it never cures it.
View attachment 250142

This is a very good explanation of how to simply and safely lift the entire bike in one go. Just be sure to lift from the left, avoid the shifting module, position it correctly just forward of the shifting module, and use a low-profile lift, like the Harbor Freight aluminum (not steel) ATV-style lift

 

[Metalman]

If you can afford a Spyder, you certainly can afford a stealer (dealer) to work on it for you. Ambulance trips and hospital stays are just too damn expensive these days.

I could afford an ambulance ride and a stay at the hospital... until I bought the Spyder.

A picture would help understand this better. Thanks.



This is very good advice, I think, about using (any brand) ATV-style motorcycle lift for simple lift of a Spyder, then securing with jack stands. The problem is finding a lift with a minimum height less than 4", to clear the undercarriage of the bike (with an RT, anyway)


Great idea. Thanks.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Hockey+puck&crid=25B5O3SHN933A&sprefix=hockey+puck%2Caps%2C360&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

This is a very good explanation of how to simply and safely lift the entire bike in one go. Just be sure to lift from the left, avoid the shifting module, position it correctly just forward of the shifting module, and use a low-profile lift, like the Harbor Freight aluminum (not steel) ATV-style lift
View attachment 257404

Why is it recommended to lift from the left side of the Spyder? I presume the shifting module is on the left side.

 

[Columbia]

I am not wealthy and I find the “if you can afford a Spyder…” comments annoying and quite some distance from helpful.
I purchased a used Spyder, a 2015 ST. I’ve been riding it since around 2021. I bought it because I could no longer ride two wheels and selling the bike allowed me to get the Spyder.
I grant you that buying a new Spyder requires a healthy bank account. Perhaps healthy enough to buy any other accessories one desires.
Not every Spyder owner is in that box.
Comments like the one I’m addressing are at best patronizing. At best.
I’m glad for those who have that kind of money, or choose to spend money on a new Spyder or a lift for same.
I’m not in that group, and if I were resulted in me making patronizing remarks, I’m grateful I’m not.

 

[UtahPete]

I am not wealthy and I find the “if you can afford a Spyder…” comments annoying and quite some distance from helpful.
I purchased a used Spyder, a 2015 ST. I’ve been riding it since around 2021. I bought it because I could no longer ride two wheels and selling the bike allowed me to get the Spyder.
I grant you that buying a new Spyder requires a healthy bank account. Perhaps healthy enough to buy any other accessories one desires.
Not every Spyder owner is in that box.
Comments like the one I’m addressing are at best patronizing. At best.
I’m glad for those who have that kind of money, or choose to spend money on a new Spyder or a lift for same.
I’m not in that group, and if I were resulted in me making patronizing remarks, I’m grateful I’m not.

Welcome to the Spyder community. There are many of us who buy what we can afford to, accessorize as needed for performance or safety reasons only, and enjoy our ride in the comfort of knowing we didn't compromise the family's finances to do so.

After a decade on this forum, I can honestly say that the vast majority of members are enthusiasts, not condescending elitists, so don't let a few thoughtless posts ruin your experience.

Why is it recommended to lift from the left side of the Spyder? I presume the shifting module is on the left side.

Exactly for that reason, so you can see it clearly and avoid it.

 

[UtahPete]

Question: How do you keep your lift from sliding around on the slick surface sheet metal of the center frame beam?

I know what you mean, and it's a good question. With my Big Blue lift, I put some non-slip stair tread material on the lifting arms. I will be doing the same for my other (1500# twin arms) motorcycle lift.

See this post in the thread 'Can anyone with a Big Blue Lift provide advice on my lifting issues?':

https://www.spyderlovers.com/thread...vice-on-my-lifting-issues.162566/post-1769101

When time and weather permit, I will be putting rubber pads directly on the steel spine of the Spyder at the appropriate lifting locations. I got these materials from Amazon for that purpose:

Rubber pads - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6CQQN95?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Double sided tape without foam - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDGKR63R?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1