If you own a motorcycle, performing routine maintenance is an inevitable endeavor you can’t shy away from. After all, your “love” will regularly demand some oil changes, air filter cleaning, brake pad replacement, and brake oil top-up. The best thing is that these general diagnoses are easy to perform by yourself. But, to perform each repair or maintenance task successfully, you need the right tools one of which is a lift table. For that reason, you need to learn how to build a motorcycle lift table out of wood.
Now, why is a motorcycle lift table so essential? You see, when repairing your motorcycle, you need to lift it off the ground to access those hard-to-reach places underneath. This way, the entire repair process becomes quicker and more efficient.
Regretfully, building a full-sized motorcycle lift table doesn’t come easy. Thankfully, if you’re an enthusiast DIYer who’s good in woodwork, then you can build a wooden version of the motorcycle lift table at the comfort of your workshop. In today’s discussion, we’re going to discuss a simple step-by-step process on how to do this.
But First, Should I Buy or Build a Motorcycle Lift Table?
When it comes to motorcycle lift tables, most people find it hard to decide on whether to buy a new one or build a customized unit. Now, buying a new lift table for your motorcycle has its own benefits. One, it saves you the time of building a completely new unit. Secondly, it gives you the option of getting a sturdy and high-quality lift table that meets all your demands.
On the other hand, building a DIY motorcycle lift table comes with several benefits. One of them is that it saves you the cost, as most pieces needed are relatively inexpensive. Secondly, building a homemade motorcycle lift gives you a wide customization option with your imagination being the only limit to what you can create.
Lastly, building your own motorcycle lift table lets you build a unit that meets the specs of your specific motorcycle.
So, How Do You Build One?
Now, building a DIY motorcycle lift table is very easy provided you have the right materials. Before you begin, always make sure that you source your materials beforehand and don’t panic. Feel free to mix up the materials depending on your imagination. Lastly, follow this guide to the latter to ensure that your lift table is structurally sound and strong enough to hold the weight of your motorcycle.
Things You’ll Need:
- A sheet of plywood (4” x 8” x ¾ “)
- 2 x 4×4 pieces
- 2 x 2×6 pieces
- Electric drill
- Pencil
- Electric power saw
- 3” wood screws
- Wood glue
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Step One: Clear the Area
Now that you’ve gathered all your supplies, the first step of building a motorcycle lift table is to clear the area to create enough space to work on. So, this can be inside the garage or outside depending on your preference.
- Step Two: Measure and Cut the Pieces
Next, lay the sheet of plywood on the ground and roll your motorcycle on top to measure the exact size of the table you’ll need. Remember, the plywood will be used as the main surface of the bench. Using these measurements, mark another sheet of plywood that would be used at the bottom of the lift table as well as the 2×6 pieces of wood that would be used to build the framework.
Using an electric drill, cut the sheet of plywood and the 2×6 pieces according to the size of your motorcycle.
- Step Three: Build the Box Frame
With the pieces ready, pick two long 2×6 pieces and place them on the ground. Pick 4 smaller pieces and slot them in between the two long parallel pieces. Two pieces should be placed on both ends while the other two pieces should be placed in the middle. Next, pick your electric drill and predrill holes through the pieces of wood. This will help you to screw the pieces together to assemble the box frame.
- Step Four: Attach One Piece of Plywood
Now that you’ve assembled the 2×6 pieces to form a box frame, the next step of assembling your diy motorcycle lift table is to attach the plywood to the box frame. To do that, you’ll start by attaching the plywood to the box frame using clamps then use a drill to screw the pieces together. Once you’re through, assemble another box frame and screw the other piece of plywood. This means that you’ll have two identical pieces, one for the top and the other for the bottom.
- Step Five: Cut the 4×4 Pieces
Pick your 4×4 wood and place it on a bench. Use a measuring tape to mark the wood at every 2ft. point. Your aim is to have four equal pieces of wood that will form the legs of the lift table. When you’re done, use an electric saw to cut the pieces at the exact 2ft. points.
Next, flip the table over to attach the legs. Here, you’ll need to predrill holes through the legs and the box frame before inserting the screws. So, once you’re through with the bottom piece, place the other box frame on top of the legs and screw it tightly on the legs.
To ensure the lift table has more support, insert two more 2×6 pieces in the middle. Use an electric drill to screw the pieces on the lift table.
- Step Six: Insert the Casters, Wheel Chock, and Anchors
So, with the lift table ready, the last part of this project is to insert the caster wheels to ease mobility, the wheel chock, and the anchors to keep the motorcycle secure when lifted. For the caster wheels, all you need is to mark the holes at the bottom of the lift table using a pencil.
Next, drill holes using a small drill bit. When you’re done, use bolts to attach the wheels to the lift table. With the help of a friend, flip the table over to have it stand on its own. At this point, you’ll insert the wheel chock and the anchors. The best thing about the wheel chock is that it comes with its own hardware, which makes the process very easy to accomplish.
The anchors should be mounted on the sides of the lift table to make it easier for you to strap the motorcycle. Lastly, you need to add an eyeball at the back of the lift table to serve as a tie-down point for the ladder when loading and offloading the motorcycle.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Whether you’re an enthusiast DIYer or maybe you’re on a tight budget, this short guide has offered you a detailed step-by-step procedure on how to build a diy motorbike lift. As you can see, the process is pretty easy provided you have the right tools and materials.
As always, a lift table is an essential add-on in any home garage as it elevates your motorcycle to make repair and maintenance jobs quite easy. It also allows you to keep your garage well organized to avoid any chaos.
