Now the Pitbull lift has been discontinued, is there an alternative?

[Lew L]

I've been using a HF motorcycle jack, jack stands, and a big ol' block of wood(for the rear wheel) for over a decade. The Spyder hasn't fallen on me yet.

 

[UtahPete]

I've been using a HF motorcycle jack, jack stands, and a big ol' block of wood(for the rear wheel) for over a decade. The Spyder hasn't fallen on me yet.

Yeah, now, ya see, that block of wood is just too low tech for me. Maybe someone makes a titanium one...

I believe it's a very well built jack and worth seeking.... I made an adapter that fits the rail that runs 3 foot under the bike and has the weight centered properly on the lift. Here's a pic of the bike raised up safely on cribbage.

View attachment 257312

I feel very comfortable now raising the bike up to work on it.

That's an impressive bit of kit!

I like the idea of the rail, but how do you obtain enough clearance to get it under the bike?

 

[JayBros]

When I returned to the wind therapy game after a long hiatus to raise a couple of progeny I purchased a Craftsman Model 50191 Aluminum 1,500 lb capacity ATV motorcycle lift. I opted for the Craftsman because my son had a Harbor Freight lift of comparable capacity but the hydraulic cylinder release valve was very jerky and did not smoothly lower his Japanese V-twin cruiser that was much lighter than my RT-S. The Craftsman lift lowers the Spyder as smooth as deer guts on a door knob. As other owners do, I have car ramps for oil changes and jack stands if I'm removing the front wheels and a trusty concrete block and wheeled hydraulic jack if I need to raise the rear wheel to level the machine. When I read Ron's post #12 it sent me to the garage to check if I had ever positioned my lift wrong, but the aged brain has always told me to check positioning of the lift from both sides of the roadster to ensure correct placement.

 

[BajaRon]

When I returned to the wind therapy game after a long hiatus to raise a couple of progeny I purchased a Craftsman Model 50191 Aluminum 1,500 lb capacity ATV motorcycle lift. I opted for the Craftsman because my son had a Harbor Freight lift of comparable capacity but the hydraulic cylinder release valve was very jerky and did not smoothly lower his Japanese V-twin cruiser that was much lighter than my RT-S. The Craftsman lift lowers the Spyder as smooth as deer guts on a door knob. As other owners do, I have car ramps for oil changes and jack stands if I'm removing the front wheels and a trusty concrete block and wheeled hydraulic jack if I need to raise the rear wheel to level the machine. When I read Ron's post #12 it sent me to the garage to check if I had ever positioned my lift wrong, but the aged brain has always told me to check positioning of the lift from both sides of the roadster to ensure correct placement.

If you positioned the jack wrong and bent that bracket. Your Spyder would have told you so in very short order. We get calls all the time about 'My Spyder won't shift'. We always ask if they loaded, unloaded out of a trailer, went over a speed bump, etc., as our first line of questioning.

We recently had a customer who, after receiving our Over the Phone Diagnosis, took their Spyder to the dealership and were told that the handlebar cluster was bad. This without checking the shift bracket. A very expensive job. We advised, once again, that the bracket should be checked before doing anything.

 

[hogmemberisold]

That's an impressive bit of kit!

I like the idea of the rail, but how do you obtain enough clearance to get it under the bike?

I back the front wheels onto the ramps so the ramp portion is not blocking the use of the Pitbull. Use a floor jack to raise the rear off the ground and cribbage it.. then roll the Pitbull under and mate it up! I do this to ensure the weight of picking up the trike is distributed along the center rail.

 

[UtahPete]

I have a Pitbull lift and there is no comparison to the light motorcycle lifts. It is heavier and larger footprint. If you go to Amazon, you will see the Vevor lift and a couple others with the larger base and lift capacity.

After watching this video from Pierre, I would have to agree the Pitbull is not just a standard ATV-style motorcycle lift. The frame is longer, for one thing, so it reaches far enough under an RT without having to remove the floorboard, as might be the case with smaller lifts. The wheels seem more substantial, allowing for moving the loaded rig around on the garage floor, which could be handy.

 

[UtahPete]

Most may struggle to get to a 4.5 or even 4.3 inch clearance to the main frame member. But the HUGE danger is lifting on the shift bracket that hangs down right about where you want the rear lift arm. Even a slight tweek on this bracket will devastate your shifting ability (2014+ RT & F3 SE models only).

I don't mean to scare you off from using an ATV lift on your Spyder. Just be VERY careful when lifting that you stay away from this bracket located on the left side just about where the main frame member turns upward.

View attachment 257291

This video from Pierre is of the Pitbull lift, but at about the halfway point, he shows in detail the shift mechanism that @BajaRon is talking about, and the need to avoid it. I think this might be helpful for anyone considering using an ATV-style lift, regardless of brand.

 

[2dogs]

In my experience, the best, safest, and highest-quality lift for a spider is a lift table. After all, we're all on a 3-wheeled machine for a reason. Trying to locate the balance point accurately can end in disaster, including injury. Complaining about the high cost of dealership shop rates from a hospital bed... well, you get my point, and it only takes being slightly off-center to end up in the ER. $25K+ for a spyder, $30K/40K+ for medical bills, does not equal $100 for an HF motorcycle lift. The best and least expensive way to get your ride up in the air and keep it there safely is how hogmemberIsol shows it. Safety first when working on or riding on your scooter.

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[UtahPete]

In my experience, the best, safest, and highest-quality lift for a spider is a lift table. After all, we're all on a 3-wheeled machine for a reason. Trying to locate the balance point accurately can end in disaster, including injury. Complaining about the high cost of dealership shop rates from a hospital bed... well, you get my point, and it only takes being slightly off-center to end up in the ER. $25K+ for a spyder, $30K/40K+ for medical bills, does not equal $100 for an HF motorcycle lift. The best and least expensive way to get your ride up in the air and keep it there safely is how hogmemberIsol shows it. Safety first when working on or riding on your scooter.

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I considered a lift table, but decided against it because space in my garage is at a premium and I couldn't imagine having to deal with that big, cumbersome item for long.

@hogmemberisold has a good idea, for sure. See post in thread 'Lifting the rear of RT swing arms with a modified HF MC lift - Wanted to share and get feedback.'

https://www.spyderlovers.com/thread...to-share-and-get-feedback.168024/post-1768690