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New user
Posts: 4
Tellico Village, Loudon TN | After reviewing several websites and forums for a good motorcycle lift for the Vision, I settled on the J&S Jacks motorcycle lift. I considered the following lifts in my search:
Craftsman and Harbor Freight Lift ? I saw many mixed reviews of these lifts and there were enough stories about the lift not holding the Vision level or the Vision not being secure that steered me away from the lift. Some said they had no problem, but if I am going to be under the bike while it is on the lift, I want something secure.
Pit Bull Lift ? I saw the Pit Bull lift at the Knoxville Wing Ding. It is a well-made lift and lifts a bike 27 inches. I was leery though because the website states that the Vision is not compatible. I asked the rep about this, and he said that Polaris has not answered their inquiry regarding the acceptability of lifting the bike from the bottom center of the bike. The rep said he could send me some rubber strips to stabilize the bike, but the bottom of the bike is not flat so there may be an issue.
I called J&S Lifts and they assured me that the lift could handle the Vision. It will also handle most if not all Harley models and Gold Wing models. The lift is rated at 2000 lbs, which will give plenty of margin over my 900 lb bike. They sent me pictures of where the shims would go on their lift (2 shims, but I found only 1 is necessary). They also said that if I was not satisfied, they would pay to ship the lift back, no questions asked. The lift is less expensive than the Pit Bull lift but more expensive than the Craftsman or Harbor Freight lift. There were a few statements on vision-riders.com that gave the J&S lift a positive rating.
J&S Lifts told me approximately when they thought the lift would ship, and sure enough I received an email giving me the tracking number and delivery date a short time later. I was surprised to note that the shipment was a 2-day delivery instead of 5 day ground shipment. I also ordered the oil pan that fits on the lift. The pan actually diverts the oil to a convenient location where you could put your regular oil pan under.
The lift arrived on time and it only took a few minutes to assemble the lift. (It took longer to find my tools than to put the thing together.) It did, however, take my son and I about 30 minutes to figure out how to place the lift under the bike so that when lifted, it was in the most stable position. I saw some earlier photos, but they didn?t give me the information I needed. So I have attached several photos to this post to help not only future owners, but other owners of similar lifts. These photos may help make your bike more stable. The key is the placement of the shim. The shim is a hard rubber piece about 2? x 4? x 1/2" thick. It fits under a notch in the engine casing (see photos).
I am very pleased with the lift. It is well-made, easy to handle and move, and lifts the bike with little effort. The bike is in the most stable position when at the top of the lift rise and with the two screws down that prevent the lift from moving. I find the 18-inch lift height more than adequate; much higher and I wouldn?t be able to work on the top of the bike. With a stool on wheels, it is no problem to move around the bike and take care of maintenance. The only bad thing is that I now see many areas of the bike that haven?t been cleaned. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Lowering the lift is easy; just open the bleed valve slightly. Note ? you do not need to tighten this valve much. If you do, you may open the valve too much and the bike will lower faster than you want.
I changed the oil this weekend, and it was much simpler on the lift. The only downside is the removal of the oil filter. I need to find a way to keep the oil from dripping onto the lift when removing the filter. It should be simple to solve; I just didn?t prepare for it properly the first time out.
Overall, I?d give it a 10 rating.
Edited by Preacher Man 2011-07-31 8:21 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | I have had the same lift for a year. It is great. If you notice, the drain plug is not in the center of the bike, so I am not sure it will all drain while on the lift. | |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 21
| You should have the bike on the side stand to drain it completely | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
Midlothian, Va. | Always drain while the bike is on the floor and side stand. I also rock the bike from port to starboard at least twice to get a lot more oil out. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | This is a great review, including the photos. I have been contemplating the J&S for a while, but was always uncertain about just where to put the jack (and pads) for lifting. Your photos really helped. Thanks! | |
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New user
Posts: 4
Tellico Village, Loudon TN | wesdalton - 2011-07-31 11:37 PM
You should have the bike on the side stand to drain it completely
I wasn't aware of that, good to know. I'll see how much additional oil drains out the next oil change.
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