THE PROJECT GETS A LIFT

The motorbike lift table has arrived.  I'm really excited about it as it represents a further commitment to the project.  I decided at the outset that I'm too old to be laying on the floor sorting things out.  This piece of kit will save me having to do that and at the end of the project I can always put it on Ebay to recoup some of the expense. 

True to the suppliers word it arrived at 1230hrs and the driver dragged into the project office, it was really heavy.  Once the driver had left I couldn't resist the temptation to unpack my new acquisition.  I was pleased to find that it was just as well made as it appeared on the web site and all for £235 plus delivery.  It's very red and there bits that look as though they have been cut using a cold chisel but in general the quality is good.  I think it's great value for money.  I raised the table to its full height with no difficulty and lowered it again, it's going to be great.  The removable plate at the end provides a ramp to enable the bike to be easily pushed onto the table.

I decided to fit a length of conveyor belting that I had left over from a previous job.  I thought this would make a nice surface to work from.  I cut holes in the belting to enable the front wheel clamp arrangement to be fitted.  All was ready for the first attempt at putting the scooter onto the table.  The first thing I encountered was that the stand "just" catches the point where the ramp meets the end of the table.   It's not a real problem and can be easily overcome by putting a block under the end of the ramp plate.  The result was that there is now a small loss of red paint on the ramp, still plenty left.  With the scooter on the table and on its stand I was able to assess the situation.  I certainly needs the front wheel clamp.  Without this there is a risk that the scooter could come off its stand.   I'll have to look into this because I don't think the stand goes overcentre enough for it to be secure.  With the front wheel clamped things are much more stable and I was prepared to lift the table.  What a joy to have the engine at a working height.


So there we have it, no progress on the scooter but it's progress on the project.