Motorcycle Lift Stand

A motorcycle lift stand is a special tool used to raise a motorcycle off the ground so you can work on it more easily and safely. Imagine trying to fix your bike’s chain, change the oil, or clean the wheels while it’s just sitting on its kickstand—that can be tricky and uncomfortable. A lift stand helps by holding the bike upright and lifting either the front, the back, or even the whole bike off the ground

Materials:

1. Mild steel square tubing (commonly 2"x2", thickness around 2-3mm, the exact sizes are listed on the drawings)
2. Mild steel plate (for base, platform, gussets, and brackets—typically 3mm thick)
3. Steel pins or bolts (for pivots and locking mechanisms)
4. Caster wheels (if you want the stand to be movable)
5. Retaining clips or split pins (for securing moving parts)
6. Rubber mat (optional, for the top platform to prevent slipping)

Basic Tools:

1. Angle grinder (for cutting steel to length and cleaning up edges)
2. Metal cutting saw or chop saw (for precise, straight cuts)
3. Drill and drill bits suitable for steel (for making holes for pins, bolts, and mounting)
4. Welding machine (MIG, TIG, or stick welder for joining steel parts)
5. Clamps (for holding steel parts in place during welding)
6. Measuring tape and marker (for accurate layout)
7. Square and protractor (for checking and marking angles, especially 45° mitres)
8. Safety equipment (welding helmet, gloves, safety glasses, ear protection)

Before you start, you need to understand that the stand is designed to lift your bike about 2 inches so you can remove the wheel or do other work. A mistake my students often make is trying to lift the bike a foot off the ground with the stand, which makes it nearly impossible to use. The problem is that the stand is limited to the force you can put on the lever that you stomp on. The higher you lift the bike, the more force you have to push on the lever.

You can adjust the amount of travel the stand will move by choosing where you weld the top pivot on the centre outer post. The higher the pivot, the more weight you will be able to lift and the less height the stand will travel.

All the parts that are required are in the drawing on the PDF. You may want to print it out. The drawings are very detailed as I've designed them to be a self-directed project for year 8 or 9 students. Before you start cutting the material, it's a good idea to measure your motorcycle's ground clearance and adjust the design if you have a very low-slung or tall bike. I've cut the parts out with a bandsaw, but you could use a hacksaw or a chop saw.

The parts can then be tacked together, making sure that everything is straight, square and centred. It is helpful to mark a line halfway along the parts that meet in the middle, as it makes it quick and easy to centre the parts for welding. Don't be in a rush to do the final welding until the whole mechanism is working correctly, and it fits under your bike.

You will also need three 8mm bolts or some threaded rod around 65mm long. I just cut some threaded rod as I had it lying around. You will need to file the end of the thread to allow the nut to screw back on. Use some flat washes to reduce the friction and get a smooth action. For the final assembly, use Nylock nuts.

Assemble the links on the bench with a scrap piece of 25mm square for a spacer. You will need to use some flat washers to space the links correctly and keep the links parallel. Set up the links as shown in the photos and tack it together in the fully down position. Tack the handle in, also in the down position, with a spacer to keep it in contact with the ground. Make sure the mechanism works correctly and does not bind before welding.

You will notice in the photo that the centre inner post is sticking out when in the down position. This is because the stand was checked against the height of the bike and found to be too tall. This was easily corrected as it was only tack-welded together, and the stand could be shortened easily.

Do not weld until you have checked that everything works and fits correctly.

Once you're happy with everything and you are confident the stand will work with your bike, you can weld it together. Take care with the outer centre post as it is easy to distort the metal if you put too much heat into it, and the post will jam or not slide very well.

You can then grind off any sharp edges and sand the whole stand with a flap disc and scotch bright.

The stand can then be cleaned with acetone and painted with a rattle can.