Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Summoning the engineers in the house

I'm considering lifting an 05 Speedmaster up in the air with a webbed strap wrapped around the front wheel. Think the wheel and fork can take it? I do, but wouldn't mind hearing more opinions. The strap is plenty strong enough, and I do this kind of thing all the time at work, lifting truck engines, trannies, and like dat dere.

Or maybe I'd be better off with a pick point on the frame.

The thought is to lower the bike into my cellar hatchway with my backhoe, so's I can have a warm spot to do some work. A ramp long enough to keep the bike from bottoming out would be a bother.

Probably not something I'd attempt, but I'd take the seat and gas tank off first and strap to the frame.

Wow lifting a bike with a strap and a back hoe?
Do I hear banjo music in the background?
I would worry about the bike flopping around.
The frame or a ramp would seem like a better idea.

Not being able to see what your working with, I think I would go with the ramp, or even strapped to the frame.

But if you do decide to do this, please video tape it!

This is a full Yankee Winter Wonderland cellar we're talkin' about, that's 9 feet from the cellar floor to the top of the hatchway, so the ramp would have to span a 9 foot elevation. That's a mighty long ramp.

I think I'll go with pulling the gas tank and strapping to the frame. I know that'll work. This is a two person job - one to operate the backhoe, and another to keep the bike from spinning, and also to steady it when it reaches the floor.

With any luck, you won't be seeing us on "America's Funniest Home Videos."

just make sure you can get it back out.
I have seen plenty of basement builds that have to be taken apart to see the light of day.

Oh this has AFV written all over it...

that being said...

I would think that if you were to lift from the tree's rather than the wheel...you would be in a much better place with concern to all things...bike angle, stress points, swing controll...ect

When my shop works on the front end..they suspend from the neck/trees....now I know their not lifting the WHOLE bike...but...

LJ,
Don't use the front wheel even if the strap and forks are rated for that load. The bike will rotate around the wheel when its off the ground and roll right out.

Use 3 or more points near the top of the bike for stability. Use a strap strong enough to compensate for the jerky motions of a backhoe. I hope your backhoe operator is a buddy.
Rich

Aren't there stairs going down? I ride mine up and down stairs frequently. Up is easy; don't stop going down. Of course the dining room is best; first floor, tile floors, no worries. And yes, I am divorced... darned if I know why.

LJ-
what about using a long strap tied to the backhoe and frame, and rolling the bike up and down the stairs. Use the backhoe like a hydraulic wench, just to ease it down step by step, and same on the way back up (but mount the strap low on the frame coming back up, with someone walking it both ways (or if the stairs are wide enough one person on each side to stabilize it)? Swinging it from the bucket just makes me cringe thinking about it. If I WERE going to do this, I'd wrap as much of the frame/body up in heavy blankets, or line the doorway/stairwell with old thin mattresses (like you'd find on a surplus Army cot), just to keep the metal bits from bouncing off of the stone and wood bits!

OH, and GOOD LUCK with that!!!

So do you mean you need to sort of lift the bike so it points up so you candrop it down rear wheel first? Or can you tie it up so the bike stays level? I'm thinking you need it to point skyward to clear the bulkhead door... If that is the case, I'd take the tank and seat off, then loop the strap behind the gussets of the frame behind the headstock there. That way, as it goes up, the strap can't slip anywhere.

I dated a hydraulic wench for a while. She never got my humor... Hmm... :-)

OK, here we go!

My ideas:
Use the backhoe to dig an access ramp to the basement.
Use the backhoe to dig the footings for a garage.
Use the backhoe to dig your own grave in the backyard,
'cause you're probably gonna give yourself a heart attack
if you attempt this.

Anyway,
Call me if you need someone to hold the camera,
Grover can call 911.
Uncle Charlie

Alright but may I ask why you would want to lift it so high

I faced a similar canundrum once, how to get a T-140 Bonneville down the outside storm cellar steps of my parent's house, so it wouldn't freeze-up & otherwise feel neglected in the backyard shed.

Moving was the easy part, I conned my Dad in helping and we used a long 2 X 12. Knowing my Dad, I am sure a suitable length of rope was somehow involved.

The problem occured when February arrived and I couldn't stand the winter silence any longer. I kicked the bike over and enjoyed hearing the exhaust bounce off the basement walls. Ooops, exhaust!! Mom wasn't happy and neither was her bridge club that evening .

JH

as a crane operator I'd say go for it, but would rig from the frame not the wheel. send me a pm if you want a hand
mike

LJ,

I will lend you my new space heater I got for Christmas it will heat a two car garage in 15 minutes to the point you will be working in the raw.

If you decide to go through with this, call me and I will give you a hand. then at least there will be two of us saying.

S**t did you see that !!!!

keep us posted on this one!

From the interest already expressed we should:
Meet at Martin's(he knows how to put on a good feed).
Take the bike apart in the driveway,
And we'll all carry a piece down into the basement.
Then we'll put it back together, and have lunch.
In the Spring we can reverse the process.

Uncle Charlie

UC,though your plan has some good practical aspects to it, it lacks all of the adventure of hurling a 500# cruiser around with a backhoe. remember you promised to photograph this event

Its winter time in New England, this happens a lot around here in February. Someone has a little too much to drink and out comes the heavy equipment.
Got a jeep stuck in a snowdrift. Well lets fire up the dozer, now were is that can of ether, I had last week.
With the logic around here, I see a motorcycle meets backhoe as a perfectly logical conclusion.
Now you were going to use the hoe to swing this down into the cellar right? And not wuss out and use the loader with 2 attachment points like a little girly man.... Right....

no girly men here, the hoe with my leather belt wrapped around the handlebars

Quote:

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Use a strap strong enough to compensate for the jerky motions of a backhoe

---

You need to see a backhoe rodeo sometime .
One event: Strap a spoon to one of the teeth, pick an egg off of an egg cup with the spoon, move it to another egg cup 180 degrees from the first and deposit it in the cup without breaking it. It's a timed event. I've seen it done in under ten seconds.

LJ, the frame attaching scenario is the best way. Good luck.

Please LJ, WHATEVER YOU DO, just make sure that there are NO secret cellphone cameras present when you "hang" your bike, as this could cause yet another international furor!

(I can see it now...."This is Wolf Blitzer. Today in Hinckley England, rioting broke out in the shipping department of Triumph Motorcycles LTD when previously unseen videos of the hanging of a Bonnie America surfaced. Reports are that the Triumph Motorcycle concern located in the british Midlands is considering withholding further exportation of their motorcycles to the U.S. until "certain Americans" promise to suspend the practice of PRECARIOUSLY suspending their Triumph motorcycles with backhoes!")

Actually, I think you'd be okay if you tie the straps to either the frame backbone or the top triple clamp, but NOT the wheel. You'll want to strap it as high of the center of gravity as possible.

Cheers,
Dwight

I thought it only fitting that I post to this thread during my 3am insomnia. This is truly one for the archives. Thanks everyone for the laughs. Having just watched a Hunter S Thompson documentary, all I can say is....

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."

I think this job calls for a helicopter. Why? Because then it will be the grandiose event it deserves. But if the backhoe must suffice, please let it be on youtube. Mere pictures aren't adequate, we MUST have video!

LJ,
I did what you're trying to do once except my cellar had a staircase with a 90 degree bend. The bike was a Yamaha R5 350. Getting the bike down was easy because it was in pieces. Getting it out was another story. I got three of my friends to help lift the bike up the stairs. We had to lift it over the railing post and take the railing down. If there's a will there's a way.

Good Luck

I'm thinking an excavator on a turntable would be more fun - we could spin the excavator and see how close to horizontal we can get the bike and strap. Maybe a can of starting ether in low budget nitrous oxide mode...?

It's kinda cold to get the backhoe going, so it won't be today, but of one thing we can be sure - this event will require the obligatory "Hold my beer and watch this" battle cry.

LJ

I would not miss this for anything, I will even take a day off of work just to be there.

I can just hear you telling me and uncle charlie "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

I helped a buddy move his 650lb Honda in and out of his house 6 or 7 steps but the other way. We used a winch attached to my Jeep and put the cable through the kitchen window opposite the front door. Used a wood block on the window frame and just pulled the bike up. Just reversed it going out. Worked out great. He is divorced so our only purpose was to send a pic of the bike in the livingroom to his X!

Many, Many moons ago had a friend that had built a sportster chopper in his apartment. Had a 12" springer, hardtail frame, really a nice looking bike. This was through the winter and when it got nice enough to get the bike out the time for a small party began. Out his front door was a railing since it was on the second floor, turn left, down about 30 feet to a full 180 and down the steps. Took the front end off, wheeled it down and hung the handle bars over the fence. Then two guys held up the front and sort of wheeled it to the top of the stairs. Cranked the brake down to where it would bearly move and with two guys at the back and two holding up the front walk it down the the steps letting the wheel roll down. At the bottom kept it in the air to get the fork put back on. This was back in 72

Ditto on the web cam or at least camcorder of some sort! It WILL be worked into every rally schedule, a viewing, from henceforth on.

I wish I could be there, by I have my nephew's 1 year B-day at the firehouse to attend. I'll see if I can get a shot of me going down the pole. The fireman's pole....

I guess I'll be there.
Probably ride up in my p/u, unless global warming really
kicks in tonight. If I get an early enough start, I'll stop
at Toymakers for breakfast with Mark and his birthday bride.

Uncle Charlie

Well, WE DID IT!
Martin's bike is in the basement. Not a scratch on the bike,
the house, or us. We talked it over, and then took our time.
There were only a couple of hairy moments, due to sticky
controls on the backhoe. But, all in all, it went smoothly.

I took some nice pics, but don't know how to post them(still).
I e-mailed them to Martin so he can resize, and post them.

I don't think it's gonna come out the same way, but we'll
come up with something when the time comes.

We "got 'er done"!
Uncle Charlie

Can't wait to see the pics.

Hey Charlie, if you want to post pics, use Image Shack. There's even a box you can check that'll re-size the images. I use 640x480.

Alright that's it, next time we have a BA.com or CT gathering, there WILL be a half hour pic posting tutorial for Charlie.

Some of the pics e-mailed to me.

Anybody care to add a caption or two?

Oh Ye...






















Of little faith