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K100-forum.com » Technical, repair and troubleshooting » Special tools and jigs » Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift

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grosbeak

grosbeak
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Last year I sold my motorcycle lift table and bought an Abba SkyLift, seen here:

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53235325965_1a3149ab10_c

It lifts by the swing arm pivots, left...

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53234825576_97df420830_c

... and right.

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53235199139_ca76a8f93e_c


It was an excellent choice for my one and only bike... and then I bought a K75. Abba doesn't make adapters for it - their official response is "our records indicate the bike does not have an accessible swing-arm pivot & the single sided Arm is on the wrong side for the lift."



Last edited by grosbeak on Mon Mar 25 2024, 19:00; edited 1 time in total


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1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

grosbeak

grosbeak
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What the K75 does have, though, two beefy m10, 8.8 grade rear engine mounting bolts located in the same plane.


Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53611248761_eeae73528f_c


Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53611226241_5747934644_c


Assuming I could make adapters, which would look something like this:

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53611657160_458e397932_c



I could lift the bike that way. Theoretically.

I am not a mechanical engineer. Anyone want to chime in on whether it's safe to lift the bike by those bolts?


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1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

Jordan53

Jordan53
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I'm not an engineer either, but your proposal looks marginal to me.


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1989 K100 RS

VIN: xxx0149621
    

92KK 84WW Olaf

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If you do use those mounts, you can't remove the gearbox for rear main seal or clutch replacement....



Last edited by 92KK 84WW Olaf on Tue Mar 26 2024, 08:30; edited 1 time in total


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1992 K100LT 0193214 Bertha Blue 101,000 miles
1984 K100RT 0022575 Brutus Baja Red 578 bought 36,000 now 89,150 miles
1997 K1100LT 0188024 Wotan Mystic Red 689 58,645 now 106,950 miles Deceased.
1983 K100RS 0011157 Fricka 606 Alaska Blue 29,495 miles Damn K Pox Its a Bat outta Hell Now 58,200 miles. 
1996 K1100LT 0233004 Lohengrin Mystic Red 38,000 miles currently 51,800 miles.
1983 K100RS 0004449 Odette R100 colours 58,000 miles. Sprint fairing now 63,390 miles

Past:
1968 Yamaha 80 YG1
1971 Yamaha 125 YAS-1
1968 Honda 125 SS
1970 Honda CD 175
1973 Honda CB500-4
Honda CX 500
    

88

88
Life time member
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I took a long look at these when BobT showed me his as they are great space savers but I came to that conclusion also, that you couldn't do a rear main seal or gearbox job with the sky lift. Hence my conventional bench lift was bought.


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Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift Ir-log1188....May contain nuts!Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift Ir-log11

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine from 1600 years ago & still true!

K1 - 1989 - AKA Titan (unique K1/K1100RS hybrid by Andreas Esterhammer)
K1100RS - 1995. AKA Rudolf Von Schmurf (in a million bits)
K100RS - 1991 AKA Ronnie. Cafe racer project bike
K75RTP - 1994
K75C - 1991 AKA Jim Beam. In boxes. 
K1100LT 1992 - AKA Big Red (gone)
K100LT - 1988 - AKA the Bullion brick. Should never have sold it.
    

Bigbungster

Bigbungster
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New member
I've been looking at this, I have a skylift and a newly acquired K100, I was thinking of machining up something for the front engine mount bolts and use the front lift arm kit they do but backwards so it holds the front of the bike down keeping the back up

Failing that I was looking at getting the cruiser lift attachment.

    

grosbeak

grosbeak
Silver member
Silver member
Bigbungster wrote:I've been looking at this, I have a skylift and a newly acquired K100, I was thinking of machining up something for the front engine mount bolts and use the front lift arm kit they do but backwards so it holds the front of the bike down keeping the back up

Failing that I was looking at getting the cruiser lift attachment.
That's an approach I hadn't considered... very interesting. I also had not considered the cruiser lift... though it is awfully pricey.

Do you think the engine bolts would take the strain?


__________________________________________________
1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

Bigbungster

Bigbungster
New member
New member
grosbeak wrote:

That's an approach I hadn't considered... very interesting. I also had not considered the cruiser lift... though it is awfully pricey.

Do you think the engine bolts would take the strain?
you can buy the cradle separately, still expensive for what it is could probably make one myself.
https://abbastands.co.uk/product-detail.asp?item=cruiser-sky-lift-cradle&pid=76

I will nock something up this week if I have some bar stock in and trial it on my Superbike stand see if it falls over if it does its not that far to fall. 

I reckon the bolts will be fine although the adaptors I'm thinking of making will go over the bolt head rather then sit in the Allen key bit.

    

grosbeak

grosbeak
Silver member
Silver member
I had some success making adapters out of 8mm hex sockets I found online. I did have to trim them down and shim them with heat shrink to fit... lawd, I wish I had a lathe so I could make something with a better fit.

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53634488284_a954b23571_c
LH adapter

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53634597620_c5bd4d17e7_c
RH adapter

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53633297362_27214ca22d_c
Centre stand on boards

It's certainly good enough to get the back raised, which will make working on it a lot easier. And once it's up on boards, I can disengage and remove the lift.


__________________________________________________
1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

duck

duck
Life time member
Life time member
I bought this collapsible steel sawhorse at Lowe's for $20 about 15 years ago and I use it through the middle of the frame to do all of my spline lubes. It takes up very little storage space (it collapses to the size of a 40" long 2x4) and supports a K bike very well. (Rated capacity is 1,200 lbs.)

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 88OcY3d



Last edited by duck on Sat Apr 06 2024, 01:48; edited 1 time in total


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Current stable:
86 Custom K100 (standard fairing, K75 Belly pan, Ceramic chromed engine covers, paralever)
K75 Frankenbrick (Paralever, K11 front end, hybrid ABS, K1100RS fairing, radial tires)
86 K75C Turbo w/ paralever
94 K1100RS
93 K1100LT
91 K1
93 K75S (K11 front end)
91 K75S (K1 front end)
14 Yamaha WR250R
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The doctor

The doctor
active member
active member
grosbeak wrote:I had some success making adapters out of 8mm hex sockets I found online. I did have to trim them down and shim them with heat shrink to fit... lawd, I wish I had a lathe so I could make something with a better fit.

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53634488284_a954b23571_c
LH adapter

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53634597620_c5bd4d17e7_c
RH adapter

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53633297362_27214ca22d_c
Centre stand on boards

It's certainly good enough to get the back raised, which will make working on it a lot easier. And once it's up on boards, I can disengage and remove the lift.
Could you not use the Abba swingarm kit on the footrest hanger bolts? This is how I lift my NS400 Honda - admittedly a much lighter bike - but works a treat. I have pics of it in use if any help?


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I suffer from Cyclonic irritation

K75s
Buell M2
Suzuki TL1000s
Honda NS400R
Honda VF500F2
Honda CB200
    

The doctor

The doctor
active member
active member
This is how the swing arm kit fits to my NS - I can use either of the hanger bolts.
Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 20170612


__________________________________________________
I suffer from Cyclonic irritation

K75s
Buell M2
Suzuki TL1000s
Honda NS400R
Honda VF500F2
Honda CB200
    

grosbeak

grosbeak
Silver member
Silver member
The doctor wrote:This is how the swing arm kit fits to my NS - I can use either of the hanger bolts.
Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 20170612

Thanks doc! I had not seen them up close before. I asked Abba about them and they said the swing arm kit is only suitable for lifting the rear end... it's reasonably priced for what it does. I haven't checked if the K75 has the right sizes bolts for the swing arm kit.


__________________________________________________
1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

The doctor

The doctor
active member
active member
grosbeak wrote:
The doctor wrote:This is how the swing arm kit fits to my NS - I can use either of the hanger bolts.
Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 20170612

Thanks doc! I had not seen them up close before. I asked Abba about them and they said the swing arm kit is only suitable for lifting the rear end... it's reasonably priced for what it does. I haven't checked if the K75 has the right sizes bolts for the swing arm kit.
No worries.... the 'bobbins' take an 8mm allen bolt, but I reckon you could open up to 10mm if required.


__________________________________________________
I suffer from Cyclonic irritation

K75s
Buell M2
Suzuki TL1000s
Honda NS400R
Honda VF500F2
Honda CB200
    

grosbeak

grosbeak
Silver member
Silver member
Bigbungster wrote:
grosbeak wrote:

That's an approach I hadn't considered... very interesting. I also had not considered the cruiser lift... though it is awfully pricey.

Do you think the engine bolts would take the strain?
you can buy the cradle separately, still expensive for what it is could probably make one myself.
https://abbastands.co.uk/product-detail.asp?item=cruiser-sky-lift-cradle&pid=76

I will nock something up this week if I have some bar stock in and trial it on my Superbike stand see if it falls over if it does its not that far to fall. 

I reckon the bolts will be fine although the adaptors I'm thinking of making will go over the bolt head rather then sit in the Allen key bit.

After trying the approach with hex sockets I think you are spot on - it's much simpler to make adapters that go over the bolt heads. I don't have a lathe but I have an uncle who does - it'll be a pleasure to work on this with him. Here's my design:

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53635899940_d7cceeed9f_c


__________________________________________________
1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

The doctor

The doctor
active member
active member
grosbeak wrote:
Bigbungster wrote:
grosbeak wrote:

That's an approach I hadn't considered... very interesting. I also had not considered the cruiser lift... though it is awfully pricey.

Do you think the engine bolts would take the strain?
you can buy the cradle separately, still expensive for what it is could probably make one myself.
https://abbastands.co.uk/product-detail.asp?item=cruiser-sky-lift-cradle&pid=76

I will nock something up this week if I have some bar stock in and trial it on my Superbike stand see if it falls over if it does its not that far to fall. 

I reckon the bolts will be fine although the adaptors I'm thinking of making will go over the bolt head rather then sit in the Allen key bit.

After trying the approach with hex sockets I think you are spot on - it's much simpler to make adapters that go over the bolt heads. I don't have a lathe but I have an uncle who does - it'll be a pleasure to work on this with him. Here's my design:

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53635899940_d7cceeed9f_c
You will have to be very careful if you engaging with the outside of the head of the allen bolt - what are they - 10mm deep? It wouldn't take much to slip off... std abba adaptors are 20mm plus giving a much better engagement with the stand/lift


__________________________________________________
I suffer from Cyclonic irritation

K75s
Buell M2
Suzuki TL1000s
Honda NS400R
Honda VF500F2
Honda CB200
    

grosbeak

grosbeak
Silver member
Silver member
The doctor wrote:
grosbeak wrote:
Bigbungster wrote:
you can buy the cradle separately, still expensive for what it is could probably make one myself.
https://abbastands.co.uk/product-detail.asp?item=cruiser-sky-lift-cradle&pid=76

I will nock something up this week if I have some bar stock in and trial it on my Superbike stand see if it falls over if it does its not that far to fall. 

I reckon the bolts will be fine although the adaptors I'm thinking of making will go over the bolt head rather then sit in the Allen key bit.

After trying the approach with hex sockets I think you are spot on - it's much simpler to make adapters that go over the bolt heads. I don't have a lathe but I have an uncle who does - it'll be a pleasure to work on this with him. Here's my design:

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53635899940_d7cceeed9f_c
You will have to be very careful if you engaging with the outside of the head of the allen bolt - what are they - 10mm deep? It wouldn't take much to slip off... std abba adaptors are 20mm plus giving a much better engagement with the stand/lift

Agreed. But I am confident that the tension applied with the screw on the right hand bar will keep things secure.

Lifting a K75 with an Abba SkyLift 53637711943_ddc6952497_c


__________________________________________________
1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

grosbeak

grosbeak
Silver member
Silver member
The dream has become a reality.


__________________________________________________
1992 BMW K75S 0212025, 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200 2100162
    

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