Jacking of eMopeds

[Smaug]

eMopeds are sufficiently heavy that most bicycle maintenance stands will not support their weight for service such as tire changes.

What are the methods you use to safely jack up your eMoped for wheel/tire type issues?

I'm particularly interested in inexpensive "shade tree mechanic" type setups. Not necessarily junky, but cheap.

While eMopeds are considered heavy for bicycles, they are still considered very light compared to motorcycles, so the lifting is not necessarily a problem, but the supporting while working is.

• Automotive floor/scissor jacks: One possibility is of course an automotive floor jack or scissor jack, but the bike will need to have a large enough surface area to jack that the bike won't fall off as force is applied to different areas of the bike.
• Stools/board method. User Uncle FJester on YouTube mentioned using two stepladders with a 2x4 board between them, which supports his Juiced HyperScorpion under the rack or something. This idea is worth exploring a bit.
• Centerstand pivot Those of us lucky enough to have an eMoped with a center stand will have a much easier time. Generally, one wheel will be off the ground when the bike is on the centerstand. Work on that wheel should be easy. Work on the other wheel can be done by jacking just enough to pivot the bike on the centerstand enough to elevate the other wheel.
• Side stand prop: When I had a Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle, the community had a simple method of lubricating the chain when out and about:
  • Put the bike on its sidestand
  • Lean the bike over on the sidestand until the rear wheel is off the ground, then put a custom-made prop under the engine support frame to hold it.
    This would probably be enough to remove the rear wheel, but wouldn't help with the front wheel
• Flip the bike over on its back. This is the tried-and-true method that cyclists have used for decades, however these days, there is often equipment mounted to the handlebar that could be damaged when using this method and the weight is resting on it. Be careful here. I saw one photo recently where the shade tree mechanic had the ends of the handlebars supported by boating life jackets as cushions on each bar end. This is worth exploring and is probably the cheapest of all options, as long as the eMoped owner can safetly muscle the bike onto its seat/bars.

eMopeds are a fledgling product right now. I expect someone will come up with some home brew stand ideas in the near future, then they will be everywhere.

Woodworkers I'm sure will start building fixtures like this out of construction grade lumber, and other folks will start devising ideas from PVC pipes.

As we see these ideas, let's share them here!

 

[addertooth]

Hoisting straps, and a cheap cherry-picker from Harbor freight. Lift, swivel, rotate, just move those yellow hoisting straps to whatever point you want to pivot around.

 

[Smaug]

Hoisting straps, and a cheap cherry-picker from Harbor freight. Lift, swivel, rotate, just move those yellow hoisting straps to whatever point you want to pivot around.

Cherry picker = engine hoist?

 

[HumanPerson]

or a tree limb and block and tackle

 

[Smaug]

Hoisting straps, and a cheap cherry-picker from Harbor freight. Lift, swivel, rotate, just move those yellow hoisting straps to whatever point you want to pivot around.

Hmm, their cheapest hoist is $270, then straps. Not that cheap.

 

[HumanPerson]

good weather and some ratchet straps and a tree
lol

 

[addertooth]

Sorry, I live in a high desert... what is this tree thing you speak of.
And yes, cherry picker a way to lift an engine, with a hydraulic boom arm. A classical engine hoist is a bit different, it is typically a pully system which uses chains.

I didn't realize they have gone up so much in the past 3 years. I picked mine up for about 150 bucks.
I have a small machine shop in my garage, and it is perfect for moving around 1000 pound shop tools.

 

[biknut]

I got the idea for this after watching some youtubes.

 

[DieselTech]

I'm going to modify 1 of these 12volt Jack's to make my cheap emoped lift.

I have recently been taking all the handle bar controls loose & flipping the bike over on its lid. But it's all I want & it recently messed my back up. So stayed tuned I'll make a thread when I build the 12 volt bike lift.

 

[Smaug]

I'm going to modify 1 of these 12volt Jack's to make my cheap emoped lift.

I have recently been taking all the handle bar controls loose & flipping the bike over on its lid. But it's all I want & it recently messed my back up. So stayed tuned I'll make a thread when I build the 12 volt bike lift. View attachment 11886

It'll be interesting to see what you come up with. You'll need to fabricate something to fit the bottom of your eBike, at approximately the center of mass... (CoM)

Edit: That might be a challenge, as the CoM will be somewhere between the bottom bracket and rear hub...

 

[HumanPerson]

oh hell yeah you'll have a work stand for the gas bikes too

 

[DieselTech]

It'll be interesting to see what you come up with. You'll need to fabricate something to fit the bottom of your eBike, at approximately the center of mass... (CoM)

Edit: That might be a challenge, as the CoM will be somewhere between the bottom bracket and rear hub...

I'll see if I got the funds this week, & I'll get a jack ordered. I think i got a real good idea for a fully adjustable ebike lift that will work for any ebike.

Regardless of the weight & center of mass/gravity. Or regardless if it's a single hub motor bike or a dual motor ebike.

It will require either some welding or drilling to the jack to add the bike lift frame supports & jack base support. I'll make sure to start a thread as well as listing it here in this thread.

 

[DieselTech]

Lmfao I may have a $50 jack to throw over in the corner junk pile too!!!

 

[Smaug]

Check this one out. Instead of paying again for a motor, buy one with a hex instead of a loop for the screw. Then, just use your cordless drill as the motor. Or a ratchet:

I just saved you 50%. You can buy me a beer if we ever meet. ;-)

 

[HumanPerson]

oh now yas got me 2 thinkin LOL

go to salvage/junk yard and look for those rotisserie bbq cookers and they will have a slow motor/gear reduction thingy
that could be used to turn that hex head on that one @Smaug

Am just thinkin like me true redneck self

 

[DieselTech]

I got a jack ordered & on the way. Stay Tuned!!!

 

[addertooth]

oh now yas got me 2 thinkin LOL

go to salvage/junk yard and look for those rotisserie bbq cookers and they will have a slow motor/gear reduction thingy
that could be used to turn that hex head on that one @Smaug

Am just thinkin like me true redneck self

I just use a small electric impact wrench (Milwaukie) with a socket to raise and lower scissor jacks. That way, I get double use out of a tool, and it requires no power cord.

 

[Smaug]

I just came across this, mentioned by YouTuber eBike escape.

Looks like a nice simple solution. It’s just a pair of tripods that strap to the handlebar to keep the electronics and other accessories from getting banged up when the bike is flipped on its top for service.

The Original Handlebar Jack Ultra Portable Bicycle Repair Stand

The Original Handlebar Jack is a portable bicycle repair stand. Protect your handlebars, expensive accessories, ebike displays, carbon fiber handlebars, break levers and more.

www.handlebarjack.com

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I’d like to see more eBikes with center stands.

 

[HumanPerson]

I’d like to see more eBikes with center stands.

I've been eyeballing them as well....seems the good ones are 100+$

 

[biknut]

It messes up my mind if I try to work on my bike when it's upside down.