Which Motorcycle Wheel Chock

[HPRifleman]

I would like to add a wheel chock to the front of my motorcycle lift.

I've been looking into these two styles:

• Motorcycle Wheel Vise
• Motorcycle Wheel Chock

Does anyone have experience and/or opinions on these two? Pros/cons?

 

[acer66]

Just looking at the pictures I wonder if the $55 is maybe limited on the wheel size.

 

[atch]

You'll be much happier with the $79 vise on a lift. You just ride straight into it and stop. Have it already adjusted to just slightly wider than your tire width. It's what the actual shops use.

The $59 unit is great for installation on a trailer or pickup bed. You have to go "over center" with it. You'll get really tired of doing that. Plus then you still have to strap the scoot to keep it vertical.

 

[niget2002]

I have the vise on mine. It works really well.

 

[ZRX61]

I have a Baxley on the garage floor, but it would be a total PITA on a lift.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I built a hydraulic wheel clamp. The clamp is adjustable and slides like a GM brake caliper.
I took the hydraulics out of a new small hydraulic jack and repurposed some of it.
Since I do not have a motorcycle and will not get another, I gave this wheel clamp to one of the members of this forum.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Definitely vise style over chock. It can take a lot of effort to push a bike into and jerk a bike out of the chock. Especially if it isn't adjusted perfect for the tire size.
I'd also go with something better than the HF unit especially if working on large bikes.
The vise will be more stable but either way you are going to want tie down straps.

 

[Jinks]

Back when I rode I had a table lift similar, but a bit bigger than yours. It had the clamp style chock like the HF unit. Even with the lift down you're holding the bike higher than if it was on the floor. You need to be able to get it in the chock & secure it well enough to tie it down. The clamp style does that fairly easily. Pushing over the back stop, going in or out, is a lot more difficult.
Go with the HF unit!

 

[kngelv]

The vise. I added one from Black Widow to my Harbor Freight lift and it looks like a carbon copy of the new HF one. The chock is great in the back of a truck. I use two for hauling dirt bikes. Would never want one on a lift.

James

 

[PoorUB]

I put an over center wheel chock on my lift table and could not get my Harley out of it! I put the vise back on!

 

[svtride]

I replaced the clamp style wheel vise on my lift with a Condor chock. I like the hands free-ness of the chock vs the clamp. Just shove the bike in the chock and you can let go of it immediately. I then secure bike with tie downs.

 

[Kenstone1]

I have the ride-on HF chock in the 2nd link.
I have a total of 4, 3 on trailers, 1 on a lift table.

I have found you must hold the MC upright once its in the chock, until you strap it down or it could tip-over.
Know that I mod everything and narrowed up the flipper to fit tighter around the front tire.
I put a strap over the wheel and pull it tight rather than straps to the handlebars.
Pic of narrowed flipper (prevents tip-overs):

Pic of ratchet strap over the front tire and bicycle inner tube over strap end hooks so they don't slip off (works good on a trailer):

A chock installed be a friend who is a medical professional.

 

[niget2002]

One thing to consider... The vise is easier to get the front wheel off of the bike than the chock is. I have my vise set up so that I can remove part of it and roll the front wheel right through the front of the vise.

 

[ZRX61]

Pic of ratchet strap over the front tire and bicycle inner tube over strap end hooks so they don't slip off (works good on a trailer):

Kaw triple?

 

[Kenstone1]

One thing to consider... The vise is easier to get the front wheel off of the bike than the chock is. I have my vise set up so that I can remove part of it and roll the front wheel right through the front of the vise.

I just use an old screw type bottle jack from a ford ranger to raise up the rear frame/wheel.
To raise the front wheel, I back the bike onto the lift with the back wheel in the chock and use that bottle jack under the frame/motor
(to raise the front wheel.)
jmo,
.

 

[Kenstone1]

Kaw triple?

A neighbor's bike, Yamaha 650 (or 750?) twin.
So old it has points.
.

 

[niget2002]

I just use an old screw type bottle jack from a ford ranger to raise up the rear frame/wheel.
To raise the front wheel, I back the bike onto the lift with the back wheel in the chock and use that bottle jack under the frame/motor
(to raise the front wheel.)
jmo,
.

I'm not backing my overweight Harley up an incline.

 

[Kenstone1]

I'm not backing my overweight Harley up an incline.

yeh, might need some help for that.
.

 

[ChefRex]

100% the vice, especial if you're using it for heavier bikes.

 

[ChefRex]

I just use an old screw type bottle jack from a ford ranger to raise up the rear frame/wheel.
To raise the front wheel, I back the bike onto the lift with the back wheel in the chock and use that bottle jack under the frame/motor
(to raise the front wheel.)
jmo,
.

The vice show I do believe you can remove the stop, I have a K&L lift at work where I can remove the whole thing, love it!

 

[Pen & Wrench]

I agree 100% with the vice choice. I have a wheel chock with the over center piece, and once, when I tried to get my then 1800 Honda VTX off a trailer, I couldn't get the over center deal to release and get the bike off the trailer, and the bike ended up tipping to the side and put a dent in the tank. Now when I haul a bike I tend to leave the over center deal off, would rather not tip another bike over. The vice should be more secure and more controllable.

 

[bwringer]

100% the vice, especial if you're using it for heavier bikes.

Agreed. Much easier to get the bike in and out, and you can "un-clamp" it when you're doing front-end work and it's not in your way like the over-center type chock.

In other words, the over-center type holds the wheel in one place and is not appropriate for working on a motorcycle. (It would only be useful if you never work on the front end.) It works fine in a trailer for helping keep the front tire immobile. As noted above, the bike can still slip and fall over in this type; you have to secure the front end with ratchet straps.

 

[atch]

I've been wondering if a hydraulic ram, like a Porta-Power could be used on a vise wherein you could pump it with your foot before you dismount from the bike? It looks to me like all the shops I've been in have a second person screw the vise in before the dismount. That's why above I said to have the vise adjusted to be very close to the size of the wheel/tire; in hopes that it would hold the scoot upright while you dismount and tighten the screw.

If using a hydraulic ram you'd also have to have a way to let the pressure off of it after you remount the bike.

 

[ChefRex]

I've been wondering if a hydraulic ram, like a Porta-Power could be used on a vise wherein you could pump it with your foot before you dismount from the bike? It looks to me like all the shops I've been in have a second person screw the vise in before the dismount. That's why above I said to have the vise adjusted to be very close to the size of the wheel/tire; in hopes that it would hold the scoot upright while you dismount and tighten the screw.

If using a hydraulic ram you'd also have to have a way to let the pressure off of it after you remount the bike.

I would love such a setup but I have been pushing the bike up or clutching it for the past 30years or more and clamping it myself, lol.
It is starting to get old though.

 

[Shovelhead]

If yer working on the front end you don’t want the front end in any kind of “vice”.
Pick yer poison on getting the scooter tied down, then you use a frame jack to get the front end off the ground.

 

[atch]

I would love such a setup but I have been pushing the bike up or clutching it for the past 30years or more and clamping it myself, lol.
It is starting to get old though.

That's good to know. I don't have any such animal myself and have only seen it in shops where a second person turned the vise screw.

 

[Relax]

My lift came with a rudimentary clamp, but I use my Baxley chock on it if I'm not working on the front end. For the few times I do, it's easy to remove (since it's not bolted down) for complete access to the front. A clamp is easier to roll in and out of, but needs to be unbolted if you need to lift the front wheel.

 

[zmotorsports]

I've used the Pingel wheel chocks in my enclosed race trailer as well as my utility trailer. I like them because they mount to flush mount recesses in the floor of the trailer so nothing is a trip hazard. They work great for transporting bikes around and in the tens of thousands of miles I've hauled bikes, I've never had one move.


As for clamping wheels on a lift table I have used the Handy on my original Handy lift that I purchased nearly 30 years ago and the second Handy SAM2 that I had for a short time. Never had any issues with these Handy wheel clamps whether smaller dirt bikes or heavy Harley Ultra Classic baggers.


My original doesn't have any rubber grip on the insides of the clamps whereas my Handy SAM 2 model had rubber lined clamps. Didn't have any issues with either so really can't say one is better than the other.

 

[HPRifleman]

Thanks for all the responses. It looks like the clamp-style is the preferred option. This is for a couple of classic Italian sport bikes so not a lot of heft to be held.

I went into Harbor Freight to buy the clamp but they didn't have one in stock and the manager told me to maybe come back in January.

 

[RZ Guy]

I have two lifts. A harbor freight and a Direct-Lift. On both of these I have mounted the harbor freight wheel chocks. I can ride on, or push on, and the bikes hold themselves up. Then I use a rear stand to further support them. Bikes with a narrow front tire will have a tendency to want to tip a bit but the rear stand stabilizes it. I have no problem pulling them out of these chocks. I wish I would've kept the vice for the Direct-Lift though. It would've worked much better for holding a bigger rear tire. But I sold it off.

 

[acer66]

Welcome to the forum, nice looking RZ and what kind of bike is in the center?

 

[RZ Guy]

Thanks for the welcome and compliment acer66.

Now on my second post here in a little over 10 years. I may be overdoing it.

The middle bike is an in process over restoration "resto mod" 85 RZ350 NC2.

I may go search out the MC thread on here and post a few bikes.

 

[acer66]

Thanks for the welcome and compliment acer66.

Now on my second post here in a little over 10 years. I may be overdoing it.

The middle bike is an in process over restoration "resto mod" 85 RZ350 NC2.

I may go search out the MC thread on here and post a few bikes.

Nice and do not get ahead of yourself.


How do you like the Harbor Freight lift compared to the Direct Lift?

 

[isb cornbinder]

I built my own tire pincher from small floor jack components. I gave it to another forum member. I have pictures of the now his tire clamp. I will let him post some pictures.

 

[RZ Guy]

Are we jacking the OP's thread? We are still talking about motorcycle lifts so maybe not.

The Harbor Freight lift does exactly what it was intended to do and for me has performed flawlessly. I have had it for 8 or 10 years. I use it more than the other mostly because I don't want to fire up the compressor just to make the Direct Lift go up. I don't mind having to jack it up manually. If I know I am going to go up and down several times in a session I will use the Direct Lift. I bought the Direct Lift secondhand for $500. Kind of hard to pass it up at that price.

 

[ChefRex]

Thanks for the welcome and compliment acer66.

Now on my second post here in a little over 10 years. I may be overdoing it.

The middle bike is an in process over restoration "resto mod" 85 RZ350 NC2.

I may go search out the MC thread on here and post a few bikes.

Please do, love RZ's!

 

[the shifty jesus]

I’m a chock fan, based on lightweight bikes and the simplicity of the “chock it and let go” ability. I hunted for a while to pick up a used Condor in order to move the mounting point back enough to lift the front out of the chock with a front lift, and then remove the chock from the table.

 

[Pen & Wrench]

Another vote for the vice. I bought an over center wheel chock for my trailer and it was so difficult to get my VTX out of it that I ended up tipping the bike against the trailer rails and put a beautiful crease in the gas tank. I took the over center part of it out and don't use it anymore. All the good motorcycle lift tables I've seen have wheel vices. Be sure to post pictures of the final product. Best of luck and skill to you!

 

[Relax]

Another vote for the vice. I bought an over center wheel chock for my trailer and it was so difficult to get my VTX out of it that I ended up tipping the bike against the trailer rails and put a beautiful crease in the gas tank. I took the over center part of it out and don't use it anymore. All the good motorcycle lift tables I've seen have wheel vices. Be sure to post pictures of the final product. Best of luck and skill to you!

I have a Baxley chock and also a few cheaper ones. It's always easy to pull bikes out of he Baxley, but not always the case with the others. I think it has to do with the design of the chock itself, where the cheaper ones may not have the proper spacing and end up locking the tire in more than necessary.