Like most motorcycles, big adventure bikes are fine when they’re moving. But when a two-story-high, luggage-equipped moto-camel decides it’s time for a dirt nap, it’s probably going to take at least two people to get it back on its feet—maybe more if the surface is sandy, muddy or off-camber. If you can’t buddy up every time you ride off into the wild, Dustriders’ motorcycle hoist will be your mechanical buddy.
The Dustriders hoist is rated to lift 775 pounds and is designed to work best with off-road and dual-sport bikes with limited plastic bodywork, since the hook needs to be looped around something solid like a frame rail or footpeg bracket. In essence, it’s a single ratcheting tie-down coupled to a Y-shaped metal frame that breaks down into four pieces and stows away in a sturdy carrying case; the packed hoist measures 19.3 x 8.3 x 3 inches and weighs about 9 pounds. You’ll want to strap it to the outside of the bike where you can get at it, and not in a pannier, for example, only to discover you have to lift the bike up to get your bike lift out.
My friend Larry volunteered his Kawasaki KLR650 to test the hoist, and then the Rider staff followed-up by trying it on a much larger KTM 1290 Super Adventure. After rolling the KLR onto the lawn and flopping it on its side, I assembled the hoist, set it on the ground next to the bike, and looped the hook under a saddlebag guard. From there it was just a matter of ratcheting the tie-down to slowly lift the bike. The higher it went the harder it was to operate the ratchet as leverage tried to tilt the top of the hoist toward the bike, so even though I could have gone higher, I stopped at about a 45-degree angle and righted the bike by hand without much effort.
Despite the large bags on the Super Adventure, we were able to lay the bike down into a fully horizontal position on its left side, back wheel off the ground, before reaching under and hooking the hoist to the centerstand. By placing the hoist feet as close as possible to the bike, we were able to ratchet the 598-pound KTM quickly and easily to nearly upright, where we could deploy the sidestand. Had we laid the bike down on its right side, it would just be a matter of hoisting the bike to nearly upright, then walking around to the left side to pull it over onto the sidestand.
The lawn and dirt parking lot we used for the KLR and KTM were both fairly firm. On a softer and unstable surface such as sand, mud or gravel, you would probably have to find something solid to put under the hoist feet, like a board or rocks.
The Dustriders hoist is a bit on the heavy side, and some riders will say it’s inconveniently large when packed, but it has the potential to save you from a long wait for help or a long walk home if your motorcycle becomes one with the earth. The Dustriders motorcycle hoist is available from ADV Motorrad for a suggested retail of $249.95.
For more information: Call (585) 310-2386 or visit advmotorrad.com
[…] Never declare a cherished memory as "the best day of my life"…it will forever diminish the possibility for "Tomorrow" being the "Best Day!"To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Beemer tiger is online now Quote Quick Reply post #7 of 9 Old Today, 9:49 am NoelCP Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 1,185 Re: Today's lesson in humility Quote: Originally Posted by Beemer tiger View Post The bad part, my aging diabetic 180 lb body couldn't pick it up. I dropped a much lighter bike in my garage–my former BMW F800GT–and couldn't pick it up either w/ my aging diabetic 190lb body. Having seen the technique in the video above, this one with a 5' gal stepping up her HD. The only problem was I am 6'4" tall, and the F800GT goes down quite flat because there are no boxer heads to prop it up. I went into the house to re-view the video and as I attempted to get into the correct position to be able to use my reasonably strong legs to walk the bike up, I discovered the bike was so flat all of my pushing with my legs was only pushing the tires into the concrete. The long and short of it was I began then pulling up w/ my arms while trying to walk the bike up w/ butt on seat to try to get the bike to start to pivot up and it simply would not budge. So w/ images of the 5' gal lifting a bike nearly double the weight, I simply pulled up harder while pushing w/ my legs. Then, the report: I heard the pop in my lower back, and down to the garage floor I went in severe low back pain. It really was the end of a 63y/o life w/ no low back injury, and it's been impaired ever since, now 2y later. Fortunately is does not impair normal activity, but it's always there if I abuse it at all w/ poor body mechanics. I'm resigned now to getting help if I ever drop the RT. At one point I thought about looking into a mechanical method to help get the bike up, and they exist: Dustriders Motorcycle Hoist Review | Rider Magazine | Rider Magazine […]
[…] link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzecbg5-KEY Here is a review in Rider Magazine: Dustriders Motorcycle Hoist Review | Rider Magazine | Rider Magazine There is a competitor out there which is a little cheaper, but in my opinion, its not as stable as […]
What is the name of the competitor?