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[bubtrauma]

Well was not a good day for me yesterday my bike fell off of the table. WHAT A MESS.Guys make sure that when your table is at its highest height that if you put weight on the end of it, it does not tip the deck to the back without the front wheels coming of the ground. I had the safety bar in place and as I took the front wheel off the bike the deck went up and the bike went over on its side. There was nothing I could do except watch it crash it to my tool box and bench. I have not yet determined what exactly happened but I will let you know after I go through my morning process. Are riding seasons is just starting. .

Oh btw I was pulling the front wheel off because of a noise and both bearings are shot and they did not have a lot of miles on them.

that's all for now I have to find more liquor and kleenx.

Bub

[Boatman]

Really sorry to hear of your misfortune Bub..   At least you were not hurt.  Keep us posted.

Regarding the wheel bearings, that to is a real shame.  Anything for them to save a few pennies per bike.     

[FLY-DOG]

Oh man!  Chit.......sorry to hear that, at least it sounds like you weren't hurt.  Hey we've all done similar things but most of us won't admit to our errors publicly.     Not sure, but hopefully your insurance will pay minus your deductable?  I haven't got a lift, but sounds like stands under the frame rails and then tie downs from bike to table would have prevented.  That's a mistake you likely will never repeat.

[charles05663]

I am sorry for you lose.  Do you have any pictures of what happened?  They might help others to take steps to prevent a similar situation.

And thankfully you were not injured.  An accident like that could seriously injure or kill someone.

  

[ultrarider123]

Bub...got those cold chills/chicken skin as I read your description as I'm sure you did watching it.  Just glad nobody was injured....still have issues to address with the bike as you determine what was damaged so keep us posted and keep your chin up, brother.

Dropped my '89 glide loading on a trailer once.  It seemed like it took 30 minutes for it to fall over (was a second) and all I could do was watch....feel for ya.

Some good, 18yr old Aberlour might help ease the pain a bit....

[05Train]

I get mocked relentlessly for the retention straps I use with the lift.  What happened to you is why I do so.

Glad you're unhurt.

[D-N-D]

Wow !! Brother !! I feel the hurt hope the insurance covers this one. Who makes the lift that your using

[phato1]

Sorry to hear that the bike fell,  but I'm glad you're not hurt.  It's a really helpless feeling to watch them hit the ground...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[trwtow]

what brand lift do u have


glad u weren't hurt

[danner55]

It hurts just to read about your misfortune! Happy to hear you didn't get hurt!

What brand of table lift do you have? I guess we will all have to be more careful in the future working on a table lift!

You just have to move forward & fix your bike.

Good Luck!

[bubtrauma]

I have figured out what happened and will post so pics tonight. My hope is that my miss foreign will avoid someone having the same thing happen to them

Update it is a Handy lift out of Iowa. There is a design flaw. Be careful. As I said will post pics tonight.

Let it be understood I am not slamming "Handy" just trying to avoid another one. I think there is an easy fix. IT IS A GREAT LIFT.

Bub

[Chains]

Bubba, sorry to hear of your misfortune.  Glad you didn't get hurt, if you want to stick with the same color and year if they total yours,there are two low mileage ones on eBay.

[TinSpinner]

Man that sucks, Bub! Glad it fell the other way and not on top of you. Standing by for the update later, I've been shopping for table jacks so anxious to hear of the design flaw you found. I assume you also had a scissor jack in play since you were removing the front wheel, did that have anything to do with it?

[MrSurly]

Bookmarked.

Glad you weren't hurt. There's a tremendous opportunity for injury anytime lifting machines are used.

i have an IN-GROUND bike table that can't tilt...BUT, it is narrow and requires great caution at all times. I've been thinking of mods for stability...maybe your misfortune will get me 'off the hump' and I'll get it beefed up.

[charles05663]

I have figured out what happened and will post so pics tonight. My hope is that my miss foreign will avoid someone having the same thing happen to them

Update it is a Handy lift out of Iowa. There is a design flaw. Be careful. As I said will post pics tonight.

Let it be understood I am not slamming "Handy" just trying to avoid another one. I think there is an easy fix. IT IS A GREAT LIFT.

Bub

I have a Handy lift too.  Now you got me wondering...

I am in the process of finishing up installing some upgraded forks.  The front of the bike is jacked up and the front is being reassembled.

 

[bubtrauma]

I have a Handy lift too.  Now you got me wondering...

I am in the process of finishing up installing some upgraded forks.  The front of the bike is jacked up and the front is being reassembled.

 

Look underneath and MAKE SURE the upper front bearing are in the channel....PLEASE

[moscooter]

 
Not a good situation in any case.  However, as it fell into your tool chest,  that is not as bad as having it fall onto your wifes Corvette............Don't ask how I know that.

[charles05663]

Look underneath and MAKE SURE the upper front bearing are in the channel....PLEASE

Thank you...I will take a look.

 

[charles05663]

Look underneath and MAKE SURE the upper front bearing are in the channel....PLEASE

[bubtrauma]

here are photos

the front bearing wheels were not in there channel. If you move the table by lifting the front to high they come out of there tracks and the lift still works. Then when the front gets to light by taking my front wheel off up it goes. It a good thing it fell side ways or it would have catapulted right over.

[bubtrauma]

here is a picture of the channel see where it was riding on the bottom of the channel. It needs a stop plate at the back of the channel. look to the right there is nothing to stop it from coming out.

[OBB]

here are photos

the front bearing wheels were not in there channel. If you move the table by lifting the front to high they come out of there tracks and the lift still works. Then when the front gets to light by taking my front wheel off up it goes. It a good thing it fell side ways or it would have catapulted right over.

Christ! That turns my stomach just looking at it. 

[bubtrauma]

your good, now just make sure when you move it and pick the front up they don't come out. I am going to put stops in.

[OBB]

I have figured out what happened and will post so pics tonight. My hope is that my miss foreign will avoid someone having the same thing happen to them

Update it is a Handy lift out of Iowa. There is a design flaw. Be careful. As I said will post pics tonight.

Let it be understood I am not slamming "Handy" just trying to avoid another one. I think there is an easy fix. IT IS A GREAT LIFT.

Bub

Might be interesting to see what they say when you send them the pix and explain what you see as a design flaw.

[garretn]

Thanks for posting this... I am in the market for a table lift and would like to hear what Handy says about this design issue.  This should have never happened...  Sounds like my kind of luck trying to save a few bucks doing my own work cost me thousands..

Glad it didn't seriously hurt someone..

[bubtrauma]

I spoke with Handy this afternoon and he asked to see pics. I would buy one again but make a slight Mod. I will post what they say when I hear.

thanx to all for your support

Bub

[charles05663]

here is a picture of the channel see where it was riding on the bottom of the channel. It needs a stop plate at the back of the channel. look to the right there is nothing to stop it from coming out.

If I am looking at this photo correctly this is what I see.  Is this correct?  If so, based upon the grease marks, it looks like the bearing was pulled out from front.  As the lift is raised, the bearing moves from the front toward the center of the lift.  The grease marks inside the channel run the full length indicating it has been raised up to the top.  The grease on the bottom of the channel indicate that it only been raised about 4/5's of max height.

What year is your lift?  Mine is a 2011 and it appears the top channel is different.

Given what I see, anyone with any lift should check the channel.

Thank you for the information bubtrauma.

 

[cvolovermi]

This female rider I ride with had her bike at the dealer and it fell off the lift, because they did not have it safety strapped.  Needless to say, there was so much damage that they just totaled it and gave her a new bike.  I feel for you.  Hope it isn't that bad.

[bubtrauma]

Charles you have label it correctly thanx. There is a bolt at the front that you can just see. So it can only come out the back. The marks on the bottom of the channel shows its limit and you can see the grease all the way to the back of the channel which indicates where it came out. Once I removed the front wheel it was enough weight lose of the front to tip it. All Handy needs to do is put a bolt on stop once the table is assembled. Then if you pick the deck up it cant come out of the channel.

thanx my friend for labeling the pic.

Bub

[Cvostu]

Really sorry to see this.  Glad you didn't get hurt.  Hope things work out for the best.   Stuart

[charles05663]

Charles you have label it correctly thanx. There is a bolt at the front that you can just see. So it can only come out the back. The marks on the bottom of the channel shows its limit and you can see the grease all the way to the back of the channel which indicates where it came out. Once I removed the front wheel it was enough weight lose of the front to tip it. All Handy needs to do is put a bolt on stop once the table is assembled. Then if you pick the deck up it cant come out of the channel.

thanx my friend for labeling the pic.

Bub

No problem Bub.  Was the lift at max height at the time?

It is by the Grace of God you were not hurt.  The thought of a 900+ lbs bike falling like that scares the poop out of me (maybe at my age that can't be a bad thing).

 

[Twolanerider]

We're nearly all laymen here to such things.  But it seems to me that building the lift such that a primary roller and support like that could ever possibly move beyond a capture point and thereby allow freed motion would be considered major design flaw.  I'd not move bike, lift nor anything else involved until a product liability attorney documented the site and the manufacturer was apprised and allowed to do the same if it chose to in some reasonable time frame.  Is there any warning in the lift's supplied literature that you could move, use or abuse the lift in any way that could then allow this to happen?

[charles05663]

We're nearly all laymen here to such things.  But it seems to me that building the lift such that a primary roller and support like that could ever possibly move beyond a capture point and thereby allow freed motion would be considered major design flaw.  I'd not move bike, lift nor anything else involved until a product liability attorney documented the site and the manufacturer was apprised and allowed to do the same if it chose to in some reasonable time frame.  Is there any warning in the lift's supplied literature that you could move, use or abuse the lift in any way that could then allow this to happen?

I wonder if the year of the lift is going to be the determining factor.  Handy went bankrupt or was sold about three or fours years ago.  Kind of like the game GM is playing with the ignition switches.  Would not hurt to look into it.

 

[1sharprdkg]

That really sucks. Very glad it did not hurt you or anyone else.

[Twolanerider]

I wonder if the year of the lift is going to be the determining factor.  Handy went bankrupt or was sold about three or fours years ago.  Kind of like the game GM is playing with the ignition switches.  Would not hurt to look into it.

 

Was so caught up in the incident didn't even notice the company involved.  The more hands something has passed through (product or ownership) the murkier things become.  It's a damn shame for the poor sod out on the sharp end.  At some point you just have to say thank goodness for insurance then sweep up the mess and ride on.

[martys]

Sorry to read about this Bob,  Just glad that no one was injured! I'm sure you are looking into some financial compensation from the manufacturer but, You might want to check your home owners policy as well, to see if you are covered for any of the damage?  Could be less costly in the long run   

Marty

[Dan_Lockwood]

This is just speculation, but "if" the table went high enough for the front scissor guide rollers to come out of the captive tracks on the back side, the table would as you've said, just flip backwards. 

I understand that.

But as you've pointed out, there are roller tracks on the bottom side of the captive tracks.  The only way they could get there is to have the table down and the rollers under the lower captive track plate and cycle to get the tracks that length.  This would have caused the table to not sit level front to rear when in any position.

The other thing that' I'm having problems understanding is that the fixed position rear pivot for the table is at the very end of the lift table top surface.  Having weight back far enough to flip the table rearward off non trapped rollers would seem nearly impossible to me.

I'm sure I'm missing something because obviously it happened and "that's a fact Jack".  Gotta go back quite a few years for that reference...

As everyone else has said, I'm very glad that you didn't get hurt.  The bike can be fixed, but if you had been involved with that much weight, it would not have ended well.

I had an older Handy lift when I lived in Michigan and used it for street rod frame lifting as well as my buddy's quad usually sat on it as he tinkered on it.  I didn't find any issues for my use.

[bubtrauma]

Some how at one point when manipulating this lift those rollers came out of the channel. I did find it odd that the table was not level when it was down and did not think to look underneath. I have load this table on a 1/2 ton truck so as to let a friend use it and I am thinking that in the loading process or the unloading process those wheels came out.

Guyz I will get to the bottom of this and share the results once I can re-enact the scenario. I should have been more attentive (which I will from now on). I am glad it was my bike and not a friends bikes which I frequently work on.

Not blaming or bashing anyone just going to fix mine so it can never happen again and maybe avoid it for some else. There is an easy fix and I am in contact with HANDY. Which so far have been quite approachable.

I have contacted my insurance company to come look at the damage and wait the outcome.

Once again guyz thanx for the support and well wishes. My wife came running into the garage when it happened was VERY happy I wasn't under it. Well at least she says......lol.

More than anything after a LONG COLD winter and the start of our riding season I am like a dog starring in a butcher shop window with his tongue hanging out.

Bub

[05Train]

Very curious to hear what Handy has to say.

[mike jesse]

I've had my Handy since 2003 and it's been a great tool in the garage.
Mine has the roller track like yours and nothing would keep the rollers in place "if" the table is raised beyond the highest safety latch position.
The front of the track has a built in stop if the supplied eye bolts are screwed into the table.
Simply drilling a 1/2 in. hole and installing a nut and bolt through on the back of the channel will prevent this from happening again.

[bubtrauma]

I've had my Handy since 2003 and it's been a great tool in the garage.
Mine has the roller track like yours and nothing would keep the rollers in place "if" the table is raised beyond the highest safety latch position.
The front of the track has a built in stop if the supplied eye bolts are screwed into the table.
Simply drilling a 1/2 in. hole and installing a nut and bolt through on the back of the channel will prevent this from happening again.

Yep that will do it. I plan on doing something just like that.

BUB

[mike jesse]

Something else that I'm going to do to my lift is build an outrigger for the back.
Handy makes the side extensions and they come with a simple piece of pipe that slips through the bottom
of the frame. The holes are already in place from the factory. A piece of pipe and 2 pipe capes and it's done.
A picture of the outrigger is on their web page in the acc. section. Check it out.

[sadunbar]

I have a Handy lift that was manufactured on the late 1990's, long before the sale of the company.  So my Handy lift may not be apples to apples to your "post sale" Handy lift.

That said, I went out and looked at mine.  The stroke of the cylinder controls the roller travel within the channel.  With the cylinder fully retracted, the rollers are contained within the channel.  With the cylinder fully extended, the rollers are contained within the channel.  So...with the lift properly assembled and set up, it's not possible for the rollers to escape the channel.

I suppose it's possible there was a design change or a manufacturing error on your lift, but I doubt it.  Since you noted your table was not level when retracted prior to your incident, I suspect it's more likely the rollers escaped from the channel at some point while being handled during the transport to or from your friends.  If the lift was picked up high off the ground by the front of the table (it would have to be by fork lift or overhead crane or something similar), the roller could then escape the channel, even while still attached to the cylinder. 

I'll predict Handy will say when their lift is correctly assembled and set up, what you describe cannot happen, and they'd be right.  But with inadvertent handling of the lift, resulting in the roller exiting the channel while being lifted from the front of the table, what you describe and show in your photos can absolutely happen.  So if there is a flaw in the design, the flaw is it is possible to set up and install the table incorrectly, resulting in your incident.  But again, when set up and installed correctly, what happened to you isn't going to happen, because it's not mechanically possible.  When set up and installed correctly, the cylinder stroke limits the travel of the rollers, and makes it impossible for the rollers to leave the channel at either end during normal table operation.

Hope that made sense...  Very sorry your bike was damaged and very happy you were not injured..

[mark]

Your comprehensive motorcycle insurance should cover damage to the Harley.  Damage to items in the garage (tool chest, etc) should be covered by your homeowners policy, minus any deductible.  I'd ask Handy to cover any deductible.  I'm guessing that's about the best you'll be able to do.

[bubtrauma]

Your comprehensive motorcycle insurance should cover damage to the Harley.  Damage to items in the garage (tool chest, etc) should be covered by your homeowners policy, minus any deductible.  I'd ask Handy to cover any deductible.  I'm guessing that's about the best you'll be able to do.

You are probably right

[Dan_Lockwood]

But again, when set up and installed correctly, what happened to you isn't going to happen, because it's not mechanically possible. 

This is just like the McDonald's hot coffee in the lap scenario.  Yes she knew it was hot, but they didn't tell her it was hot and she spilled it.  McDonald's paid off.

If a Handy lift can be put together or moved in such a way to disengage the front rollers, they are probably liable for the mishap.

I'm not a suit crazed guy, but this should not have happened regardless of the circumstances leading up to the incident.

[scp1scp]

So sorry to hear about this accident and extremely happy that no one was hurt.  It sounds like you have determined the problem and the solution and I am glad that you shared that with all of us.  Everyone is running out checking their equipment.

Steve.

[rheiner]

This is just like the McDonald's hot coffee in the lap scenario.  Yes she knew it was hot, but they didn't tell her it was hot and she spilled it.  McDonald's paid off.

If a Handy lift can be put together or moved in such a way to disengage the front rollers, they are probably liable for the mishap.

I'm not a suit crazed guy, but this should not have happened regardless of the circumstances leading up to the incident.

I am totally sympathetic to Bub but I don't agree with the McDonald's analogy. For example, assume a truck gets pulled out of a ditch and in the process of pulling it out the owner hooks up a tow strap to the axle and pulls it out of alignment. Then when driving the truck, the damaged axle fails and causes an accident and the driver gets hurt. Is the truck manufacturer liable for the injuries? No. Likewise, if the lift was not secured and moved properly which was the cause of the upper roller bearing coming out of the channel you can't blame Handy. I'm not saying that is what happened here but if it is, Handy would not be liable.

[longlast]

Wow that mad me cringe just picturing it in my mind :'(feel for ya Bub.
All said and done,..by the photos those roller channels need a stop bar at each end to stop the rollers from popping out. I can't believe there weren't any. A simple solution but a solution too late. I'd see about installing some before using that table again. Glade you were not injured.

[bubtrauma]

Stops will go in. Now that I have put it back together they will never come out while in use. They will come out if you pick it up wrong to move it. The Handy company told me that they don't put stops in because it is the way they assemble it. They were sympathetic and said they were going to look into it. I left them my number in hope they will get back to me. The bike hit my tool box and damaged a drawer but I am glad I was not pinned between it and the bike.

I take my bike to the adjuster on Wednesday so I will let you know how I make out.

[fresh oil and pipes]

Told you to do that Okie Redneck style bring it in the house put it on the dining room or pool table and secure to the ceiling fan. No chance it would ever fall.

[mrmagloo]

Damn, I'm just catching this thread for the first time, and jeez, I feel for you Bub.  What a kick to the stomach.  I have a buddy who swore by his cheapo Harbor Freight lift, until his toppled, so I was shocked to heard yours was a Handy.

I've got the SAM 2, with the side extensions and the leg stablizers, and I'm going to go and inspect this now.  Whenever I've ever moved it around, I always had the table fully risen, and I moved it around like a wheel barrel from the rear. The wheels are in the front, so it just never would have registered to move it around from the front. However, in your scenario, I can see exactly what you're talking about so thank you for the heads up. I too will be figuring out the bast way to add a carrage bolt and nut in a manner that it doesn't interfere with the side extensions.

Good luck man!

 

[bubtrauma]

Thanx again for the posts on this thread.

I have contacted my insurance company and it is covered. It is considered a comprehence claim and I am allow one every 3 years without it affecting my rate. I have a 200 dollar deductible so it is not to bad. I AM disappointed that I never heard back from HANDY. It would have been nice if they would have offer some kind of compensation......Oh well.

Insurance is going to let me do the repairs myself and I will get someone to do the paint. The worst part is the mufflers which I banged out till the new ones arrive. I also have to replace one of the top fork covers which I think is going to be the toughest.

Bumped up Bub,