I've never been a big fan of lift stands. Typically, they don't seem to work well in lifting or keeping a bike up on the stand, they are usually heavy and don't store well and their locking method is more hassle than just pulling the bike off the stand, leaving the unit extended and useless when the bike comes back. Hence, when I saw the Rhino stand, I wasn't expecting much, especially after seeing 500-pound capacity engraved on it. It just so happens I have a couple of 500-pound dirt bikes at home, so I gave it a try. And it lifted both my BMW and KTM 950 effortlessly! Now I was paying attention.
The CNC-machined aircraft 6061-T6 aluminum stand is very nice. It uses straight-line action to eliminate bent parts, and the engineering of the mechanism makes it self-locking when fully extended. Weighing less than 10 pounds, it is lighter than expected. And the machined pieces have a tight fit and haven't loosened after a few months of excessive abuse. The top tray has a tough nonslip coating and is bolted onto the post. Steel pins in the hinged points are circlipped into place. The action is smooth when lifting, and it takes only a flick of the toe to lower yet doesn't come down accidentally. The floor supports do as good a job as any stand on loose or uneven ground.
| Paradigm Industries: | 866/697-8263
www.paradigm-ind.com |
| Tools | Max. | Rated |
| Function | 50 | 49 |
| Portable | 10 | 9 |
| Durability | 20 | 19 |
| Design | 10 | 10 |
| Price | 10 | 9 |
| Total | 100 | 96 |
One of the trick features is the stand's adjustability; you can set it up easily by adjusting where that clasp holds the shaft of the slider, then setting it to fit underneath the bike or how high you need your bike to go, though the total throw is a constant. This is done with the two Allen bolts and provided Allen wrench. Knowing the ground clearance of your bike when ordering is helpful. Available in anodized black, blue, gold and red, the $94$109 stand is a real back saver.
Jimmy Lewis