Years of lying on cold damp floors to perform simple maintenance tasks became a distant memory once I bought myself a hydraulic lift. That was eight years ago and it means working on a scooter is much comfier and safer than it used to be.
Cost puts most people off but if you have the space for one and like to tinker you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one ages ago. Think about it in scooter terms and it’s less than the cost of a decent replacement exhaust and will last a lot longer. It’ll also make fitting the exhaust you can no longer afford much easier.
Which lift?
There are plenty of benches around but be careful that you don’t buy a narrow one, especially if you’re a Lambretta owner. Some centre stands can be wider than the ramp platform. My bench is made by Sealey and at 680mm wide it accommodates a Lambretta stand easily enough. The ramp uses a foot operated hydraulic pump (air powered ones are also available). The ramp can be locked safely at three working heights, 500mm, 640mm and 760mm. But if you’re anything like me you’ll just shove the locking bar in a cupboard and pump it up to where you’re happy and chance it. If you’ve got clumsy kids though it’s safer to leave the ramp down when unattended. If they stand on the lever by accident there’ll be vintage metal strewn everywhere. I’d hate to walk in the garage one day to find my Lambretta has been inadvertently dropped on to little Joey’s head, the dopey git.
Do you need one?
If you own a scooter and do any regular maintenance at home I’d say yes you need one. Whether you can justify spending the cash on one is another matter but you won’t regret owning one that’s for sure.
How much room?
Space wise you don’t need much more room than you already have for where you park your scooter. You can store a scooter on the ramp all the time if need be and wheel it around if you like. The platform length is 2215mm but the ramp is easily detachable so it takes up 1350mm without it.
Tie me down strap
The ramp has a clamp for the wheel so the scooter can be held upright without the centre stand. It also has tie down points for added safety, they also help if you need to raise the scooter a bit higher to take an engine, or wheel out. There’s also a removable plate that gives better access when removing a wheel.
Lab report
This bench has served me well, it’s been there through various breakdowns (both mental and mechanical). It’s always been at the perfect height to hold a cold beer whilst putting a regular new piston in my alloy hungry Vespa. If the bench broke I’d be more upset than I am during my regular chats to the recovery service and would instantly buy another.
Lab rating: 9.8
Sealey Spec
Max capacity: 365kg
Load length: 1350mm
Ramp width: 680mm
Platform length: 2215mm
Price: £359.94
Hi, I really enjoyed reading this article, now thinking about buying a ramp but a little confused about the Sealey model number, I thought it was MC365 (their ramp rated to 365kg) but it says on their website that the width for it is 480mm not 680mm, could you confirm the model number, I have measured my stand and it is 500mm, I don’t want to get it wrong if I go ahead and order one. Thanks in advance.
Hello, the bench is around 8 years old (still works perfectly) so model numbers may be different. I’d just go by Sealey dimensions on their website.
I’ve just measured mine and it’s 680mm wide, just a bit wider than a Lambretta stand.
As I live in Warsaw, Poland (but not for much longer) I bought a Polish made hydraulic stand much like yours. I don’t know why I hadn’t done it earlier. It is well worth the money I paid, which was 240 quid cheaper, but hey, this is Poland and it was still almost twice my monthly rent. It has saved my back and though I had made and used a work table it was a real pain to push my Lambretta up the ramp where the JL4 I used to run would always catch. Now I just pump with my foot. I do use the safety bar, just in case. You can see a picture of mine here:
https://scontent-waw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p206x206/13521948_1058235050918095_1722250981604960118_n.jpg?oh=034b4a67471176fea6a87bf22084e087&oe=585E0354
They are fantastic, well worth the expense and who cares about the rent 🙂
Don’t waste money on the cheaper versions, the ram went on mine after a year or two and wasn’t available as a spare part. The next one I had was an old hospital bed to which I fixed a ply top to, works a treat, wheels around easily, and plenty of room for tools and parts whilst working 🙂
Vespa work bench gizmo what price is it james