The Score
Team Hawg Racing MX Scissor Lift - Trackside Pro
Everyone who owns a bike has found themselves hunched over a ravaged machine, stooped to all-time lows in the workshop. Depending on the extent of the maintenance required, you might find yourself in that position for long stretches of time - and hating every minute of it. We spend our fair share of hours in the garage wrenching on test bikes, so when the fellas from
Team Hawg Racing stopped by and offered to leave one of their Trackside Pro MX scissor lifts with us, we immediately accepted.
The Scoop
The Trackside Pro model is the smallest available from Team Hawg Racing. It offers 20 inches of lift for a maximum height of 32.5 inches. The Workshop and Workshop Plus models offer an additional two inches of total height, and are rated for more weight capacity. However, since we weren't too concerned about getting a dirtbike over 300 pounds, which is the Trackside Pro's recommended maximum, we figured an extra 25-pound saving on the lift itself would be a worthwhile tradeoff for mobility.
The stand topped our scales at 51 pounds, which is just about as heavy as we'd like to see it. If you're planning on heading out for a single day of riding, the stand is probably a little too heavy to toss in the truck. However, we spent a few full weekends racing and it became much more desirable when it was possible to set up a semi-permanent work station at the races.
As far as the stand's performance, we were extremely pleased with how easy it is to operate and the durability of the components. The first thing we did was toss a fully-fueled Kawasaki KLX450R on top, maxed out the lift and left it unattended for over a week. The bottle jack didn't release at all and the bike was at the same height it started at 10 days prior. Simple footpeg J-hooks keep the bike securely cinched down and the safety bar is nice as well, especially if you have small kids who might be fooling around in your garage. The Trackside Pro does release very quickly, and it takes a time or two in order to get the proper feel of how far to turn the release knob so that it doesn't come crashing down.
Team Hawg Racing MX Scissor Lift - Trackside Pro
There were a couple other things we found to pick on, the first of which are the mounts for the footpeg safety hooks. It would be nice to have mounting holes on both ends of the stand so that the bike could be put on from either direction and strapped down. The other issue is the massive cutout in the platform. Because of the scissor mechanism and bottle jack underneath, it is impossible to use it for changing oil. There really isn't any way to get around this, but it means you'll still have to own a second stand to do routine oil changes.
The Sentence
Overall, construction on the THR lift was very sturdy and easy to maintain. The whole contraption is really very simple, durable and affordable. A $200 MSRP is easily justified by anyone who spends any decent amount of time in the shop working on their steeds. The amount of lift available was sufficient for anything we could think to use it for, and the controls were well-placed and functional. This stand is getting worked harder than any of the traditionals in our shop, and the thick rubber pad on top is holding up well considering the abuse. It would be nice at times to have the wheels that come with the Workshop Plus model to move it around the shop, but we think the standard footing is excellent - as is virtually everything on the Trackside Pro.
Make sure to watch the video for a real-time demonstration of the Trackside Pro in action and additional comments.
Product: Team Hawg Racing Trackside Pro
Color Options: Black
Sizes: 300-lb maximum weight tolerance, 20-inches of lift.
MSRP: $200
Find out More: www.teamhawgracing.com
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