Questec Bike Slide
Questec Bike Slide
CW EVALUATION
Putting a new spin on the Lazy Susan
WHILE LOTS OF RIDERS DREAM OF owning the workshop from heaven, many have to make do with the garage from hell. With cars, toolboxes, bicycles, lawnmowers, barbecue grills and boxes of old bowling trophies consuming most of the floor space, there’s practically no room for your motorcycle. Everyday use of the bike can become a monumental hassle, requiring you to roll it back-and-forth, first at full-right steering lock and then at full-left, over and over until you eventually wangle it into or out of its cramped space in the garage.
If you come even close to fitting this profile, you may be a prime candidate for a Questec Bike Slide. It’s a very simple device consisting of a round piece of Vs-inch-thick aluminum diamond plate with six large ball-type rollers pop-riveted to its underside, and a big, specially made rubber ring around its perimeter.
To use the Slide, you merely roll one wheel of the bike, usually the front, up onto it. As soon as the tire makes contact with the rubber ring, the ring is deflected downward and presses against the ground, acting as a brake that keeps the Slide from moving while the bike is being rolled onto it; once the wheel is centered on the diamond plate, the ring retracts. Then you just apply the front brake to keep the wheel from rolling and glide the front of the bike in any direction-forward, backward, side-to-side, at any angle.
We tried the Bike Slide on motorcycles of all sizes in numerous tight situations and came away quite impressed. The omnidirectional rollers let you move the bike around with surprising ease and even allow the Slide to pass over substantially big cracks and joints in the floor surface. You also can roll the rear wheel up onto the Slide to move the back of the bike, although you do have to put the transmission in gear to prevent the wheel from rolling. You can even use two Slides, one on each wheel, and skate the bike around with unparalleled maneuverability. Considering the simplicity, the Bike Slide is a little pricey. But for anyone who has to shuffle motorcycles around in a confined space, the convenience could prove well worth the cost.
DETAILS
Questec P.O. Box 51251 Colorado Springs, CO 80949 877/787-5433 www.bikeslide.com Price... $90 ($80 for two or more) Ups A Makes maneuvering into and out of tight spaces a breeze A With a 700-pound capacity, it’s also useful for moving heavy boxes, engines, etc. around the garage Downs ▼ A lot of $$$ for a half-dozen rollers and an aluminum disc ▼ In very tight situations, getting the bike on the Slide can be tricky
