As any rider knows, there is nothing worse than having your expensive ride topple over as you try to tighten a loose bolt. Fortunately, when it comes to actually selecting a jack, we have done the hard work for you and tracked down the OTC 1545 Motorcycle Lift. OTC is a major manufacturer of a wide range of vehicle maintenance tools and equipment, and are a sub-brand of Bosch who is one of the global leaders in automotive parts supply. OTC designed this jack with you in mind, adopting features that make lifting your bike easy and safe. We believe we would be remiss not to include a review and as such, we have taken the opportunity. We will also note that the OTC 1545 is featured in our guide to selecting the best motorcycle lifts.
Features
There are many great features on the OTC jack, but let us begin by highlighting the lifting range of the device. Before cranking it up, the jack has a minimum clearance of 3 ½”, which is perfect for those of you with low riding cruisers. You will be lucky to find another similar jack with a clearance this low. Even with such a low clearance, the OTC is still capable of reaching a maximum lifting height of 16 ¾”, this being the top range for the majority of motorcycle lifting jacks of this style. The extra wide 17” skids make it possible to provide a sturdy lift for larger and wider cruisers as well.
The double handed, long length handle provides additional leverage for a quick and easy lift. The handle is fully removable, giving you 360 degrees access to your bike once it’s in the air, unlike the lifting jacks with a fixed handle that can tend to get in your way.
The OTC Motorcycle Lift comes with hydraulics which is of course far easier to operate than the scissor jacks. In general, the system works pretty darn well. No leaks or other drama to speak of due to the high quality cylinder. There is also an automatic safety locking mechanism which will put your mind at ease while lifting your pride and joy. The jack is also fitted with a pedal to make it extremely effortless when releasing and lowering your bike.
The stability and rigidity of a motorcycle lifting jack is very important when making a selection, and it definitely shows that OTC has taken this into account. Like most jacks of this kind, the OTC comes fitted with 4 caster wheels, allowing you to easily roll it around your garage. The 2 rear casters have a locking feature, allowing you to keep your jack in place once you position the lift.
We prefer there to be as little wobble as possible when it comes to motorcycle lifting jacks, which is why we are especially impressed that OTC have included two ratcheting style tie down straps that will securely hold your bike during the lift and while being operated on.
Build Quality
The OTC Motorcycle Lift weighs in at 74 lbs, making it not the heaviest jack on the market but still capable of a maximum lift of 1500 pounds, just like its competitors. The strong steel structure provides increased durability, ensuring that the chassis is capable of withstanding immense pressure during operation. The only feature most likely to show wear over time from excessive usage are the rear casters, which can get a little bit chewed up. The jack will still function in this event but they won’t look quite as pretty. Overall, it’s nicely constructed with quality materials.
Value
The OTC admittedly is not the cheapest motorcycle lift around, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. It’s a high quality jack with a high quality price tag. We like Amazon’s competitive pricing from a value standpoint, which will definitely save you a fair bit when compared to many other online retailers who have seemingly higher shipping rates. Keep in mind that the OTC does probably have one of the lowest clearance ranges and also sports a few additional features that will definitely beat the others on the market, and because of this you do actually get good value for your dollar considering the feature set and quality! We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend picking one up if you are in the market.
You can see more pictures, read more reviews, and see prices by clicking here!