The Acebikes U-Turn Motor Mover is a unique take on the folding motorcycle dolly or rolling stand.
It allows you to move the motorcycle 360 degrees for easy parking in the garage or shop floor.
You’ve probably seen similar devices, but the U-Turn Motor Mover has a few significant differences from the competition.
First of all, it is relatively light and it automatically folds for storage when lifted by the carrying handle.
The folding design also means that the parts are shipped in a small box rather than a huge shipping container.
Another difference is that it easily adjusts for different motorcycle wheelbase lengths and side stand locations.
The U-Turn Motor Mover also features a completely different method to load the motorcycle.
You don’t roll the motorcycle on to a platform like the typical motorcycle dolly.
Instead, you move the U-Turn Motor Mover under the bike, then use a lift handle to raise it.
This greatly reduces the amount of room you need to load the bike and it’s an easy one-person job.
The parts are made from galvanized steel and the kit is easy to assemble with a couple of simple hand tools.
The large 75 mm swivel wheels make it fairly easy to move with a motorcycle and the wheels can be locked into position for parking.
The U-Turn Motor Mover is shipped in a small box.Acebikes Netherlands
Acebikes products we reviewed are beautifully made and precision engineered.
These include the Acebikes Steadystand Cross (review) front wheel stand for dirt bikes; theAcebikes Steadystand “Original” (review) that we still use today and the Acebikes Steadystand “Multi” (review).
And don’t forget the Acebikes Tyre Fix Hold-Down Strap (review), a very easy way to secure the motorcycle’s rear wheel on a trailer.
The Acebikes products are all designed at the company’s headquarters in The Netherlands and the pieces all appear to be cut using a CNC laser or water jet and high-quality hardware with easy-to-follow instructions.
The Acebikes U-Turn Motor Mover
The U-Turn Motor Mover (aka U-Turn Mover) is a recent Acebikes design and like their other products, this one is also unique.
It takes a fresh look at what is called the motorcycle dolly; a device that allows you to load your motorcycle and then wheel it around the garage or shop.
It’s a handy tool for anyone storing a motorcycle in a garage, especially a garage with limited space like mine.
Once the motorcycle is on the U-Turn Motor Mover, you can push the bike and the Mover around — forward, backward, sideways or 360 degrees in any direction you wish.
It’s perfect for storing your motorcycle in that remote corner of the garage that was inaccessible or at least very difficult to fit a bike without all sorts of gymnastics.
And having dropped a bike in the garage once while doing just that, I can tell you that a motorcycle dolly like this is a back saver. And knee saver. And elbow saver…
OK, so there are plenty of motorcycle dollies for sale, but this one is different:
- It’s lightweight and can be lifted with one hand.
- It automatically folds for storage when it’s lifted, so you don’t have a 2.5 meter long rail to mess with.
- The design fits in a much smaller box for shipping.
- The front and rear wheel holders and the side stand rest are easily adjustable.
- Just place the U-Turn Motor Mover next to the bike and slide it under, which is safer than rolling a bike up on to a single rail.
- The U-Turn Motor Mover works in the length of the bike; you don’t need the length of the dolly plus the length of the bike to load it.
- The caster wheels are large for easier movement and they can be locked in place for storage.
The automatic folding feature is probably the most useful feature of all and it makes a real difference in the garage.
U-Turn Motor Mover kit contents.In the Box
The U-Turn Motor Mover comes in a relatively small box, with all of the parts packed extremely well in individual bubble wrap and/or plastic.
It’s very easy to assemble (see video below), requiring only a 13 mm and 17 mm spanner and a 13 mm and 17 mm socket (or spanners).
The entire assembly requires just two 17 mm bolts and three 13 mm bolts, along with Nylock nuts and a couple of washers. Everything is provided with the kit.
Like the other Acebikes stands we have reviewed, the instructions are clear line drawings and no text is needed, which reduces the need for language translations.
The instructions are easy to follow and anyone with minimal mechanical knowledge should have no problem with assembly.
Assembling the Acebikes U-Turn Motor Mover
As always, the first step is to lay out all the parts and check the inventory against the instruction guide.
Basically, you just bolt the main rail together and attach the red end pieces with the wheels, being careful to look at the instruction drawing to orient the parts correctly.
Everything goes together one way only, so it’s hard to make a mistake.
The wheel and side stand holders are fitted next; no assembly or fasteners are needed for these, making it quick and easy to do.
The final step is a height check and adjustment under the rail. A piece of PVC tube cut to length is provided in the kit.
Slide it under the rail and adjust the Allen screws with the provided Allen wrench until the spacer slides easily under the rail. This accounts for sag when the bike is loaded.
There are two red plastic spacers that can be used to raise the level of the side stand rest if needed. We used a piece of duct tape rolled into a circular loop to hold one spacer on the rest. This keeps the spacer in place when the U-Turn Motor Mover is folded.
Assembling the U-Turn Motor Mover (see video below).Using the U-Turn Motor Mover
It only took a few minutes to get the feel for how the U-Turn Motor Mover works.
First, slide the Mover next to the bike and make sure the lift handle is completely disengaged. Then, align the wheel holder centerlines with the axles on your bike (see video).
This is easily done by simply aligning the adjustment wheel on the wheel holder with each axle (again, shown in the video below).
Next, align the side stand holder so it will fit under the side stand.
To lift the bike, hold it up off the side stand, push the U-Turn Motor Mover under the bike so the wheels are in the cradle. Gently lower the bike so the side stand rests on the U-Turn Motor Mover side stand holder.
Then use the lift handle to lift the bike and you’re done. All of this is illustrated in the video below.
The U-Turn Motor Mover automatically folds for storage when lifted by the attached handle. Front end of the U-Turn Motor Mover and front adjustable wheel cradle. Lifting lever and adjustable rear wheel cradle. Side stand holder assembles with no tools and is fully adjustable. Up to two spacer pads can be placed on the side stand holder. Some motorcycles with a long rear fender may interfere with the lift handle.
Notes
The U-Turn Motor Mover has a load capacity of 275 kg (606 lbs.). It can fit motorcycles up to 1300 to 1525 mm wheel base (51 to 60 inches).
The only issue is that depending on the bike, the rear fender may interfere with the lift handle of the U-Turn Motor Mover.
This can be partially solved by moving the front wheel holder as close to the front of the U-Turn Motor Mover as possible, then aligning the rear wheel holder to fit the bike.
On the BMW F 800 S (Blog) and the 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650 LT (Blog) project bikes, the lift handle just clears the rear tip of the fender with slight interference, but it works.
Sportbikes with a short rear overhang should be no problem and Acebikes said they are developing a longer U-Turn Motor Mover for cruisers and longer bikes.
Conclusion
The Acebikes U-Turn Motor Mover is a unique take on the motorcycle dolly or moving stand. It’s very handy for use in a garage, whether large or small, and it would also help manage inventory in a motorcycle repair or retail shop.
It’s light weight and the ability to fold make a real difference compared to other single-piece motorcycle dolly systems.
The U-Turn Motor Mover is new to the Acebikes product lineup and it’s currently available in Europe and throughout the world.
Depending on demand, it may also make it to the U.S.A. via the Wheels and Wings (Herman USA) website, the Acebikes distributor in the U.S.A.
[UPDATE: Wheels and Wings will have the U-Turn Motor Mover in stock sometime in August 2016 with a list price of around $249.00 plus shipping.]More webBikeWorld:
Owner Comments and Feedback
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From “A.D.” (June 2016): “Nifty product. Could be very useful in my workshop.
One thing I noticed is that to use it as shown, you need to have enough space to walk around both sides of the bike; first on the right to get the dolly in position, then on the left to use the lever.
I’d like to be able to use this to “stack” bikes up against a wall for winter storage, so I’d want to be able to both locate and operate it from one side of the bike.
That would require pushing the lever down and away from you, which could be a problem. Can you get enough leverage on the operating handle to lift the bike when standing to its right?”
Rick’s Reply: You could move the lever from either side, we took the video to show the lever folding down. Or you could probably push it with your foot.
Access to the lever also depends somewhat on the bike, bike weight and fender arrangement.
From “V.N.” (June 2016): “I just read your review of the Acebikes U-Turn Motor Mover and found the product quite innovative.
I like how it’s portable and doesn’t require you to ride the bike onto the dolly, effectively requiring less space for its use (i.e., you don’t need two bike’s length use it).
I am curious on your thoughts about its build quality and strength.
In the video, you can clearly see the main lifting beam flex in the middle when you lift the bike up.
I can only assume this is because the beam is hinged and comprises three separate pieces instead of one rigid piece.
This in effect would place a lot of shear stress on the bolts used in those hinges, and/or any part of the beam material that is structurally weaker to accommodate the hinge mechanism (e.g., any area where material was removed to allow the dolly to fold).
Additionally, the rotational action of the lifting mechanism looks like it would create torsional stress on the bolts, bolt holes, any flanges, three separate pieces, etc. Any thoughts on the matter are much appreciated. Thanks!”
Rick’s Reply: Actually, I never noticed that. It seems very well made, I don’t think there would be a problem with normal use and every part is available from Acebikes for replacement if necessary.
I think it would probably take a very large number of lifts for the parts to wear.
The main beam pieces are hinged with both bolts and metal bushings and I think the ease with which it rotates actually helps reduce wear.
Not sure if you read it but there’s a .pdf you can download of the assembly manual, it has detailed drawings of the parts and assembly.
From “G.R.” (June 2016): “This product looks fantastic. I’m curious, does it only work with bikes with side stands? It looks like that may be the case.
I have a track bike with no side stand so I’m wondering if that’s a deal killer.”
Rick’s Reply: No, the wheel holders won’t hold the bike unless the side stand is deployed also