I spent a lot of time looking at motorcycle lifts, and it seemed all of them had downsides. Well, I am happy to say that the BikeMaster has been perfect for me. Assembly took about one minute (the lift arm is the only thing that has to be attached, and it doesn't even require a tool). I set the locking ring a little low - on purpose - the first time so that I could see how fast the bike was going to drop. The owner's manual indicated the lifting arm would come up very quickly. Nope. The shock controlled the descent very nicely. Now, it does not compress all the way down, as others have noted, but here is the trick: lean the bike over about 10 degrees or so to compress it down further. Then the lift slides out from under the bike very nicely. When lifted, it felt very stable, and I can get the rear tire of my 2019 Honda CRF250F off the ground with about an inch to spare. So chain maintenance is a breeze. There is a simple locking mechanism for the lift arm that can be utilized for safety. My bike weighs 265 pounds but lifting it is a breeze. Couldn't be happier.