modest suburban motorcycle garage/shop

[mslim]

My wife and I recently retired and purchased what we believe to be our "forever" home. My only stipulation on the "new" (to us) house was to have a three car garage. It doesn't compare to some of the masterpieces posted on this forum but then again, neither do my fabrication and repair skills.

The blank space above the red cantilever box will be filled with a 3'x4' pegboard and the space over the parts washer (look just to the right of, and below the overhead fan) will have a similar board for simple carpentry tools. The clothing rack is a 1650 from Triton Products. It is currently discontinued but similar models are available from Amazon and Home Depot.

Unseen over in the car section is another 48x18x72 steel rack, a Vendo V-39 coke machine for longnecks, a 1"x3"x8' trim board with 12 Gripit holders for brooms, hoes, scrapers, mops, floor squeegee, etc.

No a/c unfortunately but the hen house fan can make it bearable under most circumstances. All LED lighting. I had an electrician add all the LED lighting and a 30 amp duplex receptacle near the parts washer. I hope I have some wall space left for a Muddy Waters concert poster and my old license plates.

Slim

 

[2fat2fly]

Very cool garage

 

[lastgoodusername]

Digging the beemer. I had an R100RS as a daily driver for a couple years while stationed in Oceana Va. Nothing compares to a clean boxer.

 

[2fat2fly]

Digging the beemer. I had an R100RS as a daily driver for a couple years while stationed in Oceana Va. Nothing compares to a clean boxer.

When were you at Oceana? I was there from 89 to 93.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Stuart in MN]

Ooh, an R90S. Nice bike. Garage looks good, too.

 

[lastgoodusername]

'84-'85. VA-34, AO, USS America

 

[920kip]

I came to see the garage. But I stayed because of the S.
Everything looks real nice.

 

[Bronson]

I nearly bought a very nice R-90S in Bentonville a couple of years ago, same color.
Very nice space you have there!

 

[2fat2fly]

'84-'85. VA-34, AO, USS America

The A6E flying Blue Blasters of CVW 7? I was in VF-142, The Ghostriders, working on the F-14's in the same air wing as you. Like I said previously, I was there 89-93. Small world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pathfinders]

Nice space. Looks like you have the luggage and turn signals off a concours on a BMW. I know they are not, but looks almost the same.

 

[APS2000]

That's a great looking shop. Very tidy.

 

[mslim]

Thanks for the comments.

Wife and I were in Va Beach on our honeymoon early May '86. We caught a first run showing of Top Gun at the local cinema. It was well attended by a uniformed contingent apparently from Oceana. Any chance any of you guys were there?

Slim

 

[lastgoodusername]

No, I was back in the Mojave desert by the tail end of '85.I moved around a little after the service.

 

[mslim]

China Lake??

 

[mslim]

Nice space. Looks like you have the luggage and turn signals off a concours on a BMW. I know they are not, but looks almost the same.

Actually BMW issue although I think the luggage is a later issue. I like it because I can put a full face helmet in the side bags.

 

[2fat2fly]

Thanks for the comments.

Wife and I were in Va Beach on our honeymoon early May '86. We caught a first run showing of Top Gun at the local cinema. It was well attended by a uniformed contingent apparently from Oceana. Any chance any of you guys were there?

Slim

I wasn't at Oceana by that time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[-Brent-]

I think you've done well in that space. Very cool!

The only thing I'd add is maybe a little brighter light.

 

[lastgoodusername]

Yes, I was stationed there from 83-84 and went back to live for a couple years after I got out of the Navy.

China Lake??

 

[mslim]

I think you've done well in that space. Very cool!

The only thing I'd add is maybe a little brighter light.

Thank you.

Actually it's pretty bright. It's probably just the pix.

The dimmest part is the two car bay you don't see. It's about 400-450 lumens at car hood area. The motorcycle bay is pretty bright averaging around 600-650 lumens with a peak of 800 lumens around the work bench. In another life I was a cinematographer so I have a very accurate light meter.

I'm liking having my frequently used tools on the pegboard instead of tool boxes or drawers. It's easy to just grab what you need and it's easy to see which tool is not put back in it's place when you're done.

I have a lot of SAE tools but they stay in the drawers and don't get much use since I sold the '57 Corvette and my wife's beloved '70 Cutlass got T-boned by an inattentive driver.

Slim

 

[mslim]

I nearly bought a very nice R-90S in Bentonville a couple of years ago, same color.
Very nice space you have there!

I met a local guy here a couple of weeks ago with a Daytona Orange R90S. It had alloy wheels not spokes. Could that be the one you almost bought?

Slim

 

[driftpin]

The garage looks like a good use of your space. I like the R90S. The smoke grey/black one was the favorite of Bob Lutz, who was at BMW and was responsible for the R90S. He said he hated the orange one, and derisively referred to it as something like the "egg-colored bike."

The bags are the same I had on my 1983 R100RT I bought w/6000 miles on it from the original owner, in Miami FL in July 1992. Not much use on it. Mine was a 60th anniversary edition model, I hopped it up w/2-plug cyl heads, DYNA coils, Koni shocks, Luftmeister 2/1 ceramic exhaust, new fork downtubes/seals because of rust, Michelins, new pads for the triple Brembo brakes, and I repainted it in the original pearlescent white for the front fender, gas tank and seat cowl, and candy apple red for the entire fairing. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and with the 40 MM Bing carbs it had a fair amount of grunt, it could power wheelie in 1st and 2nd. On the interstate I'd be behind drivers, and they would pull to the right. "Gee thanks!" I finally figured out it looked like a cop bike in someone's rear-view mirror, what the "motormen" use.

Like you, I prefer the frequently-used spanners and other tools on the wall where I have quick, easy acccess, and can see what's out being used and I don't have to open a drawer to get them. I chose the Gladiator Geartrack wall system for storage, there are a lot of hooks, bins, and shelves you can hang on them, even welded-steel powdercoated cabinets.

The most-recent thing I added for being a big purchase was a Handi-Lift pneumatic motorcycle lift, complete with the side wings for added width. Works like a dream. My back feels better just walking-by it! Even the Harbor Freight red platform hydraulic lift is worth having, they sell here for $300 on-sale, and you may find it on special for $280, I think the regular price is $330. Since you said, 'retirement,' I know your back can use the assist a decent lift gives you. I just saw one on craigslist, it sold for $600, one of my friends saw mine, and asked me to call him if I found another.

I meant to congratulate you on the Oscar, I have a couple friends that work in TV & movie production here in south FL, union members. Recognition like that for your work I'm sure was very satisfying. Johnny Depp doesn't have one! I used to see him play in a local rock & roll band in south Florida before he went to Hollywood, and I worked with his father.

 

[solar444]

thank you for sharing this information.I really appreciated for your post.thank you so much.