My Motorcycle Shop Conversion

Hey guys.

I'm just getting started converting my regular 3 car garage into a motorcycle shop. I'll use this thread to post my before pics and progress along the way. I'd appreciate any ideas or suggestions as I move through this project. I am not an expert at all on this stuff, so I'm hoping for ideas. I've talked to lots of guys and read all of the garage makeover books, but hopefully you guys can still tell me if I'm screwing anything up.

A little about me: I've got a son and daughter, (10 & 8) that both race motorcycles. My wife and I ride as well, but no racing for us. The kids are semi-competitive, but mainly just race for fun. We're getting more and more serious though. I learned to wrench a little when I was younger and enjoyed having a couple jeeps as a teenager, but no formal training at all. I still have my final teenage ride which is a ’69 Bronco. My wife and I bought our first dirt bikes when the kids were 3 and decided that motorcycles and ATV's fit well into our outdoors and camping leisure time.

I've now got a garage with 6 motorcycles, 2 ATVs and they seem to be multiplying with no end in sight. My machines along with all of the teenagers and other guys in the neighborhood seem to gravitate to my garage to work on their bikes late in the evenings or weekends. Wrenching in the garage is now one of our favorite past times and it seems we're out there a few nights a week and weekends hanging out and tinkering with someone's machine.

That has all been fine up to now. But I'm running out of room, getting frustrated not having all of the right tools, lighting, temperature, skills, space, etc. I've saved up a little cash, so it's time to make some good investments into one of my favorite places.

The primary goal with the garage makeover is to turn the 3rd car garage into more of a full-fledged motorcycle shop. It's not huge, but certainly plenty of room to handle what I need. Anytime I'm working out there I pull my truck out of the middle slot and end up with plenty of extra room. While I want this to be a really sweet shop, there will be some things I'll save for an eventual dedicated shop out back 10 years from now.

Since space is a premium, I'm working on a large shed that will empty most of the storage and messy equipment, (lawnmowers, trimmers, rakes, shovels, etc.) out of the garage. Extra machines not being serviced such as the ATVs or spare bikes will also go there. The shed will also make a safer place to store my extra fuel and propane as it will be unattached from the house. Unfortunately I have to wait till spring to get the slab poured, so I'll have to settle being a little cramped for now.

Anyways, here's the basic stats for the project:
The dedicated shop space will be 23.5' x 11.5'. That is part of the overall garage size which is around 24'x32' plus some bonus space for the kids toys. Ceiling is 10.5' high. Currently there are 4 light bulbs, 3 outlets, no HVAC and 1 window.

Here is my plan:
1. HVAC: I'm blessed with family members in the HVAC and gas pipe business, so forced air is the way I'm headed. A new home run for the gas line was run to the garage today for the furnace. I'm also having some other gas work done, hence the need for a new main line. (Gonna be great to have the BBQ plumbed straight to the system.) The furnace is being hung in the far back corner of the garage up against the ceiling and will have a large vent diffusing air into the shop at a single point. If that doesn't work well enough, I'll have them run a main line across the garage and put vents along the way later. I've got the AC condenser ready to go, but will have to wait to install in the spring once I can get the concrete work done for the slab. I’m really looking forward to working out there in comfort!

2. Air: I've got a 110v smallish compressor that works fine for most things I do. I've located the compressor in the basement in my mechanical room and poked the hose up through a hole into the garage. This has worked great in that I can barely hear the compressor when it is running, but a pain in that the plug I'm using is only 15 amps and the dang thing trips all the time on start-up, (more on that in the electrical section). I'm planning on running a new set of hard air lines up to the garage and all the way around along the walls with a port in the ceiling above the motorcycle lift for a retractable air hose. I haven't settled on materials for the air lines, but I'm leaning towards PVC. The flex air garage pipe kits look interesting though, but seem kind of overpriced, so I'm very open to suggestions on this.

3. Paint: The walls were taped with one coat of mud when I moved in and they’ve just gotten dirty since then. I plan to sweep and dust all the walls and ceiling. Afterward I will spray a coat of primer and then 2 coats of white paint. I’m leaning towards a matte finish, but may do semi-gloss. I’d love some suggestions here. I’m not planning on putting up any sort of trim, but will use some race banners and trophy shelves to dress things up a little.

4. Flooring: I haven’t settled on this yet, so I’ll take any suggestions here. The floor was painted with garage floor paint when the house was built 12 years ago. It’s starting to wear through in a few spots but has held up really well considering it isn’t an epoxy based product. I’m thinking of just laying down a fresh coat for most of the garage and then putting down the PVC floor tiles in a checkerboard pattern for the 3rd car shop area. That would allow me to dress up and create a little bit of a division between the two areas. With the amount of snow that drains off the vehicles in there in the winter, I’m worried about putting those tiles down for the entire garage. Besides, I can always go back and put them across the whole thing later if I decide.

5. Electrical: With only 3 outlets and all of those running a fridge, freezer and toy hauler parked outside, there is barely enough juice to run anything else. Next week a friend of mine that does electrical will do the initial work at the panel to get a bunch of cable pulled to the garage into a new entry point. In my basement he's putting a new plug for the freezer so I can get it outta there. He's also installing a 30 amp 110v plug for my compressor that I already have in the basement. He'll also send wires to the box so that it will be prepped for 220v, but will have a regular 110v plug on it for now until I get around to upgrading the compressor. In the garage he’s going to stub out a 220 circuit for future use, and also run 4 – 4 plug 110v outlets off of a new circuit or two. He will also put 2 – 4 plug outlets in the ceiling. One over the corner workbench for the furnace blower and low hanging shop lights. The other above the motorcycle lift for a drop light and power cord. All of the power will be run in conduit on top of the wall.

6. Lighting: I’ve got 4 single incandescent lights in there now and need some major improvements there. The electrician is going to put in 3 of the 8 foot length t-8 fixtures across the shop area to start. The fixtures are the type that holds 4 of the 4’ bulbs. Those combined with 2 over the bench lamps and a drop light should give plenty of light. They’ll be on a dedicated switch so I can use the original or the new lights. I’m also having him put 3 or 4 of the same fixtures across the 2 car area just in case I decide to use that area in the future for other projects.

7. Plumbing: I have a deep basin utility sink in my laundry room that is only used for a clothes hamper for now. I’m going to rip that out and move it to its rightful place in my garage and replace it with a nice countertop for my wife instead. I have a plumber lined up to run the flex hot and cold water lines and the sewer drain pipe to get everything all ready.

Well, that’s the basic plan for now. I’ll save my tools and shop components for a later post. I’ve already got a replacement motorcycle lift ordered, but still need tool carts, an extension to the work bench for the grinders, a drill press, etc. Lots to do!

Sounds like a great plan. Good luck. Oh, and keep us updated.

Good luck! Can't wait to see how it turns out

Your plan sounds pretty much just like mine.. So it's perfect..LOL

My new house had a completely plumbed and finished garage space for living.. Walls painted and trimmed out as well.. I have a semi gloss off white on the walls now.. When I repaint it will be gloss white, to reflect as much light inward as possible.

Your lighting plan sounds good. But I'd suggest you add a few more dedicated to the specialty areas.. I started with 12 4" T8 bulbs hung from a 24 x 24 ceiling.. plus a incandescent light built into the drill press.


After working in the shop the last few days.. I'm adding 2 more lights just off center of the lift.. That will give me coverage from all directions no matter where I'm standing blocking light.. Also adding a twin tube light over the drill press, welder, grinder, chop saw and then two by the parts / spares shelfs.. All of those will be on a pull chain switch,,as they only need to come on when working on that piece of equipment.
For your air lines,, black pipe is easy to work with, cheap and does a great job. Take the time to add drip legs, risers, and moisture dump valves..

Maybe consider a dedicated air line to the lift..make a black pipe run to the wall closest to the lift, then from that quick disconnect to the foot valve make up a short air line. Keeps the on the floor under foot mess to a minimum vice a 25' or what ever air line coiled on the floor.

On your power issue.. perhaps take an approach like i did,,, add a new sub panel in the garage.. I was lucky and my MDP was on the exterior of one of the garage walls..so it was uninvolved to add a 100amp sub in the garage.. As I had no 220v at the time in the garage, this solved two issues for me.. 220v line for the welder and the air compressor, and I can now add up to 4 more 20 amp 110v circuits.

You have a great space to build in.. best of luck.. keep posing as you build it out.

It seems like you have a handle on what you want...like you did your research.
Good luck.
First thing I noticed was that you have neighbors in your garage. That makes me think, upgrade security. No matter what.

I cant help with the garage much but I can possibly help with the racing.
Looking at the pics I can tell your kids race on dirt...
Do they race on pavement? Will they race on pavement?
If so, I can help.

Thanks for all of the suggestions Bronco.

bronco78 said:

When I repaint it will be gloss white, to reflect as much light inward as possible.

Click to expand...

I did a pure white room a few years ago in a matte color and really liked the color, but it did still tend to **** in the light. I'm hoping a semi-gloss will still reflect enough light without giving it too shiny of a look. What do you think?

bronco78 said:

Your lighting plan sounds good. But I'd suggest you add a few more dedicated to the specialty areas.. I started with 12 4" T8 bulbs hung from a 24 x 24 ceiling.. plus a incandescent light built into the drill press.

After working in the shop the last few days.. I'm adding 2 more lights just off center of the lift.. That will give me coverage from all directions no matter where I'm standing blocking light.. Also adding a twin tube light over the drill press, welder, grinder, chop saw and then two by the parts / spares shelfs.. All of those will be on a pull chain switch,,as they only need to come on when working on that piece of equipment.

Click to expand...

The offset lighting around the lift makes a lot of sense. The lift is in the center of the 3rd car running lengthwise, (if that makes sense). That means that if I space the 3 8' foot fixtures evenly the light would be directly over the lift. I'd much rather have one just slightly on either side to shine into the project if possible. Maybe I'll just go with 4 of those fixtures instead. I'm also planning on 2 bench lights over each of the work benches. I was going to have the electrician wire up a ceiling plug to the light switch as well, but I guess I could just use the chain.

bronco78 said:

For your air lines,, black pipe is easy to work with, cheap and does a great job. Take the time to add drip legs, risers, and moisture dump valves..

Maybe consider a dedicated air line to the lift..make a black pipe run to the wall closest to the lift, then from that quick disconnect to the foot valve make up a short air line. Keeps the on the floor under foot mess to a minimum vice a 25' or what ever air line coiled on the floor.

Click to expand...

Black pipe seems to be a better way to go, and much cheaper than copper I guess. I will definitely put a dedicated one in for the lift. I'm hoping when it arrives that I'll be able to find a way to mount a short hose and keep it up off the ground so it doesn't get run over by the lift.

I live in a really dry climate here in Utah. I'm not very experienced with these compressors, but do they still tend to gather moisture in places like this?

bronco78 said:

On your power issue.. perhaps take an approach like i did,,, add a new sub panel in the garage.. I was lucky and my MDP was on the exterior of one of the garage walls..so it was uninvolved to add a 100amp sub in the garage.. As I had no 220v at the time in the garage, this solved two issues for me.. 220v line for the welder and the air compressor, and I can now add up to 4 more 20 amp 110v circuits.

Click to expand...

Funny you should mention that. My electrician was busy pulling like the 6th cable all the way to the garage when he came and got me and said, "I think we've messed up!" He basically said the same thing and ended up pulling out all the wire and is running a big heavy duty cable to a new sub panel in the garage. Then we can branch out and do anything from there once I put the paint in.

M900 said:

It seems like you have a handle on what you want...like you did your research.
Good luck.
First thing I noticed was that you have neighbors in your garage. That makes me think, upgrade security. No matter what.

I cant help with the garage much but I can possibly help with the racing.
Looking at the pics I can tell your kids race on dirt...
Do they race on pavement? Will they race on pavement?
If so, I can help.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the kids just race on dirt for now, being only 8 and 9 years old. It is a lot of fun though. Not sure if we'll move to street bikes at some point, but we'll see where their interests take them.

I haven't considered security at all yet. Other than a good insurance policy, is there some standard advice for keeping things secured? I have a keypad coded garage door that a few of my buddies use for access on occasion, but that's really it. Probably my best security is a lot of very close neighbors that would come and question any suspicious activity.

GR8Dane said:

I haven't considered security at all yet. Other than a good insurance policy, is there some standard advice for keeping things secured?

Click to expand...

Keep your garage door closed. Then prying eyes don't have a chance to see what they may want to take from you.

R

If you are going to work on your bike, you will slosh stuff so Semi gloss it most be and I would get some good paint. Nice lift- and I would be careful or give good thought to the floor- I have done bikes for years Nothing holds up to oil, scraps from stands and dirt/oil ground in- I use a rubber 85Mil floor covering to try to save my floor - which I have done twice with great stuff and better than great stuff.
Looks like you have a well thought out plan of action
go for it

rpsurfr said:

If you are going to work on your bike, you will slosh stuff so Semi gloss it most be and I would get some good paint. Nice lift- and I would be careful or give good thought to the floor- I have done bikes for years Nothing holds up to oil, scraps from stands and dirt/oil ground in- I use a rubber 85Mil floor covering to try to save my floor - which I have done twice with great stuff and better than great stuff.
Looks like you have a well thought out plan of action
go for it

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm rethinking the flooring after seeing some really nice photos of epoxy based floors. The checkerboard tiles look really cool, but I'm worried about keeping them looking good. I'm considering a light gray with some black specks mixed in.

I'm not sure what to do special under the lift to help the floor hold up better. The lift really won't ever move other than the wheels as it goes up and down. I'm also planning to put in the leg saver style floor mats on both side of the lift. Have you ever tried greasing the floor where the wheels of the lift go or putting some rubber down under the lift itself?

Got the heater hung and the electrical sub panel in. Need to get some photos and put them up as soon as they are finished. In the meantime, my son and I decided to build a mock-up out of Legos.

Put in the racedeck look, but still not sure if that'll be the way we'll go.

Rolling tool cart up close to the lift.

2nd work area

Sink and parts/helmet storage

Now that's a mock up!

I’ve been working on motorcycles for the past 35 years. I’ve worked on bikes in the blazing sun, in the rain, and in the mud at the track, in the back of a van on the way to the racetrack, in my dining room, in my basement, and in my garage. Over the years, I’ve pretty much settled on what works and doesn’t, at least for me.

First off, try to plan for what you might be adding to your shop in the future – tire machine, parts washer, bench grinder, drill press, welder, fridge (all of which are pretty nice to have in a shop). Adding electrical outlets, air lines, etc., now is much easier than having to add or move in the future.

A high-quality pneumatic lift, such as the one you have, is indispensable. You might consider another lift, as two is twice as nice if you’re working on multiple bikes, particularly if you’re doing full-scale rebuilds or restorations where a bike may tie up a lift for a while. If you don’t want to spend the money on another pneumatic lift, I’d suggest a fixed lift made from dimensional lumber and plywood. Fixed at 24” to 36” off the ground, this lift can be used for more mundane tasks (oil changes, etc.) when the pneumatic lift is in use for more in-depth work. A cheap (Harbor Freight, etc.) locking front wheel chock bolted to the front keeps the bike in place, and your normal loading ramp gets the bike on and off the lift. Do a Google search and you’ll turn up several plans if you decide to build one.

In general, I like my lifts perpendicular to a long wall. Ideally, you place your tool chest, workbench(es), nuts & bolts -- anything you need to have close at hand when you’re working – along this wall. If possible, having the tool chest on the wall in the middle between the two lifts is perfect. This wall is also the ideal place to mount a storage unit with sliding drawers to store metric nuts and bolts. McMaster Carr is a great place to order the hardware. A rolling work cart is also very handy to use around the lift; just make sure you have a place to “park” it when not in use.

I’d re-think having the lift in the middle of the floor on an angle, as shown in your mockup. That seems to take up maximum floor space while providing no additional benefit.

You mentioned air lines; do a search on this forum and you’ll see about a billion posts warning people from using PVC for airlines. It’s not designed for that, and it’s unsafe. Some folks like soldered copper lines, but the shop standard is black iron pipe. It’s cheap, bullet proof, easy to install, and easy to expand. TP Tools has good information and a nice diagram on how to lay out your garage air lines.

Do install an air line outlet near the head of your pneumatic lift and use a short hose to keep the lift permanently “powered.” Much nicer than having to drag over and hook up an air hose every time you want to raise or lower your lift.

Along with the outlet for the lift, I like to have air outlets at each workbench. An air outlet near the garage door is nice if you need air outside (inflating a car tire, for instance). I also like to have an air outlet on the ceiling over each lift, and a leave a coiled air hose attached, which makes it easy to grab when you need to use an impact, etc.

I’d also find a good spot on the wall for a good air hose reel with 50’ of hose. Mount it somewhere where you can get to it easily and it can reach the areas you need without the hose getting stuck on lifts, tangling with parked bikes, etc.

On the subject of stuff each lifts, I also like to have an extension cord reel mounted on the ceiling, along with a trouble light on a reel.

With that stuff mounted directly over the lift, I then use two rows of two 4’ florescent light fixtures mounted in line with the lift. It might be overkill, but the fixtures are cheap and it helps get light to the sides of the bike, rather than just the top.

I also mount four large HD screw eyes in the ceiling over the four corners of the lift. Use 2 x 4s attached to two ceiling ties if necessary. These will allow you to use ratcheting tie downs to lift the front or the back of the bike if you need to remove the forks, rear shock, swingarm, etc.

I also like to use rubber mats on either side of the lift for cushioning and to keep my feet off the concrete when it’s cold.

For electric, you’re definitely making the right move going with a sub panel. I like mounting the outlets about 40” off the ground. Make sure there’s at least one outlet over each bench (use a plug strip to expand), and then several around the walls. In my shop, I have outlets every 32" (every other wall stud). I run three outlets on one 20-amp circuit, which is overkill, but I never pop breakers, even with more than one person working in the shop using grinders, etc. First outlet is a GFI, the two downstream are normal duplex outlets protected by the GFI. Again, an outlet near the garage door is nice for times when you need power outside. You mentioned your Toyhauler – a 30 amp (or 50 amp if that’s what your trailer uses) outlet on the exterior wall of your garage (it looks like the TH is parked right next to the garage, correct?) so you can plug in the trailer when needed. Don’t forget a 220v outlet(s) for a future welder or if you plan on getting a real air compressor.

For lights, I like to have a few incandescents on a separate switched circuit, then all the florescent lights (over the lift, each bench, and for general lighting) on another switched circuit. Switch each off a three-way switch located near each door. This allows you to just hit the incandencents when you’re just walking out to the shop to grab something, rather than firing up all the fluorescents.

While you’re up on the ceiling, I’d wire in a couple of ceiling fans. With your 10 foot-plus ceiling height, the fans will help with both cooling and heating. A fan on the wall (or perhaps in the window) blowing towards the lift or the bench makes it much more comfortable in the summer.

While you’re running electrical wire, consider running cable TV cable for a TV set (and internet if you’re using high-speed wireless and don’t have a WiFi network set up).

For storage, take advantage of your high ceiling with tall shelves to store infrequently used items. A wheel rack, easily made with 2 x 4s, is also great if you have extra sets of wheels to store.

Lastly, I’ve had pretty good luck with Moto Tiles. I use the black and white tiles where I park my bikes. I’d use gray in the work area. I have found that race oil like Royal Purple will stain the white tiles, as will some race fuels. Still, they hold up pretty well.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your project.

Mark PLEASE post pics of your shop

Mark,

I can't thank you enough for such a detailed reply. There are many points you made that I'm using to change up my plans based on the feedback, so thanks. About the only thing I'm still trying to figure out is the placement of the lift. I agree that perpendicular is the best, so I'm trying some things out to see how it turns out.

It's great to hear from an expert with real experience.

Like Sasquach said, I'd love to see any photos of your shop!

Garage Update: Electrical Sub-Panel, Air Compressor Power and Switch, Furnace, Paint, Sand Blaster, Flooring

Been making pretty good progress on the garage makeover. Sorry for the delay on the updates.

Electrical: Ended up running a sub-panel out to the garage with 100 amp service. That doesn't include the air compressor which is mounted in my basement off of a separate circuit in my house. It also doesn't count for the condensor unit for the air conditioner. 100 amps should be plenty to run the lights and a few other devices including an eventual welder. The electrician will hopefully be over later this week to run the outlets, conduit, switches and lights. He is also installing smoke/fire/carbon monoxide detecters in the garage that will tie into the ones in my house. That will alert us if there is a problem in the garage before it makes it into the house. He's also running conduit for the satellite, speakers, phone and network access.


Air Compressor: The electrican ran a dedicated 30amp circuit to my current air compressor. The compressor I have now only runs off of 110 but didn't start reliably due to the low amps available on the circuit. Now it fires up with ease each time. The box is wired up with 220 for future use but has a 110 setup for now. Hopefully I'll get the comressor nailed down in the next week or so and get it installed and ready to go. At the same time, the electrician ran a switch box to the garage to turn on and off the circuit. That allows me to shut down the entire air system as needed. It's been great having the compressor down in my mechanical room as you can barely hear it anywhere in the house. I'm planning on entering the garage with the air lines just below the switch and running 3/4" black pipe for the main run and then 1/2" for the drops along the bench, the sand blaster, the lift, the ceiling and also to the area where the kids bikes are stored. I'll have inline oilers, filters and pressure valves where appropriate as well.


Furnace: My brother in law installed the 75k BTU. It's way overkill for what I need, but the price was killer. It's all setup with the coil for the air condenser unit to be installed in the spring just outside the door so I can have AC in the summer. The furnace just has a temporary duct on it for now to get the air moving. Once I finish the air line installation we will run some aluminum 12" tubular duct work along the main walls of the shop to spread the air out and to point the vents downwards. A run will also be made over the car bays to warm them up as well. We're also installing a special vent run to a closet/storage area where the family's coats, gloves, boots, etc. are all stored and hung in the winter. That will allow us to dry things out quickly between trips outside or up snowboarding.


Paint: We had the idea a few weeks ago of painting the beams and some of the other sheet rocked duct work in an accent color to off-set the white a little. Since we're a big Yamaha family, I took the fender off of my daughters Yamaha motorcycle and took it into Home Depot and had them do a color match for the blue. It took a few gallons with the sprayer but turned out really nice. It does show the blemishes of the wall when you look close, but it's still a garage and I just don't care about that level of detail on the cosmetics. The white paint took 5 gallons of primer and 5 more gallons of paint. After it was finished we were amazed at how much more light was available in the room with still the same old crappy incandecant bulbs.


Floor: I've got most of the walls masked off now so that I can roll the foundation and stairs in some fresh paint. It's just a dark gray color and should blend in nice. I've also settled on the GarageDeck by RaceDeck for the floor. I need just about 800 sqft and I think I've got a good price from them on my order. I just need to finalize the pattern and submit the order to get it on it's way.


Cabinets: I've also settled on the Gladiator cabinets for the garage. I'm going to hang 4 of the wall cabinets over the bench and then 3 more over by the kids toy area. I'll also put in a tall storage cabinet next to the tool box for larger items. Some of the other accessories from them look pretty nice as well. The best price seems to be from GarageAppeal.com and this order would qualify for free shipping too.

More to come soon I hope.

Very nice looking set up. Impressed with your progress. Are you going to put race deck under the lift? ... I so wanted race deck in my shop.. But with the metal cutting, grinding and welding I do, plus the lift that needs to move on the floor... I just decided to skip it.. and stay bare concrete.

Keep us updated on the garage as you continue the build..

Flooring: RaceDeck it is! (well, GarageDeck anyway). I called and talked to Jen and put in the order this afternoon. I live in Utah and expect it to arrive tomorrow. Hoping to put it in Thursday night.

Tonight I finished masking off the bottom of the sheetrock and put down a fresh coat of oil based garage floor paint along the foundation walls and the steps. I'm still high from the fumes, but it looks really nice. It was funny when I went to Lowes to pickup the paint the helper said, "oh sorry, you won't be able to put this down until later this spring because it requires a temp of 50+ degrees to adhere well". I just smiled and told her my garage was sitting at 68 degrees right now! That felt great!

Plumbing: Yesterday the plumber showed up and installed the new water lines and drain for the utility sink. I wish I had it when I was painting last weekend, but glad it's finally ready to go. We ended up taping into the soft water and I plan to hook up the ice maker in the freezer off of this new connection.

Electrical: I put painters tape on all of the locations where I want outlets and wall switches. I need to make my final decision on the location of the lights, but I think I'm pretty set. My electrician said he probably needs a day to finish hooking up the 100amp main, running the outlets and the new lights and smoke detectors.

I'll put some pictures up tomorrow after I get the new flooring installed. Should be sweet!

Update:

Floor: Well, they didn't have sufficient black in stock to complete my order, so I had to wait a few days for them to get a new run completed, fill the order and ship it out. It gave me some time to finish some floor prep and get the old workbench ripped out. Hopefully it'll arrive tomorrow and I'll get it put in.

Cabinets: Ordered all of the cabinets from Sears and GarageAppeal. The welded models were a great deal from Sears with the online promotion and the Craftsman Club discount. The RTA models I got from GarageAppeal.com.

Electrical: Electrician has been busy, but is hoping to make it over Saturday to install the lights and run the rest of the power. I'm considering putting in some ceiling fans but am concerned about the flicker effect if they hang down below the lights. We'll have to see about that.

Tool Chest: Ordered the stainless 41" tool chest from HF today. Used the 20% off coupon to do the special order in store and it came to $598.15 with tax. After comparing it with the Husky, Craftsman, Kobalt and Sams Club models, this one seemed to be the best one for the money and should be plenty for my needs. Hopefully the stainless will look good with all of the gladiator cabinets.

A/V: Installed a 32" Vizio LCD tonight along with a 1000w Sony 6 speaker theater system. It's not super fancy, but way more than enough for a garage. I'll get some photos up with the flooring update tomorrow night.

Overall it's coming along pretty quick. I'm hoping after this weekend that the only major items left will be installing some cabinets, building some shelves and a workbench, replacing the fridge and then installing the airlines and drop/retractable fixtures.

You just had me LOL big time when I saw your lego model. That was slick.

Lots of progress. Here is an update.

Got the floor in. Here are a few photos. The installation went really slick. I ended up with a few extra tiles since I was able to reuse some of the same tiles twice on the top and bottom edges. Waste was very low. I don't think I ruined a single piece since there was enough trim needed to always cut it smaller and use it again.

It looks really messy right now since we tracked the white powder from the paint off the cement floor onto the tiles. Can't wait to get that all wiped up. I'll get a fancy photo posted later once the lights are in.

Getting started with the L shape


Coming along




Finished. Plus, I couldn't wait to setup the new lift, so I did that right afterward. I'll post a review of that later, but it's sweet!


In total, the floor took about 2 hours to put down, plus probably another 2 hours to cut and install all of the trim pieces. Very, very slick.

Any more updates / pictures of the motorcycle shop conversion?

It looks great from what I can tell!

-Tom

Wow!!!! That really looks great! Please keep us posted.

Any updated photots?

Boy, where to start. I've been terrible of keeping my post updated as promised, but I do have new photos. I've still got a few key things left to do, but I'm about 95% there. I was planning on doing an update on each key item and system as I put them in, but it came together in pretty big chunks, so it was hard to keep up. Also I've been still doing bike projets in between updates which have slowed things down. I'm nearly finished with a gearbox rebuild on the bike on the lift.

My main goal with this shop was to build a really functional shop that looked great but was a lot of fun for me, my son and our friends to hang out in. So far I think we've accomplished our goal. During many nights of the week I've got 5 or 6 guys hanging out in the shop tinkering with things and just having fun.

Here is a wide angle of most of the shop. As you can see, the floor is in and has been great. I've put a padded floor mat by the bench to make things easier when I'm standing for longer periods.




The electronics have been really, really nice to have. I've got the iPod, HD Direct DV with music channels as well, an Internet connection and a PC, full surround sound and a DVD player. There is also a PS2 with lots of Guitar Hero and racing games for us to play while others are working on the bikes.






The Gladiator cabinets have been awesome. I think they've been a great investment and should hold up well over time. Other than the floor, the cabinets are one of the most highly recognized items in the garage by visitors. They just look great.


I just finished the air conditioning and running the compressed air hard lines last weekend, so they are all new. The new big compressor is also just installed, but still needs to be mounted to the floor. I'm anxious to get that all finished so I can start using that blast cabinet. I ended up with a 3/4 inch main line from the compressor into the shop and then 1/2" lines out from there. The compressor is the 60gal 2 stage from HF.



This set of air connections can be shut off independently and also has a drain. It's hard plumbed to the compressor and to a coil hose for use at the tire changing station. There is also a bonus tap for other hoses to be hooked up.




I put a regulator and filter right as the air enters the shop for more control.


I also ran a line up to the ceiling for a retractable reel and also put a tap under the bench. I'm waiting until the metal bench tops arrive before I mount up anything though.


The HF tool chest that everyone knows about has been great also. I've had to get some new tools as I wanted to keep my old little toolbox as my race box with everything I need when I'm on the road. It's been nice though to have that box always at the ready. I'll also add that while some of the HF items seem to be great like the tool box, tire changer and the parts waher, I've found that I really, really prefer the Craftsman tools over the HF versions. I ended up getting ride of most everything non-craftsman and will use them for all of my hand tools where possible. I know they're not snap-on, but they are perfect for me. The Kobalt vac has also worked great. The hose reaches to the bench and the lift and also is being plumbed for a dedicated line to the blast cabinet.


The motorcycle tire change has been working great. I just received my Mojo stuff which consits of the bars and the nylon rim blocks. Can't wait to use it though. I put recessed concrete anchors into the floor for the changing stand so I can quickly pull it out of the way when I need more room in that area.


The parts washer is also a recent addition just in time for the YZF rebuild. It was really handy for cleaning parts along the way. I also haven't noticed any smell when the lid is kept closed.


The sink is in and gets used a ton. I still need to mount up a soap and paper towell dispenser and finish grouting the tile, but you get the general idea. I'm putting the same checkerboard tile up around the hosebibs on the otherside of the garage interior for a matching backsplash. It works great to keep the drywall from becoming a mess.


The benchtops are being made out of galvanized sheet metal by a friend that works in a sheet metal shop. They will run the entire lenght of the bench with a 4" backsplash and then a 1.5" lip that folds over the front and the sides for a nice clean look. I had to do the motor teardown on the wood bench with some visqueen and it was a huge mess and leaked through the torn areas. I'm really looking forward to getting that installed. The height ended up being perfect for my 6'1" frame.




This is a shot of the other side of the garage where we store our bikes and toys. I used some of the cheaper cabinets, but they work great for this purpose. I really wanted an open bottom shelf and they didn't have those in the welded models. I also picked up a nice heavy duty bike rack to keep things organized.

Oh, one other note. Here are the major things still outstanding:
1. Black fridge to replace the crappy white one. I've been collecting stickers for a year now and can't wait to plaster them all over a new fridge. I've been looking for a deal on a side by side so that I can have ice and water in the garage.
2. Galvanized steel bench tops. They've been ordered. Just waiting for them to arrive.
3. HVAC ductwork. We'll be removing that ugly temporary vent and running some lines around to better circulate the air.
4. Paint needs to be touched up in several places to finish that up.
5. Garage door and attic insulation. I'm going to have the attic above the garage get some blown in and then insluate the doors with 1.5" thick hard board insulation.
6. Bench components: I'm planning to do the double 1.5" receiver tube mounting system for various vices, bench grinder, drill press, etc. so that I can keep them under the bench when not in use but then put them up when needed.

Wow, what an impressive improvement! You should be able to get a lot more work done now.
Does your moto lift roll up and down well on your new floor? Did you get rid of your Handy lift? I didn't see it in the new pics.
What's going on with your small garage door? I'm assuming you blocked it off with the cabinets. Did you remove the upper guide rails for the door? Does that make it difficult to roll bikes on the lift?
Sorry for all the questions.
I like the top loading blast cabinet and the slick wall-mount shop vac!
-Tom

cooliorz said:

Wow, what an impressive improvement! You should be able to get a lot more work done now.
Does your moto lift roll up and down well on your new floor? Did you get rid of your Handy lift? I didn't see it in the new pics.
What's going on with your small garage door? I'm assuming you blocked it off with the cabinets. Did you remove the upper guide rails for the door? Does that make it difficult to roll bikes on the lift?
Sorry for all the questions.
I like the top loading blast cabinet and the slick wall-mount shop vac!
-Tom

Click to expand...

Hey Tom.

Thanks for the compliments. I have been very happy with the results so far and have really enjoyed working in the new shop.

I ended up getting rid of the Handy lift in favor of this one. I got it with all of the attachments including the ATV sides which work great. I have it back as far as I can get it to the garage door while still making it possible to load up a bike with the little ramp attachment on the front. I rarely use the ramp for the dirt bikes though. The lift moves very easily on the floor and hasn't made a dent in it yet. In fact, it moves so easy that sometimes sliding my dirt bikes up the rear tire will skid the lift forward a few inches. I'm considering installing a couple of small blocks to keep the lift from shifting on the floor when loading. The lift has no issues lifting up and down on the floor either. I do turn the lift on a slight angle when I'm working on the ATVs to make it easier to load them onto the lift from the main garage door entrance.

The lift really became the central focus of the shop since much of the work I do is simple bike maintenance. Secondary focus was on the bench surfaces for more detailed work. With the lift as the focus, I made sure that the lighting all ran parallel to the lift. Those fancy new florescent bulbs light up the engine bays like crazy. I've yet to use my drop or task lighting since the new lights were installed. I've also got power, air (shortly) and fuel all suspended above the lift for quick and easy access.

I'm also installing a 1300lb hoist over the middle of the garage where my truck would typically park. I have a big steel I-beam covered in sheet rock that I'm going to mount it to. The hoist will mainly be for me to remove and install my 5th wheel hitch on my own, but I plan to make it a secondary bike lift for the times where we have big bike maintenance parties parties. I think we did 5 oil changes and 4 tire changes in one evening a few weeks ago prior to a big trail ride. (More details about that adventure here if you're a moto-head)

The garage door is basically just a wall at this point. The overhanging rails cramped the space, blocked the light and were just always in the way. I have no plans to use that 3rd car space for a garage anytime soon so I figured I might as well just rip it out. If I'm going to do some major vehicle work I'll just put the car on the wheel dollies and slide it over. With the top support rails out of the way, I just put a couple of screws through the top panel to keep it from falling down.

Looks fantastic, but I do have a quick question on your Mojo Blocks. How come you have nuts sticking up above the blocks. There shouldn't be anything above the blocks as it will push the tire up against the top of the rim, at least that has been my experience.

Look forward to the final pics.

Derek

Looks very nice. But wanna know the 1 thing that really stood out in the last set of photos?

HOLY ****! Someone other than RIGID makes a wall mounted shop vac.

G8Dane,

Man, that turned out great. Bet all the other kids on the block wish you were their Dad! Loved the lego mock up and the Racedeck really makes the place look great. I saw a Honda Minitrail 50 for sale on the way to work today and made me want to get one for my boys like I had when I when I was 5...but since my boys are 2 y/o and 2 m/o I think we will wait.

Shaun

hilld said:

Looks fantastic, but I do have a quick question on your Mojo Blocks. How come you have nuts sticking up above the blocks. There shouldn't be anything above the blocks as it will push the tire up against the top of the rim, at least that has been my experience.

Look forward to the final pics.

Derek

Click to expand...

Thanks Derek. You have a good eye for detail! My mojo blocks had just arrived so I had them set there to see how they would look. They just need to get installed. I've been kind of holding off on drilling the holes while I round up half decent drill press for the shop. I've never used one of those things, but it would be nice on occasion.

Dustoff said:

G8Dane,

Man, that turned out great. Bet all the other kids on the block wish you were their Dad! Loved the lego mock up and the Racedeck really makes the place look great. I saw a Honda Minitrail 50 for sale on the way to work today and made me want to get one for my boys like I had when I when I was 5...but since my boys are 2 y/o and 2 m/o I think we will wait.

Shaun

Click to expand...

Shaun,

Don't wait too long. I had my kids on a Yamaha PW50 with training wheels when they were 3 and on one of those PowerWheels four wheeler before that. Kind of like this one. I picked it up cheap at a yard sale and just put in a new battery.

MrSnicks said:

Looks very nice. But wanna know the 1 thing that really stood out in the last set of photos?

HOLY ****! Someone other than RIGID makes a wall mounted shop vac.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the reviews were kind of mixed on that particular vac online, but I love it so far. Several complained that it had a bag, but it's optional as far as I can tell. I wanted one with a bag as an option so that I can use it for dust collection for the sand blaster.

One of the coolest things about that vac is that it has a wireless remote for the on and off. I can be clear across my garage and turn it on and off as needed. I was demoing it to my buddy Rob the other day and told him that it was voice activated. I shouted "Rob *****" at the vacuum and pressed the remote hidden in my pocket and it turned on. He was freaking out!

awesome garage!

That garage definitely has it going on! Getting ready to build a detached moto-garage and will be stealing lots of ideas from this build.

Very nice! looks well planned, organized, and very functional.

(Yes, I'm very jealous!)