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Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT 24'x48' Pole Barn Workshop - Orono, MN

Workspaces between 705 and 1200 squarefeet.
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mgilde13

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Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Messages
274
I see that you have collector plates on your Sukuki and that you're also in MN. Have you ever had any hassles with those plates? I wanted to put collector plates on one of my bikes and the lady at the DMV talked me out of it. She said that they're not like cars. If I put the plates on the bike, I could only ride the bike in parades, to shows or club events. Have you run into the same thing?

BTW, I love your garage set up.
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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1,066
Location
Orono, MN
Never had a problem with the plates. Classic plates are valid for use on bikes owned as a collector's item. As I understand it, the notion is that you can not use the bike for commuting, but can use it for pleasure driving or showing. Classic plates are permanent registrations, so I think the intent of the restriction is to prevent someone from using the permanent registration to circumvent paying annual registration fees on a vehicle that they use normally, which is why you can only get the plates if you have another regularly registered vehicle. I do about 2K miles per year on them.

Thanks for the compliment on my garage set up.
 

freedomgli

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Sep 2, 2010
Messages
131
Location
nova
Nice garage! I dig the work space and what you've parked inside it. On my wish list are a RS250 and 916/996/998 of some sort.
 

TK-65

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Messages
23
Love the idea of using pallet racks as storage/work areas. Im doing a similar build right now and Im going to steal your rack idea for mine. Beats fabbing up a wood bench/shelving unit. :thumbup:
 

bullnerd

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Sep 17, 2012
Messages
5,690
Location
Jersey
Are the narrow(tan)pallet racks custom or is that a standard size?

Great shop! Looks like a great place to hang out.
 

wannabridin

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May 17, 2011
Messages
140
Loving the pallet racks in there! Very nice use of lighting too, makes me need to go get more for my garage now....
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
Are the narrow(tan)pallet racks custom or is that a standard size?

Great shop! Looks like a great place to hang out.

The narrow racks are Edsal racks from Menards. Not very heavy duty. Wish I could have found pallet racks in narrow widths (<=24"), but as best as I can tell they don't exist.

Loving the pallet racks in there! Very nice use of lighting too, makes me need to go get more for my garage now....

Thanks for the positive comments folks.
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
Been about a year a half since I got my workshop completed and thought I'd update this thread.

Summer%20Outside.jpg


Functionally little has changed. Heating and cooling costs haven't been noticeable, but then again, it really doesn't get run much. The biggest change has been the addition of 5 more motorcycles for a total of 11, an S2000, and arriving at different configurations for the seasons and purposes. Also, most of the light shelving has been changed to the Edsal shelving the TV is mounted to, to increase the amount of storage space I have.

The additional motorcycles have shown that the maximum capacity for regularly ridden bikes is about 10 with the other side of the workshop with space for regularly driven cars. This is the riding season set with the Futon up on the pallet racking setup as a balcony, the 5 bikes that get stored on the pallet racking in the winter on the floor and the 4 post lift empty.

Summer%20Loft%20Rear.jpg


Summer%20Floor.jpg


Summer%20Looking%20In.jpg


A view from the "balcony" provides a better idea of how much work space there is in the riding season set. The big blue bin on the floor is the project bin for the bike on the lift and normally sits on the shelf above the right workbench.

Summer%20Loft%20View.jpg


All the motorcycles shown can be pulled out of the garage without moving another bike and there is room for one lift table. With a tighter park job, another 2 could probably fit, but more typically if I want more room I just pull a car/truck out and park bikes where the vehicle was.

Some decorations have been added too.

Summer%20TV.jpg


Summer%20Door%20Signs.jpg


Workbench%20Pics.jpg


The shop has also been getting used for regular WSBK and MotoGP race watching parties. Here are the bikes parked for a race watching party and the motorcycle side set with chairs for race watching.

Summer%20Pan.jpg


Race%20Party%20Loft.jpg


The horse trailer has gone to stay where my oldest daughter's horse is boarded and I've bought a second truck, so it is possible that I'll add another four post lift so I can store 4 cars/trucks or to expand my motorcycle parking space, but if my daughter takes a truck and the horse trailer south for the winter like she did last year, I'll hold off on getting another lift.
 
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OSULemon

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Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
237
Fantastic. Your shop reminds me a lot of the aircraft hanger garage, seen in the book "Motorcycle Dream Garages." He had most of his bikes in a line facing outwards, ready to ride.

How many front/rear stands do you have? I have 5 or 6 that I need to make a storage system for when they're not in use. Looks like yours are always in use! :lol:
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
Fantastic. Your shop reminds me a lot of the aircraft hanger garage, seen in the book "Motorcycle Dream Garages." He had most of his bikes in a line facing outwards, ready to ride.

How many front/rear stands do you have? I have 5 or 6 that I need to make a storage system for when they're not in use. Looks like yours are always in use! :lol:

Thanks for the compliment. I wish it were the size of a hangar.

I've probably got only 3 or 4 fronts and 10 rears. Most of the bikes get parked in roll in front stands and then get put up on rear stands. The front stands only get used for service or cleaning.

For storing stands I have hooks on some of the pallet racking and have discovered that Pit Bull stands hook securely on the edge of plywood.

Pit%20Bull%20Front.jpg


Pit%20Bull%20Rear.jpg
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Location
Orono, MN
Just finished mounting and lighting a bunch of motorcycle dealer signs

Signs%20Banners.jpg

Signs.jpg

Anyone got a BMW, Triumph, Aprilia or KTM sign they want to sell?
 
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drivesitfar

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
Messages
36,007
Location
Pacific Northwest
Ray: I remember seeing you awesome shelving on another thread and nice to see the outside pictures of your garage too.

looks great and wondering if you have a big screen TV on the wall with all the guys watching or were they just watching you fix a car on that great lift. :D
 

JAckal

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Joined
Oct 4, 2009
Messages
66
Location
Nw Arkansas
That looks very,very, very, nice! I am planning to add on to my machine shop. I want the structure, walls, light , etc. to look exactly like your building. Thanks for the pics and ideas.

Jack
 

bobx

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Joined
Mar 3, 2005
Messages
48
Location
Indiana
killer shop. im looking into some pallet racks and your set up is perfect. nice job.
 

JMURiz

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Dec 6, 2005
Messages
1,483
Location
NoVA
Great collection of bikes and storage solution.

I wish I didn't have to sell my bikes,due to space issues and not using them enough :( Had an FZR400 and Bandit 400...so I love the era your older storylines are from!
 

Chitown_hillbilly

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Sep 6, 2011
Messages
982
Location
Morris, IL
Incredible. I can't decide if I love the space or the Bikes more. What's really amazing is that I have 48 sq ft more in my shop and your's looks huge. Oh and I think I've got an old K-wack you'd like...

85_GPz900r.jpg
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
Thanks for the compliments folks. Funny that necessity was the mother of invention. Had zoning allowed me to build a larger garage, my workshop might have ended up very different.

Incredible. I can't decide if I love the space or the Bikes more. What's really amazing is that I have 48 sq ft more in my shop and your's looks huge. Oh and I think I've got an old K-wack you'd like...

85_GPz900r.jpg

Had a couple of Ninja 900s in the past. Built one out of wreck and totaled it on the Blue Ridge Parkway and hit a deer with another. Loved those bikes. They were a huge leap forward when they were introduced.
 
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JoniH

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Oct 23, 2012
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236
Location
Finland
Very nice garage and bikes, good use of space. Plenty of stuff inside, but still doesn't look too filled up.
 

jeopardy98

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Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
587
Location
Prince George, VA
Wow, I love my bikes too but my pockets are much shallower than yours. You have some beautiful motorcycles. I love what you have done with the space. I'll only have 9' ceilings so I won't be able to copy your storage ideas but I can certainly put up a bunch of high shelving and try and keep my floor space open.
 

Bogdan M.

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Dec 4, 2012
Messages
998
Location
Bucharest, Romania
Love the functionality of the pallet racking.
It's an ideea I want to use in my garage because I have a high ceiling so I am wasting a lot of space I could use for storage.
 

OrneryDuck

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Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
120
Location
Gem of the Hills, FL
This is awesome! Despite my frequent visits to the GJ, I somehow missed this thread and only found it while researching pallet racking for my own garage. You sir have inspired me to move forward with the idea.

Loving the RS250, rode a buddies a few times before he sold it, on my list of bikes to one day own. Admittedly I'd settle for an RS50. ;)

Here is my former two-wheeled love:
Triumph_955_ST01.jpg
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
This is awesome! Despite my frequent visits to the GJ, I somehow missed this thread and only found it while researching pallet racking for my own garage. You sir have inspired me to move forward with the idea.

Loving the RS250, rode a buddies a few times before he sold it, on my list of bikes to one day own. Admittedly I'd settle for an RS50. ;)

Here is my former two-wheeled love:
Triumph_955_ST01.jpg

Thanks for the compliment. Love those Triumph Triples. Been over 3 decades since I owned a Triumph. One of these days, I'll own one again.

Glad you found my setup interesting. Good luck with yours!
 

jblnut

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Jan 17, 2015
Messages
6,990
Location
In the Middle of MN
I can't believe you work in that shop, it is SO CLEAN !!! Among the many others I will be stealing ideas, specifically the lift elevator idea, to put in my shop one day. Wonderful idea.

I've got a 79' CB750K all done up and it is a blast to drive. I haven't been able to as much as I'd like the last few years but it won't be leaving the stable anytime soon.

Always good to see another member from the great frozen north !!
 

Clemson13

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Joined
May 30, 2015
Messages
425
Any updates? I just bought my first bike and it is so gorgeos in my garage.

I love walking out and looking at it. Made me think of this thread as I love how your shop is setup.
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
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Ray916MN

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Orono, MN
Since the great Photo*ucket ruined all the links in this thread to my photos I figured I'd update this with some good old fashioned attached photos.
 

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Black Oak

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Aug 6, 2013
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161
Location
black oak arkansas
I for one am glad to see your place again. I've bragged about it more than a few times.So clever. Photobucket blows , and your shop needs to be seen!
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
I for one am glad to see your place again. I've bragged about it more than a few times.So clever. Photobucket blows , and your shop needs to bie seen!

Thanks for the compliment.

i'll post more pics when I've reset it for the winter.
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
Workshop reset for the winter. Got 6 bikes off the floor. Sofa and coffee table come down to the floor and all the bikes are parked out of the work area to allow maximum project space. Hopefully this year my GSXR1100 which is disassembled down to the crank bearings will get put back together...

IMAG0556.jpg

IMAG0548.jpg

IMAG0552.jpg

IMAG0551.jpg

IMAG0549.jpg
 
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Ray916MN

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Apr 15, 2012
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Orono, MN
I just found your thread. Great shop. Any chance you can rehost the original pics of the build? I'd love to see the project.

Thanks for the compliment on the shop. Motivated me to bite the bullet and rehost the pics and edit them into my posts. Hope you enjoy the pics!
 
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