How to display Motorcycle inside house?

[elvee]

I would drain the fuel and carbs at a minimum just because of fumes. Handy (the loft people) make a storage skateboard that makes it easier to move the bike around. Harbor freight has a knockoff as well. If you are worried about the tires getting flatspots then put it on service stands.

 

[dbreid]

Handy (the loft people) make a storage skateboard that makes it easier to move the bike around.

Got a link for that? I cannot seem to find that.

 

[Clogking]

Here is my Husqvarna behind the bar in the Toyhouse

That my friend is a thing of beauty. Brings a tear to my eye!

 

[Rizingson]

Here's an idea that I came up with to display in my walk-out basement.
I was looking for an original shipping crate for old Honda's to incorporate into the design, but instead used wood from pallets and a vinyl runner stretched over it to catch any drips. Haven't had any drips in 2 years though!

Here's the build progress

Here you see the vinyl was too cold to stretch out properly and I had to do it over again once they were in the house and up to normal temperature.

Here's one bike on display.

And another view

Now if I can just get the wife to allow a couple more down there, that would be nice.
Motorcycle Museums are a great place to get some ideas for display also.

 

[chamoisfive]

Not one comment about your insurer being okay with motor vehicles being inside the house/living areas? When I looked at doing this a couple of years ago, my insurer wasn't happy & proposed putting up the premium for "increased risk from fire". Conveniently overlooking the fact of a 'flimsy' but conventional internal wall between garage and house passage. Odd stuff.....

 

[CadillacJack]

I had an idea, but couldn't find investors interested enough...

I would make a mold of the engine/frame of your desired bike, replicate in fiberglass (injection molding?). Get an airbrush artist to paint it with a patina'ed look. Hang original tank/wheels, bags, etc. on it. I'd sell a million of 'em...

 

[Rizingson]

Not one comment about your insurer being okay with motor vehicles being inside the house/living areas? When I looked at doing this a couple of years ago, my insurer wasn't happy & proposed putting up the premium for "increased risk from fire". Conveniently overlooking the fact of a 'flimsy' but conventional internal wall between garage and house passage. Odd stuff.....

The wall between your living space and garage will or should have 5/8 inch fire rated sheet rock. As for the bikes there is no fuel in any part of them and minimal oil. You can not smell any vapors or odors. No vehicles in a garage or house are covered by a homeowners policy ever. My bikes are all individually insured by Hagarty at stated value. Any vehicle that is licensable must have its own policy or you will be SOL if there is a fire.

 

[Jinks]

1.) How did you convince your better half to allow it?

-Dan

That question alone answers your question. If you have to ask permission, just leave it in the garage with your balls. You won't be using any of them much...............

 

[CadillacJack]

If you have to ask permission, just leave it in the garage with your balls. You won't be using any of them much...............

Today's winning post!

 

[CadillacJack]

When I looked at doing this a couple of years ago, my insurer wasn't happy & proposed putting up the premium for "increased risk from fire".

Hmm...I can't readily recall the last time an insurer stepped inside my home nor the last time I called them to inquire of doing anything inside it. Oh wait....I remember now. Never.

 

[Lippyp]

A friend of mine used to ride his Kawasaki Z1R into his living room via his french windows. It would spend the winter in there as he had no garage. One time I visited he was rebuilding the engine on the dining room table, mind you, he did have most of the Wessex chapter of the Hells Angels at his house warming party.

 

[BrewerCreek]

Looking for display stand ideas to feature a '66 Bonneville, '64 Cushman Eagle and '06 Paul Smart in my house. Something clean — raised white platform with a metal mount that isn't noticeable to hold the bikes upright. Has anyone seen something like this constructed? Looking for ideas, thanks.

 

[driftpin]

The whiners will piss and moan about how-expensive it is, and say, "I can buy a Harbor Freight dolly for less-than 1/3 of that!"

https://www.condor-lift.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=100

https://condor-lift.com/image/cache...Garage Dolly/GD-3500 main picture-800x532.jpg

How-much is your bike worth? This will offer better support for your bike than the HFT dolly, or probably any dolly. It's made of quality materials, and it holds the bike upright, not on its sidestand. No tiedowns necessary. You can move it around, if you want to stage it in a different room, though you may encounter problems with your stairs.

Designed by a professional engineer, fully-adjustable and made in the USA. They should have Oscar Wilde as their spokesman, who said, "I have the simplest of taste. I am always satisfied with the very-best."

 

[Stuart in MN]

BrewerCreek is looking for a display stand, not a work stand.


I've never seen a commercially available display stand but it should be straightforward to build one. I'd make it out of 3/4" plywood and cover it with white laminate. How tall are you thinking? I did a google image search and found this picture, but these stands appear to be simply the thickness of a 2x4.

 

[bdbecker]

I like the idea of a low platform. Another option would be to find a rubber backed runner rug that fits the dimensions of the bike.

 

[rsanter]

you want to drain all the fluids
you dont want the smell or flammables in the house

I would build a low platform that the frame sits on and clamps to so it cant be knocked over. the platform will protect the floor but it also makes it look like it is supposed to be in the house as a display and not there for storage

how to get it past the wife. dont tell her, build the platform and then bring it is when she is not there.
if she complains then you complain that you just spent all that time and money building the platform stand for the bike to display it inside

 

[rharman]

Here is my Husqvarna behind the bar in the Toyhouse

So nice! I had an early 70's 250. Started life as a WR. I rode it in desert races. Later, converted to a CR and traded a guy for the small tank and raced motocross with it. Man, what fun times.

 

[driftpin]

BrewerCreek is looking for a display stand, not a work stand.

I've never seen a commercially available display stand but it should be straightforward to build one. I'd make it out of 3/4" plywood and cover it with white laminate. How tall are you thinking? I did a google image search and found this picture, but these stands appear to be simply the thickness of a 2x4.

My Handy-Lift is a workstand. This is a way to display the bike where it's well-supported, easily-moved, and is securely held in-place with a minimum of hardware. It's more-of an 'industrial chic' look, while providing the utility of ease of movement. I see this type of design as being well-suited for display, though your opinion is different The safety with which this holds the bike, and the ease with which it moves once loaded, makes it far-better at protecting your bike than one of those trays with a sidestand stubby off the middle. I met the Condor CEO, the professional engineer who designed this and his employee was repeatedly loading and moving-around a Sportster on one at Daytona.

Things that impressed me were how stable it was when loading the bike, how-well the bike was supported with no tie-downs, and how easy it was to safely move the bike on it, a very stable design. Can you work on the bike in the rolling stand? Sure, if you want-to. Is that the primary use? No, I believe it's for being able to safely and easily maneuver a big, heavy object wherever you want, without having to worry about it falling.

If you wanted-to, you could powder-coat or paint it, to make it 'disappear,' or put a piece of diamond plate on the rungs to show a solid surface.

Your idea of a formica plywood box is a cheap way to make a simple, inexpensive stand, and would be adequate if you didn't want or need the ability to safely move the bike.

Anyone who wants a way to load your bike into a pickup truck, be sure to look at the Condor trailer/bike loading ramp, which is cleverly-designed, and which can be used as a trailer, as a loading ramp, or it can be left on your box hitch, to save tolls since the wheels aren't in-use as a trailer in that configuration. I bet you won't be satisfied watching the video of it in-action, just-once.

The wheels can be removed, with the trailer on the receiver hitch and folded vertically, and the trailer weighs under 600 lbs. It also can be stored in its vertical position, and rolled-around in the garage, taking-up less space.
https://www.condor-lift.com/index.php?_route_=condor-t-ramp-trailer-ramp-system

 

[77Birdman]

I didn't read the whole thread as its very old, just looked at the new post. I have a buddy who has several bikes on display in his home. Most are small racing bikes though. He has them parked on a flat board of rough sawn hardwood flooring sized just to fit under the bike. Kinda simulates a board track. My wife wouldn't dare let me put one in my house, she doesn't even want them in the garage! As soon as my new shop is done my bikes will be getting their own purpose built room.

 

[gerryw]

Sorry, late to this discussion, i emailed Barber Museum some time ago about this exact topic, they replied with the common, lets call them winter storage prep, but they emphasized that the brake fluid was a real concern due to water retention causing problems.
So draining, and cleaning out system would be on my list for long term display, which is good advice from the people who do this for a living ( and something i didnt even think about)

Gerry

 

[jabberwoki]

Heres how I store mine over winter.

 

[finn]

The apartment hotel we stayed in this spring in Asti, Italy had a Morris Minor in the vestibule, a Vespa in the bedroom (to hang your clothes on?) and another Vespa like bike turned into a kitchen table support.

The owner was an interesting fellow.

 

[TractorJeff]

My two younger brothers hauled an RT2 360 Yamaha up the stairs to the second floor one fall to rebuild during the winter. Mom didn't find out for a month though she suddenly wondered why they were bringing their dirty laundry down and taking the clean clothes upstairs suddenly! In later years Dad parked two Touring Suzuki's in an unused first floor bedroom a couple of winters so Mom could park her car in the garage! She finally let him get a new Shop built soon after. I share a 1946 Willy's with my brother, he is thinking of being out of country for a few years so it will come here to the North. My wife said we will be Ok parking it in the first floor Family Room till I get space I for it in the heated Shop!