Strouty
Well-known member
Wait, park a car in the garage, you mean one that runs and drives? I don’t understand this concept.
Killing time in a small "2 car" garage
- Thread starter BoilermakerFan
- Start date
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BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Oh, I'm insulating the roof, walls, garage door, and ceiling! That's why I brought home all of the plywood, so I can finish the walls, blow in insulation, and paint everything white with a couple of stripes for Honda and Kawasaki... an my Scurvy Tick is being painted on one wall too. I'm insulating the roof to reduce heat gain in the summer. the ceiling will be insulated to make the garage more efficient with the heater and keep noise down. The wall with my dart board and man door is 40' from the house and our master bedroom window so that wall is being built out to the full 2x6 depth and rockwool is going in it to keep the noise down as much as possible. The man door needs to be replaced as well so it will get a solid door with the highest R-value I can find, mostly to keep noise in the garage. I'm also going to pick up a bigger, better window from the ReStore for the other side wall when I go to reside the garage. I resisted buying 4 really nice skylights the last time I was at the ReStore.
I have a 5KW heater out there now. It easily warms up the garage, but costs me a fortune to run, so the insulation is a tax credit and a requirement! It will pay for itself in one winter on electric alone... the cooler temp in the summer is just a bonus. I'm too cheap to put in an AC unit unless I find one of those hotel wall units cheap enough.
I only have 60A out in the garage too, so with the air compressor, heater, and welder, I'd have to be careful on what was running. I realize the wall unit would have a heat option and not be running when the AC is on, but it's still a circuit in the panel. I actually need to pick up a new MLO panel for the garage because my current one is full and I need to add a couple more breakers.
The big issue for me this past winter and spring with the weather is that I couldn't clean out the garage. The rain prevented me from pushing everything out to put stuff away and straighten it up. I literally only had 8" wide little snake paths in a Y shape to get around in the garage before.
I will be adding a little insulated lean-to on the back side of the garage for all of the yard tools later this summer as well. That will free up at least 6'x10' of floor space in the garage for the important stuff like room to move.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
I know, right? Can you believe the nerve of some women? Wanting to put a running vehicle in a garage? But it's all part of my
plan to get SWMBO on board with the changes I want to make to the garage. And it's as much a trial run or test for me to see if I could survive in a house with a normal 2-car attached garage. A couple places we'd like to move to have very expensive housing so sacrifices would have to be made. I'd like to know if I could make it work BEFORE we moved.The nice thing about a daily driver in the garage is that I just back it out at night when I want to work in the garage, then pull it back in when I'm done for the night. The other bonus for me is that it requires me to keep the area clear which then keeps the area in front of the dart board clear by default.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
So today a buddy gave me four 6x6 post legs for my motorcycle work table.
Tonight I ran out to see how they would work/look with my work top.
They were all just slightly different lengths, but that actually worked out in my favor since the top isn't perfectly level. The different heights allowed me to get all of the wobble out of the top!
Currently the top surface is 29" off the floor and my garage chair allows my legs to just fit under it with the fully extended in height. The heavy duty leveling casters will raise the height by about 3" so the legs may have to be trimmed down a bit. I haven't decided if it's too tall yet. I need to attached the legs and brace them before I hoist the GL1100 onto the table to see how well the current height or even 3" taller will work. I'm glad they are on the tall side instead of short side though.
If the current height or even a little taller will work, then they'll stay at that length because the work table could do double duty as a serving table out in the yard when we host parties.
Tonight I ran out to see how they would work/look with my work top.
They were all just slightly different lengths, but that actually worked out in my favor since the top isn't perfectly level. The different heights allowed me to get all of the wobble out of the top!
Currently the top surface is 29" off the floor and my garage chair allows my legs to just fit under it with the fully extended in height. The heavy duty leveling casters will raise the height by about 3" so the legs may have to be trimmed down a bit. I haven't decided if it's too tall yet. I need to attached the legs and brace them before I hoist the GL1100 onto the table to see how well the current height or even 3" taller will work. I'm glad they are on the tall side instead of short side though.
If the current height or even a little taller will work, then they'll stay at that length because the work table could do double duty as a serving table out in the yard when we host parties.
Strouty
Well-known member
Looks pretty good, how do you get the bike up there?
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Just kidding. The bench is for tear downs and preliminary builds, not general maintenance, so the bikes will be lifted on to it with either my overhead chain hoist, or most often, my 1T folding shop crane. With a 6' long lift strap wrapped through the frame it works really well. Final assembly of a near complete bike will be on the garage floor.
Eventually, once all of the garage remodeling is done and I have the middle of my garage space open, I will invest in a motorcycle lift for doing maintenance on the finished, running bikes. But for now, I just need an elevated platform that I can set the bike on. Especially the GL since you lift the frame off the engine which will stay up on the table. Then the shop crane will lift it off the table and put it on the steel work bench.
I've already torn down 7 bikes on the floor. For the GL, it's a different process and I wanted it up higher to make it easier on my back.
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BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
I will be upgrading the wheel chock and adding eye bolts for ratchet straps to hold the bikes in place too.
Strouty
Well-known member
I can understand not wanting to work on the floor.
Grumblebum
Well-known member
That is one busy week of Tetris you have just had BM 
20' containers are awesome, they will eat a lot of stuff and get to the point where you can't walk into them also. Before you part with any shelving from the garage you may want to use it in the container for a bit. I find shelving with totes works well initially until you end up dumping **** on the floor and you can't get in there any more
(ask me how I know )
Good to see you have a rough plan for the garage now if you are staying put for a couple more years, see if you can work in the welding table as a permanent setup. I think you will cuss if you want to do a quick fab job but have to set it up each time. But then again I understand it's a small space and there are compromises.
Cheers GB
20' containers are awesome, they will eat a lot of stuff and get to the point where you can't walk into them also. Before you part with any shelving from the garage you may want to use it in the container for a bit. I find shelving with totes works well initially until you end up dumping **** on the floor and you can't get in there any more
(ask me how I know )Good to see you have a rough plan for the garage now if you are staying put for a couple more years, see if you can work in the welding table as a permanent setup. I think you will cuss if you want to do a quick fab job but have to set it up each time. But then again I understand it's a small space and there are compromises.
Cheers GB
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
That is one busy week of Tetris you have just had BM
20' containers are awesome, they will eat a lot of stuff and get to the point where you can't walk into them also. Before you part with any shelving from the garage you may want to use it in the container for a bit. I find shelving with totes works well initially until you end up dumping **** on the floor and you can't get in there any more
Good to see you have a rough plan for the garage now if you are staying put for a couple more years, see if you can work in the welding table as a permanent setup. I think you will cuss if you want to do a quick fab job but have to set it up each time. But then again I understand it's a small space and there are compromises.
Cheers GB
Thanks GB. This past week wasn't too bad... the real Tetris begins when I start the finishing of the walls, especially if I decide to go ahead and grind the floor for a penetrating stain sealer. I really want to do it, but I also REALLY do not want to do the work or have to move everything out of the garage (including the air compressor).
The goal is to have the wall done on the side wall at the front of the garage so I can hang wall cabinets before the stuff comes off the shelves that are going away. That way everything will just be moved once. Either to the wall cabinets, to my attic storage, or to the trash bin.
If we do get the 20' container, then I probably will go ahead and do the floor. If I do decide to to do the floor, then the worst part of the process will be taking the engines off the rack, moving the rack into the container, and putting the engines back on the rack in the container. Oh wait, then I would have to do that all over again when the rack gets to be moved back into the garage when it's done.
In theory I could just do half the garage at a time on the floor refinish, but I just don't want all of the dust everywhere in the garage. I may still go that route and just use my big, HD drop cloth plastic and staple/tape the plastic to the ceiling/floor/wall to seal the one side off from the dusty side... Oh wait, that won't work because the 16' wide door covers the entire front of the garage except 9"-10" on each side.
I think that if the fab table is easy enough to flip up and drop onto the folding legs it won't be a huge issue. Kind of like how the B&D WorkMate tables fold, but a little more heavy duty design. I may end up with room to have it on a set of permanent legs at the very back of the garage on the wall, but TBH, that wall space would be better utilized to make the folding spray booth 3' wider. The final decision on the fab table won't happen until I decide the final arrangement of the side wall where the engine rack, Milwaukee tool chest, steel work bench, and parts washer are going. Right now the steel work bench is next to the air compressor under my window on that wall. I'm seriously considering moving the steel bench towards the front of the garage, away from the air compressor and putting the parts washer against the air compressor, then the steel work bench. It's all TBD right now.
wingnutthehutt
Well-known member
Nice work on that bench, I have been collecting parts for something very similar. Mine isn't going to be quite as tall and will be slightly wider. I'll just load using a ramp. I'm also using 4x4s. More like this, but a little bit higher and with perpendicular surface:
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Nice work on that bench, I have been collecting parts for something very similar. Mine isn't going to be quite as tall and will be slightly wider. I'll just load using a ramp. I'm also using 4x4s. More like this, but a little bit higher and with perpendicular surface:
I was originally going to use six 4x4s and make it shorter. I discovered that two of the posts are actually hollow. We thought they were pine and veneered to look like oak. Nope, they are veneered plywood and hollow. So my buddy is keeping an eye out at the auctions for more post legs for me and he'll make sure the new ones are solid. I may rip some 3/4" and 1/2" plywood down and make my own 6x6 solid posts by epoxy or Gorilla gluing up layers, overlapping the edges, until it measures 6x6.
I may still cut the height down. My original plan was to use 18" long legs for a top height of 19-1/2" without the casters. I kind of like the taller height. I can use my garage chair instead of a low rolling stool and the work table could be used as a serving table at cook outs. If it's unstable with a bike on it, I'll cut the height down. But I got on top of it after I secured the legs and jumped up and down. No wobble, no buckle; and that was without the 2x6 braces attached. So braced I suspect it will be fine. The bikes will be strapped to the table when they're on it, but it will still be given a shake test once the GL is lifted into place on top of it (after all the bracing is on).
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BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Woohoo! I gave the final exam in my class on Tuesday night. I graded the exams on Wednesday night and logged the final grades in the university's system. I am done teaching until Jan. 2019.
Lacrosse is over May 20th. My son will be playing for a U12 regional team in late May through June, but I have zero coaching responsibility for that team. I will be free of extra curricular commitments until late September when I have to get ready for NASP archery in October. Oh, I will still be working with my son all summer and through the fall on lacrosse and archery, but I won't have multiple commitments all week long.
Lacrosse is over May 20th. My son will be playing for a U12 regional team in late May through June, but I have zero coaching responsibility for that team. I will be free of extra curricular commitments until late September when I have to get ready for NASP archery in October. Oh, I will still be working with my son all summer and through the fall on lacrosse and archery, but I won't have multiple commitments all week long.
Grumblebum
Well-known member
Cool BM it sounds like you just scored some QST and 3D printer time.
I'd missed the lilscorpion new thread so just binge read that over the last 2 nights, but I'm going to stay out of the 3D printer thread for now - I want to go down the hole but need to get some other stuff done first
GB
I'd missed the lilscorpion new thread so just binge read that over the last 2 nights, but I'm going to stay out of the 3D printer thread for now - I want to go down the hole but need to get some other stuff done first
GB
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Cool BM it sounds like you just scored some QST and 3D printer time.
I'd missed the lilscorpion new thread so just binge read that over the last 2 nights, but I'm going to stay out of the 3D printer thread for now - I want to go down the hole but need to get some other stuff done first
GB
Thanks GB.
I'm definitely looking forward to some QGT! I do need to upgrade the GeeeTech i3 Pro B 3D printer so I can donate it to my son's school, but the 3D printing is on hold for a month or so... I just have other priorities right now, mainly getting the critical PM and upgrade parts for the CX500 so it's running in top shape the rest of this season. The plan for the CX500 build out is in my Honda GL1100 build thread since guys wanted to see pics of the CX500 and hear the plan for it too.
I will be firing up the Prusa 3D printer again soon to print out a prototype cover for the coil-on-plug setup on the CX500. I don't care for the exposed coils so I'm going to design a cover. I'll print the prototype to test for fit, then buy the aluminum billet to have it CNC'ed at the university. After that I'll start running the frame parts for the Rail Core II build.
The other night I went out to the garage with my tape measure to see how a 9' wide single garage door would work. Turns out the 9' door will be perfect and if I stay at 7' standard height I can use the 15" radius track to tuck it closer to the ceiling. I might have room for an 8' high door, but I think it would be a little tight so I'll stick with the 7' standard and save some money too.
The 9' wide door will give me 2-1/2' off the side wall of the garage and allow the door track to just clear my 4' wide ceiling opening for the storage loft. I'll gain 5' of wall space on the front of the garage too. It would put the Pilot in the perfect spot in the garage as well. I need to total up the costs for the project and present it to SWMBO. I'm going to include the cost to dormer out the roof in the middle of the garage for more room in the storage attic. I've been wanting to replace the cheap window in the garage with one picked up from our local Habitat For Humanity ReStore and reside the garage in the colors of our house, but inversed so the siding will be darker with lighter trim. If the wife agrees to this project, then I will wait to blow in the insulation until the exterior is all done.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
No work done to the garage yet. I still haven't broached the idea of the major renovation on the garage to my wife yet. Her focus is the basement remodel after we have the basement walls professionally water-proofed this year. I'll just make sure I keep two pieces of plywood that I would need to finish the extra walls if she is game to the change. I think the bait of actually being able to park in the heated garage will be enough to sway her.
This week I did have a little time to grab a couple of parts for the CX500 build... it's all documented in my GL1100 thread.
While visiting my motorcycle mentor, he gave me an older cushioned floor mat:
It was really grungy but cleaned up nicely. Eventually it will be on the floor in front of my steel workbench.
I still have more sorting and purging to do in the garage. Now that I have the plan for my CX500, GL1100, and the future KZ440 & CB650 builds, I need to purge motorcycle parts I was sitting on until I decided the direction I was going to take with those builds. I need to take all of the totes down from storage, sort the parts I'm keeping for each build, label the totes for each project, and put them back up into storage. The parts I won't be keeping will be traded off to my favorite motorcycle salvage yard. I need a second set of heads for my CX500 to have rebuilt so my plan is to trade in all of my good parts I won't use for a set of pulled heads plus a little cash. I could probably get more money selling them on eBay, but for me it's too much hassle and trading them off is easier.
Then I have to purge **** from the steel shelving units. The small stuff I plan to keep will be put in labeled totes and put up in the storage loft.
This week I did have a little time to grab a couple of parts for the CX500 build... it's all documented in my GL1100 thread.
While visiting my motorcycle mentor, he gave me an older cushioned floor mat:
It was really grungy but cleaned up nicely. Eventually it will be on the floor in front of my steel workbench.
I still have more sorting and purging to do in the garage. Now that I have the plan for my CX500, GL1100, and the future KZ440 & CB650 builds, I need to purge motorcycle parts I was sitting on until I decided the direction I was going to take with those builds. I need to take all of the totes down from storage, sort the parts I'm keeping for each build, label the totes for each project, and put them back up into storage. The parts I won't be keeping will be traded off to my favorite motorcycle salvage yard. I need a second set of heads for my CX500 to have rebuilt so my plan is to trade in all of my good parts I won't use for a set of pulled heads plus a little cash. I could probably get more money selling them on eBay, but for me it's too much hassle and trading them off is easier.
Then I have to purge **** from the steel shelving units. The small stuff I plan to keep will be put in labeled totes and put up in the storage loft.
No work done to the garage yet. I still haven't broached the idea of the major renovation on the garage to my wife yet. Her focus is the basement remodel after we have the basement walls professionally water-proofed this year. I'll just make sure I keep two pieces of plywood that I would need to finish the extra walls if she is game to the change. I think the bait of actually being able to park in the heated garage will be enough to sway her.
This week I did have a little time to grab a couple of parts for the CX500 build... it's all documented in my GL1100 thread.
While visiting my motorcycle mentor, he gave me an older cushioned floor mat:
It was really grungy but cleaned up nicely. Eventually it will be on the floor in front of my steel workbench.
I still have more sorting and purging to do in the garage. Now that I have the plan for my CX500, GL1100, and the future KZ440 & CB650 builds, I need to purge motorcycle parts I was sitting on until I decided the direction I was going to take with those builds. I need to take all of the totes down from storage, sort the parts I'm keeping for each build, label the totes for each project, and put them back up into storage. The parts I won't be keeping will be traded off to my favorite motorcycle salvage yard. I need a second set of heads for my CX500 to have rebuilt so my plan is to trade in all of my good parts I won't use for a set of pulled heads plus a little cash. I could probably get more money selling them on eBay, but for me it's too much hassle and trading them off is easier.
Then I have to purge **** from the steel shelving units. The small stuff I plan to keep will be put in labeled totes and put up in the storage loft.
Oh, I’ve been away for too long. Awesome Tetris work! More awesome the working table. Looks rustic, just the way I like. Pretty cool!
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Thanks man!
It's nice to have room to work in the garage again, but I still have so much to do.
PSA - PSA - PSA - PSA - PSA - PSA:
Guys! Be careful leaving your Crescent wrenches just tossed in a drawer or in your tool bag! I discovered that they multiply on their own. I found this little guy in my tool bag tonight:
My smallest Crescent before finding this was a 10"... Now I have a baby Crescent. I'll be more careful from here on out.
cash68
Keeper Of Rotor Hill
I have a variety from very small to obnoxiously huge crescents. Love them. So handy as long as the nuts aren't rusted or brass.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
My Kentucky customers call Crescent wrenches "Indiana Socket Sets".
I have 8"-16" Crescents. The big ones I use when I have to do service work on fluid power systems. Their also handy for the big nuts on the stems of my motorcycle forks.
But finding the baby 4" one in my tool bag was total surprise find.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
I almost brought home a 2005 Suzuki Boulevard C50 Saturday. My wife found it listed on a local Facebook page after a friend told her she saw it at a garage sale. Asking price was only $1500 with a clear title and the owner said it needed a new rear tire in the ad. It had sat for almost 5 years but he replaced the battery and gas in the tank and started up. My wife encouraged me to go look at the bike and bring cash with me when I did!
She loved the way the bike looked. I was concerned about the forward controls because I don't like them. They feel unnatural to me and most hurt my back after a short time, but I thought what the heck... If I didn't like the way the bike felt, I'd just pass on it. I drove the 30 minutes out to look at the bike with my son since my wife had to run an errand with my daughter and her friend. I get there and the owner felt really bad. He had tried to get a hold of my wife to tell her that another guy showed up with cash in hand and he had looked at the bike earlier in the morning. After I saw the bike in person I was already leaning towards a pass anyway. Damn those are BIG bikes to only have a 805cc mill. My wife was really disappointed that we missed the bike and felt bad she missed the message before I drove out there. I told her I would have probably passed on it anyway.
Part of her "deal" to approve the potential purchase was that I would have to sell off the rest of my bikes except the CX500. Well, the KZ650 runs and is plated, so I wasn't too keen on selling it. I'd be ok trying to sell the GL1100 if I had a newer cruiser or touring bike to take it's place, but it's a project bike so it would be a hard sell right now anyway. The KZ440 and CB350 are completely torn down and in storage in my garage loft so they're out of sight (and conveniently unsellable in that condition). But basically she just wanted all of the skeletons out of the driveway. Funny part is, I've spent the last 3 nights out in the garage purging parts that I won't need (already emptied 2 large totes - 1 to go) and I had already planned to sell off the frames of the donor bikes I stripped. So the "skeletons" and parts in the driveway are already being hauled off to the salvage yard or sold so the money I get for those will just be put aside while I keep an eye out for a great deal on a running cruiser/touring bike.
I found a tote full of CX650 engine parts. The only parts that I can use on my CX500 are the valve covers, the primary output shaft, and the bigger intake valves from the heads. So I traded for another set of CX500 heads. I'll bring the CX650 heads to the machine shop with the CX500 heads so they can put the big valves in the CX500 heads when they do a valve job, insert bronze valve guides, Viton seals and new springs. Then I can just swap the upgraded heads onto my CX500 engine this fall when it's sitting on the bench getting the new ignition, cam chain, water pump, stator, etc.
While going through the loft, I discovered 4 or 5 collectible gas tanks that I forgot I had that I had picked up the past couple years dirt cheap. It's time to sell those off too. I just might end up with enough money from selling all this stuff off to scrape together enough funds for a used Harley Sportster 1200 or similar cruiser with the $1500 my wife was ok with me spending on the Boulevard C50. Shouldn't be a hard sell on the wife since selling all this stuff will achieve the goal she set out for me today.
The potential cruiser/touring bikes on my short list besides a H-D Sportster 1100/1200 include a Kawi Vulcan S, Honda CTX1300, BMW RS, and a few Triumph models.
Saturday night I started working on the brake conversion on the CX500 for the stock fork. My fork seals are bad, but I have the replacement seals. Instead of just replacing the seals on the stock fork I decided I would go ahead and do an interim small upgrade on the CX before I swap over the bigger '82 CB750 Nighthawk fork with the GL650 mag wheel. The 1980 CB650 Custom shared the same 35mm fork as my '81 CX500 but it had dual discs with single piston calipers. When I stripped the '80 CB650C donor bike I kept the fork lowers. My '82 CB650 Nighthawk donor had a cherry dual disc front Comstar wheel and dual piston calipers, so I kept the wheel, brake rotors, calipers and hangers. The hangers fit the '80 CB650C fork lowers and everything lines up correctly.
I started to take the '80 CB650C forks apart, but the damn retainer split rings are rusted to Hell so I couldn't get them to budge. Left them soaking in Kroil... my plan for last night was to get those forks torn down, clean up the lowers really nice, and be ready to pull the stock fork off the CX500 for the lowers swap/rebuild. When that plan went south, I decided to see if I could just swap the dual piston caliper onto the stock CX500 fork. Well, it will work, but the rotors for the dual disc bikes are thinner so the dual piston caliper won't fit the stock CX500 rotor. I have to pull the wheel to swap the rotor and I just didn't feel like messing with it that late at night.
We had plans to meet my folks, my sister, and my niece/nephew for dinner last night at 5:30 for Mother's Day. As we were getting ready to leave, my wife asked if we could take the bike to dinner and just have our kids drive down there in my daughter's car. Ooops. My wife was not happy that the CX500 was not road worthy. She told me to get the brakes on the CX500 fixed this week so we can go for a ride next weekend. She was really looking forward to going for a ride today, but she didn't tell me that until too late in the day.
I'm taking the dual disc Comstar wheel to my local motorcycle mechanic for a new tire today! I'm just going with a reasonably priced Khumo he has in stock. Then I can install both disc rotors on the wheel and put it in the stock CX500 fork. The stock fork only has one caliper on the LH side. I'll install the dual piston caliper on that side, refill the brake fluid, and bleed the brake so the bike can be ridden again. I'll pull the gas tank and install the coil-on-plug conversion kit this week as well.
Then I'll keep working on the CB650C forks to get them torn apart. I think I can swap the brake lines from the new CB750 Nighthawk fork onto the CX500 for now to get the RH caliper functioning. I'll have to pick up new crush washers for all the banjo fittings on Tuesday. My master cylinder is a sized for a single rotor, but it will work for now until I find the new one I want to use on the final build of the CX. The lever will just be a little stiff, but since I'm going from one single piston caliper with one rotor to two dual piston calipers, that's probably a good thing!
After I have the CB650C dual disc fork lowers ready for the CX500 top tubes, I'll pull everything off the CX500 to make the switch to the combined CX500/CB650/dual disc Comstar wheel setup. This way the CX stays road worthy while I tear down, powder coat, paint, and rebuild the bigger CB750NH fork with the GL650 Mag wheel. I can't install the bigger rebuilt CB750/GL650 fork until after I have the CX frame modded and powder coated so the new fork may not be installed until the winter of 2019. I'm stuck on the frame mods until the company that made my CX exhaust releases his 2-up monoshock conversion kit.
She loved the way the bike looked. I was concerned about the forward controls because I don't like them. They feel unnatural to me and most hurt my back after a short time, but I thought what the heck... If I didn't like the way the bike felt, I'd just pass on it. I drove the 30 minutes out to look at the bike with my son since my wife had to run an errand with my daughter and her friend. I get there and the owner felt really bad. He had tried to get a hold of my wife to tell her that another guy showed up with cash in hand and he had looked at the bike earlier in the morning. After I saw the bike in person I was already leaning towards a pass anyway. Damn those are BIG bikes to only have a 805cc mill. My wife was really disappointed that we missed the bike and felt bad she missed the message before I drove out there. I told her I would have probably passed on it anyway.
Part of her "deal" to approve the potential purchase was that I would have to sell off the rest of my bikes except the CX500. Well, the KZ650 runs and is plated, so I wasn't too keen on selling it. I'd be ok trying to sell the GL1100 if I had a newer cruiser or touring bike to take it's place, but it's a project bike so it would be a hard sell right now anyway. The KZ440 and CB350 are completely torn down and in storage in my garage loft so they're out of sight (and conveniently unsellable in that condition). But basically she just wanted all of the skeletons out of the driveway. Funny part is, I've spent the last 3 nights out in the garage purging parts that I won't need (already emptied 2 large totes - 1 to go) and I had already planned to sell off the frames of the donor bikes I stripped. So the "skeletons" and parts in the driveway are already being hauled off to the salvage yard or sold so the money I get for those will just be put aside while I keep an eye out for a great deal on a running cruiser/touring bike.
I found a tote full of CX650 engine parts. The only parts that I can use on my CX500 are the valve covers, the primary output shaft, and the bigger intake valves from the heads. So I traded for another set of CX500 heads. I'll bring the CX650 heads to the machine shop with the CX500 heads so they can put the big valves in the CX500 heads when they do a valve job, insert bronze valve guides, Viton seals and new springs. Then I can just swap the upgraded heads onto my CX500 engine this fall when it's sitting on the bench getting the new ignition, cam chain, water pump, stator, etc.
While going through the loft, I discovered 4 or 5 collectible gas tanks that I forgot I had that I had picked up the past couple years dirt cheap. It's time to sell those off too. I just might end up with enough money from selling all this stuff off to scrape together enough funds for a used Harley Sportster 1200 or similar cruiser with the $1500 my wife was ok with me spending on the Boulevard C50. Shouldn't be a hard sell on the wife since selling all this stuff will achieve the goal she set out for me today.
The potential cruiser/touring bikes on my short list besides a H-D Sportster 1100/1200 include a Kawi Vulcan S, Honda CTX1300, BMW RS, and a few Triumph models.
Saturday night I started working on the brake conversion on the CX500 for the stock fork. My fork seals are bad, but I have the replacement seals. Instead of just replacing the seals on the stock fork I decided I would go ahead and do an interim small upgrade on the CX before I swap over the bigger '82 CB750 Nighthawk fork with the GL650 mag wheel. The 1980 CB650 Custom shared the same 35mm fork as my '81 CX500 but it had dual discs with single piston calipers. When I stripped the '80 CB650C donor bike I kept the fork lowers. My '82 CB650 Nighthawk donor had a cherry dual disc front Comstar wheel and dual piston calipers, so I kept the wheel, brake rotors, calipers and hangers. The hangers fit the '80 CB650C fork lowers and everything lines up correctly.
I started to take the '80 CB650C forks apart, but the damn retainer split rings are rusted to Hell so I couldn't get them to budge. Left them soaking in Kroil... my plan for last night was to get those forks torn down, clean up the lowers really nice, and be ready to pull the stock fork off the CX500 for the lowers swap/rebuild. When that plan went south, I decided to see if I could just swap the dual piston caliper onto the stock CX500 fork. Well, it will work, but the rotors for the dual disc bikes are thinner so the dual piston caliper won't fit the stock CX500 rotor. I have to pull the wheel to swap the rotor and I just didn't feel like messing with it that late at night.
We had plans to meet my folks, my sister, and my niece/nephew for dinner last night at 5:30 for Mother's Day. As we were getting ready to leave, my wife asked if we could take the bike to dinner and just have our kids drive down there in my daughter's car. Ooops. My wife was not happy that the CX500 was not road worthy. She told me to get the brakes on the CX500 fixed this week so we can go for a ride next weekend. She was really looking forward to going for a ride today, but she didn't tell me that until too late in the day.
I'm taking the dual disc Comstar wheel to my local motorcycle mechanic for a new tire today! I'm just going with a reasonably priced Khumo he has in stock. Then I can install both disc rotors on the wheel and put it in the stock CX500 fork. The stock fork only has one caliper on the LH side. I'll install the dual piston caliper on that side, refill the brake fluid, and bleed the brake so the bike can be ridden again. I'll pull the gas tank and install the coil-on-plug conversion kit this week as well.
Then I'll keep working on the CB650C forks to get them torn apart. I think I can swap the brake lines from the new CB750 Nighthawk fork onto the CX500 for now to get the RH caliper functioning. I'll have to pick up new crush washers for all the banjo fittings on Tuesday. My master cylinder is a sized for a single rotor, but it will work for now until I find the new one I want to use on the final build of the CX. The lever will just be a little stiff, but since I'm going from one single piston caliper with one rotor to two dual piston calipers, that's probably a good thing!
After I have the CB650C dual disc fork lowers ready for the CX500 top tubes, I'll pull everything off the CX500 to make the switch to the combined CX500/CB650/dual disc Comstar wheel setup. This way the CX stays road worthy while I tear down, powder coat, paint, and rebuild the bigger CB750NH fork with the GL650 Mag wheel. I can't install the bigger rebuilt CB750/GL650 fork until after I have the CX frame modded and powder coated so the new fork may not be installed until the winter of 2019. I'm stuck on the frame mods until the company that made my CX exhaust releases his 2-up monoshock conversion kit.
Strouty
Well-known member
I feel that you are doing the same thing as I am, except my stuff is suburban instead of bikes.
Sounds like you have a good direction and the wife seems to be as close to onboard as possible. Have you figured out the conex yet? I love mine, but as GB stated, it fills up quickly.
Sounds like you have a good direction and the wife seems to be as close to onboard as possible. Have you figured out the conex yet? I love mine, but as GB stated, it fills up quickly.
cash68
Keeper Of Rotor Hill
I know the feels. I just picked up a project boat and I need another project like I need a hole in my head. Good news is I've started to move more **** on fleabay.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Yeah, pretty much, but I had 11 bikes. Down to six at the house plus 3 frames and the Virago is at the salvage yard where I'm trying to sell it. The 11th bike was completely stripped and purged. Only kept the swing arm and a section of the frame where the swing arm mounts.
I haven't done anything on a CONEX yet. Honesty, I'm dragging my feet on the whole basement project. I still don't have the quotes for the cost to have the basement waterproofed. That cost really determines how soon we can have it done, but I will wait until after August when my daughter is back at Purdue. No sense in having to deal with all of her additional stuff that's stored in the basement for the summer.
Oh, you guys know I had a free project boat, but the wifey said NOPE. I'm still trading my Mercury Mk55E for the Mercury 500 outboard sometime in June. I'll just sit on it until the timing is right to get, or build, a boat to put it on.
Strouty
Well-known member
I will never own a “project” boat again. I played that game a couple times and I either gave the boat away or paid to have it removed. The last one I actually got paid for, but the headache it caused was in no way worth the money. I will let someone else own the boat, or I will rent one. If I lived on an island or a lake, I might feel different, but I don’t so that is it, end of story.
Waiting definitely makes sense, sounds like you will have lots of time, don’t waste it like me. I can’t believe how much time it takes me to do so little.
Waiting definitely makes sense, sounds like you will have lots of time, don’t waste it like me. I can’t believe how much time it takes me to do so little.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
What's time? Where do you get it? I definitely could use more of it in a day.
Seriously though, I can wait to start the basement tear out, waterproofing, and remodel; but only until August. Then it will be balls out until Thanksgiving.
I'll have to work on the basement in the evenings, then head out to the garage at night to work on that stuff.
If we rent a conex, then the garage will have to occur right after the basement is finished or it won't happen at all. Part of me is starting to think the solid SwissTrax or RaceDeck is the way to go. Buy once, cry once; then I can always add more at the next garage, but the floor can be packed up and moved with us. And the ST or RD floor can be put down over my existing floor without needing to do any significant prep, one half at a time.
Strouty
Well-known member
Really, the more I think about it, you should look at buying a conex. Then when you do move, pack it up and have it hauled to the new place. They will probably charge you $100 or more a month, plus delivery and removal. I bet you can buy a decent one for a bit over $2k delivered.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
I'd love to buy one, but I live within city limits on a smaller lot. The rental will be placed at the top of my driveway, blocking access to the garage. I'll have to keep my daughter's car on the street and move the camper to the spot where her car parks while we have the conex on site.
I don't have anywhere at this house to put a conex long term. Just getting the rental dropped off is going to be tight... I may have to remove a big section of fence first.
Strouty
Well-known member
Got it, I forget sometimes that not everyone has inside and outside forklifts.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
I think you're the only one with both... Someday I'd love to have a mid-sized fork lift with all terrain tires. But, there are a lot of other toys that I'd want to have in the big barn shop first.
After work today I did get THREE more totes emptied!
Tonight I pulled down the last tote to be sorted through because I was looking for some bolts for my brake rotors. Turns out I had the bolts in a second set of rotors that I forgot about! Woot! These rotors were in better shape and have slots all around them too so they look better and are lighter weight. I guess I cleaned up the wrong set... Oh well, I'll get this other set cleaned up tomorrow and installed on the wheel so I can get a new tire put on the wheel on Tuesday (my preferred shop isn't open on Mondays).
That last tote only had a few things that I need to keep, so almost the entire tote of stuff is going to the salvage yard too.
Strouty
Well-known member
Great news about the brake rotors and even better news about the totes, one tip I have is to label both ends of them, that way it doesn’t matter how you put them back. Sounds like the wife is going to get to go on a motorcycle ride soon.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
The brake rotors where a very pleasant surprise. My wife wants me to bring the bike over to her school for her first graders to see it and get their pictures taken on it.
Strouty
Well-known member
At least she isn’t opposed to the bike. I have a few things that my GF just doesn’t understand, I just don’t speak of those projects.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Strouty, she LOVES the bike. She's the reason why I'm fixing it up and customizing it. She won't let me sell it.
Strouty
Well-known member
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
My wife came out in the evening yesterday and saw the CX500 torn apart. She was a little shocked and asked, "Is that the red bike? The CX? The one we're supposed to ride on?"
She wants me to bring it out to her school on Wednesday so her first grade class can see it. I guess she didn't realize it wasn't as bad as it looked. I'll have the bike all buttoned up on Tuesday.
I'll post the update on the CX500 progress in my GL1100 thread since it's now become a thread for both bikes... I probably need to change the title of the thread now too.
Today I believe we set a record high. The temp was stupid hot, 93-95degF with high humidity. My wife wanted to go to Lowes to get some new plants for the back landscaping around our patio. She dragged me out in the fires of Hell to pick out plants... I looked like I was caught in a downpour I was so soaked with sweat. When we got home I had to mow the front yard as soon as it clouded up. A T-storm was on it's way and it had rained Friday so I had to get the front yard mowed.
After that I realized I needed to clean up a mess behind the garage since we'll be locking the chickens up back there full time soon so they don't trash the new landscaping or the garden this year. I had thrown the wheels and a couple of forks I'm saving from the donor bikes there when I purged the garage. It was time to free the hubs from the rims, then peel the old tires off the rims so they can be disposed of. I picked up a couple tire irons at HF when I bought a MightyVac today, so that made it possible to do the job. I grabbed my bolt cutters and went to town on the wheels. With the hubs free, I pulled all the pieces of rusty spokes out of the hubs. The hubs will be labeled and put up in storage. I have two aluminum rims from a donor KZ650 that I'll have to have the proper machine to remove those tires so I don't destroy the rims. I managed to get the tires off the other 4 rims. Tossed the rims in the trash can and put tires next to the trash cans so I can bring all the tires to the recycler at once.
Then tonight I removed the rear wheel off the CX500 so that it can get a new tire and new brake shoes tomorrow.
A CB350 and KZ650 rear hubs:
The CB550 front hub before I pulled all the cut spokes out of it:
The front wheel from the KZ650 with the aluminum rim and the fork from the CB550, behind those is the tote of parts going to the motorcycle salvage:
She wants me to bring it out to her school on Wednesday so her first grade class can see it. I guess she didn't realize it wasn't as bad as it looked. I'll have the bike all buttoned up on Tuesday.
I'll post the update on the CX500 progress in my GL1100 thread since it's now become a thread for both bikes... I probably need to change the title of the thread now too.
Today I believe we set a record high. The temp was stupid hot, 93-95degF with high humidity. My wife wanted to go to Lowes to get some new plants for the back landscaping around our patio. She dragged me out in the fires of Hell to pick out plants... I looked like I was caught in a downpour I was so soaked with sweat. When we got home I had to mow the front yard as soon as it clouded up. A T-storm was on it's way and it had rained Friday so I had to get the front yard mowed.
After that I realized I needed to clean up a mess behind the garage since we'll be locking the chickens up back there full time soon so they don't trash the new landscaping or the garden this year. I had thrown the wheels and a couple of forks I'm saving from the donor bikes there when I purged the garage. It was time to free the hubs from the rims, then peel the old tires off the rims so they can be disposed of. I picked up a couple tire irons at HF when I bought a MightyVac today, so that made it possible to do the job. I grabbed my bolt cutters and went to town on the wheels. With the hubs free, I pulled all the pieces of rusty spokes out of the hubs. The hubs will be labeled and put up in storage. I have two aluminum rims from a donor KZ650 that I'll have to have the proper machine to remove those tires so I don't destroy the rims. I managed to get the tires off the other 4 rims. Tossed the rims in the trash can and put tires next to the trash cans so I can bring all the tires to the recycler at once.
Then tonight I removed the rear wheel off the CX500 so that it can get a new tire and new brake shoes tomorrow.
A CB350 and KZ650 rear hubs:
The CB550 front hub before I pulled all the cut spokes out of it:
The front wheel from the KZ650 with the aluminum rim and the fork from the CB550, behind those is the tote of parts going to the motorcycle salvage:
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Oh, my motorcycle mechanic called me tonight. He said the rear tire for the CX500 should be in tomorrow and he found a big fan in his hanger he forgot about. He said I can take a look at it to see if I want it for my garage. Sweet! I need a big fan.
Strouty
Well-known member
I thought I was your big fan?
I hate heat, it wasn’t nearly as hot here, but it sure was humid. I am an efficient cooling machine as well (I sweat a lot too).
Even with the heat it sounds like you still got a lot done.
I hate heat, it wasn’t nearly as hot here, but it sure was humid. I am an efficient cooling machine as well (I sweat a lot too).
Even with the heat it sounds like you still got a lot done.
jon72vega
Well-known member
Boilermaker Fan,
Sounds like you were busy this weekend.
I wish we could get some of that heat up my way.
Sounds like you were busy this weekend.
I wish we could get some of that heat up my way.
OP
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Saturday wasn't too hot. It was Sunday that was hotter that Hades. I didn't get nearly as much done yesterday as Saturday.
I had a productive weekend.
Jon, you can have all of the heat! At least until we gat a chance to move up to MI, then you have to send it back south. There is a reason I want to move north.
I picked up the fan today when I picked up my wheels with the new tires. It's a Westinghouse 20WF fan. They were called De Luxe models because they could be either a "desk" or window fan. The switch is bad so it was bypassed. I'm going to rewire it with a new switch so I get the 2-speed operation back again. I'm already lovin' it! A really cool 20" fan for the garage. Woot!
I'm going to fix it up. I'm going to paint the wire cage metallic red. The feet, bracing, and fan blades will be metallic gun metal or a metallic pewter silver.
