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Motorcycle Garages Only

fartymarty

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2012
Messages
1,348
Location
Fort Worth
Wow, many of you have phenomenal setups. How are any of you storing your gear? Specifically leathers for the street and ADV gear for sometimes not the street. I'm 6'6" so I need a lot of room for a 1 piece to hang from. I do appreciate the feedback. BTW, I did search the forums with no luck. Thanks again.

I have seen where some store their gear in the garage. Although most don't mention it, I just see it in the background hanging in their photos, sometimes with a shelf full of helmets. Me?...no way!.... too many spiders 'n' such out there. Helmets and wearing gear all stay in the house. Even have a special drawer for the long distance riding underwear. No, I don't have any walk in closets. I just went through my clothes and made some hard (but totally logical) choices about what to get rid of, what to fold and put in a drawer. That gave me the room to hang up my gear. I wear the gear a lot more than would have worn the stuff I discarded and or donated. The off road gear (knee/elbow protection) goes up on a shelf where I also had to clear out some stuff that I was hanging on to a bit too long. The clearing out stuff can be painful, but it's rarely regretted a month after its over.

Maybe "someday" I'll have my garage clean enough and organized enough to put my gear out there but not anytime soon (aka never). I only recently moved all my how-to books and shop manuals out there. I've become a bit fanatical about checking on them for dust accumulation and for insect and rodent damage.
 
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zmotorsports

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
21,310
Location
Northern Utah
Wow, many of you have phenomenal setups. How are any of you storing your gear? Specifically leathers for the street and ADV gear for sometimes not the street. I'm 6'6" so I need a lot of room for a 1 piece to hang from. I do appreciate the feedback. BTW, I did search the forums with no luck. Thanks again.

My bike resides in the RV/storage bay adjacent to the shop, my son currently has his Street Glide in the same area as well. When a bike needs work or attention it is rolled into the shop otherwise they stay in the storage bay.

For gear storage I installed a small shelf just above my bike where I store mine and my wife's helmets, both open face and full-faced helmets. Just below the shelf I have hangers secured to the wall to store our jackets so everything is near the bike. I also have space on the shelf for my Air Blaster to reside. My battery tenders are plugged in right at each bike as well. All of this was planned into the shop build so electrical, lighting, etc are all readily available.
 

GeddyT

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Jun 17, 2015
Messages
1,239
Location
Bellingham, WA
Wow, many of you have phenomenal setups. How are any of you storing your gear? Specifically leathers for the street and ADV gear for sometimes not the street. I'm 6'6" so I need a lot of room for a 1 piece to hang from. I do appreciate the feedback. BTW, I did search the forums with no luck. Thanks again.

This is a good question, and something I'm also hoping to address in the near future. I'm trying to keep my workspace in the shop as open as possible, yet I'm also running out of wall space. Something to organize my riding gear up off the floor and without taking too much wall space would be awesome to see if anybody wants to show off their setup.

My last dirt bike ride was a few weeks ago, and my dirty riding gear was removed after that ride and tossed into a plastic garbage bag, where it's still sitting in the corner of the shop. I should probably do something about that soon...
 

Motorman55

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
2,611
Location
South Jersey
I only ride on the street so the only motorcycle gear I have is a shorty helmet and a leather jacket. Barely use the jacket except in the Fall/Winter. Both items stay in my hall closet.

If I had more gear (and room in the garage) I'd have a 6' tall metal closet like they use in an office or even a HF End Locker to keep everything in.
 
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T

tez929rr

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Messages
3,752
Location
Welfare, TX
Wow, many of you have phenomenal setups. How are any of you storing your gear? Specifically leathers for the street and ADV gear for sometimes not the street. I'm 6'6" so I need a lot of room for a 1 piece to hang from. I do appreciate the feedback. BTW, I did search the forums with no luck. Thanks again.

I built a rack. I’m only 5’8 so young an go a lot higher than I did. Shelves for misc stuff like chain lube and polish on one end. I cleaned out our older helmets since this pic. There is a foot locker for gloves, liners, electric jackets, etc on each side - one for me and one for my wife.
View media item 102196
 

Oldbear

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
620
Location
Linden, Alberta, Canada
Wow, many of you have phenomenal setups. How are any of you storing your gear? Specifically leathers for the street and ADV gear for sometimes not the street. I'm 6'6" so I need a lot of room for a 1 piece to hang from. I do appreciate the feedback. BTW, I did search the forums with no luck. Thanks again.

I built a closet in one corner of my shop. It also acts as a support for the shelf system above it. It stays surprisingly dust free-ish...
 

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kaymccampbell

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
29,402
Location
Upstate New York
Not totally devoted to the bike.
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Tas biker

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2012
Messages
86
I've seen soo many incredible garages looking through the many forums I belong to. I live in a circa 1927 house with attached barn and no way I could store anything that I wear in it. Wish I had that kind of money at my disposal. I've got soo much dust and bats living in there that is almost nearly impossible.

Someone brings up a great thought though, I wonder if some type of resealable storage closet would work. It's a PIA each race weekend loading/unloading my Explorer with all that stuff. I was going to buy an enclosed trailer this spring but with race weekends being cancelled and not knowing what our immediate future will bring with COVID, I am delaying this purchase.

Ummmm, a reason to buy something......interesting!
 

Jrad235

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Messages
106
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
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Just an Ikea bookshelf with a couple closet rods in the corner works well for me. Holds the helmets, gloves, and box of earplugs, plus all the jackets. The pants go in the dresser and the boots are on a shoe rack.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
 

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Stefan S

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
227
Location
Texas
Love this site! Here is a portion of my motorcycle corner. Been about a year to get it from bare studs to this point. Don’t mind my all things two wheel addiction...

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antwon412

Well-known member
Joined
May 13, 2020
Messages
54
Location
Yuba City, CA
Not the best of pics, but that’s all I have with me.

Fun bike. Rarely get to ride since I bought it. 2019 Cb500x
 

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zmotorsports

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
21,310
Location
Northern Utah
Woohoo finally got me a motorcycle lift. :)

20200617013306-321760ce-me.jpg

Very nice. Glad to see you went to the top shelf of motorcycle lifts, you won't be disappointed in a Handy, although they are a different company than the originals.

I've had my original Handy for nearly 25 years and my new SAM 2 for nearly 2 years now. I really like the SAM 2 where I can drop out the lift for tire replacement but the original has seen a lot of projects over the years. You'll love the drop out section.
 

JasonJ

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 4, 2006
Messages
424
Location
Las Vegas
I looked at the SAM2 real seriously but ended up with this one. The air bag is different, it's real bouncy until you let some of the air out and lower it on back down on the locks.
 

zmotorsports

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
21,310
Location
Northern Utah
I looked at the SAM2 real seriously but ended up with this one. The air bag is different, it's real bouncy until you let some of the air out and lower it on back down on the locks.

They're both awesome lifts. I have the original Handy which is dimensionally identical to the new SAM 1200 with the differences being the SAM 1200 is an air spring or bellows style lifting system, has a rear wheel dropout and has 200 additional pounds of capacity.

I keep the SAM 2 setup in the shop for most use and will bring my original into the shop if I have a long term project but still want the SAM 2 for the quick in/out jobs.

The SAM 2 is great for doing either front or rear wheels due to both ends dropping but I really like the longer 40" ramp which is great for lowered bikes. That was one area I wanted to address as I was constantly dragging bikes loading them with the standard 24" ramp.

I really like the color of yours, I just went with the standard gray.
 

JasonJ

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 4, 2006
Messages
424
Location
Las Vegas
Are you able to to remove front and both wheels at the same time? It didn't seem the Wheel chock aligned correctly to allow that, almost like it was one or the other.
 

zmotorsports

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
21,310
Location
Northern Utah
Are you able to to remove front and both wheels at the same time? It didn't seem the Wheel chock aligned correctly to allow that, almost like it was one or the other.

On a standard wheelbase bike it's one or the other due to having to shift the bike slightly forward or rearward. The front wheel clamp can be mounted to the drop out front or the next bolt pattern back onto the center section for rear tire removal.
 

driftpin

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Messages
11,178
Location
Miami-Dade/Broward Co. Florida
I have a Handy-Lift. I tried to get my H-D-riding buddy to buy one, I've found three for him, but he was always too-late to come to the decision to buy one, and they would be sold.

Last week on CL Miami FL, I found one advertised for $900 which is 60% of retail for a Standard 1200 lift and a CV-17 cycle vise. When I got there, it was stored outside under a canopy, it had some cosmetic issues and rust, but it performed flawlessly. I got the price down-to half of asking price, so 30% of retail. The next day, I brought it to my friend, and he's very-happy with it. He has two Ironhead Sportsters he's been acquiring parts for, forever, no excuse now, not to get-busy! That's what I tell him anyway. He dropped a Benjamin on-me, for the effort, I fronted the $ for the purchase, and delivered it to the next-county for him. I didn't ask him for anything, he paid me for my time, and I'm going to order one of these:

https://www.derekweaver.com/bikers-garage/motorcycle-jacks/weaver-w-blackjack-motorcycle-jack/

to use on my Handy-Lift. Derek Weaver is a good source for tools for both 2 and 4-wheel vehicles.
 

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Motorman55

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
2,611
Location
South Jersey
Great choice on the Handy with the drop out plate. They're work horses. My old one has the big pneumatic cylinder and still lifts my FLH with ease.

Your new Handy lift is making me want to sand and apply a fresh coat of paint, in gray of course, to mine. Yet another project to put on the 'To Do' list.

You can check out my progress on the 74 FLH and other stuff here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...d.php?t=408052
 

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zmotorsports

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
21,310
Location
Northern Utah
Great choice on the Handy with the drop out plate. They're work horses. My old one has the big pneumatic cylinder and still lifts my FLH with ease.

Your new Handy lift is making me want to sand and apply a fresh coat of paint, in gray of course, to mine. Yet another project to put on the 'To Do' list.

UGH! Those damn "to do" lists.:bounce:
 

Ray916MN

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2012
Messages
1,066
Location
Orono, MN
Are you able to to remove front and both wheels at the same time? It didn't seem the Wheel chock aligned correctly to allow that, almost like it was one or the other.

Whether you can remove both wheels depends on a number of different things. I've got several Harbor Freight tables and several Handy tables.

The length of the bike, length of the table, whether the table has a drop out panel, type of wheel chock used, method of lifting the wheels off the table.

If your bike has a centerstand, you can often put the bike on the lift table on its centerstand without the wheel locked in the wheel vise. Since bikes on centerstands rest on their front wheel, you can get the front wheel off the table at the same time rear wheel is off the table by tying down the rear end so the front wheel lifts off the table while the rear wheel is off the table. If the table has a vise wheel chock on it the bike needs to be sitting far enough to the back of the table to allow the front wheel to roll forward enough for removal as the vise wheel stop blocks the wheel from rolling through the vise. If you need drop out clearance to remove the rear wheel, if you don't have a drop panel, you can achieve a similar effect by putting the bike on its centerstand so the rear wheel overhangs the back edge of the table.

Without a centerstand you can accomplish somewhat of the same arrangement by using a swingarm stand and a jack under the bottom of the engine/frame. There are also other stand arrangements which make it easier to get both wheels off a lift table. Abba stands which lift at the swingarm pivot allow both wheels to be lifted off the ground using a single stand.

To overcome limits on table length, using a roll in chock instead of a vise makes it possible to lift the front wheel out of the chock, simplifying holding the bike up while you lift it. Roll the bike into the chock and lift the rear with a stand, then lift the front end with a front end lift or by lifting under the engine/frame The Condor style roll in chocks come apart with quick release pins so if you use one of these chocks instead of a wheel vice, you eliminate the need to position the bike away from the chock.

Here's a pic one of my Handy table (extra length with wings installed) with a bike on an Abba stand with both wheels removed.

RG500%20on%20Abba.jpg


Here's a pic of a bike on an HF table with both wheels lifted. This was taken while I was using HF roll in chocks which had to be removed so there was enough clearance to remove the front wheel Those chocks have been replaced with Condor clones.

ZX7R%20on%20HF.jpg


BTW, the front stand is secured to the table to prevent it from rolling our od position.

Here's a pic of the Abba stnad being used on a HF table to lift both ends off at the same time. Also before I replaced the front chock with a Condor clone.

RC30%20on%20HF.jpg
 
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TriumphFan

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 4, 2019
Messages
582
Location
North Georgia
My bike working section of my garage. The H1 is getting a carb cleaning. Other bikes are scattered all over the garage and basement.
 

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