Motorcycle Roadracing Garage

[ekraft84]

Hey All,

Long time follower here with details showing the process for the garage remodel that I've spent the past 2+ years working on; with much of the inspiration and ideas coming here from GJ. To give a quick story:

My dad and I roadrace motorcycles. Our bike work has always happened out of his garage (first photo shown below), which worked great. We strip bikes apart, rebuild them, pull and install motors, build suspension, etc. etc. All day-to-day stuff for us.

I moved into a new home a few years ago, but have always kept the bikes and such at his house - it made sense with the workshop he had, but part of the benefit of this new house was that it had a big garage. Well it was time to get my garage going and with the house I moved into, the garage always had the potential to be my dream garage. It's a 3.5 size, but there was a lot to be done. The initial problem was that nothing except a poor drywall job was done to it, so it was almost worse than starting from scratch. The order of operation for the project was going to go:

1. Insulation
2. Electrical wiring/running
3. Bike lift/pit
4. Floor
5. Drywall repair/paint
6. Garage doors
7. Cabinets/finish work

The first year in the house before any work was done, you could tell how poor the insulation was. Cold in the winter, hot in the summer. Phase one included blown-in insulation in between all the wall joists, and up in the attic (2 holes in-wall per joist). I found a reputable contractor and once that was done, made a significant difference. Step one complete.

Step two was electrical. My dad's an electrical guy, so he did the majority of the wiring. As you can see from the photos, with drywall in place, running wires was a major challenge. There were many more holes than shown and before long, the garage looked like swiss cheese.

With the electrical phase overall, scope creep was a major problem. What went from some ceiling lights, went to wall lights, in-wall speakers, network cable, HDMI cables and more. I wanted to have everything clean and then have a central "hub" for all A/V equipment at some point down the road. Might as well run the wire now right?

Here are some initial photos:

Dad's Shop (The Original):

New Shop, Unfinished (w/Lots of Junk):

Electrical Roughing:

Dad Hanging Lights (Note Diaper Box in Ceiling, Mockup for Heater Down the Road:

Swiss Cheese:

Speaker Wire, Coax Cable, HDMI and Cat6 Ethernet:

The next phase would be cutting a hole in the floor and repouring concrete for the motorcycle lift ...

 

[Derrickwade]

Keep the pictures coming!

 

[youshouldatappd]

subscribed for some more pics of the bikes

 

[topcok88]

I like how you are concentrating on the amenities too! Giving me ideas for my attached garage. Keep up the good work! I wanna see more of how you are doing the recessed lighting, in wall/ceiling speakers, and such!

 

[e-tek]

Can you spell: P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L ??!!!!!

 

[markito]

Keep us updated!

 

[ekraft84]

Thanks guys. Here are a few photos from a few years back at Mid-Ohio:

Next phase up was the hole in the floor for the lift table. In the whole scheme of budgeting and planning for this project, the in-ground lift wasn't at the top of the priority list. Why not just set it on the floor? Well, obviously having it flush would be really nice, if doable. It was more of a nice-to-have, but given the order of operation for everything, if I was going to do it, I had to do it now, before finishing the floor, finishing the drywall, etc. The concrete cutting would be a mess and good to get done and out of the way early. Plus I wanted the epoxy for the floor to get into the pit as well.

Also factored in was that I needed to purchase the lift table first, given I wanted to have 100% accurate measurements for making sure it fit properly. So while this phase wasn't where I wanted to spend my money first, it had to be done next.

The photos below show how it all went. I was nervous about it working out properly, especially because the garage floor had a fairly steep slope to it. I brought out a reputable concrete guy and he didn't seem too concerned about making it work as I wanted (which concerned me even more - it seemed fairly tricky!). Over the course of a weekend, the three guys came out and did all the work. I had the lift table off to the side and measurements were taken and everything planned out. They did a phenomenal job.

Pre-Measured box set and leveled:

Smoothing everything out (Note added drain just in case water gets down there):

Note channel over to PVC pipe to run power for table and added power outlets underneath table:

On the right you can see the slope to the pit is near-flush, while on the left, there's a pretty good ramp up in order to keep the table perfectly level. This works as a great ramp for rolling the bike up onto the table actually:

Concrete complete:

Another angle:

After 72 hours:

Using a brick to clean off excess cement:

Next up .. dropping the 300lb. lift table into the pit ..

 

[Weekend_warrior]

Pretty Umbrella Girl and Nice work on the shop. I will be watching this one.

 

[PCO6]

Nice job on the garage in general but on the inground in particular.

 

[skyking]

Your "Hottub" needs more jets !

 

[ekraft84]

Pretty Umbrella Girl and Nice work on the shop. I will be watching this one.

Thanks. She's alright.

 

[wannabridin]

SUCH a cool idea for the motorcycle lift!! man that's awesome, can't wait to see it installed and functioning!!

 

[ekraft84]

After waiting over a week for the concrete to cure, it was time to drop the lift table into the pit. I wanted to do this before doing the floor to make sure everything fit. I went with a K&L Supply lift table, based on recommendations and reviews. I wanted a table with a "base" that would be sturdy and fit nicely into the pit (as opposed to a Handy-type scissor lift).

It took three of us to drop the pit in, including my dad and brother. We simply used tie downs wrapped around each end of the table and used that to "drop" the lift into the pit, while rolling it on pieces of PVC pipe. The top to bottom measurements were spot on, as were the side measurements. The only trick was that the base of the table was slightly bigger than the table itself, so we were left with a gap on each side.

What we did to fill in the gap was get a couple pieces of angled-steel to mount to each side of the table. Once measured and mounted up, I took it off to be powder coated, matching the color of the table. The end result was an even wider table area, which worked better than expected.

Table fit was near perfect. And level as well:

Running both power and electrical from the table underground:

First test subject:

Table down and flush, before side pieces were added:

Dad and brother verifying weight capacity. Pooch inspector approved:

With the pit and lift phase complete, next up would be the floor.

 

[Weekend_warrior]

Love the in ground table. I'd love to just have a table in garage at this point. I use a stand it the garage shares duties with other project stuff.

Thanks. She's alright.

If she is traveling to all the races shading you on a hot day at the start, she is defiantly a keeper!

I race enduro. When we were dating I drug mine to all kinds of races for a few seasons. Riding in the car for some 7 to 8 hours one way. Then helping me get ready for the race. See me off at that start. Meet me at the gas stop with towels to clean my face and goggles. Snacks and help me fill my bike up with gas only to Cheer me on at the finish and help me load my bike. Then she will usually drive for a bit on the way home to let me rest. 5 hours on a dirt bike in the dust and heat will usually take it out of you. She has not been able to may of the races this season and the last one we went to she entered! Yep, we are married now (she planned it around the start of the season).

 

[ekraft84]

If she is traveling to all the races shading you on a hot day at the start, she is defiantly a keeper!

I race enduro. When we were dating I drug mine to all kinds of races for a few seasons. Riding in the car for some 7 to 8 hours one way. Then helping me get ready for the race. See me off at that start. Meet me at the gas stop with towels to clean my face and goggles. Snacks and help me fill my bike up with gas only to Cheer me on at the finish and help me load my bike. Then she will usually drive for a bit on the way home to let me rest. 5 hours on a dirt bike in the dust and heat will usually take it out of you. She has not been able to may of the races this season and the last one we went to she entered! Yep, we are married now (she planned it around the start of the season).

Nice on the enduro stuff. That'll wear you out for sure. All the stuff you mentioned she does as well and it's a big help. Lots of travel and time not just racing the bikes, but working on them too.

Good call on the wedding planning around the race season. We had a Christmas/winter wedding.

 

[rydeshed]

I love the lift. Looks great!

 

[G20-Budo]

Suweeettt! Motorcycles were one of my first loves. Looking forward to seeing more of this thread!

 

[STANIMAL]

Looks great , keep it coming .

 

[Derrickwade]

First test subject:

With the pit and lift phase complete, next up would be the floor.

Are those red and black floor tiles I see in the background? Racedeck?

 

[ekraft84]

I love the lift. Looks great!

uweeettt! Motorcycles were one of my first loves. Looking forward to seeing more of this thread!

Thanks guys.

 

[ekraft84]

Are those red and black floor tiles I see in the background? Racedeck?

Correct. We use those at the track during race weekends (excuse the poor photo quality):

 

[ekraft84]

Before the epoxy floor, scope creep crept in and I ended up replacing the garage doors, which you can slightly see in the below photos. The original doors were cheap contractor-grade doors that were misaligned and let in hot air in the summer and cold air in the winter. I did a bunch of research on insulating the existing doors and while that was a cheaper option, it wasn't going to be as efficient and the pricing still wasn't super cheap. I ended up going with two doors:

- a 16x8 and an 8x8 - Heritage 3000 brand. Insulated, 25g.

The guys who did it were a local company and did a really nice job. They replaced all the upper bracket mounts with new pieces, essentially starting from scratch. The doors overall are quieter in operation and provide great insulation. Previously the old doors would get warm to the touch from the inside with the sun beating on it, and radiate heat inside. Now the inside of the doors are always cool. While it added more money to the project and pushed back my timeline for getting the next phases done financially, I felt it was a core piece to the insulation phase and should be done properly for the long-term - especially as I planned to heat the garage over the winter months.

Epoxy Floor:

Next up was the epoxy floor. I had done epoxy in a previous garage myself before and while it came out alright, I wanted it done properly to ensure it lasted a long time. I went with Christine (rugerlady here on GJ) from Epoxy-Coat for the job. She helped me pick out a custom color for what I wanted and once that was set, the project was a three-day affair:

Day 1: Prep/sanding, then the base layer, which you can see below (dark grey).

Day 2: Laying down the epoxy. Also filler in the cement seams/near the pit to make for a cleaner look. Christine's guy went extra thick on the epoxy (20-30mil if I remember) and added a little UV protection to the mix, as I was worried sunlight would cause fading over time.

Day 3: Flakes, anti-slip and clear coat. The flakes were laid out much better than I would have had the skill for - done in the pit as well. The anti-slip was mixed in with the clear coat which I would highly recommend. Epoxy flooring gets slippery when wet (speaking from past experience/falling down) and the anti-slip isn't much more money. It's a worthwhile add-on in my opinion.

Overall I was extremely pleased with how the floor turned out. I went back and forth between different epoxy options, race deck-type options, etc. etc. and Epoxy-Coat was a great choice. The guy who came out went the extra mile to do it right and it came out better than I imagined. My apologies for the poor photos - they were taken with my phone at the time.

Garage Floor (Before):

Another Before Shot:

With Christine at Epoxy-Coat picking colors:

After the primer/base layer is laid down. Note seams still showing and insulated garage door off to side:

After epoxy, flakes and clear coat are applied:

Not a great photo, but I loved how the near-end of the pit blends right into the floor:

Another photo:

Another angle:

The lift table with the power-coated sides added to fill in the gap. After making sure it fit in the pit at first, it had to be taken out for the epoxy and re-dropped in once it had enough time to cure:

Another shot of lift:

More bike photos:

More bike photos:

The next phase up would be drywall repair and paint - probably one of the biggest steps yet in overall work to be done.

 

[Greg-nwo]

Wow, beautiful job.... looks great! Exactly what I want to do in my garage one day.

 

[kustomville]

nice, really cooll....any bikers dream....

 

[dare23]

Awesome. Great bike pics as well. So much fun!

 

[wannabridin]

any reason you chose to go with epoxy flooring vs race deck or something? i thought the general consensus was that epoxy was a lot less reliable than race deck over time?

 

[ekraft84]

Thanks guys.

wannabridin - a couple reasons. I certainly like the race deck, as we've used it for years in the pits, but when epoxy is done right, it should last 15-20 years. Epoxy-coat is 100% Cycloaliphatic epoxy - many others aren't. The preparation and application play a big part as well in how well it wears (concrete clean/grind, primer layer, thicker on the epoxy, etc). As a reference, my dad epoxied his floor years ago and it didn't hold up well (with one of those do it yourself kits). He later had someone else do it right and his is going on 10 years and looks great. I think you get what you pay for when it comes to epoxy. Here are some FAQ's if you're looking for more info:

http://www.epoxy-coat.com/frequently_asked.php

Also, race deck would just sit on top of the concrete, and I didn't like the idea of dirt and stuff collecting underneath it. With the garage as it is now, I can just hose the floor off and wipe it up with a squeegee and I'm done.

Another factor was the look I was going for. I have an elevated "step" that goes around the garage and there would have needed to be two "levels" of race deck or something equivalent with the face of the concrete looking bare - not to mention the steps leading into the house that would be bare. I didn't think I could make something like race deck look good for what I was shooting for. With that said, there are certainly some sharp looking race deck garages on here - I just think it depends on what you're looking to do.

I will say, the one drawback to the darker color I picked is that when I drop a bolt, sometimes it blends in with the floor. A magnetic parts retriever is handy in those situations.

 

[OrneryDuck]

Agreed -- I considered RaceDeck and DIY Epoxy but the hidden mess of tiles and the high-probability of weakness with a home-prepped Epoxy system had me concerned. It is costing a fair-bit more initially, but I feel the savings over time are huge. There are some things I'm happy to leave to the professionals so that I can focus on what I'm best at; epoxy floor coatings is one of those things.

 

[ekraft84]

Agreed -- I considered RaceDeck and DIY Epoxy but the hidden mess of tiles and the high-probability of weakness with a home-prepped Epoxy system had me concerned. It is costing a fair-bit more initially, but I feel the savings over time are huge. There are some things I'm happy to leave to the professionals so that I can focus on what I'm best at; epoxy floor coatings is one of those things.

Agreed. I've just seen one too many jobs done poorly that faded, chipped, or had to be redone altogether. I didn't want to have to do this again.

 

[ekraft84]

Drywall repair was next. Ideally this would have been done before the floor, but timing was tight on getting the epoxy fit in, so that ended up getting done first.

After all the electrical roughing was complete, I lost count of how many holes I plugged up in preparation for drywall and paint. A couple layers of mud would need to be done throughout the garage - not just in the areas of the holes we made, but basically everywhere - as the original taping job wasn't very good. You could see the tape throughout much of the ceiling, as well as the walls. In hindsight, it would have almost been easier if the garage didn't have drywall at all - given all the time spent pulling wire behind the walls, along with the drywall repair.

Gas line for the heater was also run during this time. My buddy's a contractor and did all the gas line running for once we would get the heater installed. He also ran a water line to the hand-me-down fridge that we would have in the garage for water and ice. Lastly, he ran pipe to another area of the garage where I would ultimately like to have a sink/parts washer station. We elected to cover this up with drywall for the time being, as I figure this will be well down the road - but everything is there once we're ready for that.

Also shown in the below photos are some of the cut-outs for speakers. These were purchased from Monoprice and the quality of them is excellent - just as good a the Boston Acoustic speakers I have, for a fraction of the price. Again, scope creep was an issue here. What started out as an idea for a couple speakers for my old stereo system turned into, "Well, since we're pulling wire, we might as well do some front and rear speakers ..." - which turned into two front and two rear speakers, along with a center channel speaker and in-wall passive subwoofer. I blame surfing this forum for added ideas like this. Oye.

Lots of mud on the walls and ceiling. Note gas and thermostat line coming from the ceiling in the corner:

More prep. You can see the small 2" holes lined along the left wall where insulation was sprayed in. There are another set of holes at the top of the walls, to ensure they fit as much insulation as possible:

Holes for front speakers and center channel. Power and HDMI in the center for future TV:

Almost ready to prime:

Holes for rear speakers and subwoofer off on the right wall, along with wall lights. Electrical plugs wherever we could fit them:

The future A/V center. Power, sprinklers, HDMI, speaker wire and Cat6 ethernet:

This whole phase took a solid couple days. It was a much bigger project than originally anticipated. With that done though, next up would be paint and a decision I would regret ..

 

[John Timmins]

Make sure you get some American iron

 

[G20-Budo]

The floor turned out GREAT.. thank you for sharing the pics and information.

 

[ekraft84]

Make sure you get some American iron

Sharp! Love those carbs - reminds me of an SV650 I had awhile back that had flatslide carbs. They sounded sweet.

 

[ekraft84]

The floor turned out GREAT.. thank you for sharing the pics and information.

Thanks Kyle. Much thanks to the forum here, as I sifted through a lot of information on flooring options before pulling the trigger with what I did.

 

[G2G]

Lookin good Eddie! I am almost done with my garage I think you saw the progress on my FB page.

 

[ekraft84]

Lookin good Eddie! I am almost done with my garage I think you saw the progress on my FB page.

Hey Steve! Small world. Yeah yours looks great.

Just when I thought I had mine done, I'm think of more ideas to do. It never stops.

 

[VWPORSCHEGT3]

Make sure you get some American iron

always wondered what a full fairiing ironhead would look like....ahhhh nevermind i see that the lady is a XR750.... commencing drooling now... or am i complete off base and what you got there is a XR1000????

 

[Nostraquedeo]

Why do the floor before the drywall mess? Everything looks good! How much the lift?

 

[John Timmins]

Harley XR 1000 above

More American Iron from the same family - Hollingsworth H.D. which was in business for 60 years in St. Augustine, Fl before they sold it.

Unless I'm mistaken, all five of the sons raced at Daytona. At least one of the 250cc still holds the track record. ...17:1 ... shift at 12K !

#12 is a side by side twin, water cooled , 6 speed Harley - not Italian

About Al Hollingsworth's V-Rod...it is very serious business. The kids on the crotch rockets have NO IDEA what they're next to at the red light. It is street legal. Aren't they all ?

This shop had 6 in ground lifts which was pretty unusual for the late 1950s. James "Limey" Hollinsworth and his wife Myrtle opened up in 1946. Limey raced in a couple of the beach road course 200s in the late 1930s. He taught me how to ride.

 

[ekraft84]

Why do the floor before the drywall mess? Everything looks good! How much the lift?

Yeah I wanted to do the drywall and paint first, but scheduling for the epoxy took precedent, as they were really busy and had a time slot open up. Don't ask me how many times I wished that during the phase of taping down the paper on the floor during prep and sweeping up the mess afterwards.