Rolling Motorcycle Workbench/Storage

[Bronson]

I often have several motorcycle restoration/repair projects going at one time.
I decided to build a rolling table to house these type of projects, to free up My two lift tables. Using these tables allows Me to push a long term project aside while waiting for parts, inspiration, or, a hangover to subside.
The concept works so well for Me that I now have three of these rolling tables.

The material list is pretty simple.
2- 2x6x6'6"
4- 4x4x24"
2-2x4x6'
2-2x4x24"
2- 19" 2x4
3" deck screws
wood glue
4- castors
4- 2" eye bolts (lag type)

first lay out a rectangle on a level surface, using the 6' 2x4, and the 2 19" 2x4, as below-

Assemble by pre-drilling the holes at the corners, then using glue and deck screws, assemble the table base. After the base is glued and screwed, cut a 2x4 to fit in the middle and glue and screw it, also.

I am by no means a carpenter, so, If I can do this, anyone can!

 

[Bronson]

Next, glue and screw the two 6'6" 2x6 to the top of the frame.
Use a large square to keep things square and professional.

Once the 2x6 are secured to the frame, You pre drill the corners of the frame for the installation of the 4x4 uprights. I use plenty of glue and leave the deck screws slightly loose until the next step.

Easy-peasy!
Here You see the installation of the 4x4's. It is pretty self explanatory, when You look at the pics. Of My 3 tables, none are constructed exactly the same.

Next , build a second frame, just like the first, and slide it over the up-ended legs.
Leave it loose at this point.

 

[Bronson]

The last picture may be a little confusing, as I was building a table on top of the first table, which is gray in the picture.
In this next picture, My new table is still upside down on an older table, and I have raised the frame to the bottom of the 4x4's, which are actually at the top, for now.....Make sure You are still all square, and screw the second frame even with the ends of the 4x4 up-rights.
With second frame glued and screwed, now lay the two 24' 2x4 across the 4x4 legs and glue and screw them in place. This is the foot of the table. See picture.

Drill a hole in each 2x4 , to fit the castors You have . Install the castors, and get a friend to help You turn the table upright.
You are almost finished, now. Tighten the screws that You left loose in the top frame, holding the 4x4's.
With the table now upright, on the floor, measure Your base, and cut and install 1/2 inch plywood on the base for a storage shelf. You might want to put a second shelf under there, but I like the taller storage, myself.
At each corner, drill and install lag-type eye bolts to hold tie-down straps, and You are done,except for paint.

The handy thing about these tables is their footprint is actually smaller than the bike, as far as the handlebar width. I load the bikes onto the table off My hydraulic bike lifts. I recommend using locking castors, according to You budget.

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[Bronson]

I am about to build another table, for an extra project, as these bike keep multiplying!

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[Uncle_Charlie]

Maybe I missed something, but how do you get the motorcycles up there?

 

[Bronson]

Maybe I missed something, but how do you get the motorcycles up there?

I put them on one of My hydraulic lift tables, then roll it over onto the wooden table.That is where the locking castors are handy!

 

[chevyred55]

Like the CONOCO sign, worked there four 24 years then retired.

 

[shopnut]

Bike up at easy working level, parts storage underneath, shove it in the corner of the room when you're waiting on parts - what's NOT to love about that?

Have you rigged up any of the three to jack the center of the bike for suspension work? Or maybe pit stands would be a simple alternative for wheel removal.

 

[Rescue Wagon]

Very cool. I'm going to steal your idea as I'm having the same issue of multiplying motorcycle projects.

 

[Modern Jess]

love it.

But three tables? Man. And I thought I was excessive.

 

[Bronson]

love it.

But three tables? Man. And I thought I was excessive.

I am about to have 4 rolling tables, and two hydraulic lift, for the 18 motorcycles.

 

[Bronson]

Bike up at easy working level, parts storage underneath, shove it in the corner of the room when you're waiting on parts - what's NOT to love about that?

Have you rigged up any of the three to jack the center of the bike for suspension work? Or maybe pit stands would be a simple alternative for wheel removal.

I use a scissor jack to raise each end of the bike when necessary.

 

[greenbikemike]

Good idea,I like it,fast,easy and cheap to make,right up my alley....and when not in use,extra table,self,ect. Does it feel "tippy" at all? and have you tried a wheel chock on it? nice work,

greenbikemike

 

[Bronson]

Good idea,I like it,fast,easy and cheap to make,right up my alley....and when not in use,extra table,self,ect. Does it feel "tippy" at all? and have you tried a wheel chock on it? nice work,

greenbikemike

Thanks, Mike. It is not tippy at all, very secure.
A person would have to really make an effort to turn it over.

 

[longlivepunk]

I built a somewhat similar stand a couple years ago, and put a drain-grate in it last year (Build thread) At the moment I just slide it around when I need too which works fine, but I've been thinking of castors that I can raise and lower.

 

[Waggoner72]

Love the idea.
I need another idea, can you come up with one?
I need a way to store around 20 bikes without taking up so much floor space. They are taking up two bays in the shop.

 

[Waggoner72]

Also, how stable are those tables? It seems like they would have a high center of gravity. I imagine hitting a crack on the floor with one of the casters and the thing tipping on me.

 

[Bronson]

Also, how stable are those tables? It seems like they would have a high center of gravity. I imagine hitting a crack on the floor with one of the casters and the thing tipping on me.

As I said a couple of post earlier, they are very stable.
It would take a real effort, as in , a REAL EFFORT to tip one over.
I wouldn't risk damaging either one of the bikes pictured on a shaky table.

 

[Bogey won]

Pray tell, where you are buying reasonable price casters with brakes ? and a springer hard tail ? want to trade backs ? Yours must be in better shape than mine. Your suppose to finish a bike then move to another, not stock pile, you must be a hoarder.

I beat that hoarder thang, sold 11 of my Harleys and now down to 5, and im selling 3 of them, down to 2 then, although i do need one for every day of the week, just not one for every day of the month, not yet.

Never owned a v rod, only Harley i never have ridden.

 

[Outlander]

nice job. On the to do list is the equivalent for my ATV. My knees complain too much when I crawl around on the floor now. I like your simple construction, in fact I probably have most of the lumber I need from past deck projects.

 

[Brian R]

I like this idea. I have a motorcycle lift and several motorcycles. I'm in the middle of a long restoration on one of my bikes but need to service the clutch on the a different one. This would definitely solve that problem.

 

[Bronson]

Love the idea.
I need another idea, can you come up with one?
I need a way to store around 20 bikes without taking up so much floor space. They are taking up two bays in the shop.

I took this pic yesterday.

 

[afmrick]

Love it! Particularly the storage underneath.

Maybe I missed something, but how do you get the motorcycles up there?

I've seen people using loading ramps on stationary tables FWIW.

I need a way to store around 20 bikes without taking up so much floor space. They are taking up two bays in the shop.

Gotta go vertical. Someone on GJ is using pallet racks which might be the way to go with that many bikes.

I was going to make something like a pallet stacker mounted to the wall w/ push button up/down to keep it trivial to pull the bikes /up/down even for the Mrs. Then roll bikes underneath the raised bikes on a dolly of some kind.

 

[SwampCat]

Pray tell, where you are buying reasonable price casters with brakes ? and a springer hard tail ? want to trade backs ? Yours must be in better shape than mine. Your suppose to finish a bike then move to another, not stock pile, you must be a hoarder.

I beat that hoarder thang, sold 11 of my Harleys and now down to 5, and im selling 3 of them, down to 2 then, although i do need one for every day of the week, just not one for every day of the month, not yet.

Never owned a v rod, only Harley i never have ridden.

CasterDepot.com

 

[Bronson]

Pray tell, where you are buying reasonable price casters with brakes ? and a springer hard tail ? want to trade backs ? Yours must be in better shape than mine. Your suppose to finish a bike then move to another, not stock pile, you must be a hoarder.

I beat that hoarder thang, sold 11 of my Harleys and now down to 5, and im selling 3 of them, down to 2 then, although i do need one for every day of the week, just not one for every day of the month, not yet.

Never owned a v rod, only Harley i never have ridden.

Bogey, I was hoping nobody would ask about the castors.......The Horrible Freight place

The hardtail....I have back issues, but that bike is special.
Birney Jarvis and I spent a couple of months making notes and drawings, before He passed.
That will be a replica of the bike that He took in the 50's that later became the movie THEN CAME BRONSON.
He was still a member of the H***s A****s at that time.
He never rode a Sportster on that trip.
The original bike was actually a bored and stroked rigid pan, built by Birney's friend, Boozefighter Dugan.
I have fallen behind on that project, but I hope to have it ready for Our next Bronson reunion.
Stuntman Bud Ekins came up with the idea for the movie/TV Sportster, as it was easier to use a Sporty for stunt work.

 

[Bogey won]

Bogey, I was hoping nobody would ask about the castors.......The Horrible Freight place

The hardtail....I have back issues, but that bike is special.
Birney Jarvis and I spent a couple of months making notes and drawings, before He passed.
That will be a replica of the bike that He took in the 50's that later became the movie THEN CAME BRONSON.
He was still a member of the H***s A****s at that time.
He never rode a Sportster on that trip.
The original bike was actually a bored and stroked rigid pan, built by Birney's friend, Boozefighter Dugan.
I have fallen behind on that project, but I hope to have it ready for Our next Bronson reunion.
Stuntman Bud Ekins came up with the idea for the movie/TV Sportster, as it was easier to use a Sporty for stunt work.

Sold some parts to go with a sporty a bud of mine sold chuck norris crew in the film where the sporty goes throu the bar plate glass window, I was standing there when it went down, Chucks crew tried to get me to put my trike in the movie, but they were paying peanuts, and acting hollyweird. several years later they called me for more bikes and cars for another movie, i passed, almost all the bikers that were in that deal went to the pen or the graveyard.

I found a bin of casters, from 6 to 10 inches i think without studs, but have plates on top, they're at the metal recyclers, you need sumthing let me know, think they are non solid wheels, the way the description was said to me.

 

[Bronson]

Thanks, Bogey, I have the castors already!

 

[JimVonBaden]

Love the idea.
I need another idea, can you come up with one?
I need a way to store around 20 bikes without taking up so much floor space. They are taking up two bays in the shop.

Build them at differing heights, that way you can put them next to each other without the bars and bits hitting. You can store them pretty tight like that, and still get to any specific one without having to fight so many bikes.

 

[Waggoner72]

Love it! Particularly the storage underneath.





I've seen people using loading ramps on stationary tables FWIW.





Gotta go vertical. Someone on GJ is using pallet racks which might be the way to go with that many bikes.



I was going to make something like a pallet stacker mounted to the wall w/ push button up/down to keep it trivial to pull the bikes /up/down even for the Mrs. Then roll bikes underneath the raised bikes on a dolly of some kind.

I have pallet racks already but they are not wide enough to put the bikes on them sideways like I want. I will have to take some pictures and start my own thread so I don't hijack yours.

 

[afmrick]

I have pallet racks already but they are not wide enough to put the bikes on them sideways like I want. I will have to take some pictures and start my own thread so I don't hijack yours.

Here's some threads w/ pictures:
Garage Journal: Above the floor motorcycle storage
Garage Journal: 24'x48' Pole Barn Workshop

It looks like Ray96MN pushed two pallet racks back to back to get the depth they needed.

 

[wkderf]

I took this pic yesterday.

omg, thats awesome.