Small Motorcycle Garage Renovation

[markito]

Awesome!

 

[EW57]

Very nice! Is it big enough to get much done in? I'm contemplating something similar & its hard to get an idea of necessary elbow room. Thanks!

 

[clarkebd]

Very cool. Something about being organized speaks to me.

 

[Oldbear]

The drive on lifts sold by Princess Auto here in Canada are great. You can park on them, roll them around (without a bike on it), work on a bike... They sell a great, for lack of better word, bike t-shaped trolley that lets you drive on, unlock the brake and roll-spin-move the bike where you need it. Both are in my future small garage plans.

 

[jackylcrackyl]

Incredible transformation! It seems like a perfect space to work on your bikes. I think the 80 XL200 with the CRF450 would be cool. A classic dual-shock dirt bike with modern 4-stroke power. Do that up right and you've got something real special.

Not sure what your plans are for shelving and/or additional cabinets. Can almost never have too much enclosed space to put stuff away. I agree with others about a lift. A nice collapsable lift won't take up too much space. You can lower it all the way and park a bike on it while you're not working on a bike.

 

[kippieland]

Hey, your thread made it on the homepage of GJ!

 

[morfmedia]

Yup that's how I found it, great renovation

 

[Marcmcm]

Hey, your thread made it on the homepage of GJ!

I saw that! I was trying to show someone else and before the picture came up I saw the heading and said "Oh someone else has a small motorcycle garage too" then said "Wait a minute, that's mine!"

No new pictures yet but I finished the trim around the door tonight, still needs painted. Finished the cove base and caulking the window and door. Re-habbed an old craftsman workbench I had too. Streaming Netflix and Pandora in the garage is just too nice...makes me never want to leave the garage.

 

[arbadacarba]

Do you have plans for the table/lift you are building? I'm in a similar situation with a small garrage and would love to get up off the floor when I'm working on the bike.

 

[Marcmcm]

Do you have plans for the table/lift you are building? I'm in a similar situation with a small garrage and would love to get up off the floor when I'm working on the bike.

Motorcycle Work Stand

This is the one I'm considering. All slip fit joints so you can take it down when you don't need it.

 

[kippieland]

I saw that! I was trying to show someone else and before the picture came up I saw the heading and said "Oh someone else has a small motorcycle garage too" then said "Wait a minute, that's mine!"

 

[Mr Mushman]

Very nice job ! ! A little cleaning and some white paint makes for a very nice space to work on your bikes. You made the best out of what you had ! ! ! What a difference, simple but effective ! ! ! ! Congrats on your "new old space" ! ! !

 

[A_Pmech]

Heck of a transformation!

I like bright spaces and yours definitely fits the bill there. Working in a dark space is depressing.

I've never understood the bike lift thing though. I hate them! If I'm working on the assembled machine I'd rather do it sitting on the floor with my legs under the bike.

 

[hh76]

Being able to break the bench down like the one shown would be nice, but I'd be a little nervous about it. I wonder how stable it is if all the joints aren't extremely tight, and what happens to those joints when the oil softened wood gets banged around a bit when loading and unloading the bike?

I've never understood the bike lift thing though. I hate them! If I'm working on the assembled machine I'd rather do it sitting on the floor with my legs under the bike.

Have you ever worked with one, it's great. It's like having your bike up on your work bench. I don't always use it for small, quick work, but for anything that takes more than 5min, it goes up.

If I sit on the floor, it means I need to grab every tool I may need and set them on the floor next to me. Everytime I need something from the tool box, I have to get up to get it(maybe I'm getting old if getting up is listed as a downside). And if I need to see something lower on the bike I have to crawl around trying to get my head low enough for a good view.

 

[A_Pmech]

Have you ever worked with one, it's great. It's like having your bike up on your work bench.

Yeah, they drive me insane. I can't stand working on an assembled bike on a lift.

 

[hh76]

Yeah, they drive me insane. I can't stand working on an assembled bike on a lift.

I guess I just don't understand what would drive you insane, but you can work on your bike any way you like.

 

[RockettMan]

I made a new topic for this, but just saw this thread. Sorry! anyway, here's mine so far. new construction.

http://rockettman.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Garage/22417169_jp9Qnw#!i=1792073001&k=6NxMgnj

 

[06ramctd]

Nice Job! Workshop/Man Cave....Please post final pics, with the TV and everything! Very well thought out!

 

[ed!]

Good stuff!

 

[CHRIS P]

Thats an awesome build. more pics please

 

[markito]

any update on this garage?

 

[Marcmcm]

Still coming along, I decided to go with stainless steel top on the workbench and waiting to get that bent up. You guys talked me into a solid worktable that I'm finishing up now to get some height to my bikes. My race bodywork just came back from the painter so I've been working on putting that back together too. I have way too many projects going on at once! It also doesn't help that this is my busy season at work too! I'll get some new pics up when I finish up the bike work table.

 

[Marcmcm]

Short update...

Finished my work table last night and finally threw one of the bikes on it.

I also put my hose reel back up and added some Gladiator rack to hang my motorcycle stands up. I do the same thing in my enclosed trailer when I head to the track.

The bike is finally starting to come along too.

 

[kippieland]

Looking great!

 

[Outlander]

Great job...fun thread!

 

[arbadacarba]

How about some shots of that stand... Very Nice. I'm looking for a build table for a vintage bike and that might just be what I'm looking for.

I have lifts, but don't want to devote one to a build that might take a year or more.

 

[tommyxgun]

Wow. Bike and garage look fantastic.

 

[Oldbear]

I've never understood the bike lift thing though. I hate them! If I'm working on the assembled machine I'd rather do it sitting on the floor with my legs under the bike.

I've worked on bikes outside for years and then sitting on the floor in my garage. My next purchase is a lift. I worked on my bike at a friends place with his lift... it was great. just like the difference between having a car lift or not.

But each to their own.

 

[Red Leader]

Wonderful transformation. You should do a post somewhere that shows before and after shots.

5 stars

 

[87handmedown]

Short update...

Finished my work table last night and finally threw one of the bikes on it.

Your shop looks incredible! It is definitely one of my favorites on this site. Can you post some more details and pictures of your work table pictured above? I have two motorcycles myself and this looks just like what I'm needing to work on.

Again, GREAT looking motorcycle shop.

 

[Bronson]

How about some shots of that stand... Very Nice. I'm looking for a build table for a vintage bike and that might just be what I'm looking for.

I have lifts, but don't want to devote one to a build that might take a year or more.

I built a simple wooden table on wheels for a project bike. That way, I dont tie up My 2 lifts. I would not hesitate to put My Electra Glide on it. I spent about $40 and it took 2 hours or less to build, I will post some pics tomorrow. 4 x 4 uprights, 2 x 4 frame, 2 x 10 (2) work surface. Simple, strong, fast, cheap.

 

[markito]

Please dont be afraid to share more pics of your garage! looks awesome!

 

[daveroy]

I built a simple wooden table on wheels for a project bike. That way, I dont tie up My 2 lifts. I would not hesitate to put My Electra Glide on it. I spent about $40 and it took 2 hours or less to build, I will post some pics tomorrow. 4 x 4 uprights, 2 x 4 frame, 2 x 10 (2) work surface. Simple, strong, fast, cheap.

How do you get bikes on and off of it!??

 

[mysta2]

Hope you don't mind Marcmcm

But to all those looking to build the tables:

My original post RISE UP!


And the second one BIKE TABLE 2 (THE REVENGE)


With the chock at the end you can just wheel them up there on a loading ramp and drop them in the chock like you would load them into a truck. The tables only take two sheets of 3/4 ply, 2 eight foot 2x4s, casters, and screws to build with no waste.

Your bike lab looks incredible Marc, makes me want to run out and buy a bunch of sheetrock and build my cabinets. Use anything special to paint the caddy? Looks good.

 

[87handmedown]

Wow, thanks mysta2! That link is going to help me out a TON in building mine. Again, thank you so much for posting a "How-to" page. I searched and searched and couldn't find one.

While I have your attention, what brand of wheel chock do you have on those tables? I don't recognize them.

 

[Motofixxer]

I think I would make the rear of the stand rectangular\wider rather than tapered, so a rear stand could be used on the top, for changing the rear tire etc.

 

[KeyserSoze]

While I have your attention, what brand of wheel chock do you have on those tables? I don't recognize them.

I'm curious too. Looks a lot like one from harbor freight, but without the crossbar up front:
http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-stand-wheel-chock-97841.html

Another question: do you ever use a front stand on top of the box, so you can get the wheel off and/or unweight the suspension?

- Miles

PS: Marcmcm's chock looks like the other model from harbor freight, the same ones I have in my trailer: http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-96349.html

 

[mysta2]

Yup, you nailed it, I'm using the black HF one and Marcmcm's using the silver HF one. I bought three of those black ones to bolt to the floor of my old van, bolting to sheet metal on a moving vehicle I thought the cross bar would be good insurance. When I transferred them to the tables I just left the cross bar off (there are 4 half inch grade 8 bolts in each one, they're not going anywhere).

I think I would make the rear of the stand rectangular\wider rather than tapered, so a rear stand could be used on the top, for changing the rear tire etc.

Click the picture.

 

[mysta2]

I've never used my front stand on one of the boxes, I don't know if it would be long enough or not. The stands are a little longer than the axle to axle wheelbase but less than the full length of any one of my bikes. If I wanted to use the front stand off the floor I think I would have to make a longer table, or an extension. I've been thinking about front and rear fixtures that slot into it somehow though that would hang the front and rear in a similar manner.

Actually now looking at my own avatar, I know the front stand would not work, way too long. This is a six foot table (mine):

You could easily make yours 8 foot, you'd just need more than two sheets of ply per table.

 

[markito]

any update pics on these garage?