Topic: Lets see a photo of your SHOP!

[Flood]

Alright, time for some major trumpet-blowing!

 I finally have some shots of our new shop.

In august, we (basically me & a friend, with the help of some more guys) moved all our cars, bikes, tools and spares into our new home- a hall formerly used by the train company. Actually it's 2 halls and an office with kitchen, shower, toilet, 2 extra rooms.

We built the new shop inside the hall, 10x5 meters, 3.5 meters high, high enough to have a car up on the lift, long enough to have 2 places to work on the maximum of two cars and one bike at the same time. The shop is fully insulated. Last weekend we finally could tidy up and find definite places for most of the tools, after almost 2 years of having them dispersed between at home and two smaller halls. Bliss!

Saturday, the first of the 2 two-post car lifts will be installed, one of them will be fitted with a platform to lift up bikes.

As we already run out of space for all the cars and bikes in the halls, the roof of the shop (see pic) will be used as storage for approx. 30 bikes (mainly old Hondas). We'll built a winch-powered elevator to hoist the bikes up there.

Attached is a pic of my trusty XL500R that was fitted with new exhaust studs last weekend (please kindly note our big-ass MIG-welder) and a dark pic of most of the bikes as seen from the rooftop.

Cheers, Remi

[needswork]

About 2 weeks ago, I could hardly move in my shed and I gotta get my bike inside before the snow starts. First, I installed an extra stereo system I had kicking around. 4 or 5 evenings of clean up and now I have the bike in there and plenty of room to work on it.  Now, I just have to do something about heating, the little 1500W heater isn't going to cut it.

[Phaedrus]

okay, I am only in an apartment, so I make do with what I have.

The Fabrication Section:


the garage:

[Bob Wessner]

Calling it a workshop is a stretch, but here is where I do whatever I do on it.

[ohiocaferacer]

Pic of my old shop.......a 1 car garage!! Out grew it.....QUICK!



Later,
Greg
www.OHIOCAFERACERS.com

[Teach]

Here's a few pics of my garage...it's a mess right now.

[bill440cars]

Myself, I dream of a decent shop to work in. My one car garage, 10 x 12 building, a 12 x 20 portable canopy(enclosed with cheap tarps)  and a swing set frame with a tarp thrown over it barely provides enough space for my project bikes. That's about all I have right now. Incidentally my project bikes include: a 69' Z50A, a 62' CL72, a 64' CB77 (that had a CA77 engine when I got it), a CB450 that looks like a 69' (but serial #'s say it's a 70')  2  74'  CB450's (one nearly complete), 74' CL450, 73' CB500K, 77' CB550K, 78 CB550K, 80' CB750K Hondas, a 74' 175 CZ, a  67' (I think)250 Jawa, a 74' 350 Jawa Californian, a 74' Hodaka 100cc Road Toad, a 75' F9 350 Kawasaki Big Horn, a 71' TS125, an early 70's TS185, an early 70's TS400, a 76' TS400 Suzuki, 2 DT175 (79' & 80'), a 78' DT250E, a 75' DT400B, a 75 MX400, an 81' SR500, a 73' TX650, a 75 XS650 and a  56' 50cc Jawa ( called a scooterette, looked like a moped without pedals until my Dad completely redesigned it, putting the engine in the frame instead of hanging from it and added a 56' BSA Bantam gas tank. This was my ist bike). I've always been into motorcycles. My Grandfather and my Dad had a motorcycle shop from years ago up until 68' and had franchises for Indian( from original to the Enfield-Indians), Nortons, Matchless, AJS, BSA, Jawa & CZ. I hope I haven't bored you guys. There's alot I don't know and want to learn. Also, I hope there might be some way that I can help others also.  Better go, I've taken up too much time already. I'm trying to figure how to get the time, money and space to get serious about getting some of these projects going.   Bill 
         

[Terry in Australia]

Hey Bill, it might hurt to think about it, but you might need to 'thin the herd" to reduce the amount of "one day" projects, while generating some funds for the ones you really want to keep? Just a thought mate, but that's what I think I'm gonna have to do too. Cheers, Terry.

[bill440cars]

Hey Terry, I know you're right. I've got too many but, you know, I kinda fell into a situation where I pick some of them up just by helping out a friend. I do have the intentions of fixing up  some (like the DT175s and the DT250 and maybe a few others) to try to sell for money to finance my Hondas(for sure the 62'CL72, CB77, 74' CBs & CL,the 500, 550s & 80' 750K) and my Jawa/CZs(my family had a dealership up until the late 60's. I've got a 50cc that my Dad built, A 74'CZ175 and a 250 Jawa that I hope to duplicate the one my Dad built for hisself back in the early 60's) That would cut it down some ( 9 Hondas,2 Jawas and 1 CZ. That's my goal anyway. Now where do I start?  Better go before I get started on something else. Take care, Bill

[Terry in Australia]

Hey Bill, unlike just about anyone I know, I'm actually a Jawa/CZ fan, I had a brilliant CZ250 Motocrosser back in the early 1970's, and I always wanted (but never owned) a black and chrome Jawa Californian. Great bikes for sure, and bullet-proof! Cheers, Terry.

[Jughead]

Wow Terry I like CZ's too.My First Bike was a 1992 CZ 380/400. It was Cheap($800) and Almost Brand New.My Mom and Dad Helped me buy it when I was 15-16.I Mowed Yards and Cut Tobacco all Summer to Help Pay for it.I loved that Bike More than Anything.Can you Imagine Turning a 16 Year old Loose on an Open Classer. I believe Mom and Dad was trying to Get rid of me. I still have most of it left I sold it to a buddy of mine and he didn't bother to Time it Correctly (By Ear. ) and it Busted the Piston.I would like to rebuild it or find another one in Great Shape just like it.
After the CZ I went to Cagiva.(Waste of time) and Finally on to the Suzuki T500's and GT750's.Now I've gotten my Hands onto the CB750 F2 Valved Horror.

[Terry in Australia]

Hey Juggy, have you got a spare room mate, I need to share some of your lifestyle, ha ha! Geez, cutting tobacco and riding smoke machines? Sounds like heaven on a stick! Did you get to keep any tobacco? Yeah, I know it's bad for you, but I'd love to be able to smoke the stuff straight off the bush, before the chemists add all the chemicals?

The only 2 stroke in my garage is an old Suzuki TS185, but I'd (almost) give my (oversized) left nut for that CZ of yours, or the GT500/750's, I'd love another "Waterbottle", I had a long term loan of a "B", and later bought a "J" which I wish I still had, but my favourite would be a "K" with the "J" looks and front discs, but I reckon slipping a later "M" engine with CV's would be brilliant! Cheers, Terry.

[Jughead]

Hey Terry Yeap I farmed Tobacco for several Years from the Time I was 10 Years old until I was 24 or 25(When the Gov Screwed Everything).Sure you could keep some.If you Could find some really Pretty Red Leaves you could Roll your own Cigars.In my Opinion though it was alot Stronger than what you buy in the Store.It was on the Verge of being unsmokable/Unchewable without being Cut with a Lesser Grade of tobacco and all of the Bad stuff.You could Actually Pull one Hell of a Drunk off of it if it didn't make you sick.
Heck I can Find a Spare room Come on Over.

I do Miss Riding my CZ.That thing was an Absolute Tractor.If a part wasn't made from Cast Aluminum it was made from Cast Iron. I think that at the Last the 400's Had 48HP.I've been thinking about pulling the Cylinder out and seeing if I could get it bored and fit it with a New Piston.
Right Now I have Several Suzuki's 68 T500 Cobra,69 T500 MKII,72 GT750 J (For Sale Soon)  77 GS750 Basket Case,74 TS125 Basket Case and Pieces and Parts to a 70 and 71 T500. Right now I'm just about Bike Poor.I'll Probably have to sell my GT750 and the CB750 F2 I'm Working on now to pay for restoring the 68 Cobra.I'm Actually running out of room most of my bikes are in the way in my uncles barn.

[Terry in Australia]

OK Juggy, so here's the deal. I come over, stay in your spare room, blow my lungs out on super-strong local 'baccy', drink some Tennessee whiskey, shoot some guns, rebuild your CZ, buy your GT750, (cheap) and ship it back here to Oz. Sound like a plan? Only thing is you have to assure me that the pic in your avatar isn't really you, ever since I saw the Stephen King movie "IT", I can't look at clowns as anything but evil entities, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

[Jughead]

Sounds Like a Plan to Me it all Depends on what you call Cheap for the Waterbuffalo though. Thats Not me Actually That is another Evil Clown "Captain Spaulding" from the Rob Zombie Movies House of 1000 Corpses and The Devils Rejects.

[Terry in Australia]

Fair enough mate, how much moola are we talking about? How about some pics? I might have to pay you in increments though, I'm not coming over there until the snow melts and I can wear my "Deep purple" T shirt and jeans while riding around on those ol' beasts! What were those movies like? My 20 year old son wanted to see them, (he's an art student) but I didn't think I'd enjoy them all that much? Cheers, Terry.

[78 k550]

I might have to pay you in increments though,  Cheers, Terry.

vegemite?  LOL

[Jughead]

Vegimite? Hmmmmm wellllllllllllllllllllllll Maybe.

Terry I was Asking $1600.It is rough Right Now.but I have Done a Bunch of work on it and have a Pile of Parts to go with it.Most New but some used.I'm repainting the Body work and Figured I would get it running Decently before Letting it go.Right now it doesn't have an Original Set of Pipes but I have three sets of Chambers for it.2 Sets need Repaired and it has a 3 into 1 on it Now.It has a Spare Motor that I was thinking about Modifying pretty soon if it doesn't sell.

[Terry in Australia]

That sounds fair mate, although i'd love a totally original bike, right down to paint and pipes, how about some pics? Cheers, Terry.

[Surly]

I moved into my house about 8 years ago and it had no garage. I was keeping the bike in a 8x10 shed. Last summer my neighbor built a new garage so I got his old one. Check out the link.

http://surlycamera.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_surlycamera_archive.html

[Bob Wessner]

Surly,

Pretty cool. Nice move, hope you and your bike enjoy the new digs. 

[Surly]

Thanks! Yeah, It was a hell of a project. It's still not done. My power is an extention cord. Its all insulated now and I got a small heater. I hope to get some work done on the 550 before the weather breaks.

[Bob Wessner]

I too work on the bike in an unattached garage, though not insulated. I don't know where you are located, but here in Mich. it can pretty cold some days in the winter. Some time ago someone suggested one of those small torpedo/bullet heaters that runs off a 20# propane tank. Even when it is in the 20's I can crank that up, go in the house for a cup of coffee and in 15-20 mins. the temp it high enough to work. If not too windy, it stays up pretty well with only occasional, brief reheats. The tank lasts all winter since it is not running constantly.

[Surly]

Bob,
 I'm in NW, Indiana so yeah I know about the cold. When I poured the floor for the new (used) garage I put 2" foam insulation under the concrete. It seems to help keep the cold from the ground from coming up through the floor. I'm on a tight budget so I'm using an electric space heater right now.   

[rtbxr]

Mine's just a 1 car garage, but it's set up like a mini service bay. I rent a 20x50 shop across the street for my business.

Welding/grinding setup:



Compressor area:



Front view:



Another:



Small, but effective

Chris