Getting another bike is never a problem; it’s all-too-easy to get another bike. They sometimes seem to just show up, like a stray cat or dog – and what are you going to do? Turn them away?
Of course not!
But the you have the problem of figuring out where they’ll sleep – so to speak.
There are a number of ways to find room – or make it. Literally. You could always put up another garage or shed to store the new arrival(s). But that takes time – and money – and it assumes you gave the space to expand. If not, what to do?
Well, you could always make use of space inside your house. There’s probably plenty and if not, it’s easy enough to get rid of some furniture that’s just taking up space in order to make the space. It’s also climate controlled inside the house, which most garage aren’t and that’s good for your bike. It won’t freeze in the winter and it won’t bake in the summer. This will help to keep it from deteriorating.
Most important of all, you’ll get to see the bike more often. If it’s out in the garage, you have to go out to the garage to see it. And then you’re in the garage, where it’s probably not air conditioned or heated and the coffee machine/fridge are back inside the house.
Rolling the bike into the house solves both problems!
Of course, there will probably still be some other problems you’ll have to deal with, such as rolling the bike into the house – which you may not be able to do if the steps to the house are too steep and you haven’t got a ramp. You might want to get one of those anyhow as they are really handy for getting the next bike you’re going to get home. A stowable/foldable lightweight aluminum ramp is exactly what you need to roll a bike into the bed of your truck – and up the front stairs, into your house.
And then into your office – as in my case. Little Stinker – my ’75 Kawasaki S1, which is a two-stroke three cylinder street bike – looks just marvelous sitting on its kickstand about three feet in front of my desk, where I can see it while I’m working.
And smell it, too.
This brings up a problem you may have if your wife or girlfriend does not like the smell of a motorcycle – especially an old one that leaks a little – inside the house. This, of course, is only a problem if you have the wrong kind of wife or girlfriend in the house. And that’s a problem that’s easily solved.
You could, of course, drain the tank and other precious bodily fluids and eliminate the smell but then you have the problem of a static display – and what fun is that? It’s like looking at a stuffed mountain lion, almost (but not quite, because the bike can be brought back to life again while the stuffed mountain line is stuffed for good).
But this means you can’t just jump on the bike and ride it out of the front door, Meatloaf-style – anytime the mood strikes. It also means you can’t just fire it up inside the house whenever the mood strikes, to summon (as in my case) some inspiration for what to write about next. It kind of kills the mood to have to go fetch some gas and (in my case) mix it with oil and then dribble it – carefully, don’t want to spill on the tank and chalk up the paint – in and deal with all of that before you can do anything with the bike.
Better to get a nice ribber mat to park the bike on. It’ll catch the drips and the bike will be ready whenever you are.
Plus, you’ll have more space in the garage for another bike!
. . .
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I kept my Honda Interceptor in my dorm room in college during winter months. It was a conversational piece, the chics dug it. When spring came around, I rode it down the hall and down the back steps just like Animal House. The good old days. Id be in jail if I tried that today.
“Mom…he’s got an ENGINE in his dining room!”
Mommas, don’t let your babies grow up, to be Gear Heads…
Ditto, only I no longer have a living room.
haha…….. used to keep my ’89 FZR1000 in the house, in the living room. Same problem with steps, was risky at best, 4 if I remember correctly. But that’s where she slept in the winter. Didn’t have a garage, nor any furniture except a used couch and large wooden wire spool rack as a coffee table. And a 13″ tube tv that died and left it where it was. Fun times.
Back in those crazy days, I was roadracing 600’s and had to be at the race shop 2-3 nights a week. Every dime went into racing, nothing else mattered. The 1000 came in the shop as a insurance write off so they gave it to me to try and make some money for the racing effort. It did, but not before I got to run it back and forth to the shop for 6 months. It shaved 10-15 min. off my shop commute, and where I learned that cars travel in packs. Yes, I was one of those guys weaving around all of them at twice the speed, before it became mainstream. The cops left me alone (local race guy with a chance to make it).
It’s also where I learned that riding bikes on the street was way more dangerous than racing at twice the speed on a track.
You guys crack me up. Great article, Eric. And, great comment, ChrisIN.
Got a bit of a flashback-jolt of youth from ’em. And, a smile.
Keep on, keeping on, guys.
It’s just bike people are weird in our own way(s). Maybe Eric can explain it.