Harley Davidson: The Ultimate Motorcycle Garage Part I

This article applies to the Harley Davidson Touring, Dyna Glide, Softail and Sportster.

If you were to ask ten motorcycle enthusiast to describe the ultimate motorcycle garage, you would probably get ten very different answers. In other words, what makes a garage the ultimate can be very subjective. That being said, there are several principles that must go into every motorcycle garage just to make it good, and getting those just right, plus a few other things add up to make it the ultimate. These principles are: 1) Space, 2) Utility, 3) Organization, and 4) Comfort. Another thing to consider to make it the ultimate include the aesthetics, but the first four are must haves for any good garage and that is where we will start. Part 1 of this 2-part article will discuss getting those first four aspects perfect, so you at least qualify for calling your garage "good." In the second part we will discuss the aesthetics and personal touches that separate the good from the ultimate. Hopefully after reading this you be able to use these principles to upgrade the garage you have, or design the ultimate motorcycle garage shaped to fit your needs.

Space

Again, if you were to ask ten riders about what is adequate space for motorcycle storage/work space, you will probably get ten different answers, except 9 out of 10 will end by saying more than they have now. Some will come up with extremely large dimensions, under the impression that "bigger is always better," but lets keep things realistic. Most people agree that a large Harley Davidson has a footprint of about three feet by eight feet. If you are familiar with working on one, you know you need approximately three feet in front, behind, and on either side to provide the space to get around the motorcycle and work from all angles. Add to that the space needed for storage, tools, workbench, and other necessities, and a good minimum would be 12' X 16'. That small amount of space should be adequate, but as we all know people who love motorcycles also love to collect parts, gear and accessories for the motorcycle; more commonly called "junk" (more on that in organization). So if all possible, 16' X 24' should be considered minimum for all the storage, shop and work space; though, in a pinch, 12' X 16' will do if you limit yourself to the barest minimum of shop equipment and "junk."

Utility

When I talk about utility, I mean something must be able to be used as intended. In other words, to be the ultimate motorcycle garage, it must first be a motorcycle garage, not a multi-purpose space that you use to store and tinker on your motorcycle. It must be designed with working on the motorcycle in mind and it has to be a motorcycle garage first and foremost. Once you clear out all the non-motorcycle garage stuff, the first improvement is adequate lighting. Most shops have fluorescent lighting because it gives you more light from fewer fixtures, doesn't produce a lot of heat, and doesn't use a lot of electricity. Three or four long tube fixtures mounted on the ceiling can light the entire shop. Another important aspect of the ultimate garage is electrical power. Having plenty of electrical outlets close to the floor is important when trying to use power tools for maintain or detailing your motorcycle. Eliminating the clutter of extension cords and power strips is a great advantage in keeping your work area neater and easier to work in. If you plan on having an air compressor, or a welder, you most likely want the garage wired for 220 volt power too, if it isn't already from a washer/dryer hook-up.

An aspect that is often overlooked is the floor. Many people looking for the ultimate garage want a neat and interesting way to finish the floor, like snap together polymer tiles. These floors may look awesome, but jacks, lifts, and dollies really don't roll well once you add hundred of pounds of motorcycle. I have used them before, but chose to go with naked concrete because my jacks and dollies roll around the garage better. A good compromise is epoxy paint, which helps with oil cleanup, brightens the place up by reflecting light, and can be used to improve the style.

Organization

It's extremely important to note that any motorcycle garage that is labeled the ultimate must be organized. There is no way a garage that is cluttered, junky, messy, or a complete wreck can be considered the ultimate garage. Therefore, every item in the garage must have a purpose and a place. If it does not have those two, then it doesn't need to be in the garage. The ultimate motorcycle garage isn't a place to store Christmas decorations, or items intended to be donated to good will, or even the boxes and buckets of parts that are a "some day" motorcycle project. Less is more, and the less junk in your work space, the easier it is to keep it organized. One good organization tool is peg-board. Dedicate a certain amount of wall area to peg-board. Some people think peg-board should only go from the middle of the wall up, but having it from the floor to the ceiling provides more "real estate" to give tools and other necessities a home.

Another item that is conducive for better organization is wall mounted shop cabinets (Figure 5). These make it very easy to organize and store tools, cleaning supplies, and other items; plan what will go where and label the cabinets to make it easier to find things and clean up afterwards. Lastly, every organized ultimate motorcycle garage has a large tool chest to store various tools within easy reach, and make them easy to find (Figure 6). The perfect tool chest should have plenty of room, a small foot print and the ability to roll throughout the garage for easy access while working on your bike.

Comfort

Some people seem to discount the importance of this aspect, but trust me this is just as important as anything mentioned before. In order for it to be the ultimate garage, you have to want to spend your time there, and when you think like that, it has to be comfortable. Unless you live somewhere with perfect weather, comfort begins with heating and cooling. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say they would love to be in their garage, but it was too cold or hot out there. If you are going to spend the time and money building the ultimate garage, you should definitely budget some for heating and cooling, even if it's just a wall mounted combo heat/AC unit.

Perhaps the most important item for comfort in a garage is a good sturdy workbench (Figure 7). Rebuilding carburetors, or transmissions, or anything else with many small parts inside is nothing you should be doing on the floor. Also, make sure you have several stools and chairs of various height to make working at any level comfortable (Figure 8), preferably on wheels. Another comfort item is placing anti-fatigue mats where you are working to reduce the discomfort of standing for extended periods of time.

Now that we have discussed the necessities that make a good motorcycle storage and work garage, stay tuned for part two where we discuss what separates the good from the great. We'll have pointers that will make your garage head and shoulders above all your other riding friends.

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