DIY Moto Shops...
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/
AMA ~ USCRA ~ MGNOC
2013 FLHTC, 2014 Moto Guzzi Stelvio and a Bunch of other Guzzis, '85 RZ 350 KR, '88 Hawk GT, '74 Dalesman Trails, '72 Triumph T 100 R Daytona.. etc...
With a sound business model, it would be something I would love to invest in.
$25/hr to rent a lift seems pretty expensive to me.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
It depends what all it includes. The Motomethod website doesn't say access to the lift, it says access to the DIY facilities or "bench rental" depending on where you look. If the DIY facilities includes tools and a lift then it seems more reasonable. Not only does it cover your running costs and breakage of tools but it would keep people from monopolizing the lifts.Originally Posted by SRTie4k
LRRS EX #7
Low Down Racing
- Woodcraft - Armour Bodies - Computrack Boston - Lifeproof -
And this is why it will never work.......
"If you can't afford to do it right, how are you going to afford to do it over?"-PK
Shop Services: Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick Two.
Looked into doing something like this up here in Vermont a few years ago, Just wasn't worth it.
Now if I had some unused space in a shop that was already making a profit...
"I'd rather ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow"
Bikes: Ducati: 748 (Track) Honda: RC31 (Race/street)/ CRF 110 Mini Moto/ Hawk Endurance Racer Kawasaki: ZXR1200R
BOMO Instructor
EX# X
At $25/hr I'll continue strapping my motorcycle to the ceiling. I just work too damned slowly.
My thoughts exactly.
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
I looked into this with serious intent back in the '90's. I got the idea from MWR (Moral, Welfare and Recreation) facilities on the military bases I ran facility maintenance for. Most bases have Auto Hobie Shops. Basically, 8-10 bays equipped with a lift and basic tools. They also have a tool crib where you can sign out more specialized tools and order parts through a sub-contractor like NAPA. When I was at PNSY, I believe it was $6.00 per hour to rent a bay. Great facility and unbelievably handy and convenient.
Start up costs would have been high but doable. What really killed the plan was insurance. The liability would have brought the rental rate to almost 60% of the dealership labor rate of the time. Something the military doesn't have to deal with.
The risk made opening a restaurant look like a can't fail proposition. To make it work, you'd need nearly a zero load for property and equipment in order to pay for insurance and operating expenses. That's the only way you could get the rental rate into an attractive range. At $15-20.00 per hour, most DYI type folks will do it in their driveway, no matter how inconvenient.
" In the name of the Spedo, the Tach and the Holy Throttle, Amen. "
I've seen shops in NYC do this. Usually where people don't have access to a garage. And if you do store your vehicle in a parking garage most require that no maintenance be done on the premises.
Me no likey crash
No. Not in my area, or my lifetime, I don't think.
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
I've got a heated basement, stands, and most any tool you could want. Bring a 12 pack and i'll even help you wrench.
arranging stuff like this is the whole purpose of having a great website and cool like minded people to turn to.
It's a cool idea, but like someone else said, most anyone that is the DIY type will do it in the driveway or a buddies house..
2006 Yamaha R1, Graves Full Exhaust, BST Carbon Fiber Wheels, K&N Air Filter, EGR Blockoffs, Factory Pro Velocity Stacks, Power Commander 5, Stealth 520 Conversion -1/+1, FP levers, Ohlins shock, Ohlins fg327 forks, Ohlins steering damper, Sato racing rearsets, Goodridge SS shadow brakelines, EBC Extreme pads, Braking SK wave rotors F&R. few other appearance mods.
back in the mid 70's there was a similar shop for DIY auto/truck repair in South Burlington called the "AutoFix" It was profitable when the original owner was running it, he retired, sold and it went downhill
I don't see it working exclusively for motorcycles
at the AutoFix, (remember this was 35 years ago) $2.50/hr got you a bay, floor jack, jackstands, exaust port, and hand tools (needed to be signed out of tool crib) renting specialty tools/torque wrench, air tools etc was extra, (25¢-$5 depending on tool) ya had to sign a waiver, tire changer was operated by staff
RandyO
IBA#9560
A man with a gun is a citizen
A man without a gun is a subject LETS GO BRANDON
It's been tried a few times in San Diego while I was there, and it's hard to keep a steady income going. They usually last 2 or 3 years, and then fold. I don't know if, with real seasons here, that would make it easier or harder.
PhilB
"A free man must be able to endure it when his fellow men act and live otherwise than he considers proper." -- Ludwig von Mises
1993 Ducati Monster M900; 265,000 miles -- killed by minivan 30Oct17
Ive seen a few auto places like this but they never get alot of interest. Ive never gone to one because if my car cant drive out im stuck paying them for who knows how long. Id imagine insurance and liability would be very high as well as space rent. tool theft may be an issue also. Youd have to buy stock in harbor frieght tools.
I wish it could work but i dont know. Better chance in the city but everything would be higher in cost.
$25/hour? F that
'02 F4i
As a club where you buy in for a percentage of ownership which gives you access to the space and equipment, or perhaps like a country club, this may work. You would need to have a relatively small group of people who are committed to this group, and who this idea would benefit, in order for it to work. As a for profit business... I wouldn't even try.
CCS/LRRS/NEMM AM #205 (Inactive)
Never work and even if they did supply the tools i would rely on them or use them. I got my own tools and place to work on shit so no way I would ever pay 25 and hour. I'd pay the shop 65 an hour first
KB
tool theft is not an issue, tools are signed out of tool crib, yer vehicle doesn't leave the building till all the tools are returned, contract you sign has waivers of liability and lein on your vehicle
RandyO
IBA#9560
A man with a gun is a citizen
A man without a gun is a subject LETS GO BRANDON
Even if I couldn't park my bike in my living room I wouldn't pay $25 an hour..it would force me to rush through whatever I am doing,and that can't be a good thing.
As far as a business,what would you do with all the space during the winter when people couldn't ride to the shop ?
Only option would be to turn it into a heated winter storage.
I don't think that business would last 1 year without .gov subsidies to offset the losses
Great concept,but with all the overhead like insurance,it would be a loss IMO as a business.
That depends. Even during riding season, a lot of the bikes would be worked on because they need real work, and would be transported anyway. In the winter, you'd get it there the same way you would in the summer if the bike wasn't running. Adding winter storage would be a good idea, and if it was right there, people could store the bike there, and go over and get it out and work on their winter projects and upgrades conveniently, renting the bays only when they are actually doing the work on it.Even if I couldn't park my bike in my living room I wouldn't pay $25 an hour..it would force me to rush through whatever I am doing,and that can't be a good thing.
As far as a business,what would you do with all the space during the winter when people couldn't ride to the shop ?
Only option would be to turn it into a heated winter storage.
I don't think that business would last 1 year without .gov subsidies to offset the losses
Great concept,but with all the overhead like insurance,it would be a loss IMO as a business.
It might still be unfeasible. As I said above, I've seen it tried a few times in SoCal, and it never lasted. But I don't think it is impossible, if you have a place where there are enough bikers in the area who could use it. I know that this winter I would have used such a thing a couple times.
PhilB
P.S. I dig your sig.
"A free man must be able to endure it when his fellow men act and live otherwise than he considers proper." -- Ludwig von Mises
1993 Ducati Monster M900; 265,000 miles -- killed by minivan 30Oct17
I've never had to trailer my motorcycle to my own garage. .. Or wherever I worked on it before I had a garage. (Knock on wood.)
Honestly the only time I've ever trailered a motorcycle was because it wasn't registered.
I'd want to ride it in, take it apart, leave it there for a few days while I worked on it an hour or two a day after work, etc. Think they'd only charge me for the hours I was working on the bike even though I left a half assembled motorcycle on a lift for weeks on end?
Me neither. Private garage wins again.
I only have to pay by listening to the missus complain about the mess. And that's a flat rate, if you know what I mean.
Last edited by nhbubba; 03-02-12 at 10:41 AM.
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