geoffm
7th January 2009, 21:50
My garage seems to be shrinking, and the LC will be returning soon I expect, reducing space even more. Something Had To Be Done!
A recent acquisition is a M/C dolly off Trademe, from seller "Otira" (hauer(at) xtra. co.nz ). It is basically a long tray on wheels, that you roll the bike up onto and has a sticky-out bit for the centre stand. There is a built ini chock assembly at each end that both act as a loading ramp and lock the gizmo as you are loading or unloading.
It was $24 postage (reasonable given it is 30kg and a big box ) and $78 and had a BIN for $90 something.
Put it together today, a bit fiddly to assemble without a helper but it works ok, and at that price, I can't buy the steel, let alone the castors and paint.
The bad stuff: Castors are so-so quality - non ball bearing plastic wheels with an unsealed none-to-tight rotating ring bearing - adequate but might be a bit lightweight long term. The assembly is rated to 1250lb - around 500kg, and I can't see these castors being rated anywhere near 125kg each. It rolls ok with the SV on it, but you need to make sure the floor is clean and smooth with the small plastic castor wheels.
The paint is typical Chinese - thinner than water so scuffs up easily and missing on a couple of small patches. Given where it is being used, not a problem.
Pros: it is cheap and it works - and that price makes it a no-brainer if you have a bike that lives in a corner. Being able to roll sideways into a space opens up lots of new storage possibilities.
Overall: Works. IMO would suit lighter bikes, just to make it easier to move, although the 190kg SV moves around ok. Ideal for second bikes or something that doesn't get a lot of use, just as a convenience factor. Would buy again.
Another alternative for bikes with centrestands is a smaller dolly like http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33675, which is similar to one I made before. I made the dumb mistake of not using lockable castors on mine, alterations are a future plan.
A recent acquisition is a M/C dolly off Trademe, from seller "Otira" (hauer(at) xtra. co.nz ). It is basically a long tray on wheels, that you roll the bike up onto and has a sticky-out bit for the centre stand. There is a built ini chock assembly at each end that both act as a loading ramp and lock the gizmo as you are loading or unloading.
It was $24 postage (reasonable given it is 30kg and a big box ) and $78 and had a BIN for $90 something.
Put it together today, a bit fiddly to assemble without a helper but it works ok, and at that price, I can't buy the steel, let alone the castors and paint.
The bad stuff: Castors are so-so quality - non ball bearing plastic wheels with an unsealed none-to-tight rotating ring bearing - adequate but might be a bit lightweight long term. The assembly is rated to 1250lb - around 500kg, and I can't see these castors being rated anywhere near 125kg each. It rolls ok with the SV on it, but you need to make sure the floor is clean and smooth with the small plastic castor wheels.
The paint is typical Chinese - thinner than water so scuffs up easily and missing on a couple of small patches. Given where it is being used, not a problem.
Pros: it is cheap and it works - and that price makes it a no-brainer if you have a bike that lives in a corner. Being able to roll sideways into a space opens up lots of new storage possibilities.
Overall: Works. IMO would suit lighter bikes, just to make it easier to move, although the 190kg SV moves around ok. Ideal for second bikes or something that doesn't get a lot of use, just as a convenience factor. Would buy again.
Another alternative for bikes with centrestands is a smaller dolly like http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33675, which is similar to one I made before. I made the dumb mistake of not using lockable castors on mine, alterations are a future plan.