Show off your garage skils

[cooneyr]

Maintaining or building bits for your bike is all part of the fun of owning a bike. Show off what you have done. Changing the oil doesn't count but feel free to skite about how fast you can change a tyre.

My latest creation, a carrier bolted to the chassis of our Vitara to carry the dirt bike. Took the bike from Christchurch to Nelson and back a few weeks back and it worked perfectly. Not quickly removable but already got ideas for version 2.


I drew up and got laser cut out of alloy some bits for the KTM 950 Adventure. The piece on the back of the seat bolts to the triple clamp to hold extra lights.


Cheers R

[Padmei]

I was pretty impressed with your carrier when I saw it. Does the Vitara handle it ok? I thought it might make the steering a bit lite when the bike was loaded.

I'm pretty impressed with the backyard engineering skills of a lot of kiwis. I just read Phreaky Phils thread on adv rider about his rear disk conversion on his GS -pretty serious thinking & measuring going on there.

Unfortunately I don't think my efforts would provide good readng- unless youliked a chuckle.

[Taz]

I quickly knocked up a rack for my 525 in an afternoon before the last MMMM ride. Benn meaning to remove it for a year to tidy it up a bit but hey it's doing the job fine.

[Taz]

Oh and I changed the base gasket on this tractor.

[Taz]

And did a minor job on my ducati........ I should really have taken pics of the wiring loom before I pulled it out as it took me forever to work out how it went back in as it weaves in and out of the trellis frame on both sides.

[clint640]

I took an unsuspecting mild mannered KL250 & mutated it into a hard core long range adventure touring weapon. Pannier rails, carrier & custom tank mount all made by me, as well as several other minor mods.

Now I've got to do it all again on a WR250R The compensation package is worth it though

Clint

[Taz]

Training the apprentices. It's great having twin boys who just love to help.

[Transalper]

.....My latest creation, a carrier bolted to the chassis of our Vitara to carry the dirt bike. Took the bike from Christchurch to Nelson and back a few weeks back and it worked perfectly. Not quickly removable but already got ideas for version 2.....

Heard about this but hadn't seen it. looks good, like the extra lights.
Not really knowing much about strengths or weaknessssss in engineering myself, the one thing that you may need to look in to is the obscured number plate.
The police on a bad day may not like that enough for it to cost you.
Some of the cycling forums mention this issue when carting bikes about on racks on backs of cars. The XR looks like it blocks the plate a whole lit more than a couple of cycles.

[tri boy]

I can squash empty beer cans in the vice

[JATZ]

Just pissin about one day, there's a vid of it actually running around here somewhere

CooneyR..... we have some hunks of rhs welded to the drawbar of the safari, I've often looked at them and thought it would be easy enough to make a frame and just slide it into the rhs and hold it on with pins.
I could take a pic of them if you like, and they stop a bit of damage when dropping off banks and rocks

[Padmei]

And did a minor job on my ducati........ I should really have taken pics of the wiring loom before I pulled it out as it took me forever to work out how it went back in as it weaves in and out of the trellis frame on both sides.

Man you have a lot of bikes- I'm jealous.
What is the sieve looking thing on the Ducati? Air cleaner?

Watch those apprentices - lil India (5) was helping Gonzo get better by sticking tools on it here & there. When I finished working on the bike I gave her a lift down the driveway. Something was rattling so I stopped to see what it was - couldn't see anything so went to get on & ride off & the handlebars wouldn't turn - a tyre lever was wedged between the frame & fork legs. Lucky I stoppped & checked when I did.

[Corse1]

Made my own pit stand for the Triumph and yes it was a little short to start with and needs some paint ..and a couple of pics of valve check on Ducati as I do my own maintenance........

Next is to make up my own rear racks for both bikes

[Padmei]

Was working for an old fella DIY engineer yesterday who showed me his work hoist/ platform made from an old hospital bed. Cost him $20 & raises it up & down easily - pretty solid & can handlea great deal of weight too. If I had room in my shed for one it would be a great bike hoist.

[Buddha#81:Me]

I turned a perfectly good adventure bike into a weapon that can run with some pretty serious motards and can embarrass plenty of sports bikes in the twisties...........don't worry boys, 20 min and its back as a scummy old adventure bike!

[cooneyr]

I was pretty impressed with your carrier when I saw it. Does the Vitara handle it ok? I thought it might make the steering a bit lite when the bike was loaded.

I'm pretty impressed with the backyard engineering skills of a lot of kiwis. I just read Phreaky Phils thread on adv rider about his rear disk conversion on his GS -pretty serious thinking & measuring going on there.

Unfortunately I don't think my efforts would provide good readng- unless youliked a chuckle.

Vitara handles fine with it on. Better than if my Ma and Pa are in the back seat Kept the bike as far forward as possible to minimise this effect. I reckon you should show off your bike paining skills

Training the apprentices. It's great having twin boys who just love to help.

Awesome - can't wait for my son to be old enough. Good work on the engine work too.

.....Now I've got to do it all again on a WR250R The compensation package is worth it though

Sounds like fun I think it is a laugh when people go on about "building" a bike when all they do is bolt on bits they've bought. Some of the stuff is pretty complicated but they didn't make it themselves. Nordies GSX400ADV and Topo's rally gear for the DRZ400 are what its all about.

.....one thing that you may need to look in to is the obscured number plate....

Yer I noticed that but wifey said she would pay the fines if we got one. I should just make a plate to hang of the bike.

Just pissin about one day, there's a vid of it actually running around here somewhere

CooneyR..... we have some hunks of rhs welded to the drawbar of the safari, I've often looked at them and thought it would be easy enough to make a frame and just slide it into the rhs and hold it on with pins.
I could take a pic of them if you like, and they stop a bit of damage when dropping off banks and rocks

Those lights are awesome. I wonder how long they would last though - probably longer than the bike. My plans for V2 of the carrier involve some RHS or tube to use exactly like you describe. I just used the steel I had in the shed the first time. Toy budget has decrease a little bit recently and all the steel merchants round here no longer open on a Saturday - bastards.

Made my own pit stand for the Triumph and yes it was a little short to start with and needs some paint ..and a couple of pics of valve check on Ducati as I do my own maintenance........

Next is to make up my own rear racks for both bikes

That pit stand is tidy! Good job.

Was working for an old fella DIY engineer yesterday who showed me his work hoist/ platform made from an old hospital bed. Cost him $20 & raises it up & down easily - pretty solid & can handlea great deal of weight too. If I had room in my shed for one it would be a great bike hoist.

Great idea. Pity the garage is too small.

Cheers R