Using a camper van for winter bike storage

 

Last winter my Harley Ultra Classic spent too much time outside
under a bike cover and got some rust (mostly on the pipes).
Here in Vancouver, Canada we have rainy winters with occasional
wet slushy snow, like Seattle.

Indoor bike storage rates are steep here, especially with the option
to take it out temporarily in mid-winter, which is what I'd want.

So for this coming winter I scrounged an old Class B camper van that's
still well insulated and moisture sealed. It was parked outside all last
winter at the blueberry farm and everything inside stayed dry and non-
rusty, so I think it'll do the job, especially if I put in an electric
heat source now and then to drive off dampness. I'll have to gut the
interior to make room.

Of course the hard part is getting the bike in and out. The rear door
opening is 4 feet high, and the top of the Ultra's fairing is 49" from
the ground, after removing the windshield. (Times like these I wish
I'd bought a Road King). However I can temporarily compress the front
forks an inch or so with ratchet-type tiedown straps. The tour pack's
lid has to come off as well.

Either all that or I get creative with the angle grinder and make
the doorway taller, creating a 3rd door which would swing upwards.
I'd also need some weather stripping to seal it.

Anyway I haven't decided how to move the bike inside.
The alternatives seem to be:

(1) Horizontal platform, something like one of these:
http://www.new-era-motorcycle-us.com/lift.html
First lift the bike, then roll it forwards.

(2) Ramp. For instance, straddle the bike and either ride it up
under its own power or use some kind of winch. A local discount
auto parts supplier has a 660 lb electric cable hoist on sale
for $88.

I have a folding metal bike ramp (1000 lbs capacity) and with a plank
on each side for my feet I think I can keep it steady.

Parking the van's front wheels on steel shop ramps during loading/
unloading would lower the back end (it's a stretched van),
tilt the floor at a slight slope and lessen the angle between
the ramp and the van's floor.

Another factor in my favor is that the top edge of the fairing is
back somewhat from the front wheel, and if the rear wheel is still on
the ramp (and therefore lower), the fairing will be proportionately
lower as well, so there's a possibility that I might not even need
to compress the forks, or at least not as much.

(3) Sling (as from an engine hoist). Lift bike and then roll hoist,
or back up the van.

I want to be able to get the bike in and out on my own. Well, according
to Occam's Razor the best solution is the simplest, which I think is
the ramp, as it uses the least amount of equipment.

Any suggestions appreciated. TIA,

Sean_Q_
'99 FLHTCUI / '06 S40 / too many round tuits

 

Sean_Q_ wrote:


I've seen some bike covers, which enclose the bike totally in a sealed bag,
so to speak.  You need to use something to dry the air inside, but iirc,
it's sold together with the cover.  I imagine that you dry the dehumidifier
in an oven before use, or something.

Anyway, it should work fine too.  Just an idea.
 

Can't you lower down the handlebars for storage?


Oh my, you guys have a lot of money to throw around.  $88 for loading a
bike?  It would cost a beer at worst around here.  For a bottle of rye guys
would disassemble it and assemble it again in your living room on the
fourth floor, with no lift. ;-)


Just take the fairing off, and ride the thing in.  Or call someone for help,
and push it in.
 

Andrzej Rosa

 

Andrzej Rosa wrote:


I've considered them but haven't found any around here. Besides, it
would feel more secure to have the bike inside something. Out of sight,
out of mind.


Handlebars aren't the problem. Here's a side view of an Ultra Classic
(wish my bike looked this good!):

http://www.steel-horse-news.com/Harley/S_Eagle/images/08_FLHTCUSE_R.jpg

The highest point with red color is the peak edge of the fibreglass
fairing (from where the windshield extends) which is 49" high. The
handlebars are below that, and also my mirrors are lower so they're
not a problem either.

I think what will make this work is that if the rear wheel is lower
(ie, on a ramp) than the front wheel then that point on the fairing
will also be lower. It's like getting bulky furniture through a doorway;
the twist 'n shout method.


Where's "around here"? Eastern Europe? Much as I'd like to tour Europe
(on an unlimited budget) that isn't likely to happen any time soon.
Besides, I'd prefer not to have my Harley reassembled on the 4th floor
of some building in Cracow, or in that church tower where the trumpet
player sounded the alarm in 1241 that the Tartars were attacking.


Scary. I've canceled that option.


Someone's not always handy

SQ

 

Sean_Q_ wrote:


So, if it must be this van, take off what is necessary, eventually strap the
forks, and it will fit.


It might work.  It depends on several variables, though.
 

Well, there is this risk, I have to admit... ;-)
 

Taking the fairing off would solve the problem of fitting through the door,
wouldn't it?  If so, you can always manage to get your bike up there
somehow.  But I don't think that it's really a good solution.  Too much
hassle to just store a bike.  How about combining my idea with an enclosed
bag (you can get them on the net somewhere, don't pretend you can't) with a
metal shed?  Some expense, but it will work for years.
 

Yeah, I remember.  I lived for some time in Berlin.  Very nice people, who
will rarely offer help to anyone, neither ask for help.  Strange.

--
Andrzej Rosa

 

Andrzej Rosa wrote:


You can't simply "take off the fairing" from an Electra Glide.
It's integral.


First, we take Manhattan. Then we take Berlin...

SQ
"Ich bin ein Berliner." --John F. Kennedy; June 26, 1963