Not quite a GS mod, but a mod for my GS

WRCSixtyThree

WRCSixtyThree

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So last night, I undertook a little project.

Many people will have the same problem as me... single garage, narrow driveway. So ride in and then push backwards out? Or fifteen point turn in the driveway then push backwards in to drive out? Turn the bike on its stand in the garage? Buy a mover dolly (most of which are only rated to 150-200KG).

I thought there must be an easier and cheaper way... so I built myself a bike turntable. Total cost, £12 using a ring bearing rated to 450Kg, and the two circular wooden ends of a CAT5 data cable drum, plus a piece of rubber mat, some nuts and bolts, plugs and screws and some contact adhesive.

Happy to share more details of how I did it if anyone's interested. I'll post photos of it too if anyone wants to take a look.
 
Roger that. I'll grab some photos when I get home tonight, and I'll see if I can work out how to get a video on YouTube. It's very cool, though I say it myself.

My mate's already asked if I'll build him one for beer tokens; maybe I should document it with photos (or perhaps start selling them on eBay!).
 
WRCSixtyThree said:
Roger that. I'll grab some photos when I get home tonight, and I'll see if I can work out how to get a video on YouTube. It's very cool, though I say it myself.

My mate's already asked if I'll build him one for beer tokens; maybe I should document it with photos (or perhaps start selling them on eBay!).
Click to expand...
I would buy one from you Subject to price of course !
 
redrick said:
I would buy one from you Subject to price of course !
Click to expand...

If I thought the market was big enough I'd be tempted, but in all honesty I think a set of instructions on how to make them will be the way to go. Course, if someone's not equipped to do it I could probably assemble one for material costs+postage+beer voucher :)
 
WRCSixtyThree said:
If I thought the market was big enough I'd be tempted, but in all honesty I think a set of instructions on how to make them will be the way to go. Course, if someone's not equipped to do it I could probably assemble one for material costs+postage+beer voucher :)
Click to expand...

You could always sell the instructions :augie
 
Just make the two 38cms discs out of polyethelene sheet with a small nut and bolt through the middle. I used 6mm for the bottom and 2mm for the top one - no need for any bearing
 
The Bear said:
Thats a great idea. So I assume you use it by putting the centre stand onto the turntable?
Click to expand...

Yep, centre stand, swivel, park. Happy days.

Kritou said:
Just make the two 38cms discs out of polyethelene sheet with a small nut and bolt through the middle. I used 6mm for the bottom and 2mm for the top one - no need for any bearing
Click to expand...

I did consider that, but I wanted to minimise any possibility of flexing of the turntable under the weight of the bike (bearing in mind the pressure on the centrestand legs). It was also important to me to have a flat top surface for the rubber pad for neatness, since this is a permanent fixture in the garage! Bearing was only a tenner and also makes it easy to fix the turntable to the garage floor as there is clearance within the bearing ring for fixings, something you'd need much thicker sheet to accommodate if using PE/PU (allowing for countersinking the heads).

steve g said:
Picked one of these up used off this site. Works great in my small garage.
http://www.motorworks.co.uk/vlive/Shop/Parts.php?T=6&Q=turntable&x=0&y=0
Click to expand...

I hadn't seen those before today... but £96!!! Happy with my £15 contraption, means more money for :beer:
 
This is not a 'dig' at 1200 owners ... but, if you had an 1100/1150, just put on centrestand, tilt the bike toward you, and swivel the bike round on one leg of the stand.
(cue ... you'll break the stand .. you'll crack the gearbox comments)
 
Den said:
This is not a 'dig' at 1200 owners ... but, if you had an 1100/1150, just put on centrestand, tilt the bike toward you, and swivel the bike round on one leg of the stand.
(cue ... you'll break the stand .. you'll crack the gearbox comments)
Click to expand...

I used to be able to spin my bikes on the sidestand, but with a fully-laden GS, plus a brand new freshly painted garage floor to protect, plus a dodgy shoulder from a highside at an RAF Leeming track day, that's no longer an option for me.
 
WRCSixtyThree said:
........ I did consider that, but I wanted to minimise any possibility of flexing of the turntable under the weight of the bike (bearing in mind the pressure on the centrestand legs). It was also important to me to have a flat top surface for the rubber pad for neatness, since this is a permanent fixture in the garage! Bearing was only a tenner and also makes it easy to fix the turntable to the garage floor as there is clearance within the bearing ring for fixings, something you'd need much thicker sheet to accommodate if using PE/PU (allowing for countersinking the heads).....
Click to expand...

OK, I can see where you are coming from, but I wanted a portable turntable. I actually have a version where both sheets are 2mm and it works just fine even on slightly uneven surfaces. It is flexible enough to stow in a pannier when touring for turning the bike in restricted spaces such as ferries and on slight downslopes

Having to lift a heavily laden bike only 6mm onto it's centrestand is also a plus!
 
Kritou said:
OK, I can see where you are coming from, but I wanted a portable turntable. I actually have a version where both sheets are 2mm and it works just fine even on slightly uneven surfaces. It is flexible enough to stow in a pannier when touring for turning the bike in restricted spaces such as ferries and on slight downslopes

Having to lift a heavily laden bike only 6mm onto it's centrestand is also a plus!
Click to expand...

Ah - I toyed wit the idea of not screwing it down, but I could only come up with the one 'in-garage' use case for it. To be honest, I don't find the bike is *significantly* more difficult to lift onto the stand on the turntable than on the ground; the extra height also allows me to turn the bike more easily as you end up with more clearance under both wheels.

It's also great for working on the bike as I can turn it into any position suitable for the task to maximise space - having the bike across the garage instead of in line is very useful for valve clearance checks etc.
 
Try two lipped round beer trays with grease in between-works a treat! (it doesn't work with square ones !!!)
Den
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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