Motorcycle collective workshop questions and feedback ?

[swan]

I would like to compile a list of communal motorcycle workshop collectives where members store, wrench and repair their bikes and share workshop tools with others. I am not looking for full-on service shops, but rather workshops shared with others to wrench, ride and relax. Post your your links, images, experiences, reviews, stories etc and I would like to know the basics:

1. total size of your workspace and individual work/ storage areas (square ft)
2. rental/ membership price
3. number of members
4. problems you have experienced and improvements you can recommend

One and half years ago, I created an informal motorcycle workshop with a handful of friends (the Winona Riders), it has grown quickly and we are running out of space with all our bikes, tools and equipment. We really enjoy our time working in our shop with friends and in a relaxed, fun, safe, secure and productive environment, where we all help one another. I am mulling over the idea of expanding our shop to another larger location, investing in more machinery, installing plumbed compressed air lines, better electrical service, ventilation, a paint booth, grinding/welding/blasting and polishing room and more. We have several other interested people but we would need to take in strangers in order to be cost effective and this could possible create potential problems and we would need to formalize the rental agreements, rules, request a security deposit etc. I am testing the waters to see what and what does not work in other motorcycle collectives and believe this information would be helpful to others considering a similar venture or individuals looking for a place to store and wrench their bikes. This would not be a retail store but could offer basic instruction and services like tire and oil changes, tuning, carb balancing, welding etc for reasonable fees.

Thanks!

 

[mark13018]

My friends/family and I started some things about 12-18 months ago but haven't got too far with our careers and families and stuff. Built and wrenched on quite a few bikes in the old shop and just go the new one in August and built/wrenched on about 15 since then.

My brother runs paint out of his shop where he works since it's huge and set up for that. Another friend works at a machine shop and has almost everything you could possibly imagine. Another is a pin stripe master. That stuff isn't really in-house but I'm working on getting more stuff for in-house.

When we are working together with each others bikes, there's usually little to no money transfer but when we work on other people's bikes it is usually on a case by case basis and encourage people to learn about their machines. Never charge more than half/hr of what the local "professional" shops are charging which are generally a lot less professional than garage builders.

We usually trade, make, sell, and give parts amongst each other, friends, people in forums/Facebook groups.. I sell some on eBay personally also to help in funding the projects but maybe 20% of my parts go there, about 30% get stored and 50% given or traded.

All of us have jobs to pay bills and most work 40-60 hrs per week and do this as more of a hobby than a business or a career mainly because it is nice to have very little to 0 overhead. Not to mention we also make little to 0 on the bikes. Hahaha.

Here is a couple of pictures of my set up. These are a little older pics and have made a couple changes but the basic area is about the same.

Also my Facebook group/page is listed below in my sig lines.

 

[SONICJK]

I'm interested in this as well.
My shop currently has 2 of us in it. About 50x25 of workspace, a lot more space but a lot of it is full of my trucks and jeeps and storage stuff.
We are currently expanding machinery and stuff.
Mig and Tig Welders, powder coat, sand blaster, plumbed air, plenty of tools etc.
Working on getting more metalworking equipment.

I'd be open to having more people come in, but my space is attached to my house and my place of business, so it could be an issue and I would have to trust the person to allow them access whenever they want the two of us coming and going as we please is fine, but having people I don't know or trust I'm not sure about.

 

[mark13018]

I'd be open to having more people come in, but my space is attached to my house and my place of business, so it could be an issue and I would have to trust the person to allow them access whenever they want the two of us coming and going as we please is fine, but having people I don't know or trust I'm not sure about.

+1, same situation for me.

 

[nguettler]

I've been working on starting something like this in LA recently, and initially wanted to find out if it could work as a self-sustaining co-op. Similar to www.motoshopsf.com, but with more emphasis on education and hands-on workshops while providing a positive space for repairs, builds, tool swaps/rentals, knowledge exchange, etc.

Finding affordable space anywhere in the city is the first wall I hit. I also met with some local shop owners who told me about the never-ending series of insurance and regulatory horror stories they have to deal with.

My conclusion so far is the only way to make it work without a massive loan is to get a group of trustworthy people together and start something on a grass-roots level in a small garage. As long as it's not officially taking in money, it's not a "business" in the eyes of the city, and should be able to stay under the radar and free from the toxic red tape.

I've lost count of the people I've met this summer alone who want to work on their own machines but don't have a garage, tools, or anyone to show them how to properly do the job. I think there's a huge need for more places like this where riders at all levels can pool resources and learn from each other and experts hands-on.

If anyone in the LA area is interested, PM me. I've got a couple friends and contacts who want to do this, it's time to make it happen.

 

[AlphaDogChoppers]

I started a thread recently for the purpose of brainstorming a business model for something like this. It was intended to be an adjunct to my full time shop. Lots of good ideas in there, plus some links to a few places that are doing it.

Among the obstacles, adequate space is hard to find without it costing a fortune. Where space is cheap, people don't want to go. It pretty much needs to be an urban environment where people don't already have their own garages, but urban space is expensive. Just me and all my stuff, with room for storing bikes waiting in queue, is a tight squeeze in 2,000 sq ft. Even with 2,000 sq ft, I still have to roll bikes outside to have enough space to work, so I need outside space in addition to that 2,000 sq ft.

Here is that thread:
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=53926.0

 

[swan]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it, keep 'em coming. There are several groups of people with common problems and desires. The need for riders to have a space to store, build and wrench their bikes, learn and expand their skills and the desire to expand people's current work spaces with more room, more tools, more equipment etc. I started as the former and am now the later. Again, I do not seek to build a motorcycle service shop with retail, but rather create a place to store, wrench and build bikes with others.

My domestic life is much improved since I moved in to my shop. No more motorcycle (but it's a Gold Star...) in my living room, no parts on the kitchen table for my girlfriend to bitch about. I am much happier having a dedicated, well organized and clean shop to work in. I live in an apartment with no garage so renting another space was necessary to wrench and store bikes over the long Minnesota winters. Anyone who owns or wants to own an older bike will eventually need a place for their bikes too. Now that I want to expand to a larger space I would need to step this up to a business. In my town of Winona, rental space is fairly high, but I could buy a large commercial building for a reasonable price, live up top and start a co-op below. While I mull this over, I trying to be practical and realize this could create more work and responsibility in my life (which I do not need) and could take some of the fun out of my hobby/obsession. This is why I am asking for feedback of others' experiences.

My machinist friend Skip is visiting the Lowside Garage http://www.lowsidegarage.com/services/ this week while on a trip and I will get his review later this week. From their website, this sounds like a well run cooperative.

Thanks again,

Swan