Motorcycle Forum / General / Technical / September 2008

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