If you're a motorcycle rider, then more than likely you work on your ride. Some guys do it out of a rusty, old two-drawer toolbox inherited from Dad, a mismatch of metric and SAE sockets with a rusty crescent wrench to the rescue in the tough times all in a tin can of a dirt-floored outdoor shed to match. But there's nothing sweeter than having the right tools, the right space and the proper setup to make an official zone for bike chores, the man corner in your moto world.
Since we work on our bikes here at Dirt Rider, we wanted to have the best setup possible. In reality, we started with just an open warehouse floor, interrupted only by some overhead storage shelving. Since the bays were exactly eight feet wide, this made getting prefabricated benches to slide in a simple task.
JL has never been shy about diving into mechanical messes, but he's really brave with a full set of trick tools and a cool shop on hand.
We turned to RB Components. Through its Spec Alloy division, it manufactures over 200 standardized aluminum and stainless cabinets that come in most desirable combinations. We picked out one base cabinet with a toolbox insert and three standard base units that include adjustable internal shelves, and all fit between our bays perfectly.
Next came lighting, and it was a simple task of wiring in some hanging fluorescent lights and switching them on. Think about the lighting and electrical requirements that you might need when building a shop, because before building out is a better time to be getting at the walls and wires than after. We also had access to a compressor line, which we plumbed into our bench area for pneumatic devices and filling tires with air.
Above the benches we hung Spec Alloy's 16-inch overhead cabinets. The trick gas-shock doors are standard and swing vertically to allow for easy storage access. They were simple to install directly into the wall and gave us additional storage overhead while leaving valuable bench space. Take it from us, with four fully filled upper cabinets, you can never have enough storage space (or enough motor oil, chain lube, filter oil, etc.).
When it came time for the tools, we hooked up with Mac Tools. With more than 70 years in the tool-making business, Mac makes equipment that is professional grade and its 2000-distributor base reaches automotive shops in mobile tool trucks around the world. We were super impressed with Mac's roller carts, since we'd be working on multiple projects in different locations in the shop; this way the tools come to us. We built up separate SAE and metric boxes with a full complement of wrenches, sockets and drivers, screwdrivers, pliers and a few high-quality gizmos like snap-ring pliers, punches and torque wrenches. After only a few months of using the tools, we are impressed at how nice it is to use high-quality stuff; they make wrenching much easier and less stressful. Yes, good tools make wrenching fun, tough jobs easy and increase your macho factor almost as much as big tires on your truck. And good tools seem to have an addictive quality as well, as we're already jonesing for more tools even though we pretty much have all of our basic needs covered. Don't say we didn't warn you! Mac Tools should come with a caution label. And having full sets, all the sizes, makes you a powerful mechanic capable of any job. Thanks to your new tools you'll make new friends and meet interesting people; just check them at the door for anything they might have "forgotten" to take out of their pocket on the way out.
Motorcycle applications require a lot of unique, specialized and time-saving tools. There was one sure place to turn for these. Motion Pro has all of the tools that answer the question, "How do I get that off?" From tire irons to blind bearing pullers to seal savers to chain breakers, the company pretty much offers it all-more of those special tools you'd ever imagine or know even existed until you totally need one. Some of the stuff is plain genius, almost magical at replacing the pry-bar, hammer and destruction that usually accompanies parts that don't want to come apart. Motion Pro also makes T-handles, which are like cheating on the easy-to-get-at fasteners, one step below the golden nuggets of battery-powered tools. Mmm, batteries!