I am looking for a space to work on my bike and I have heard that there are a few motorcycle cooperative work spaces. Does anyone know of where or how to find one of these shared spaces? Also, if anyone has a garage or work space I can rent near downtown I would be interested. Thanks PS. If these cooperatives don't exist or if there isn't anything open right now would there be any interest in pooling together resources to create such a space for poor schmucks like me that don't have the luxury of a home garage?
That's a damn good idea. I wonder if you would have to insure that as a business? Anyone know? ETA: I wonder if you could convince a local shop/dealer to offer that.
what r ya lookin for? a storage place or just some coverd space to work on a bike at? i got half a garage. but not to close to downtown round 122nd area.
I am looking for a space to rebuild a bike over the winter. Ideally I would use one of these "cooperatives" because they are supposed to have shared tools and also because of the shared interest and expertise but it almost sounds too good to be true so renting a garage is definitely on the table.
You would probably have to jump through some government hoops to start such a place but I wouldn't think it would make it economically infeasable. As for a shop being open to the idea they would have to see the benefit in it, I am sure it would bring them more business than they would lose from it. Maybe they could even offer classes or charge for expertise. I know I would like to learn from a professional some things I don't know myself. G&H is a laid back shop they might entertain the idea. Anyways, if there is enough interest I would do the research and leg work to see what it would take to start a shared workspace.
I hate to resurrect an old thread, but has any progress been made in this direction? I'm in total agreement with the desire for shared workspace. Not only to be around other people wrenching, but also for the opportunity for apartment-dwellers like myself to do some real work on a bike. The closest I've seen to DIY space is Becker's in Beaverton, but it doesn't look like a good fit for common work.
Click and Clack said they tried it years ago and gave up on it because they had to do so much hand holding and ended up _showing_ people how to do the work. Basically they ended up doing a lot of the work themselves anyway. I've heard other stories about such places, they never make for a good business. A true co-op on the other hand, where people maybe buy a membership or donate tools or equipment, that might work. I would pay 50 or 100 bucks for a membership, no hesitation. And donate some hand tools. I wonder if there's a lawyer in the house who would advise us, pro bono, on how it could be set up.
I'm not sure why it has to have any legality associated with it? Rent a space where bikes and tools and bikes can be put up for a while and split the cost with how ever many people share the space. You will have to invest in tools though. This is not a bad thing since middle of the road Craftsman are lifetime warranty, on majority of things, and will last you a life time unless you lose them. You really don't need that many tools to work on a bike either.
Its nice to see this concept discussed! Part of the planned operation for SUB is to have a rentable DIY work space. I am talking with insurance companies about the feasibility of making it a reality. I am signing a lease this week on the new location here in Seattle and I have room to pull this off. It would require a tech on hand to supervise somewhat but the plans also include having a list of tech's who could be on call to come look over someones shoulder and walk then through the job for a reasonable hourly rate if desired.. hopefully this discussion continues as i enjoy hearing peoples ideas and desires.
If someone were to donate space or even discount the space they might be liable for any injuries, etc. I don't know what insurance might be required if people just got together and rented a space but a lawyer might be able to tell us. I have no idea what other liabilities and difficulties there might be but asking a lawyer beforehand is the best way to avoid possible (and very costly) mistakes. better safe than sorry, right? Agree on the tools, I have a fair number of Craftsman tools that have seen more than three decades hard use. Every five or ten years I enjoy tossing a broken ratchet handle on the counter and Walkimg away with a shiny new one.
Keeping someone there full time would cost too much, methinks. You could have certain hours / days where a knowledgable person will be on hand.
Has any progress been made? I live in the Portland area and am currently looking for a shared motorcycle workspace/storage space. I would be able to contribute a chest of tools to the cause and be willing to split the rent dues. Regarding the legal aspect, I don't see why it would have to be a complicated matter, just have everyone sign a release of liability and lease agreement. But then again, I'm not a lawyer and the law is a crazy thing these days.
I live in Oregon City, and although I should clear it with the girlfriend, we have a three car garage that I am working on cleaning up and will have tons of space to work on bikes. Storing the bikes there may not be feasible because of the commute just to pick it up for rides and the space is pretty much taken up with quads, but bringing it over to get some maintenance done probably won't be a problem. I am not much of a mechanic, but I can certainly give a hand where needed. PM me if you are interested.
I think [MENTION=1137]Sentor[/MENTION] has storage for rent, maybe you can work on your bikes there too? Idk...
This thread by Vader might be of interest to you: https://pnwriders.com/portland-region/186551-opening-up-my-mancave.html