Motorcycle turntables

[BAT 11]

Hi, have any riders used or own a turntable capable of spinning a Norge in a cramped shed?  Tried fabricating a 18 inch lazy Susan on a thick steel plate but need something more professional.  Any tips or advice welcolme.

[Tobit]

Haven't done it but I'd put rollers around the perimeter and a bearing in the center.

Still, having room cleared to rotate a motorcycle isn't as cramped as some places I need to back out of.

Tobit

[Triple Jim]

Still, having room cleared to rotate a motorcycle isn't as cramped as some places I need to back out of.

That's what I was thinking... if there's room to rotate it on a turntable, is seems like there'd be room to leave it stationary and move your chair around it.  I haven't sketched it out though, so I'm probably wrong.   

[mickr69]

Probably need to make something like this

http://www.matturntable.com/index.html

[wrbix]

Don't need no stinkin' turntable:
http://youtu.be/q_1GxcM95go

.....watch at 1:00 mark.
Otherwise a classic.

[Triple Jim]

Nicely done.  I need to practice that.

[Dean Rose]

I've got one out in the garage that I never used. Let me look tomorrow and I'll let you know what it is and how much I want for it.



Dean

[canuguzzi]

Save yourself a big hassle.

Go to tap plastics or Interstate Plastics, some place like that.

Have them cut you a piece of UMHW. make it 1/2" thick and long and wide enough to put your bike on it.  Where the tires rest, put a piece of 1/4" plywood, screw it on and countersink the screw heads.

Roll your bike on it. Then you can push it anywhere you want with one hand, spin it if you like. Cost you about $45.

If you always put the bike on the center stand, square of the UMHW underneath some plywood. UMHW need only be 1/8" thick. Instant turn table. If there is too much friction with the floor, some dry lube and you can spin it like a top and push it around like a toy. Cost about $15.

I have a picture of mine, if I get some time I'll find and post it. Works like a charm on concrete but would work on any solid floor, even carpeted.

[Tobit]

Don't need no stinkin' turntable:
http://youtu.be/q_1GxcM95go

.....watch at 1:00 mark.
Otherwise a classic.

Now that's a trick.   

[pikipiki]

I immediately though of this -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bat-Out-Hell-Picture-Disc/dp/B000LQPIPU

[Silver Goose]

Take a look at the Harbor Freight motorcycle unit. The HF device can be used to move the bike into or out of plus the bike can be be turned in it's own length.  The HF unit is about $75.00 w/coupon.

Good Luck

[MGrego]

Save yourself a big hassle.

Go to tap plastics or Interstate Plastics, some place like that.

Have them cut you a piece of UMHW. make it 1/2" thick and long and wide enough to put your bike on it.  Where the tires rest, put a piece of 1/4" plywood, screw it on and countersink the screw heads

I have a picture of mine, if I get some time I'll find and post it. Works like a charm on concrete but would work on any solid floor, even carpeted.

I would like to see a picture of your setup, sounds interesting......

[normzone]

Don't need no stinkin' turntable:
http://youtu.be/q_1GxcM95go

.....watch at 1:00 mark.
Otherwise a classic.

I'm going to have to practice that. On concrete only, not asphalt. And only in places where I'm not too concerned about the property owner's opinion - you'd still probably be drilling.

Hmm, my bike is on our concrete loading dock today...

[BAT 11]

Thanks Norge Pilot,   Photo would be great, are we looking at a big sheet of cutting board type of plastic, less friction. One on top of the other Iam open to any ideas,the cheaper the better.

[fotoguzzi]

Don't need no stinkin' turntable:
http://youtu.be/q_1GxcM95go

.....watch at 1:00 mark.
Otherwise a classic.

That maneuver is pretty easy with practice ( I use the SS not Cs), of course the size of you compared to the bike is a factor. my little Madass can be flipped like that with ease.. the Uly not so..

[Lannis]

That maneuver is pretty easy with practice ( I use the SS not Cs), of course the size of you compared to the bike is a factor. my little Madass can be flipped like that with ease.. the Uly not so..

That was a medium-small dude and the R90S is not a small bike.   He spun that bike like it was nothing .....

Lannis

[zedXmick]

I would like to see a picture of your setup, sounds interesting......

 :1:

[fotoguzzi]

That was a medium-small dude and the R90S is not a small bike.   He spun that bike like it was nothing .....

Lannis

That maneuver is pretty easy with practice

it's all about balance..

[tris]

That was a medium-small dude and the R90S is not a small bike.   He spun that bike like it was nothing .....

Lannis

Photo chopped 

The bloke that taught me could spin an ER5 on the side stand

I tried it a couple of times on various bikes with no success. Interesting though this chap did it on the centre stand

[Farmer Dan]

Don't need no stinkin' turntable:
http://youtu.be/q_1GxcM95go

.....watch at 1:00 mark.
Otherwise a classic.

I can remember watching my Father spin his Eldorado like that.  I never had the courage to try it.

[Perazzimx14]

http://www.harborfreight.com/quickview/index/index/id/3331/

[Rough Edge racing]

 Very easy...https://youtu.be/dhpeeEjheEE

[Tobit]

That was a medium-small dude and the R90S is not a small bike.   He spun that bike like it was nothing .....

Lannis

One thing I recall about my R100RT was it's balance on the centerstand.  By design or not, it was just slightly weighted toward the front.  What was remarkable about it was if you removed the front wheel, the bike would rock back and rest on the rear.  Every other motorcycle I've had needed a jack under the engine to keep the front end in the air while changing tires.

So, don't know if that was the case with the R90S, but if so, that could have made that maneuver much easier than say with a Tonti era Goose.

Again referring to my R100RT, it was the lightest in it's class at the time.  That being 1000cc fully faired tourers with bags.  Interesting side note, not only the lightest, but had the highest load capacity too.

Tobit

[ken farr]

The UHMW plastic sounds like a brilliant idea.

Spinning a motor on the center or the side stand makes me nervous.

kjf

[Moto Fugazzi]

Very easy...https://youtu.be/dhpeeEjheEE

I wouldn't trust my V11S kickstand mount, as I've seen a few reports of those breaking breaking of at the engine case.

I've done the CS trick for years now...I thought everybody knew that trick. Helps to do it on a smooth surface. When I was 145 lbs, I used to spin my 1986 Yamaha Venture around like that.
Ken

[canuguzzi]

Ok, since I like life easy, forget things with wheels on them (forget to block them and...), lazy susans (really, you want a lazy susan, I want mine busy)

UHMW is the answer. UHMW = Ultra High Molecular Weight).  Get a piece, put it under the center stand and be done. Push your Norge anywhere, spin it around with very little effort. This solution will hold thousands of pounds.

You can get UHMW at most plastics places. If not, you can also order it from Interstate Plastics.

I call it "The Pivot Point". Gotta call it something.

If you put a sheet of this stuff under your car you can spin your car too.

There is also VHMW and will work about the same. The V stands for Very. Both are very stable but the UHMW is highly water absorbent resistant. Both are as imperious to solvents and such as you can get.

Cost: About 5 bucks unless you get suckered.

It helps to put a piece of plywood or something else the same thickness as the UHMW under the rear tire as the Norge goes up on the stand easier. It will sit as much higher as the thickness of the UHMW. Put the UHMW in front of the plywood, push the bike onto that and side stand then goes down.

Get off. If you have a lazy susan, that ain't happening.

Make sure the slots you put in line up. Start to swing down the center stand and you can line it up. Put some marker on the slots to make it easier to see. Make sure the bike is level side to side and put it up as usual.

You need only a little thickness, I used 1.2" and into that I used a drill to bore out half depth holes where the center stand legs go. That way when you spin it, the bike and UMHW spin at the same time.

Just make sure the floor is clean. Broom clean is fine.

If you want less effort, some silicon spray underneath will make it spin like a top. Use that at your own risk. A bit of water works too. Again, it will spin very fast if you aren't careful. Remember the laws of inertia.

You can get two pieces and bond or bolt one to the floor (say a wood floor or whatever) and use the other on top. Be very careful and then there will be practically zero friction and a good push will find you chasing the darn thing around.

I do not want to hear about the mess, I have project issues right now.

[canuguzzi]

For the above:

You can get fancy and make it round, use a router or mill to make the stand leg slots and all that. This took me about 5 minutes to make. The longest time was going to get the UHMW material.

You can also use Delrin but why pay for a brand name and something that doesn't work any better.

You can take this anywhere and use it on any flat surface. It does not need to be square, it can be rectangular, just make sure it spans both center stand supports.

When spinning the Norge, take your time until you get used to it. Go easy. Spin it too fast and things get dicey.

Best way I found is one hand on a handlebar and the other on the rear grab rail. Push with the grab rail hand. The front tire will slide along the floor, good otherwise it spins like a top. Don't lift the front wheel off the ground as you turn it, spins like a top. It is not a top.

Make sure everything is clear when you spin. Remember, this is 600 pounds you are spinning, not some little toy.

Do not sit on it or let anyone else sit on it when you spin the bike. You have been warned.

Use this at your own risk. Do not PM me saying your Norge spun around and wiped out your car door because you didn't make sure you had clearance or that you had a bad slope in the garage and your Norge slide out of the garage and into the car or something like that.

[BAT 11]

Norge pilot, thanks for the photos and info. Is your board spinning on plywood base ? My concrete floor is not very smooth. Will visit the plastic suppliers this week. Great idea. Thanks. Ian

[canuguzzi]

Norge pilot, thanks for the photos and info. Is your board spinning on plywood base ? My concrete floor is not very smooth. Will visit the plastic suppliers this week. Great idea. Thanks. Ian

No, mine spins directly on the concrete. Unless your concrete is like rocks sticking up this should still work. You will gouge the bottom of the UHMW stuff but that doesn't matter.

If you want to, grab a bag of floor level stuff from HD or Lowes and put a little down on the spinning spot. OR:

piece of thin plywood and wood glue. Glue the plywood down. All it needs to do it stay put, the UHMW is going to slide on top of it. OR:

A 1/8" thick piece of UHMW that is larger than the Pivot Point and bolt it to the floor. Can't hurt anything. Watch out because two pieces of UHMW, one on top of the other is like Preparation H and latex gloves. Whoooa Horsey. Things can get moving really fast.

[canuguzzi]

Forgot to mention, to make outlines for the slots, just put the Norge up on the center stand atop the UHMW pad trace the outline with a sharpie. Way better than what I did. Remove material down about 1/4", that is plenty enough.