storing a bike, plus another question

[Koala]

Hi, everyone, I've missed you guys lots! I'm getting super close to having all the cash to get my own bike and have 2 questions.

A friend keeps telling me that there is no way I would be able to get a bike in my apartment. going by his experience with bikes (which is lots), he questions whether it would be possible to get the bike straight enough to go through the front door, if I could even get it over the small step in front of the door. He says the only way to get it straight would be to ride it up a small incline through the grass yard and then I would still have to get it over the step.

Now, I have known multiple people in the past that have kept their bikes in their apartments (even a huge harley in a living room), so what would I have to do to get this bike in there after I get it home? I've seen things like lazy susans for bikes but would that be needed?

question #2. I've looked all over trying to get an answer to this one. In the state of Ohio, do you have to have your permit before you can purchase the bike? I obviously wouldn't try riding it home either way because the bike shop and the way home is in a crazy traffic area, but I didn't know if that mattered. I know this differs from state to state. Getting the permit is proving to be the hardest part for me because I need glasses to pass the eye exam and I can't even get the day off to do that. I've tried, and every time I've managed to get one off last minute the place I can afford has no appointments available.

thanks for any help guys and gals, I'm getting there

[CC Cowboy]

Getting the bike through the front door is just a matter of speed (although when steps are involved you might launch to high and miss the opening). To master this technique you will need to run a few supercross races. If you don't have a permit to ride you should ask lazy Susan (whoever she is) to ride it home. As far as I know if you need glasses to get a permit you might need glasses to ride (and see). How did you get your drivers (as in cars) license without glasses. Vision is a major part of successful riding. You need to be able to see in front of you, to each side of you, and behind you.

Why don't you have lazy Susan ride it over to the Harley guy's apartment and park it next to his huge Harley. I'm sure your landlord would appreciate that.

[jkv45]

You would have to watch the lower fairing if you are hopping over a step, but you should be able to get the bike through a doorway with the mirrors folded in.

My son just got this KTM this weekend, and it made its way into his 2nd floor apartment, somehow.

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by Koala

Hi, everyone, I've missed you guys lots! I'm getting super close to having all the cash to get my own bike and have 2 questions.

A friend keeps telling me that there is no way I would be able to get a bike in my apartment. going by his experience with bikes (which is lots), he questions whether it would be possible to get the bike straight enough to go through the front door, if I could even get it over the small step in front of the door. He says the only way to get it straight would be to ride it up a small incline through the grass yard and then I would still have to get it over the step.

Now, I have known multiple people in the past that have kept their bikes in their apartments (even a huge harley in a living room), so what would I have to do to get this bike in there after I get it home? I've seen things like lazy susans for bikes but would that be needed?

question #2. I've looked all over trying to get an answer to this one. In the state of Ohio, do you have to have your permit before you can purchase the bike? I obviously wouldn't try riding it home either way because the bike shop and the way home is in a crazy traffic area, but I didn't know if that mattered. I know this differs from state to state. Getting the permit is proving to be the hardest part for me because I need glasses to pass the eye exam and I can't even get the day off to do that. I've tried, and every time I've managed to get one off last minute the place I can afford has no appointments available.

thanks for any help guys and gals, I'm getting there

You could fabricate a wooden ramp that would be portable and install the ramp when you needed to. I got a Norton Interstate still in the crate down three steps into the basement of my apartment. Then assembled it and used part of the packing crate as a ramp to start it and walking along side of it powered it up the ramp and out of the basement. You're problem is no biggie. Get a friend to ride your bike home or rent a 12' Penske truck ( don't rent an 18' truck or you'll need help getting it off the truck). In every state I've ever lived in a driving permit or license is not required to buy a motorcycle. What if an elderly aunt wanted to buy a motorcycle for her nephew for his birthday? Yeah, right.

Bill

[Cafe Racer]

I used to keep my 305 Honda on the covered front porch while at college in Philly. The handle bars would not fit through the front door. Climbing the concrete stairs was not a big deal. Not sure the ninja has the ground clearance without a ramp. At lease it should fit through the front door.

Good luck with what ever you do. May a dirt bike would be a better first bike choice like the one pictured.

[maverick9611]

might want to get one. got this off ebay works great and cheaper than deltran.

[maverick9611]

drain fuel bowls and use some of this in gas tank. i would fill tank full.

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by maverick9611

drain fuel bowls and use some of this in gas tank. i would fill tank full.

I prefer Jim Beam.

Bill

[Koala]

thanks for the responses!

@CC Cowboy thanks for the laugh this morning, I needed it

I know vision is important. At the moment, I can barely pass the driver vision exam without glasses. From what I know, the motorcycle vision test is more strict. So to get my permit/license I need glasses, and I would be wearing them to ride. My vision is fine for driving/reading/everyday stuff, I just have a hard time reading numbers/letters that are far away.

@jkv45 thank you! If your son could get that in his second floor apartment, I don't see why I couldn't get the 300 in mine. The big thing seems to be just getting it straight to get it through the front door. I'm not sure how to do that. For reference, my place has a sidewalk going parallel to the apartment and a grassy hill going down to the road in front of that. My doorway is 34 inches wide so I think it would fit through.

@Cafe Racer and @Ram Jet loving the ramp idea that is such a simple solution that I can't believe I didn't think of it. The reason I asked about the needing a permit is because I know to buy a car you have to have your license so I didn't know if bikes were the same.

@maverick9611 I'll keep that stuff in mind for over the winter.

[DannoXYZ]

My basement back door is 28" wide and bikes didn't fit going straight. I would wiggle them through by angling one bar-end in first, then tilting/turning the other way. Or can move car out of garage and go in front.

After tiring of that after couple years, I cut some notches in door jamb at bar-level to get me 31-inch width. Now I can just ride the bikes in & out straight through.

Got one of these for topping off the bikes I haven't ridden in while. Doesn't get below 30F much, so I ride year round.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/371736531073

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by jkv45

You would have to watch the lower fairing if you are hopping over a step, but you should be able to get the bike through a doorway with the mirrors folded in.

My son just got this KTM this weekend, and it made its way into his 2nd floor apartment, somehow.

Rallyed it up the stairs, looks like it has the clearance for it

Originally Posted by Koala

Hi, everyone, I've missed you guys lots! I'm getting super close to having all the cash to get my own bike and have 2 questions.

A friend keeps telling me that there is no way I would be able to get a bike in my apartment. going by his experience with bikes (which is lots), he questions whether it would be possible to get the bike straight enough to go through the front door, if I could even get it over the small step in front of the door. He says the only way to get it straight would be to ride it up a small incline through the grass yard and then I would still have to get it over the step.

Now, I have known multiple people in the past that have kept their bikes in their apartments (even a huge harley in a living room), so what would I have to do to get this bike in there after I get it home? I've seen things like lazy susans for bikes but would that be needed?

question #2. I've looked all over trying to get an answer to this one. In the state of Ohio, do you have to have your permit before you can purchase the bike? I obviously wouldn't try riding it home either way because the bike shop and the way home is in a crazy traffic area, but I didn't know if that mattered. I know this differs from state to state. Getting the permit is proving to be the hardest part for me because I need glasses to pass the eye exam and I can't even get the day off to do that. I've tried, and every time I've managed to get one off last minute the place I can afford has no appointments available.

thanks for any help guys and gals, I'm getting there

It'll depend on the access route to your appartment, if it's a straight run in then you can tilt the bars, get the jamb side bar in & then the hinge side.
If you've a 90 degree turn at the door you may be stuck.

Trying to get my bike into the back yard at my old house involved a tight turn (if the neighbour blocked my access), a step then a chicane to get through the gate, the gap was a bit less than width of the bars. I had about an inches grace that I had to turn it in or it would not fit. The rear footpegs would get caught, the front ones had to be folded up.
I did damage the jamb of the gate while doing that (get it worng & you may get stuck, I had to physically drag the back of the bike sideways on occasion)

Gently gently & drive it up the step, it's the way back down that tends to bottom out. Slowly & feather the brakes to go down the step, put a foot down on the top of the step after you've got the front wheel down, and let it roll forward, it gives the suspension a chance to lift the bottom clear of the step.

Storing the bike in the appartment will probably invalidate your home insurance, (or your landlord's)

How do you plan to turn the bike around in the appartment? kickstand turns will damage your floor, the kickstand alone will probably damage it.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Rallyed it up the stairs, looks like it has the clearance for it

I wouldn't put it past him...

[DannoXYZ]

For longest time at university, my bike just sat in apartment carport. Parked it ahead of parking-spot with cover on it. If no one was parked on either side of me, it was easy to get out. Otherwise, I'd move my car to get it out.

Then I moved to a house and kept it on side with cover on it.

[Koala]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Rallyed it up the stairs, looks like it has the clearance for it



It'll depend on the access route to your appartment, if it's a straight run in then you can tilt the bars, get the jamb side bar in & then the hinge side.
If you've a 90 degree turn at the door you may be stuck.

Trying to get my bike into the back yard at my old house involved a tight turn (if the neighbour blocked my access), a step then a chicane to get through the gate, the gap was a bit less than width of the bars. I had about an inches grace that I had to turn it in or it would not fit. The rear footpegs would get caught, the front ones had to be folded up.
I did damage the jamb of the gate while doing that (get it worng & you may get stuck, I had to physically drag the back of the bike sideways on occasion)

Gently gently & drive it up the step, it's the way back down that tends to bottom out. Slowly & feather the brakes to go down the step, put a foot down on the top of the step after you've got the front wheel down, and let it roll forward, it gives the suspension a chance to lift the bottom clear of the step.

Storing the bike in the appartment will probably invalidate your home insurance, (or your landlord's)

How do you plan to turn the bike around in the appartment? kickstand turns will damage your floor, the kickstand alone will probably damage it.

Outside the apartment is wide open. That's why the whole argument of having to ride it through the yard (up the small hill and then in front of the place is flat) confused me. Maybe it's the only way to get it straight, I don't know, this is all new to me. Hence the reason I'm trying to get advice since my purchase will be in the next month or so. The apartment on the inside is pretty open as well. I have plenty of room, only thing I may have to do is move a coffee table now and then.

The reason I'm thinking of doing it this way for now is so I don't have to pay for a storage unit. The money plus the added hassle of having to drive to get to my bike any time I want to ride are something I will do if I have to, but I don't really want to. I can't leave it outside. My neighborhood isn't bad for break ins/car theft, but you can't even leave a rake outside without it getting ganked. So leaving something I worked so hard for outside just worries me.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by Koala

Outside the apartment is wide open. That's why the whole argument of having to ride it through the yard (up the small hill and then in front of the place is flat) confused me. Maybe it's the only way to get it straight, I don't know, this is all new to me. Hence the reason I'm trying to get advice since my purchase will be in the next month or so. The apartment on the inside is pretty open as well. I have plenty of room, only thing I may have to do is move a coffee table now and then.

The reason I'm thinking of doing it this way for now is so I don't have to pay for a storage unit. The money plus the added hassle of having to drive to get to my bike any time I want to ride are something I will do if I have to, but I don't really want to. I can't leave it outside. My neighborhood isn't bad for break ins/car theft, but you can't even leave a rake outside without it getting ganked. So leaving something I worked so hard for outside just worries me.

Is it a paved area outside, or is it grassy?

You can get multiple types of anchor to lock it to, grass anchor or concrete ground/wall anchor. If you can dig it in & concrete fill around it then a Y-anchor is the king. Add something like an Almax and it's going nowhere without you.

For access to your appartment do you have a straight run in, or do you have to turn it in a corridor? From a practical point this will decide if you're really able to store the bike indoors or not.

You can turn a bike in a circle just bigger than it's own length if you know how. Drop the kickstand, turn the bars to the opposite side & use the bars & a grip on the back of the bike to tilt it up onto the kickstand, once you get the wheels off the ground it'll pivot on the stand pretty easily.
It will damage the surface you have the stand on and may be frowned upon by some (both on here and at your appartment block), but you may be able to roll up to the front of the block & swing the bike around. I would not do this indoors.

If a garage is not an option I would park it outside & lock it down rather than parking it in the appartment.

[Koala]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Is it a paved area outside, or is it grassy?

You can get multiple types of anchor to lock it to, grass anchor or concrete ground/wall anchor. If you can dig it in & concrete fill around it then a Y-anchor is the king. Add something like an Almax and it's going nowhere without you.

For access to your appartment do you have a straight run in, or do you have to turn it in a corridor? From a practical point this will decide if you're really able to store the bike indoors or not.

You can turn a bike in a circle just bigger than it's own length if you know how. Drop the kickstand, turn the bars to the opposite side & use the bars & a grip on the back of the bike to tilt it up onto the kickstand, once you get the wheels off the ground it'll pivot on the stand pretty easily.
It will damage the surface you have the stand on and may be frowned upon by some (both on here and at your appartment block), but you may be able to roll up to the front of the block & swing the bike around. I would not do this indoors.

If a garage is not an option I would park it outside & lock it down rather than parking it in the appartment.

It's a straight run in....from the road, up the little hill, and through the yard.

I took a quick look at that y anchor and security chain. Thats something that could work. The way my apartments are set up is I'm in a twinplex that faces the road and the other one is perpendicular to the road with a gravel driveway in front of it (behind my place). there is a grass strip in between my twinplex and the driveway I could dig into and anchor it. Then it would be right by my bedroom window.

[Whiskey]

It's best put into concrete paving but as long as you know what's under the grass (pipes/wires you wouldrather not hit) you can hammer a few bits of re-bar horizontally above the metal X on the bottom of the anchor. Use concrete to fill the hole & stick the lot together. It'll be inconspicuous if you're neat with the hole, but have a huge underground footprint so not an easy thing to pull or dig out.

[DannoXYZ]

Since it'll be outside your window, maybe add loud alarm to alert you if someone moves it.