Re: Short term work spaces in Toronto

M

MaksTO

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I figured I'd post this here instead of technical - though it's kind of somewhere in the middle!

My bike needs lots of love before the spring. I'm overdue on an oil change (still need to find a smaller jug of T4, or lug a massive pale home), I need to do a 685 bore (KLR life) because I drink oil at highway speeds, I need to check my balancer tensioner / replace it, and install the Thermobob with my new cylinder. Also my valve cover is gushing oil which im hoping is from the gasket shrinking in the cold but god knows... I expect after I get the parts it will need about 3-4 weeks indoors while I wait for a machinist to bore and hone the jug (If i want it in less than a month I'll also probably have to find an alternative to Gord Bush, I imagine he's very busy), and then do final assembly etc. Also need a valve adjustment but I'll probably just go to the shop for that.

Does anyone here know of anyone in Toronto renting short term spaces to work on their bike? Moto Revere would have been perfect for this :( and it's close to my apartment, but alas that's no longer a thing.

I've tried spaceishare, which rarely has anything more than parking (and mostly outdoor parking at that...), and Kijiji listings are sparse and generally "storage only... no frequent access" type of thing.

The issue is that I am also limited by location since my moto is my only form of transport other than the bus, and I will have to carry tons of tools back and forth, meaning that being a short-ish commute from my place is ideal (I'm at Lansdowne and St Clair roughly).

If anyone has any leads on possible places to look for this sort of thing, I'd really appreciate it! Hoping to have the bike out of commission for a short time over the winter rather than in the spring where I'll be losing riding time.
 
What about a storage locker? Often one month free, space to leave your tools in relative security. You should be fine with hand tools to disassemble/reassemble. Ideally locker would have lights or power so you could have the door closed while working to avoid questions. Bonus points for climate controlled lockers to make work more comfortable.
 
Try a rental unit. Some are first month free. The cost of renting leasing commercial property has sky rocketed. Buddy’s Shop I was doing projects out of just got sold. New owners raised the per square foot to $21.50 from $9.50 with Covid he still recovering so he’s fu#$ed.
 
GreyGhost said:
What about a storage locker? Often one month free, space to leave your tools in relative security. You should be fine with hand tools to disassemble/reassemble. Ideally locker would have lights or power so you could have the door closed while working to avoid questions. Bonus points for climate controlled lockers to make work more comfortable.
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Can you drain oil and coolant etc in these? I imagine that would be a SERIOUS fine if I got caught :$ If I got caught while the bike was in pieces I'd probably be even more screwed than if I never rented in the first place.

Dang it is a tempting idea though..
 
MaksTO said:
Can you drain oil and coolant etc in these? I imagine that would be a SERIOUS fine if I got caught :$ If I got caught while the bike was in pieces I'd probably be even more screwed than if I never rented in the first place.

Dang it is a tempting idea though..
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I don't know the specific rules but it's worth checking. I expect that if you can work with the doors closed and throw a piece of supersix under the bike to catch all drips, you would not be discovered and leave no trace of what went on in there.

I suspect the rules will be cleaner than "no draining fluids". I expect that most of the climate controlled lockers will be "no motor vehicles" but like I said, I haven't read the rules.
 
GreyGhost said:
I don't know the specific rules but it's worth checking. I expect that if you can work with the doors closed and throw a piece of supersix under the bike to catch all drips, you would not be discovered and leave no trace of what went on in there.

I suspect the rules will be cleaner than "no draining fluids". I expect that most of the climate controlled lockers will be "no motor vehicles" but like I said, I haven't read the rules.
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Let's not forget the fact that there are flammable liquids there also...which may be against any rules for storage lockers / spaces.

Mind you...it's all good until you get caught, but bringing in a motorcycle...someone will notice.
 
mimico_polak said:
Let's not forget the fact that there are flammable liquids there also...which may be against any rules for storage lockers / spaces.

Mind you...it's all good until you get caught, but bringing in a motorcycle...someone will notice.
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A fire extinguisher in the locker is a great idea. Get the fire out before the sprinklers go off and you get a huge bill. Job one is get the battery far away from the bike. Job two is deal with the gas tank and make sure chance of leaks are minimized.
 
Sold 2 bikes to a guy. He had me drop them off at the smartstop place in Oakville. Said they only had a no gas in bike or equipment policy. They watched us unload no problem.

450 Iroquois Shore Rd

Rent a storage unit in Oakville, ON at 450 Iroquois Shore Rd for your household or business needs. Climate control units, video surveillance, and more.
smartstopselfstorage.com smartstopselfstorage.com
 
Storage unit is the easy answer. Some don’t allow bikes at all, mine is cool with it as long as there’s no fuel as per policy (makes sense), but they’ve seen my ride my bike in and out many times.

Issue with storage units, at least mine, is that lighting is limited to one lightbulb but that can be easily fixed with those big lightbars that run off drill batteries. Also no power outlet, but that’s not an issue for me.

I paid about $200 plus tax for an 8x12ft or so unit.
 
regder said:
Storage unit is the easy answer. Some don’t allow bikes at all, mine is cool with it as long as there’s no fuel as per policy (makes sense), but they’ve seen my ride my bike in and out many times.

Issue with storage units, at least mine, is that lighting is limited to one lightbulb but that can be easily fixed with those big lightbars that run off drill batteries. Also no power outlet, but that’s not an issue for me.

I paid about $200 plus tax for an 8x12ft or so unit.
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If there is a bulb you should be able to put in an outlet tap. Add an LED light bar and run corded tools no prob


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com mobile app
 
SVeezy said:
If there is a bulb you should be able to put in an outlet tap. Add an LED light bar and run corded tools no prob


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com mobile app
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Looks like this is a good solution for OP's lighting issue...screws right into a socket.

As for fuel / flammable...all depends on the facility but as you said...if they drain it, I don't see a problem. I'm sure there are more dangerous goods in that facility than a motorcycle with no fuel.

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GreyGhost said:
They explicitly tell you to fill the tank with fuel.
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I say implied because they give the proper storage rules for winterizing but don't explicitly say its allowed in the facility itself. Its all about that contract fine print, at least the way I first read it.
 
Hmm, if i have to figure out a lighting situation for a storage locker that's just more stuff I have to buy, which makes it more complicated logistically and financially. Draining fluids prior isn't an option because then I'd also have to pay to tow it there and back. I actually found a listing near me just now so I'm gonna reach out and see what's up. Otherwise worst case wait until the snow melts and keep a garbage bag over the exposed engine/rod while I send out engine parts to get machined in the spring :$
 
MaksTO said:
Hmm, if i have to figure out a lighting situation for a storage locker that's just more stuff I have to buy, which makes it more complicated logistically and financially. Draining fluids prior isn't an option because then I'd also have to pay to tow it there and back. I actually found a listing near me just now so I'm gonna reach out and see what's up. Otherwise worst case wait until the snow melts and keep a garbage bag over the exposed engine/rod while I send out engine parts to get machined in the spring :$
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Is your bike parked on the street or in a driveway/backyard? A disassembled bike on the street is probably going to get towed. If you have an outdoor area, buy a big cheap tent off kijiji and use that to store your disassembled bike for a bit. You don't even care if it's perfectly waterproof, you just want to keep most of the crap off it.
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