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    DIY Bike Dolly

    Or, how to turn some scrap into useful stuff.

    I wanted one of these... but the price of the heavy-duty ones was too much for my tastes (being a notorious cheapskate, an' all).


    So, starting with this...


    I ended up with this...




    It's just rough and ready, and provides a good starting point to modify subsequent ones from. I'll make another two or three, so that every bike here can sit on one full time.
    Cost about 20 quid so far.
    ---- Dave
    79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
    80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
    79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
    92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

    Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

    #2
    Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

    Comment


      #3
      Yours is better made and got better castors. What are they from?
      sigpic

      Don't say can't, as anything is possible with time and effort, but, if you don't have time things get tougher and require more effort.

      Comment


        #4
        Ex-hospital trolley, so well capable of taking the weight. A bloke in the local market has a bin full of them, and moving them very slowly, so I've got plenty of time to get more. Incredibly useful things, once I start thinking about what would be good having a set of them fitted to.
        ---- Dave
        79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
        80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
        79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
        92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

        Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

        Comment


          #5
          Old shopping carts from larger grocery stores have wonderful wheels for this...with ball bearings on the swivels even. very similar to what you show.

          Comment


            #6
            I scrounge thrift stores for tools and bits and pieces and score regularly...seriously you cant have too many screw drivers..I see casters ALL THE TIME...next time I'm buying. Great idea. (Today i got some very cheap seat cushions with very nice, somewhat spendy high density foam which will go on my new seat)
            Last edited by Guest; 04-18-2016, 06:45 PM.

            Comment


              #7
              Even though I have casters and ability and (friend's better) ability to weld, each time I looked at it, the cost/hassle couldn't compete with the $72 they can be had on ebay.

              This seller has his own page where they are $69.99 free shipping. I contacted him about a discount if I ordered two shipped to same address and he took a little bit off.



              I'll see how they are in a few days when I get them. So far, I noticed that the heavier duty ones have dual wheel casters - likely for easier swiveling.

              1981 GS750L - Owned since 1990 when graduated high school and since have been discovering all the things not disclosed by seller.
              1983 GS750E - bought in 2016 as a rough runner to use while rebuilding 81L and then to combine with ES to make one good one
              1983 GS750ES - bought in Toronto in 2015 on a lark as a non-runner, missing front cowling and exhaust - If you have a 1983 750ES front cowling let me know! Blue would be nice

              Comment


                #8
                ...for what it's worth (nothing, if you have a smooth,clean floor to roll around on), larger diameter wheels are easier to push over rough surfaces-this is because the "slope" of the larger diameter wheel is more gradual than smaller diameter wheels...

                ie: ever notice how pushing something on small caster wheel gets stopped by a pit in concrete, or a dropped screw? To the small caster, it looks like a steep cliff to climb over it, but to a larger diameter it is a more gradual slope....the difference is important where the load is heavy (or the "ground" is soft...small casters cut grooves in wood floors quicker too)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Andrew Vanis View Post
                  Even though I have casters and ability and (friend's better) ability to weld, each time I looked at it, the cost/hassle couldn't compete with the $72 they can be had on ebay.

                  This seller has his own page where they are $69.99 free shipping. I contacted him about a discount if I ordered two shipped to same address and he took a little bit off.



                  I'll see how they are in a few days when I get them. So far, I noticed that the heavier duty ones have dual wheel casters - likely for easier swiveling.

                  The cost of the ones I saw is trivial, but so were the units. Nothing filled me with confidence they would stand the dead weight of a fully loaded GS850, or for very long, if that. The heavier-duty one I saw was considerably more expensive and many times what it cost me to make one.
                  No brainer.
                  ---- Dave
                  79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
                  80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
                  79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
                  92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

                  Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Ordered Monday, arrived today. I'm very happy with them. Like them more than the HF whole-bike dolly. It is fun to spin the bikes around in circles. Pushing forward is better pushing on the dolly with one's foot because sometimes you can push the bike off the center stand.







                    1981 GS750L - Owned since 1990 when graduated high school and since have been discovering all the things not disclosed by seller.
                    1983 GS750E - bought in 2016 as a rough runner to use while rebuilding 81L and then to combine with ES to make one good one
                    1983 GS750ES - bought in Toronto in 2015 on a lark as a non-runner, missing front cowling and exhaust - If you have a 1983 750ES front cowling let me know! Blue would be nice

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Heh, yeah; that's the kicker. Just wheel it into and out of the desired position like a shopping cart. No sweat and no ten-point turns in the garage.
                      ---- Dave
                      79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
                      80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
                      79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
                      92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

                      Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Nice tip Dave...I'll have to try that. I made a full set of plywood dollys for the old snowmobile so I could move her around, but my 850G isn't nearly as light...steel will be better!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Hi Dave,
                          Would be interested to see any updates on this dolly

                          Cheers
                          Ben

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Its all I can do to get my 850 up on the center stand without help. Does a dolly make it more or less difficult to lower the center stand? I'd love to be able to turn it in the garage as mentioned.
                            Roger

                            Current rides
                            1983 GS 850G
                            2003 FJR 1300A
                            Gone but not forgotten 1985 Rebel 250, 1991 XT225, 2004 KLR650, 1981 GS850G, 1982 GS1100GL, 2002 DL1000, 2005 KLR650, 2003 KLX400

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Burque73 View Post
                              Its all I can do to get my 850 up on the center stand without help. Does a dolly make it more or less difficult to lower the center stand? I'd love to be able to turn it in the garage as mentioned.
                              You will need more oomph to get it up on the stand with a dolly underneath.

                              I'm in the same boat with the KZ13 - can only just get it on the stand now so using a dolly would be back breaking....
                              Current:
                              Z1300A5 Locomotive (swapped my Intruder for it), GS450 Cafe Project (might never finish it....), XT500 Commuter (I know - it's a Yamaha )

                              Past:
                              VL1500 Intruder (swapped for Z1300), ZX9R Streetfighter (lets face it - too fast....), 1984 GSX750EF, 1984 GSX1100EF (AKA GS1150)
                              And a bunch of other crap Yamahas....

                              Comment

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