I was sitting around one winter, bored and creative. Snow was coming down at about two inches per hour, Snowmageddon they would later dub it, when an idea hit me and I went to work on a plan. I’d always parked my 2005 Ducati ST3 outside for the winter in a Cycleshell or on a covered patio. But I recently moved into a townhouse in Reston, Virginia, and was storing my bike in the basement, where I also keep the TV and sound system. It was looking a bit like an 18-year-old’s college crash pad, so I got the idea of turning the Ducati into a functional piece of rec room furniture.
Off to Home Depot, where I got a 4- x 8-foot piece of 1/2-inch pink insulation board to create a template. Then it was off to the shop for a custom-cut piece of 1/2-in. glass.
As you can see, the glass is supported on the handlebars and held in place by cutouts for the brake and clutch fluid reservoirs, and by a 1/2-in. L-bracket screwed into the wall behind the bike. There are no other fasteners or supports required; it’s truly a simplistic design.
I can ride at a moment’s notice, then re-open the Ducati bar within about 15 minutes of bringing the bike back indoors—well in advance of cocktail hour. I mark the bike’s position on the stand prior to moving it outside so it’s easy to set up when I bring it back in. The glass weighs about 40 pounds, so it’s heavy enough to be stable, yet light enough to lift and set in place solo. The downside is that the custom-cut and edge-polished piece of glass will set you back around $800 retail, but maybe you could find an old glass door or something and have it cut?
It’s hard to do the final product justice by pictures alone (sorry I don’t have a wide-angle lens to get a full profile shot). I’ve heard “impressive,” “ingenious,” “awesome,” “omfg” and a lot of other really positive adjectives.
If I can rescue one poor Ducati from a cold garage or inspire one unlifted spirit on a snowy night, it was worth sharing, and I’m excited to see my bike on CycleWorld.com. Cheers!
