Ducati Monster Forum

I live in NYC and the season's ending, rather than pay for a garage all winter, I thought my bike might make a nice decorative piece in my living room. Except it's one flight up. Besides, I figure I can turn on a fan and make engine noises when I get withdrawal. I figure two able guys should be able to move 350-400lbs. Or do you think I'll need Batman?

To be safe, I would say use three guys. Two in back and one in front.

If you lock the forks one guy could grab the fork lowers, and one on each side on the rearsets.

Take video. ;D

Man the sides as well to protect from tipping. Very doable though. Lock the steering for the lift up.

ride it up! ;D

i see the bigger problem being getting it around the corners, as nyc apt usually have stairs then a sharp turn at the top to get it into a doorway or hall, not sure you can get the bike to do that unless you can literally put it on 1 wheel, think trying to move a loveseat or sofa into the place what that takes.

and yes take videos and pictures if you do this.

I can already picture the hilarity that will ensue as a result of this endeavor.

Just make sure your floors are capable of supporting the weight.  I am not sure about New York, but generally residential floors are only required to support about 40lbs per square foot.  You are about to put about +400lbs on three small contact patches, two tires and the side stand.

Just don't be this guy:

(http://www.cyclefish.com/uploads_forum/2/4357/fpfmotorcycle28.jpg)

[laugh]

Make sure you drink a lot before you try it.   [drink]

I'd say 2 guys and an 18 pack sounds about right.   [thumbsup]



In all seriousness, I'd think 2 guys could probably handle it, but I wouldn't try it with less than 3.

That's one of those "better safe than sorry" scenarios, and it could be really costly and potentially dangerous if you got halfway up and suddenly realized that 2 wasn't enough.

+1 on pics and/or video, so add 1 more for that.   ;D

I'd say the more the merrier.  The concern is not neccessarily lifting it up the stair, it's for in case it started to slide down stair.  Stopping a 400lb weight sliding down stairs might take a few more guys.

That sounds a bit unreasonable, a person standing would occupy potentially only one square foot, so I would think floors should be structured to handle 300+ lbs, no?

Thanks for all the comments, if I do get this done I'll definitely take pics and post them up.

I would say use 4 guys.

Ill help if need be..

How wide is the stair case.. measure everything before attempting..  might be hard for a guy on each side to walk up..  my friend could prob carry it up by himself for you too..  guys a freaking monster.. lol he prob won't fit in the door thgh..

dissassemble the bike in the street and take it up piece by piece yourself and make a winter project of going through the bits and pieces and then reassembling just in time for spring just to undo it all and redo it in the street!

The 40lbs per square foot is a pretty normal live load requirement for a second floor in a residential house.  That means your floor can take 40lbs per square foot applied uniformly to the total floor.  So if your room is 100 sqr feet, you floor can support 4000 lbs applied uniformly to the entire floor.  That does not mean it can support 4000lbs or even 400lbs applied to a single square foot area.  For example a contractor will often reinforce the flooring in a kitchen where a refrigerator, which weighs about 400lbs, might go with more joists than would be required in a living room or a bedroom.  Similarly, the flooring in a bathroom is also reinforced since a bathtub filled with water weighs a lot.   

How long is the staircase? Could you put a piece of wood down as a ramp to help get it up?


Hope it's not a spiral!!!

now a spiral staircase would lead to an epic moving situation ... most likely an epic fail situation.  but would be hilarious to see someone try it.

I guess my mind is in the gutter but this post was funny!   ;D

If it's the right bike, the answer is 1 guy...



KLR vs. Stairs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxId8qGroq4&feature=related#normal)

whatever number you come up with, please add one extra for teh video camera. preferrably not filming with his phone so that he can still dial 911 while keeping the film rolling.   

If you can have a baby grand piano in your living room you ought to be able to swing a Ducati Monster. I wouldn't worry about the live loading at all. Some people weigh 350-400# & they gotta live somewhere, sometimes even in a second floor apartment!

Two guys, one girl, pivot?
This came to mind immediately.  [laugh]

Friends - Pivot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cinmbV754J0&feature=related#normal)

This has so far been the best answer.

As a former professional mover....

I say, get carrying straps if you can. The weight will almost exclusively be on the guys carrying in the rear. The bike will shift enough to require both of those guys to hold ~300lbs in one/two hands. Not safe!

If can't get straps, I'd say no.

Should you choose to disregard my advice.... +1 on the video 8)

Me and Marty @ AMS have had to do this with 1198's and new Monsters. Not had a problem just the two of us, and we've gotten pretty creative with ramps.

You could always jump it through a 2nd story window.

(http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:sj5fhrjFPolq9M:http://iaatb.net/blog2/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/knight_rider_turbo_boost.jpg&t=1)

[thumbsup]

buy some 2x's and ride the beast up.  I'm sure your neighbors will appreciate that one.

Might not be such a good idea actually, look at the last guy who tried something like this.

(http://4gifs.com/gallery/d/167267-1/Knight_Rider_boost.gif)

what you haven't looked at is safety.
you'll need to drain your fuel tank, remove the battery more than likely, and have an oil absorbtion pad under the bike.
plus the tires and oil will emit fumes as well as the tank unless purged...

is there any safety codes you could be violating? would your lease get canned if caught? etc.

i know i'm being a pisser on the fire... but don't want this cool idea cause you problems

He'll probably be breaking every fire code in NYC...

but what do tires emit?

After party burn outs can be so much fun, although a bit smelly [moto]

+ 1 on the volunteer list.


this could be cool :

http://thatwillbuffout.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/funny-car-photos-rubber-buffs-right-out-right-honey.jpg (http://thatwillbuffout.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/funny-car-photos-rubber-buffs-right-out-right-honey.jpg)

(from SU)
 

This is a funny thread.  Go with 3 mules and a camera guy.  A 400lb bike going upstairs and around corners could get a bit difficult, but not impossible.  Also, a 17" wheel doesn't exactly roll well "up" stairs.  If you can rustle up 4 guys then you can carry it up like a pallbearer with some moving straps.  4 guys at 100 lbs each is a breeze.  Hope ya got some friends.  I saw two plumbers carry a boiler up from the basement using moving straps.  It wasn't easy but they did it.  A 3 section Peerless has to weight around 500lbs. Possibly?

Take those 3 guys and have them help you move downstairs. Most logical approach to me [beer] [bacon]

What could go wrong?

Yes, indeed.  [popcorn]

Like the idea of moving downstairs.  [beer]

oh come on, don't be getting all serious and thinking straight here.. [laugh]

of course he would at least drain all the fuel before moving it upstairs only bc it would be lighter to carry, and as far as the oil, afterall people keep bottles of motor oil in their houses at times for emergency purposes what is the difference if 3 quarts "happen" to be contained within a metal container and not the plastic bottles?   [cheeky]

this is totally going to be great if this happens.

in gear, strap through wheel (or through a strong frame mounting point, if you are tall enough to use that.  One person on each side in the rear.

Ziptie the front brake down. Strap through front wheel, 2 guys in front.

a 5th guy is reccomended, whose sole purpose is to maintain balance, and to let everyone know when it's clear to put down.

it can be done with 2 in back, one in front.  I would not do it with less than 3 unless you seriously know what you're doing.  It's hard to balance 400lbs of vertical weight, and once it starts tipping...it doesn't come back easy.

If they won't let you keep your monster indoors, go buy a house.  It IS a monster after all...  [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

Seriously though. how wide is the stairway to begin with? I did push a bike up a flight of stairs with two other guys, but the way we did it was strap the bike down to some 1/2" plywood, and pull and push it up the stairs. That way it can "sled" up the stairs, bust be steady and careful not to let go.

ever been in a room with tires.. they stink

how about the axles. they are hollow. how about a bar though each axle and a man on each end of the bar?

^ DO , possible hilarity is increased by this scenario.

WARNING: The suggestion, while fairly easy compared to picking up the bike, can go very very wrong if not paying attention! Please be careful!

I have to put that in there somewhere, right?

This seems like a horrible idea to me.

This negates the opportunity to hold the brake and allow a tire on a step to hold the weight of the bike for you to take a brake.



That being said, I don't think the OP should in any way disregard this as a viable way of moving the bike up the stairs as long as it's being recorded for us to watch later.   ;D

in seriousness for a moment...

take the front end off the bike...run a metal bar through the frame right behind the neck downtube...have 1 guy on either side of the bar...for the rear...either put the bike in gear and come underneath the swingarm and through the wheel and chain with a second metal bar, or some ratcheting straps doubled or tripled over themselves to hold the bar to the "passenger" grab handles...4 guys can do it and you should be short enough (wheelbase/length wise)to turn in the stairwell if needed...

1) Disassemble bike
2) Carry parts upstairs
3) Re-assemble bike
4)  [drink]

hey...I said that alrready...

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43157.msg774976#msg774976 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=43157.msg774976#msg774976)

plagiarism...

or derby?

how 'bout a just plain derby...LOL

Neither, just missed your post.   :-[

tis all good!...no  biggie...

i'm still waiting for the video with the benny hill theme...

Forgot to mention, we only strapped the front end of the bike and used a chok to keep it standing up. Rear wheel was not sitting on plywood. I think it really depends on the width of the stairs, we used something like a 4'x2' piece of plywood. If you do it slowly and steady, it'll get up.

Dropping the engine seems like it would free enough weight to pick it up easily.... but then you'd have to do it to get the bike down... Unless... You ride it down.

Stop being so make the beast with two backsin cheap and pay the few hundred for the season for storage. [laugh]
Orrrrr, speak to the super of the building.  I've heard of guys making deals with the super to keep it in the maintenance area on the first floor.  If he cant help you maybe he knows a local bldg. manager who can.  Some green and a bottle of Johnny Walker Black can go a long way. [thumbsup]

Okay, that makes a lot more sense.


Dropping the engine, however, doesn't make sense.

The engine's a stressed member.

The swingarm is attached to the engine and not to the frame.

This isn't a bad idea. Ive seen people lift an engine block chained to 2 wooden beams.. 1 guy on either side of the motor and putting one beam on left shoulder and another on the right.

Maybe you can get 2 snugly fitting pipes to fit the front and rear axle. Then find a way to affix straps on each end of both pipes, maybe a foot shorter than ground to shoulder height.  Get one guy for each end of pipe = 4 guys. Hopefully the staircase isnt so narrow that you cant fit a bike and 2 guys on either side.

But see...

(http://www.speedymoto.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/04-0201.jpg)

http://www.speedymoto.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=04-0201&Category_Code=SMT (http://www.speedymoto.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=04-0201&Category_Code=SMT)

Ok, this isn't hard.

Get a length of 4x4 long enough to span the wall or railings at the top of the staircase. Attach a pulley to it with a redundant safety cable.

Run strong rope from the bottom of the staircase, up through the pulley, and back down to the triple of the bike. Put a reasonably strong guy on that rope, the pulley will carry much of the load and won't take much effort to hold the bike stationary.

Two guys to guide the bike and push up the stairs, the guy on the pulley acting as a hold and giving extra lifting force, and that bike will be up there in no time.

Work smarter, not harder. Four guys using this method can get a mil-spec H1 out of a mudhole, so three guys can get a Monster up a flight of stairs.

put it on a treadmill...

it will take off.

No it won't the treadmill is going the same speed, it will be stationary.

Honest.  [evil]

 ;)

BP should have put out a thread like this on all special interest forums.  The spill might might have been stopped in record time.

either Doug Domokos all by himself, (except he's dead)... or you, Larry, and Curly!

DeuceNYC,

you're in NYC, I suggest you call up the guys at Duc Soho.  If I remember correctly they don't have access to the freight elevator on weekends and routinely carry bikes up a flight of stairs from service.   ;)

PS.. bringing it down is a different question.....

Window?

So is this shit gonna happen or what? I could be wasting my time on other irrelevant crap instead of checking on this freaking thread.  >:(

































 [cheeky]

waiting waiting waiting.

just ride the f#*ker up the stairs and have someone to help with turning it on the switch back (turn of stairs) and everything will be sweet.

three of us did it many years ago with an old Suzi Katana 1100. two flights of stairs.

Riding season isn't quite over yet fella, maybe in a month or so. I appreciate all the responses, from the responsibly informative to the guys hoping for some youtube blooper action. I love/hate all of you.

That doesn't mean you can't do a practice run.  [popcorn]

All excited about this and now you say it won't be for another month [thumbsdown]

+1

I must say, the potentional for the blooper may be from going down, not up.

Yes, I say we should wrap the exclusive rights to the spring sequel

I've read all the 6 pages & this is what i got
What an anti-climax ..... [bang]

 [popcorn] [coffee]
will check back in a month.

Zombie thread, sorry.

I've helped the guys at Duc SoHo carry bikes up the stairs. Get at least 4 or 5 guys and video. You'll need to prep by having sufficient beer for all the people who help you. I'd suggest you carry that up the stairs on your own. ;)

It took two of us to roll my Monster up the ramp (3 steps) into our house this weekend for winter storage...not too bad, except getting it lined up on the ramp (the ramp's only about a foot wide) was a pain - the rear wheel kept wanting to slide off.  I can't imagine moving mine up to the second floor.  I too am waiting for the video of your move...I'm happy to share the rather anticlimatic photo of my machine ensconsed in the living room for the winter  :)

We only have three more bikes to roll into the house before the snow flies...it's like living in a bike dealership six months of the year  ;D ;D

We're not watching to see him go up, we're watching to see when he hits a snag on the way up and comes tumbling back down

At the shop I used to work at, we put two desmosedici's on a pallet, on a fork lift then lifted them to a small 4' wide balcony 12' up (one at a time)

Having to precariously roll 144k worth of bike from a forklift to a small balcony with very little room to maneuver is a bit nerve racking, It's a fair amount of pressure not wanting to be known as the guy who dropped a dici 12'

ended up putting a 1098 tricolore and the two dici's up there