Motorcycle Garage Door Opener

  • July 1, 2009 5:21 AM PDT
    Hey all,
    I was wondering if anyone knew of a good bike mounted garage door opener and where to get one.  I know some of you have one that came with your bike, but I'm not interested in spending $20,000 to be able to open the garage without getting off my scoot.  I have a pretty good system right now, I pull into the drive-way and my wife or my daughter (my son isn't tall enough yet) come and open the garage after only two or three engine revs.  But, alas, sometimes they are not home when I arrive and I don't want to carry a big bulky opener on my bike.  Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.
    Andy
    Big Daddy B
    • 5420 posts
    July 1, 2009 5:31 AM PDT
    Andy,

    Here is what I did on my old bike...haven't taken the time to add to my new bike yet.

    Open your existing garage door remote and solder two long wires to the switch contacts.  Then conect the wires to an external momentary push button switch (you can get at Radio Shack), and mount that cleanly on your tank dash board, or anywhere else convenient.  Hide the remote under the seat, or where ever it fits out of site.

    If you already have an extra remote, the total cost is about $10 for the switch an some wire. (And anothe $5 for a six pack to drink while installing it) 
  • July 1, 2009 6:16 AM PDT
    That's a great idea and would cost a lot less than the systems I've seen online.
    • 1 posts
    July 1, 2009 10:00 AM PDT
    I never thought of that...very nice Lucky. I am going to have to start installing those at the shop. Just tell customers to bring in their garage door remote and I will integrate it into the bike.
    • Moderator
    • 19034 posts
    July 2, 2009 1:17 AM PDT
    First off Real Men don't use garage door openers, eat quiche or drink lite beer (LOL). Here is how my garage door opener works. I pull up to within three feet of the door. Put the side stand down, dismount, go to the door, grab the handle, twist it 90 degrees (key sometimes needed) and lift the door. Get back on the bike, raise the stand and drive in. No batteries, no wires, no worries.
    • 5420 posts
    July 2, 2009 2:57 AM PDT
    Yeah, but you don't have the weather we have here in California. Sometimes I get home when it's below 70°, and I just need to get right in the garage. 
    • Moderator
    • 1364 posts
    July 2, 2009 3:04 AM PDT
    I just reach into my windshield bag and hit the remote
  • July 2, 2009 4:27 AM PDT
    RexTheRoadDog wrote...
    First off Real Men don't use garage door openers, eat quiche or drink lite beer (LOL). Here is how my garage door opener works. I pull up to within three feet of the door. Put the side stand down, dismount, go to the door, grab the handle, twist it 90 degrees (key sometimes needed) and lift the door. Get back on the bike, raise the stand and drive in. No batteries, no wires, no worries.

    That would work, except my drive-way is as steep as the south end of a north bound cow.
  • g
    July 7, 2009 2:43 AM PDT
    u get the door open ?llf
  • July 7, 2009 4:55 PM PDT
    I just carry the remote in the left front pocket of my vest and hit it when I come around the corner.
  • October 6, 2009 3:38 AM PDT
    I went to Menards and bought a small pocket remote with a belt clip on it. I just have it clipped to my clutch cable.
  • April 17, 2010 10:45 AM PDT
    Got the same remote from menards all plug in -no cutting wires involved - works great - priced at around 23.00
    • 2 posts
    April 20, 2010 1:02 PM PDT
    RexTheRoadDog wrote...
    First off Real Men don't use garage door openers, eat quiche or drink lite beer (LOL). Here is how my garage door opener works. I pull up to within three feet of the door. Put the side stand down, dismount, go to the door, grab the handle, twist it 90 degrees (key sometimes needed) and lift the door. Get back on the bike, raise the stand and drive in. No batteries, no wires, no worries.

    Good attitude but it would be way cooler to wire your remote to the "flash-to-pass" switch on your headlights.
    • 352 posts
    April 20, 2010 2:39 PM PDT
    interesting...I use the same opener that Rex does, always works when I am in range.
  • April 20, 2010 11:19 PM PDT
    The Harley accessory door opener is far from 20,000, more like 129.95.

    What I like is not fumbling through my pockets or bags, taking my gloves off to operate a small button, or loosing the remote, or even thinking about where the device was last time I saw it.

    Oregon weather tends to be wet most of the time and getting inside easily is super nice with the Harley opener.

    Simply flip the headlight switch as I approach the property and the door is open as I turn in the drive.

  • April 29, 2010 10:04 AM PDT
    Call me a geek, but theres an I phone ap for that.
  • April 29, 2010 10:04 AM PDT
    Wrapter wrote...
    Call me a geek, but theres an I phone ap for that.


    Finally an app that is acutally usefull!!!!  Tell me your not kidding.

    • 1161 posts
    April 29, 2010 11:11 AM PDT
    I picked one up at Lows for about $24.00, but it is a duel remote aswell. But very small even has a belt clip.
  • May 5, 2010 8:42 PM PDT
    RexTheRoadDog wrote...
    First off Real Men don't use garage door openers, eat quiche or drink lite beer (LOL). Here is how my garage door opener works. I pull up to within three feet of the door. Put the side stand down, dismount, go to the door, grab the handle, twist it 90 degrees (key sometimes needed) and lift the door. Get back on the bike, raise the stand and drive in. No batteries, no wires, no worries.


    Ok I'm begining to question your attitude.... #1 pull up to about 3 feet from garage. #2 stop bike(do not put side stand down) now to the technical part... #3 SOUND HORN.... then wait for woman to come out of kitchen, open said garage door and blow you a kiss as you ride bike past her into the garage...THEN #4 you shut off bike and put side stand down. #5 then you take beer from womans hand....   That is the correct answer.

    LoL really I'm only kidding..... She better have 2 beers.

    Ben

    • 1161 posts
    April 9, 2016 8:22 AM PDT
    I forgot all about this post I think it needed a quick refresh post.
    • 1855 posts
    April 9, 2016 10:18 AM PDT
    I remember cleaning out my garage; moving everything to the other side. I then went for a ride. Hit the garage door opener as I rounded the corner when coming home and proceeded to run into all the crap I had moved to the other side of the garage (where I normally parked my bike).
    • 58 posts
    April 9, 2016 10:36 PM PDT
    Garage? What garage?  Aint got no garage, no door to open.  Just pull up and around to the front of the wife's car (Provided she left me room).  Go inside and have  a beverage.  Go back out and throw the cover over my bke.
    • 5420 posts
    October 18, 2016 7:30 AM PDT

    Just saw this Garage Door Opener which is basically the same as the one I made (see my post above).  Guess I should have done it with a universal opener and marketed it :-(