How to Hang a Motorcycle from the Ceiling
Disclaimer: I am not a certified structural engineer, so do not try this at home without knowing exactly what you are doing. Hanging a motorcycle overhead can be dangerous if the structure, hardware, or installation is not suitable for the load. This article documents what I did in my own shop, not a universal engineering recommendation.
In an effort to free up more space in my shop, I decided to hang my old Yamaha CT1 from the ceiling. My shop has 13-foot ceilings, so I do not have to worry about hitting my head on it when I walk underneath. The result is part motorcycle storage solution, part garage display, and part shop experiment.
This project used reinforced mounting points, 1/2-inch eye bolts, steel angle, 5/16-inch chain, shackles, a chain hoist, a rope-and-pulley setup, and a little blue lighting to turn unused overhead space into a vintage motorcycle display. For more shop projects and hands-on fabrication articles, see the Vintage Tech section.
Planning the Ceiling-Mounted Motorcycle Display
The first step was to evaluate the strength of the ceiling and check the location of the ceiling center. My ceiling was constructed with 2 x 8 joists, so I felt they could carry the load without issue, and the center of the ceiling was located between two joists.
When something heavy is going to be hanging over my head, I like to over-engineer the mounting system. I chose two 1/2-inch eye bolts for the mounts and used 2 x 2 x 1/4-inch steel angle to span the joists. The idea was to avoid relying on a single weak point and to spread the load across the ceiling structure.
Reinforcing the Ceiling Mounts
I also filled the gap between the ceiling and the attic flooring with 2 x 6 lumber so the eye bolts would not be able to move from side to side during installation of the motorcycle.
I then used a 12 x 1/2-inch drill bit to bore a hole from the attic all the way down through the garage ceiling. Once the holes were drilled, I bolted up the eye bolts using lock nuts.
Hoisting the Yamaha CT1 Into Position
With the mounting system in place, I hoisted up the motorcycle with a chain hoist on the rear eye bolt and a rope and pulley on the front eye bolt. I then ran a length of 5/16-inch chain through each eye bolt and attached it to the motorcycle's frame using shackles to connect the ends of the chain together.
During this step, keeping the motorcycle controlled, balanced, and close to level was the important part. The hoist and pulley helped raise the bike gradually instead of trying to muscle it into position.
Adding Blue Lighting to the Hanging Motorcycle
As a final touch, I installed blue lighting under the tank and seat of the bike. I ran the wiring up the chain and through the ceiling, then down inside the wall to a blank face plate.
Then I mounted a standard female power fitting in the face plate, which allows me to simply plug in the lights using a 12-volt power supply. The lighting turned the suspended Yamaha from simple overhead storage into something that looked intentional in the shop.
Finished Garage Ceiling Motorcycle Display
After the wiring was completed, all that was left to do was wipe down the motorcycle and enjoy the extra shop space.
The finished Yamaha CT1 display freed up floor space, took advantage of the 13-foot ceilings, and gave the shop a much more interesting overhead focal point than empty rafters.
