He’s got room to wrench
There are no shortage of projects in Schan’s garage
Growing up on a grain farm west of Saskatoon, Ryan Schan was introduced to all things mechanical at an early age.
“My dad’s a third-generation farmer,” Schan said, adding, “but he did go to mechanic’s school before taking over the farm. He’s handy and he’s into old cars. I came by my mechanical interest honestly by being out in the shop with my dad. When I was young, he fully restored a 1928 Model A and did most everything himself. Usually, I was holding the screwdriver or trouble light and would pass him wrenches.”
As Schan got older, he would drive some of the farm equipment and became involved in maintaining the implements. But his main interest is motorcycles.
“One year, I got a dirt bike for my harvest pay,” he said. “I had that bike through high school, but sold it to pay off my truck.
“I wish I’d kept it.”
When Schan, 28, finally found a stable job and got some money to spend, he began looking at bikes, and three years ago bought two Yamaha RD400s.
“There were some cool parts with the bikes and that started the avalanche; I’m now up to seven or eight bikes,” he said.
Schan’s house in Kindersley, Sask., features an attached single-car garage. He said he could use a double- or a triple-car garage and has never parked his truck in the single-car garage since living there.
“I had to build a lift to free up floor space and store bikes,” Schan said of the unique device he created from a dismantled car hoist.
“I’d been scheming for a while. My dad and I were always building crazy stuff together, including a crane. I had a whole bunch of different drawings, but my dad found this car hoist for cheap and I modified it to fit. I cut it apart and built the tables and wheel chocks and ramps. You can swing the bike away from the wall and then rotate the bike 360 degrees around.”
Schan usually spends a couple of nights a week in his garage and will often work until midnight or later. Here’s what we learned about Schan’s workspace, tools and projects:
Q What tools are in your collection and where did they come from?
AI’ve got a little bit of everything, including basic hands tools and some specialty stuff for bikes. At home, I had a basic set of wrenches, screwdrivers and such, but dad had every tool you could need, so I never really bought anything until I was on my own. I’m not buying Snap-on tools; for as much as I use them and what I do with them, I can get by with Mastercraft. I did get a chop saw and a cutting torch setup from the family that’s in my collection and I’m looking at getting a MIG welder.
Q Which tool or tools do you use most often?
AIt’s a basic 120-piece socket set from Napa — my dad gave it to me, he won it in a curling bonspiel. I’ve been using it forever; I’ll take it with me in the truck and it’s always with me in the garage.
A Saskatchewan single-car garage provides lots of space for this two-wheel aficionado
I keep all my stuff in original cases, so they’re easy to grab.
Q How did you learn to use the tools? Did you go to school, did someone teach you or do you watch YouTube videos?
AI didn’t train for anything mechanical, but I like to learn things by doing. I did a lot of 4-H as a kid and their motto is “learn to do by doing.” I like to take stuff apart, clean it up and put it back together. If I can get my hands on a service manual, I’ll read that first if it’s something I’ve not done before.
Q What’s the most important project in the garage right now?
AThat’s a tough call, they get shuffled around. I have a 1977 RD400 that’s my daily rider, but I completely rebuild it every winter. I’ll pull the engine apart and change something like the porting and pipes — I can’t leave anything alone. I’m most excited about a 1973 Yamaha CT3 I just picked up. It’s a beautiful 175cc enduro, but needs some TLC. It sat for about 25 years and I’ve got a bunch of parts on order for it.
Q Is there anyone else in the house or in your life
interested in working in the garage?
ANo (and laughs). The reason I have all these bikes right now is because I don’t have anyone in my life to tell me not to buy them. I figure I can collect now and downsize in the future if I need to. Good bikes are getting a lot harder to find because many original machines have been getting chopped up to build cafe racers.