Moto-Camping; Bike on Bike

Anyone else here love to camp and ride?

Personally, i like to combine: Mtn biking; Camping; Motorcycling ~
Screwy; Yes. Joke; No :crazy:

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p.s.
motocampers' forum:
MotoCampers.com

 

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Headed into Crater Lake NP:
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I once saw a motorcycle cruising down the highway in the left lane with his mountain bike strapped to the back. imagine this: it was clamped to the back of the motorcycle perpendicular at the frame of the bike. I bet if you got one of those bike service stand clamps and mounted it to the frame of your MC it would work.

I have also seen a 80's Honda Magna with, no joke, a surf board (long board no less ) rack on the side. I bet it was fun to ride when there was a cross wind...........

 

That, I was not expecting.

 

This man's all fooked up. He's going camping in the snow.

 

I've hauled my road bike, a Campy equipped Merlin, out to Colorado on my old Gold Wing I used to have. I spent a week out there riding the bicycle around, stopped and bicycled up Mt. Evans on the way home. A real workout. I stayed in Dillon and hit most of the passes while I was there. Got rid of the Gold Wing, still got the Merlin. And a Raleigh Technium that I converted to a fixed gear.

I removed the back box on an '82 Wing and mounted the bike behind me. Worked very well. I've got some pictures around here somewhere. I'll have to dig them out.

I don't do the camping anymore, unless you count a 34' 5th wheel. LOL

 

Pow-Recon:
On that trip i made it up to Whistler Park too ~

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And "Comfortably Numb" cross-country trail ~

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i hear ya!
Although i have more wrapped up in my street bicycle, it doesnt get used anymore. At all.

!!CARS SUCK!! They ruin all fun of street rides.

Yeah, we should ride. I need to find good local trails. :thumbsup:

 

Trick riders can use cars to bounce over. Look at all the different levels to bounce you bike over. Two bumpers, trunk, hood, roof. Some have enough of a curve on the sides you can probably land a few bounces there too.

 

Flailer, thanks for the pics. Impressive packing job! How stable is the bicycle while mounted to the VFR?

 

Can i answer your question at length? PLEASE?

... As the answer is a matter of life or death......

The bicycle and motorcyle are VERY stable. i can say totally stable. i can say triple digit speed stable. 130mph indicated.

i can also say that i am able to ride corners at speeds nearly that without the bike. Cornering is easier with the bicycle mounted than with a passenger on board.

i can say that i have nearly 4,000 miles, if memory serves, with a bike mounted in the pictured rack, on that bike. (i have additional mile on different motorcycles with diff racks too)

Hopefully that answers your question... BUT:

..... It is NOT worry free .....
..... Stability is NOT the only thing to consider .......

A lot of work went into the design. That rack is not my first bike on bike rack. And previous designs were not as good. And even with this; the best i could think of and design..... there are some shortcomings. The shortcomings are minor compared to previous designs, but as any design (speaking as an Eng) always has compromises, it's shortcomings should be noted.

Example: note that the bicycle sits on one side of the motorcycle. simply put this means weight is not centered. Yes, i can still ride hands off the bars (of the motorcycle), but the balance difference is noticeable. And after putting over 3,000 miles (tour of the PNW and into Canada with bike on bike) on, one will notice the smaller things. Small things become VERY important at speed. Particularly on anything with two wheels.... and no cage.

Another example: on a different rack design the bicycle was centered over the rear seating position. There was no problem with side-to-side weight distribution, but now it catches a bit more wind. Not a lot. Not as much as a passenger would, for example, but is still there. Thus i went to, and prefer, the design pictured.

Please note that this rack is NOT scabbed together. It has no bits and pieces that are adapted from a standard bicycle rack. This is a ground-up design. And i believe that is the ONLY reason it is so safe and stable.

BEWARE OF CHEAP OR POOR DESIGNS -- IF THE BICYCLE FALLS OFF YOU WILL will CRASH. THEN YOU WILL will DIE. MOST PAINFULLY.

 

Would you car to post a picture of the rack on your VFR without the bike on it? I am afraid I can't quite make out the rack weel enough to see what is going on. I may wish to pragerize your plans. You might think of patenting those>

 

Per your request ~

If anyone wants to try this for themselves; PLEASE be careful!!
(no patents pending; no plans to market or sell either)






CUSTOM Bicycle rack, as mounted on my 2004 VFR. Look and see that there are two bolts passing through rear grab-bar, then through the rack itself and then onto the motorcycle subframe. The front of the bicycle rack is mounted via two bolts into the frame where the frame mount for the passenger peg would be (if it were not removed). Clamps on the rack itself clamp onto the bicycle's front fork and onto the bicycle's frame's seat-tube.

I have REALLY enjoyed taking my bicycles with me.
Doing so really-really opens the trip up to many other possibilities and allows a freer more enjoyable trip. From bicycling the Grand Canyon, to riding the bicycle to the beach for surfing, sunning, or kayaking. It's just my opinion, but hanging around waiting for the beer-bars to start jamming is major low point for me. i'd rather be out stretching my legs, or seeing the town, pedaling the camp-sites, or whatever, without having to get geared-up. (And that is in addition to finding and exploring new trails, and then ripping it up.)

Call me what you want :crazy: but i'm doing it my own way! :thumbsup:

 

More pics, and a couple short videos here: ClickieLinkie

A lot of pics are missing, the San Juan Islands for example, but that is all i have bothered to post online.

 

I have been receiving messages, and voice mail, on this topic asking for answers on how to get this done on their own motorcycles.

Check out this link: Motorcycle Tour PNW pictures by flailer_photos - Photobucket
LINKIE for a few more pictures.
And yes, at some point in the near future I will meet up so people can see it first hand.

P.S. : And for our purist; it will work fine with your single-speed (youre the man. huge grins)

 

WOW my idea of camping has always been staying at a hotel without reservations.



I roughed it once in Colorado though, I went to Estes Park and checked in The Stanley, terrible room service... .