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I am in the process of exchanging my motorhome for one with a better payload (Hobby Sphinx on an Iveco chassis).
Part of my plan is to either carry or tow a motorbike behind the van. I would for obvious reasons prefer to carry one if possible.
I will be limted to a weight of about 160 - 170 kg on the rack.
This is where one gets into the area of difficult compromises, particularly as there are now few 'real' bikes smaller than about a 600.
I would like to:
- be able to carry a passenger and keep up with motorway traffic. I know the KTM Duke 690 will do the job at the weight, but are there others?
- if possible, have storage space which I can store two full face helmets in. This either requires panniers or a scooter with sufficient storage and power.
Any ideas about which bikes or scooters will do the job would be much appreciated.
Failing this, I'll probably tow a 'regular' 650 (e.g. Bandit/V-Strom/Versys/ER6N) on an Ezetow.
Lifetime biker here - with what might at first sound ludicrous to another biker, but:
I've got "proper" big bikes. But the scooter rack fitted to our MH, and the rear suspension of the MH itself, meant nothing above about 110kgs weight.
I got a Honda Innova 125cc. (It's the sort of next generation of the Honda Cub C90).
4stroke, 125 cc, fuel injection (since about 2005 onwards), 4-speed semi-auto gearbox, so no clutch lever.
I swear we have never had so much fun on it.
OK, it's 55mph max when two-up, but we absolutely love it.
Utterly bulletproof.
The simplest thing on the planet to self-maintain.
Dead cheap to buy, and spares costs tuppence.
It does about 150 miles per gallon....I'm NOT joking, the fuel injected version really is that economical.
Insurance is about 10 quid a year.
"Proper" big 17" wheels, which make it MUCH more stable to actually ride than the tiny-wheeled "fashionable" scooters.
So old fashioned-looking that no young scrote would ever dream of nicking it.
I've bunged a second-hand Givi maxia 55 litre top box on it, which swallows helmets, gloves and coats....and takes LOADS of wine and beer when shopping.
Piece of cake to unload/load onto the rack - it takes me probably 2 minutes to offload, it; and maybe 3 minutes to load it back on, including straps etc.
It actually has inner tubes, so if you ever get a puncture, you can whip a wheel off in 5 mins and just shove in a new inner tube ( so long as you carry one plus a basic tool kit in the cubbyhole under the saddle.
You don't see many of them in the UK or mainland Europe, but Honda sell 'em by the million (literally) all over Asia and the Far East, where they are the stock form of transport for entire families.
I bought it 18 months ago, and we've so far done about 5,000 miles on it - we even use it for local scooting around when at home, as it's such an utter hoot to whizz about on.
(Obviously, like any sane person, I peeled off the utterly appalling, go-faster lurid graphics from each side of the bodywork within half an hour of taking delivery!)
To anyone thinking of getting a scooter to go on the back of their Motorhome, I really cannot recommend the Honda ANF125 Innova highly enough.
Suzuki VanVan 125cc, weight about 130kg. Its a big bike for a 125 and very comfortable with those big balloon tyres.
This one is for sale - just didn't got round to it before the winter set in, and was going to leave it until spring.
'05plate: only 7,000 miles (Some people may recall a thread on this forum where we had to track down the owner to buy it - it had been left behind when the owner moved house!)
Before signing on dotted lines or parting with the folding stuff, can I suggest you contact Watling Towbars and get their advice.
They are very conscientious, and if you ask them to assess your van and see if your proposed loading is safe and within the law, they will do so - as a free service.
They will also tell you if it is not advisable to go ahead . . . . . Sob!! Sob!!
I wanted to carry a Honda Innova on our van, but even with an SVTech uprated plate I would be overloading the rear axle.
Ben (at Watling) blamed AutoSleepers for having such a good build quality that their vans are heavier than most (pro rata). Not sure if I'm pleased or upset!!
I would certainly suggest you make use of their service - and give them the job if it's OK since they have a cracking good reputation.
Dave
Edit - another typo!
Last edited by Zebedee on Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
160KG does seem a very generous allowance. I just cant envisage any van being able to take a 600 cc bike on a rack but I could be wrong. Its been known.
We too are limited to about 100-110kg after the rack was fitted. The rack and tow bar weigh about 50KG and our 100cc Peugeot speedfight about 95KG. When you take into account the overhang the actual combined real weight is over 200KG. We are just in the limit.
I see what your saying about the big bike and there have been times like in the Swiss Alps where I would have loved one but I have to say I prefer the scooter. If like us your just touring around once you get there most of the time your pottering around at 30-50 mph with hopefully enough grunt to get up some alpine hills. So the scooter for us is enough really. Good storage under the seat and in the top box and of course you can park them anywhere in towns, cities and villages and nobody cares.
The Honda Innova as disussed is indistructable but the PCX 125 has been getting some great reviews on here which is what I would trade our Peugeot for if I could afford the extra payload.
______________________________________________________________ Hank the Tank has a website. Follow our adventures at http://www.hankthetank.co.uk
If I had 165kg allowance, I'd carry my old Honda 650cc Dominator, I don't unfortunately, and so carry a Honda 90 (85kg).
As for the helmets, I'd have a two-helmet top box, keep the helmets in it somewhere in the motorhome, and clip it on when you dismount the bike, I keep my helmet in my top box in the bottom of the wardrobe, stops it visor getting damaged.
Panniers are not normally wide enough to take a helmet.
Last edited by Bill_H on Fri Dec 09, 2011 12:38 am; edited 1 time in total
Before signing on dotted lines or parting with the folding stuff, can I suggest you contact Watling Towbars and get their advice.
They are very conscientious, and if you ask them to assess your van and see if your proposed loading is safe and within the law, they will do so - as a free service.
They will also tell you if it is not advisable to go ahead . . . . . Sob!! Sob!!
I wanted to carry a Honda Innova on our van, but even with an SVTech uprated plate I would be overloading the rear axle.
Ben (at Watling) blamed AutoSleepers for having such a good build quality that their vans are heavier than most (pro rata). Not sure if I'm pleased or upset!!
I would certainly suggest you make use of their service - and give them the job if it's OK since they have a cracking good reputation.
Dave
Edit - another typo!
Thanks Dave. I did call them and had a long chat with them. Their standard rack takes 130 kg. I asked whether they could make a sturdier one: Armitage sell a 160 kg capacity rack but Watling is local to me.
They said they would check if my towbar can handle it but they are able to build one to take the heavier weight.
As the (new) motorhome has a 3,700 kg maximum rear axle loading and a payload of about 1,100 kg I think the chassis can handle it: all my calcs suggested it should be ok.
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