What's new
By:
Filters

FIRST BIKE FOR A 56Y.O./250lb nOOB

another vote for a DRZ400

in language teh OP can relate to.. think of it as a stock TJ Rubicon. It'll take you a lot of places, not the greatest on road, you can put 2 people on it but it sucks after awhile, pretty unlimited aftermarket support, cheap enough to let it sit when you're not using it without crying about how much you spent on it.

I have one.. its a love/hate thing.. its a good bike.. does not impress.. but I always have fun.
 
AwDang said:
Hey, does that camper have a rear door or side?
Rear door with a bike on a carrier will suck. Maybe one of the small bikes on the front is the way to go.
Click to expand...
Future tense:
The Alaskan camper will have a side door for the exact reason you point out.
 
CDA 455 III said:
Future tense:
The Alaskan camper will have a side door for the exact reason you point out.
Click to expand...
So, if it’s a side door, I guess that means it hangs out past the bed? The only reason I ask is that a hitch carrier on a hitch extension is quite a load. Might have to fab something up with a custom dual hitch setup to handle that setup. Which would also take care of the hitch slop piece mentioned above. Or, if the bike is small enough, maybe try mounting it to a front hitch carrier like has already been mentioned.
 
RedDirt said:
So, if it’s a side door, I guess that means it hangs out past the bed? The only reason I ask is that a hitch carrier on a hitch extension is quite a load. Might have to fab something up with a custom dual hitch setup to handle that setup. Which would also take care of the hitch slop piece mentioned above. Or, if the bike is small enough, maybe try mounting it to a front hitch carrier like has already been mentioned.
Click to expand...
Yeah; the future Ford F-600 will have a flatbed that will extend beyond the camper creating a platform for the bike.

That way I'll still have hitch/trailer capability.
 
More off-road than on-road? DR-Z400S

More on-road than off-road? 390 Adventure

Both are fine for a big guy (I'm 6'4" 225# and have ridden both) and suitable for a beginner. My wife even owns the latter, which I bought for myself but she promptly stole from me.

JMHO
 
CDA 455 III said:
Yeah; the future Ford F-600 will have a flatbed that will extend beyond the camper creating a platform for the bike.

That way I'll still have hitch/trailer capability.
Click to expand...
Loading/unloading a bike on those hitch haulers can be a bit of a pain. It was a struggle with my wife's DR350 that weighs 290 lbs. Later, I hauled my trials bike on it, which weighs 200 lbs. That was much easier to load solo.

You might think about getting a lightweight dual sport. The European 4-strokes are generally the lightest, but some Japanese bikes are close.

The KTM 250 EXC-F weighs 250 lbs.
2019-KTM-250-EXC-F-Review-dual-sport-motorcycle-9.jpg


The Yamaha WR250 weighs 260 lbs.
img.jpg
 
ZoomerP said:
Very true. I've found that the key is to decrease the grade as much as possible. Parking in the street and rolling the bike onto the ramp from above the curb helps a lot.

For those with an included rack, replacing it with a longer one is a big help. MVI suggested using a length of C-channel purlin steel from a metal building, since those are usually strong enough without being too heavy, and they can be found in the right width.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking of a crane:
1644508128280.png
 
LOL! I think a crane would be even more trouble, trying to dead lift a bike. As Zoomer said, placing the bottom of the ramp on something elevated a bit makes that part easy. The hard part is balancing the bike while you tie it down. There's no place for the side stand to rest.

I get the straps hooked to the hauler, then load the bike. Attach one strap in such a way that the bike won't fall over, then work on getting the other 3 in place. I also use 2 short straps to secure the rims to the hauler so the bike doesn't jump off if I hit a bump. (like in MVI's pic above)

_nc_ohc=P4qUEQSbWIkAX9OsKQ9&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.jpg
 
High Country Herb said:
LOL! I think a crane would be even more trouble, trying to dead lift a bike. As Zoomer said, placing the bottom of the ramp on something elevated a bit makes that part easy. The hard part is balancing the bike while you tie it down. There's no place for the side stand to rest.

I get the straps hooked to the hauler, then load the bike. Attach one strap in such a way that the bike won't fall over, then work on getting the other 3 in place. I also use 2 short straps to secure the rims to the hauler so the bike doesn't jump off if I hit a bump. (like in MVI's pic above)

_nc_ohc=P4qUEQSbWIkAX9OsKQ9&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-1.jpg
Click to expand...
After 45 years of MTNbiking; I have a completely (C3-C7) fused neck and a fused lumbar (L2-L5+sacrum).
I'm not leaving anything out as possible solutions.

BTW; freakin' cool bike, there. :thumb
 
ZoomerP said:
To be fair, she had help. There's a portion of an arm in the shot when she's clipping into the first peg.

I have that rack, and it works well. With the inner turnbuckle adjusted to allow the bike to tilt away from the truck, once the first/forward peg is clipped, the bike is stable for the rest of the process. For even more stability, the bike could be leaned forward against the truck until the pegs are clipped.

With your back, you might try some different carrier options before committing to one. Maybe a crane is the way to go. Regardless, keeping the bike weight down will be a big help to you. There usually aren't cranes located where you drop a bike.
Click to expand...
Good point; and that's exactly why I'm planning on being self-contained/self-supported.

My plan is to become a fulltime 'RV'er' (via an 'overland' set up/Ford F-600 4X4 platform) in about 5 years.
Explore the entire N. America.
 
Meh, 16F outside at night, I'll stay at the no tell motel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom Back Refresh