Transporting things via your motorcycle

[Nath]

Now quite a lot of people on this forum have a motorcycle as their only form of transport so there should be some good stories to be told here. Don't want an argument as to whether owning a car makes you less of a "biker", just any good stories from people who've been forced into 'unorthodox' methods of moving things via motorcycle.

I've had a few good ones, like strapping a CO2 gas pub bottle to the back to get it refilled (use it for welding). Got it filled at a fire extinguisher company, and they reckoned they needed a special license just to transport the bottles in the back of a van - What the authorities would have made of me strapping it to the bike who knows!

I once carried a 25litre oil drum home by balancing it on the tank, using my knees to stop it falling off. Luckily I only had to travel a short distance (maximum of 2 miles), because it was more than a little bit dodgy! The problem with strapping it down wasn't just the bulk, but more the weight which would have called for lots of messing around with ratchet straps etc. coming to a stop and having to put a foot down wasn't fun!

Oh and not strictly transporting an item, but not much more than a month ago I had to tow a broken down Dnepr sidecar outfit!


Today's effort though was carrying the wheel off my xs750 to the tyre fitters. One method of carrying it stuck out as the most sensible, which was lashing it to the side of the boxes I use as a pannier. I strapped it nice and tight so it couldn't move about much, but I had the bike on the sidestand so I didn't realise how little ground clearance there was going to be once riding. Had the tyre bump the ground a couple of times, going round right hand corners and also against a speedbump! Plus there were the obvious problems of extra width (no filtering ) and of course the massive weight that far off the center of gravity! Anyone who reckons alloy wheels are lighter than spoked wheels is a bloody liar, this XS750 wheel is the same size rim as the cb550 but weighs loads more!

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/images/wheel-carrying-1.jpg

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.coy/images/wheel-carrying-2.jpg
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Hard livin', hard luck.

[Shaun]

I moved house using just my bike. Tie downs and gaffa tape were the key, I'd strap everything possible to the back and whack a cargo net over the top for good measure, didn't take that many trips but the most memorable one was having a cuddly toy strapped to the top of the pile that said "kiss my arse" on it, oh how the BMW driver behind me laughed as we sat at the traffic lights.

Tyres are a pain, especillay if you have a set, round the waist they go, be brilliant if you fell off at speed and just carried on down the road, used that method to carry tyres on more than one occasion though. I carried a person on the bike once too, that was fun.

[Barry_M2]

I rode back from work (through London) with a Nintendo Game Cube on the tank. Also used to carry tires too when they needed changing.


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ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
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[Tarmacsurfer]

Most memorable carries:

58 kilos of stainless fastners on the back of a GT550 in a couple of small boxes, watched them bring the package out of the warehouse on a hand cart and thought "what the hell, they're only diddy things". Then tried to lift one. Didn't realise the load limit for the topbox was technically 10 kilos

HUGE bunch of flowers across central London. Ended up with the bouquet in a bin liner gaffa taped to the back of my leathers, was the only way I could transport it with minimal damage.

Dyson hoover, sitting on the pillion seat of the ZZR propped up against the topbox and held on with cargo nets. Got some very strange looks passing through the center of Birmingham
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I'm immortal. Well, so far.

[Simple]

not on the road: had to carry a calf, few days old so not very heavy but gangly and awkward, placed him across my legs/petrol tank like he was going to get a spanking, then tootled back to the farm yard, how I miss my pw50

carried a few lambs too as the pw was mainly used to round the sheep up.

on the road: carrying my rifle across my back in a case gets funny looks, tyres bungied to the back on my 125,

the most embarasing thing of all was an electric toothbrush at the bottom of my bag.. which turned on while tootling to devon for a long weekend.... when we stopped everyone thought it was a vibrator for the way back I removed the batteries
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Insta - FemFeral

[Weedy]

Not necessarily heavy, but awkaward - A walking stick on a moped for 22 miles Got some funny looks!
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<CBT passed 16th Sept 2007><Theory Test passed 11th Oct 2007><Practical Test passed 19th Apr 2008>
OWNED: 2008 Aprilia Pegaso Strada CURRENT: Bikeless :'(

[Gazdaman]

Had tyres round the waist.

Strapped a mini moto across the the pillion seat aswell, and lashed it to the top box. I've never known a bike to handle soooo badly.

Gaz

[Tarmacsurfer]

[Weedy]

I had the handle over my knee, and the bottom bit between my feet. Made stopping/turning very difficult!
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<CBT passed 16th Sept 2007><Theory Test passed 11th Oct 2007><Practical Test passed 19th Apr 2008>
OWNED: 2008 Aprilia Pegaso Strada CURRENT: Bikeless :'(

[stinkwheel]

Had all of this stuff on the back of the GPZ going camping. Then added a 25kg sack of coal for the last 15 miles.

Sports rack has a sticker on saying "Max. load: 2.5kg". Pish and twaddle I say.

https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/tramps/Lewis.jpg

[Trixie]

I've carried tyres before, just over one shoulder and across the chest. A bugger for lifesavers....

Other things carried (in no particular order) include a semi acoustic guitar and a tree, among the more "interesting" items.
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Dead nobodies in company cars...

[yambabe]

I'm sure I've told this before but Himself once took a full-size fridge freezer over to his ex-wife's house (about 3 miles) on the back of his XS500. Apparrently lots of ratchet straps and extreme care not to lean at all were the key........
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[mr.z]

Here some luggage arrangements for camping..

https://img71.imageshack.us/img71/1580/img1039sz0.jpg

https://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8036/dscf0003rm4.jpg

This one was interesting to say the least, worked ok though (the bag has a very very heavy tent in it)

Other than that helped a mate pick up some bike bits, him on his ninja and me on the cx with all the boxes on, it turned out to be a complete bike apart from frame, wheels and engine, amazingly fitted it all on between us, although i couldn't actually get off the bike till it had been unloaded a bit

Still don't beat a fridge or a cow..

Nath - How is the bike coming along? I'm assuming its going well if your buying wheels for it MFN is a month from now (April 2nd)
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Weedy]

[Feasty]

Almost along the same lines! I once saw a rider on an old Triumph being towed by a 4x4 along the road. The rope was about 3 metres long!! What idiots...

[steveh]

A huge card and a teddy for the mrs, oh i got some looks!

also things like Flowers down the front of my jacket ect.

biggest thing was a tent on my 125, used it as a back rest, was the comfyest trip ive ever had!
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[Simple]

My dad would like me to add that he's taken a lamb to the vets (4 miles away) stuffed down his belstaff wax jacket on his cb250 back in 1970something... he'd also like to add that it shite everywhere
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Insta - FemFeral

[Trixie]

[The Tot]

I had my guitar and peavey 65W amp on the back before coming home from a music studio. Had to use very very sturdy bungies and ride VERY VERY Carefully.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Jebus]

erm just tires took them 6 mile to garage bungied on, was paranoid about em falling off and killing me so went at about 30 the whole way
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2nd time around CBT: 8/9/11
125 Varadero

[sambarwick]

Had to be done lol

https://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3047/mob00006do2.jpg
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[Trip]

Please tell me that was functioning on the back of your bike

Better than any car stereo any day...
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Bike: Yamaha XJ600N Mileage: 28500 Miles Rider Mileage: Many Miles
CBT: PASSED Theory: PASSED Test: PASSED
Past-CG125 Present - Yamaha XJ600N Future - WHO KNOWS?

[mr.z]

Show em the tube of doom
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Mark312]

About 20 years ago, I regularly used to ride 2 miles to the snooker club with my cue tucked under my arm, resting on the handlebars. Straight lines were fine, cornering was tricky. Lucky I never passed a police car.
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Currently Moto Guzzi 750 Strada, Moto Guzzi V35 Florida, previously Honda CB125T, RD250LC, RD80MX

[trevoriv]

21" LCD tv, xbox, accesories, cables, leads, games etc and a case of beer, not overly heavy or bulky but getting an lcd tv 40 miles strapped to the pillion seat without it getting damaged is a fine art