Monday, January 10, 2011

At last! A motorcycle bike rack!

You see a lot of automobiles in these parts with bike racks - either atop the roof, or attached to the trailer hitch receiver. Folks apparently like to take their bikes on car trips. (I've not had good luck with rooftop bike racks - I don't have the attention span. Twice I've driven underneath overhead barriers, much to the detriment of front forks. I gave it up many years ago, and pretty much just stick to the bicycle any more.)

But at long last, there's a bike rack for us motorcycle enthusiasts.

(That took awhile for me to process. Motorcycle bike rack? Yeah - it's a rack that attaches to your motorcycle, so you can take your bicycle with you on motorcycle trips.)

It's the brainchild of 2x2 Cycles founder Garrett Blake, who apparently loves both motorcycling and bicycling. (Hey - I like this guy!) Blake: "I didn’t want to drive my 15-mpg truck to far-away bike trails and charity rides, and miss out on some great road rides without the motorcycle. Nor did I want to ride my motorcycle somewhere and see all those great trails and have no bicycle to use. I knew this rack would truly open up a whole new world of adventure to motorcycle enthusiasts around the world."

I'd like one of these, but I don't think I'd use it often enough to justify the $300 selling price. (If the guy wants to send me one, I'll install it and give it a thorough workout over the course of 2011, and write my impressions, including how often it came in handy.)

The company also makes a gizmo that allows you to attach your golf bag out back, for golfing motorcycle riders.

3 comments:

Scott said...

It seems like that would raise your center of gravity a whole bunch. It's a good starting point, though.

Bikeboy said...

Scott, I had the same thought. The website claims it makes no difference to handling. And in reality, having a passenger on board probably affects handling more. (Assuming the passenger weighs more than 25 lbs.)

I've long lusted after a UNI-GO trailer for my motorsickle. In theory, it's like a BOB - one wheel and so its influence on handling, tracking, etc., are minimal. BUT - it's $2500! Ouch! (It's a little fiberglass pod. They oughtta make BIG BOB - like a BOB, and you could carry cargo, or attach a waterproof box on it, depending on immediate hauling needs. Or a bike!)

Brock said...

When you have a rickshaw, you have to bust out a trailer to get your cycle to further away destinations
(though I guess I really could have ridden to this destination if I wanted to tack on extra miles for the day):
http://www.rickshawseason.com/meridian-bluecruise/

An upside of having a rickshaw is you can haul your bike with it, though that limits the range over where the bike would go. Great for dropping off the rickshaw someplace, or dropping off or picking up a bike from the bike shop for repair:
http://www.rickshawseason.com/haul-bicycle-rickshaw/