Bike Rack For A Motrcycle - Photos
 

Hello Fellow Folders,
I live about 20 miles from my work, so it is much to far for me to commute door 2 door on a bycycle. So, I bought a Dahon Helios XL, and then drove my truck 10 miles to Chicago's lakefront, where I would unfold the bike, and spin down the lakefront 12 miles to the Chicago Loop.

The problem was the drive: I was driving my Ford F150 Pickup the 20 miles to and from the path, and this began to cost a lot for gas. So, I bought a motorcycle for the trip. The motorcycle gets about 55 MPG, and is powerfull enough to carry me and the folder. The problem is - where do I put the folder?

So, I designed a rack just for this motorcycle. I've completed the construction and mounted on the back of the motorcycle. Here are some photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8720314...7600316154767/

Pretty cool! A guy on my motorcycling forum made a rack for his mountain bike, he brought it from Canada to a ride-in we did in North Carolina (too many fantastic places to bike for him to leave it home). I wish I could find the thread it was in cuz it was a pretty inventive set-up.

A great job you did there, but with the bicycle that high up, does it not make the Harley handle badly?

I remember doing long rides on a small motorcycle when I was a student back in the early 1970s and when I had my case strapped on the seat behind me, that damned bike used to handle like a pig.

I'm kind of laughing at the fuel consumption you guys get. I have a diesel car that soes 65mpg at 70mph on the highway and 55mpg in urban traffic.

http://germancarscene.com/wp-content...a1-6-11-06.jpg

Stock photo - mine is green

haha we have a skoda too - an older Felicia.
You did well to get a Mk2 Fabia considering they aren't out yet! ;)

Very nice!

Oh sorry Huw.. Did I grab the wrong picture? I just took it from Google pics. I said it wasn't mine.

Ah the felicia. I had one of those but it wasn't a diesel. I had it from new for eight years and gave it to one of my boys. That one averaged about 40 to the gallon being old fashioned petrol and all. Until now I never had a diesel, because they used to stink. These VW diesels are completely free of stink or smoke and she pulls like a train from about 1100 rpm up to 5000, which I never go near in fact. I think it's only turning at about 2700 at 70mph. I still can't get over the fact that I'm averaging about 60 to the gallon even though I've had the thing three years.

Is this any better? It's an estate like mine with a long back on it. My own is too dirty to take a picture of.

http://www.havanacarhire.com/images/...abia-combi.jpg

The riding position of this bike is about 30 inches from the ground(very low); this makes it difficult to corner. With the additional weight up high, it improves cornering. This is a result of the "pendulum" effect. Having the weight further back, it does not impact braking. However, having the folder at a 90 degree angle to the direction of the motorcycle impacts the speed and fuel economy of the motorcycle. And it makes a whistling noise at +60MPH.

The mileage is below average for a motorcycle, but above average in the cruiser class of motorcycles. Typically, cruisers get 35-55 mile per gallon.

Diesel? Man, If I had a diesel motorcycle, I would run it off of discarded vegetable oil, lowering my commute cost, well, not by much, but I would love to run a motorcycle off of BioD.

Keeps spinnging!

Glad the motorcycle handles well. I wouldn't have thought of that. I never rode a Harley, though I sat on one once. It seemed to have an incredibly low centre of gravity in comparison to my old BMW.

On the diesel bike thing LOL - you just need to up the compression ratio from about 6 or 7 : 1 to about 19:1 or a touch more and rig up some high pressure fuel injector. You basically need to get the fuel pressure up to about 1800 psi and then meter it accurately in a momentary burst. Then you can strain the contents of your kitchen fryer into the petrol tank and 'voila' away you go at 200 miles to the gallon. Miles and miles for free and no money for the Sheiks!

:D

You bought a Harley to save money on a commute? C'mon ... there must have been more to the hog purchase than that. ;)

Mpg
 

Remember the US gallon is one fifth smaller than the imperial gallon and the selection of diesel cars are slim.
iAN