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Bicycle rack on a Beemer!

STOKES73

New member
This seems a bit crazy but I was riding into work a few weeks ago (Wash DC) from Virginia when I saw a guy on a Beemer ride by and he had a bicycle mounted on the rear rack of his bike. It looked like he had attached one of the roof channel racks. He had taken off the front tire so the bike was sitting nose down and attached to an axel mount on the rack. I can't put a bike rack on my car and I thought wow that looks like something I need to investigate.

Has anyone else seen anything like this?
 
Yes, and there was a fellow at the MOA Rally selling the set up. Someone will pop in with a name I am sure.
 
I have a friend who made his own bike rack for his GS. At first, he tried to keep the tires on the bike, but learned the hard way that the tires were way too close to the exhaust when he heard a frightening "pop" while riding one day. He was quite relieved to discover the "pop" wasn't the motorcycle, but the bicycle tire that had overheated and exploded.

Now the wheels are removed before the frame is mounted to the rack, and he has a couple of travel forks mounted on the rack to hold the now-removed front and rear wheel.

I wish I had a photo of it to share, as it's quite the contraption - especially with the bike and wheels loaded up!

He rides it around the Western United States, attending bicycle races.
 
I saw that bike last Saturday leaving Bob's BMW. I wish I had taken a picture of it because it was a funny sight. Riding a motorcycle to take a bicycle to go riding. :thumb
 
2x2cycles (?)

It was something like 2x2cycles... think i might have a pic, i'll check later.
 
A pic

Seen at the Johnson City, Tn Rally
 

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Nice GS and what a sweet Moots on the back. The bicycle is almost as valuable as the Beemer. :)
 
I just built one. These photos are of a maiden voyage. I am going to reconfigure the rear connection so that the bike sits lower, and that the flexi-connection rear wheel to frame will be replaced with a more rigid bike frame to rack frame connection.

the uprights are plywood laminated with fiberglass and they clamp right into the bag mounts.
 

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Sorry, but where's your brake lights ? I would run trailer brake lights. No one in a truck or an SUV would see you stopping. I like the idea, I would uses my panniers boxes on the sides before across my brake & turn signals.
Just my 2 cents
 
Good question.

Brake lights are unobstructed from behind. I will check how visible they are from behind and above as viewed from a tall vehicle.

The attachments in the rear are going to be more simple, and less cluttered. I intend to fix white reflective tape to the inside of the supports to brighten the lighting
 
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Sorry, but where's your brake lights ? I would run trailer brake lights. No one in a truck or an SUV would see you stopping.

Valid concern if your only point of reference is a 1D photograph and, yes, I considered using a clip-on, '3rd Eye' tail / stop light attached to the back lip of the top case. However, when looked at in real life the tail, turn and stop lights as well as the license plate are all visible from all but the most oblique angles where the support straps and bars tend to obstruct the view. However, these aren't typical angles of attack that motorists are presented with when approaching from the rear in normal driving circumstances. Note that I have a Kissan Signal Minder on my RT and use the dimmed running light mode, which is why the rear turn signals are illuminated in these video segments.

Just for kicks, and to add some perspective, here's a link to a quick YouTube video I threw together that looks at the rear tail / brake light performance at night from two perspectives, with and without the bicycle rack & bicycle mounted to the RT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO1qr2neLB8

Segment 1: 30' away at normal driver's perspective without the rack & bicycle
Segment 2: 30' away at normal driver's perspective with the bicycle on the rack
Segment 3: 15' away and elevated to about 6'2" / truck height without the rack & bicycle
Segment 4: 15' away and elevated to about 6'2" / truck height with the bicycle on the rack​

Now, if an SUV / Truck was tailgating and only 5' off my rear wheel then, yes, the brake light would be somewhat obstructed during daylight hours. Of course, if an SUV or truck is sitting that close to my rear wheel at anything greater than crawling speed seeing my brake light isn't going to do much to prevent being rear-ended anyway.

Brake lights are unobstructed from behind. I will check how visible they are from behind and above as viewed from a tall vehicle.

Pretty sure '119240' was referring to my rear rack installation... given that your approach doesn't partially obstruct your tail light.
 
I'm glad you travel & ride your bike / motorcycle at night .
Most of us travel & ride our motorcycle & bicycles during the day.
As you said "Yes the brake lights would be somewhat obstructed during daylight hrs." - Please be safe with your rack over your rear lights during the day.
Good luck in riding
 
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I'm glad you travel & ride your bike / motorcycle at night. Most of us travel & ride our motorcycle & bicycles during the day.

I do not use my motorcycles for 'leisure' or 'recreation', they are used primarily for transportation. So, at least 50% of my riding is done in the dark from Mar - Sept, and 100% is done in the dark from Oct - Feb commuting to and from work which, for me, starts around 6am and ends around 7pm each day.

My wife and I are avid cyclists who cycle during daylight hours and recently began using day-time tail lights from diNotte for added visibility given the rise in cyclists being struck from behind by distracted motorists.

Yes, I'm very sensitive to rear visibility despite your perceptions to the contrary.


As you said "Yes the brake lights would be somewhat obstructed during daylight hrs."

No, what I said was, "Now, if an SUV / Truck was tailgating and only 5' off my rear wheel then, yes, the brake light would be somewhat obstructed during daylight hours. Of course, if an SUV or truck is sitting that close to my rear wheel at anything greater than crawling speed seeing my brake light isn't going to do much to prevent being rear-ended anyway."


- please travel & ride your bicycle at night for your loved ones. Good luck in riding

I'd say thanks, but I detect a lack of sincerity in your comments.

If I find myself with 30 minutes of spare time during daylight hours I may reshoot the video samples just to see if light bends differently in the day than it does at night. If I discover a potential safety issue in the camera lense that hasn't been apparent to my naked eye I will consider adding Hyperlights or some other supplemental brake lights to the top case.
 
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