Bicycle rack on a Beemer!

TandemGeek said:

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

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I thought it was just me.

Bicycling here in Portland has become pretty main stream, but still there are those who overtly menace and use their vehicles to threaten or hurt cyclists. I was at a local BMW meet and greet and one attendee told the story about how he was driving a delivery van in a residential neighborhood and had to slow for a woman cyclist who was taking the lane (legal here). His impatience and sense of entitlement developed into anger. He got out of his van crushed her bicycle wheel and bragged about it over beers.

As you are a frequent cyclist you know how other road users feel about cyclists.

Bob_M said:

As you are a frequent cyclist you know how other road users feel about cyclists.

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Yes, we're even lower than 'bugs' in the road-user food chain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ynpGFj97Ic

Austin,Tx is also a cycling heavy town...from commuting to recreation.

I rode my bike every day after work before I retired and moved ...a 30 mile loop on State roads with a paved shoulder mostly. One of my own employees in a city vehicle buzzed me way too close with the trucks mirror ,not knowing it was me. I was on a 10' shoulder and he came into it to "put that idiot on a bike in his place" as was his explanation the next day when I said I had a complaint. After I explained it was me and the danger he posed to the other citizens...I took his driving priveleges away and removed him as crewleader, which got in his money pocket. He retired less than a year later. I don't think he ever got it.

Another employee wearing a city uniform and going home after work in his own vehicle after a stop at the local bar, stopped on a county road and started cussing and shoved one rider down. Sadly for him, the group consisted of a city council member, a District Court Judge, and a few hi profile defense attorneys. He wasn't terminated...but had to attend some anger classes and apologize in person to the cyclists. He growled at me knowing I was "one of them".

Seems two wheeled vehicles, powered or not raise the ire of many who don't get it. Helen & I have started riding again out here in the country. She is not quite used to the whoosh of the trucks passing us. TX law now requires you to move over by at least three feet on roads w/out a shoulder, most do.

dang that was long...

Pics not by me or of me, but shamelessly stolen from the internet for my own inspiration. If any are yours...sorry...let me know and I'll delete them. Maybe some ideas for you here:

TheRoss said:

Pics not by me or of me, but shamelessly stolen from the internet for my own inspiration. If any are yours...sorry...let me know and I'll delete them. Maybe some ideas for you here

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Quite a few of those belong to the same gentleman (Ricardo K.) from Berkley and, then later, the SF Bay Area. He has even figured out how to attach multiple bikes + a tandem bike to his GS using his "Pennytech" rack...



In fact, how about a photo where he wedged his girlfriend and his purple Ibis off-road tandem onto the bike at the same time: yikes!. Not sure I'd want to stick any part of my body through the frame of a bicycle while riding a motorcycle.



He posts quite a bit on ADVRiders, MTBR and was a list member of a couple tandem cycling boards a few years back but has been silent on those boards as of late. I think most of those photos posted above may have come from this MTBR thread: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=359270

The "Johnny Rack" and '2x2 Cycle Rack' mentioned earlier all use a similar, in-line mounting approach where the bike sticks out off the back of the motorcycle and from all accounts they seem to work fine. I considered that approach as well, but wanted something a bit more compact. Again, what I've got is working just fine thus far... in fact, the RT is sitting outside with my road bike on it and ready to go for some repeats on Kennesaw Mountain after work today.

TandemGeek said:

Quite a few of those belong to the same gentleman (Ricardo K.) from Berkley and, then later, the SF Bay Area.

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And now in Salt Lake City, Utah. I wonder of SLC is ready for Ricky.

marchyman said:

And now in Salt Lake City, Utah. I wonder of SLC is ready for Ricky.

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I'm not sure anyone can truly be ready for Ricky... since you really never know what Ricky will come up with next.

Here's a guy who should just give up motorized travel altogether.....assuming you could find a bicycle that wouldn't break.

Yakima rack mounted with the Yakima artificial raingutters. Stable until one neglects proper fastener tightening while riding across New Mexico.

Motorcycle handled fine, although a little light in the front end.

2x2 Cycles

Good Morning to all. I have been slow on using the forum but it was brought to my attention that folks where asking questions and posting comments about our bicycle rack. We have been advertising in the MOA mag and where at the GREAT Tenn. rally last year. Yes we built bike racks to fit multi brand m/cs and also soon to be golf club racks equipped with Hyper-lites from Ron in Mi. Our rack rides inline with the rider and at a low profile. You would hardly know that your sub 30 lb. bike was even on board and a lot less then a passenger. We build in redundant systems in the rack and feel it to be as safe and strong as possible. Putting a bike across your m/c or along the side is not sound practice. Always best to have a balanced load and one that does not impair the safe operation of the m/c. I look forward to answering all questions you might have and our web site is www.2x2cycles.com. Having been a member of the MOA for 15 years I have come to know that BMW riders are among the safest and more serious riders out there, and in that spirit was what we based our engineering on. We will also be at americade , mid ohio, and hope to do a couple of the moa regional rallies.

rockhound said:

Putting a bike across your m/c ... is not sound practice.

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Can you elaborate?

rockhound said:

Putting a bike across your m/c or along the side is not sound practice. Always best to have a balanced load and one that does not impair the safe operation of the m/c.

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I think he did.

GrafikFeat said:

I think he did.

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Let me add an illustration to help clarify my question.

Don't get me wrong, the 2x2 cycle rack is very slick and I considered it, but did not want to give up my top case and devised a different approach that works just as well for me, notwithstanding some readers concerns about tail llight visibility.

The crux of my question pertains to "balanced load" and how having the weight of a 16lb road bike or up to a 28lb mountain bike place up high and well back of the bike's CG makes for a more sound practice than placing that same weight closer-in to the bike and much closer to the CG by having the bike positioned across the back of the motorcycle with both wheels removed and out of the air flow.

If a motorcycle did not have side cases, the balance of the equation quickly changes since that's where most of the sheltering from the wind comes from on the 'across the back of the M/C' configuration, so there are clearly some trade-offs that are dependent on what type of motorcycle you're riding and whether or not it has luggage and will or will not have a passenger.

2x2 cycles and side loading

Your questions and observations are good ones and I will not disagree with you on your points. However as you have stated all situations are not the same. In building a rack to perform safely for the majority of m/c 's out there and to have the least amount of compromise to the majority, positioning the bike inline with the rider and and out of the way of the rider completely in my opinion is the safest and highest priority. I have ridden m/c's with the bike shot gun style and have ridden with them side loaded across the back and find them both to present greater compromises then the configuration we have choose for 2x2 in my opinion. As far as weight issue is concerned the bikes are very light and the weight out the back is hardly noticeable at all. I have ridden my bikes at speeds farrrrr above the posted speeds and in the curves and feel very little effect.

There is not always a one size fits all approach but I feel we are striving to come as close as responsibly possible while making it possible for all to squeeze every ounce of use and enjoyment from our m/c's and doing our part to save on gas etc. I would much rather drive to the mountains on my m/c to ride my mtn. bike then to use my 5k lb. truck to transport my 16 lb. bike.

I will add one last note, when using our 2x2 rack or any other configuration, they should always be aware of the changes and drive responsibly and with some restraint. I do believe it is safer then say seeing some drivers trying to adjust there Ipods, or reading there gps's or making phone calls, now that is crazy.

Thanks for listening. Always ride safe.

rockhound said:

I will add one last note, when using our 2x2 rack or any other configuration, they should always be aware of the changes and drive responsibly and with some restraint.

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Thanks; appreciate the feedback.

Again, if I had a GS your 2X2 would have probably been my first choice.

BTW, for any readers who have not see Garrett & his 2x2 Cycle rack in anything other than still photos, he has posted a very good video demo on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ooeiE3pG0

Bike Rack on an Airhead

OK, so only a 10 year old thread ... that said if anyone is looking for solutions thought this might help. Made this in a weekend. Rack attaches to the right saddle bag mount and carries the bike at the downtube/BB junction. Front wheel removes and forks attach to a holder on the passenger foot peg. No you can not use the right bag and no a passanger does not fit as well. It is a tight and reliable way to carry a single bike with good visibility and ease of mounting.

This thread is a great resource for bicycle rack ideas!

A few more shots of the bike rack

Some additional pics of the rack.

Makes no sense to me unless you want to ride the bike back home after your motorcycle is stolen.

anglojaxon said:

Makes no sense to me unless you want to ride the bike back home after your motorcycle is stolen.

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For trail riders, makes perfect sense. Moto to the trailhead, ride dirt singletrack until ready to head home, moto home. Removes a cage or pickup from the equation.