Carrying a Bicycle on a Motorcycle

[Cpt Sisko]

I've recently seen a bicycle attached to the back of a motorcycle and it got me thinking. I couldn't see any details of how the bicycle was mounted to the motorbike (it was doing 50mph or so in the opposite direction), but the bicycle was attached lengthways, behind the rider, front wheel removed and it looked like it was attached to some from of metalwork frame. From that I'm sumising that the motorcyclist has made or adapted something so it was secure and as it didn't obstruct the numberplate or lights either it covered the legal bits, but the bicyle did extend out beyond the end of the back of the motorcycle.

It obviously works, but is it safe/wise and is it (UK) legal and has anyone here done it?

[tatanab]

Long time ago, about 1978 I did this.  I had some thick aluminium strips curved on one end.  The strips fitted underneath a top box with  shaped parts sticking out.  I took both wheels off my time trial bike, fitted a chain keeper, and mounted the frame with the seat tube horizontal in the aluminium strips.  A pair of toe straps, one over each strip, plus an elastic cord from the head tube over the top box and all was secure.  The wheels were tied to the other side of the framework supporting the top box.  That worked fine on machines of the time, but on modern ones with higher level or sharply raked exhausts it might be more difficult.

Somebody else at the a time had a flat plate where my top box was, and had a upright stay .  The frames rear ends fitted to an old hub or axle and the frame was tied vertically to the upright stay.  Wheels were tied to fittings along side the frame - like those you see in TdeF neutral support motorcycles..

My arrangement looked ok, his (in my opinion) looked odd because the set up was so tall.  I do not see that either would be illegal because they loads are fully secure and o not add greatly to length or width of the loaded motor cycle.  I cannot show a photo because I do not "do" photo hosting.

[Little Jim]

Several years ago I sold my son's old Peugeot bike - a sort of steel frames mtb with rigid forks to a chap that turned up on a motor bike to collect it.  He took the front wheel off, used about 10 bungee cords to strap it all to the outside of his panniers (yes, they were still on his bike) and was then going to ride down the M4 to get home.  I tried very hard to persuade him to at least use the A4 rather than the M4 but he insisted all was fine.  I wasn't convinced but he set off anyway.  I can only assume he got home alive.

[yoav]

tatanab: were you time trialing in the London and south east area in the late 70's by any chance? I was racing in those days and I remember seeing a guy who turned up on a motorbike with his bike strapped to it. Wasn't you, was it?

[tatanab]

^^^ Not me, I was in the SW, Bristol based at that time.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

A mate of mine bolted a cheap roofrack bike carrier to his motorbike (a big Honda of some sort) to get to races. The front wheel was just toestrapped to the bike frame.