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WebBikeWorld directory of trailering options . . . a good place to start research! |
200 2Tuesday, July 9 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Debbie, Tuesday, July 18 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Frank,
Thursday, February 15 Hi Mama, How the heck do I get a 700 pound bike in the back of an F-150 short bed? I'm pretty sure it will fit, getting it up there and back down are going to be a challenge. Any ideas? Thanks as always, Jojo Dear
Jojo, Given that I'm getting more trailering questions, I've started a new page on the Ride Techniques page: Trailer a Motorcycle. It will take me a bit to search for previous letters so the archive is more complete. Mama Friday, March 9 Dear
VTwin Mama, I have 2 questions: Dear
Newbie Cruiser, Draining a tank is most easily done by simply running the motorcycle until it's out of gas. So, if you ride it till it's almost out, then you can just run it at home until it dies. If that isn't feasible, then you'll need to locate the gas line to the carburetor. It usually has some sort of clamp attaching it. Undo the clamp and have a big bucket handy for the drain. You may want to take an old towel or sheet to protect everything below the hose/carb so gas doesn't accidentally spill on anything. If you're not sure where that hose is, and don't have the service manual for your bike, look at BikeBandit.com. Click on OEM parts, choose your exact bike make/year/model (they have them all) and look at the fuel tank diagram. I'm 99% sure your carb is on the right side of the bike behind the air filter, which has a fancy chrome cover. I believe your bike may have two carbs, but you're still looking for a hose coming from under the tank to the carb. I wish you well on your move! Mama Saturday,
March 17
Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Not Sure, Readers, any other ideas? I guess I would sell the one in NY and get something else in LA given all the $$ factors. It's just not going to do any good to leave the Virago sitting for too long. Mama Thursday, July 26 For Not Sure What To Do on costs of transporting a motorcycle: How weird I just started looking into getting my bike shipped when I read the post about the Virago. There are quite a few companies that specialize in shipping motorcycles safely, and the costs aren't that bad. When I started adding up the cost of renting a trailer, etc., plus the fact that I have a smaller car not made for towing, I decided that it would be cheaper and no worries to get the bike shipped instead. I'm going to do more research on which company to go with, but I'm seeing estimates of $650 or less from Florida to California, so I didn't think that was too expensive for what they offer. If the bike is worth keeping, I'd suggest that. I'll let you know what company I find is the most reliable. Hope this helps! Kat (note from Mama: yes, there are costs no matter what is decided, but a motorcycle that really makes your heart sing is harder to replace! I look forward to hearing which company you feel will give best overall value.) Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Diji, Wednesday, August 1 For Not Sure on getting a motorcycle transported cross country and Diji who asked about shipping a motorcycle overseas: Upfront disclosure: we only shipped my motorcycle when my husband was in the Army. That means we were 'assigned' a moving company and had no idea who until they rang the doorbell. Since my father & father-in-law are both also retired Army, this last move was #42 for my husband & I combined. (We grew up during Nam & Korea.) My husband worked 4 college summers as a mover.The reality is "a good moving company" doesn't exist. Or to be precise, a UNIFORMLY good moving company doesn't exist. It's all about the crew over whom you have little choice. If I could, I'd choose the best crew from the 'worst' company rather than the worst crew from the 'best' company. The way to increase your odds of a good crew is a lot like renting a great vacation cottage: move during nonpeak times -- not from May-Sept or Dec-Jan. (School vacation & new year=new job.) Be flexible about dates -- many more want to move out the last week of the month & move in the first week. (Rentals usually begin on the 1st & closings the 30th.) Move mid-week. (Senior people don't do many weekends -- but more people want to move in/out on the weekend.) We moved my '81 Suzuki 250GT as part of our household goods from the DC area to Kansas, then to the Heidelberg, Germany area & back to the DC area. She was secured in the container & other boxes and furniture packed around her. For Europe, the size of the bike can be an issue if it doesn't fit in the standard container. (Not the SEA/LANDS the individual containers that are then loaded into them Especially for Europe, since it goes by boat, special prep is needed. Ask. I've no idea why, but I bookmarked this site; it's actually a directory & includes motorcycle shippers: http://www.movecars.com/toc/find/index.htm#motorcycles Of course, for Not Sure, you may have a friend who would ride it out! Hope this helps a little. Jem (note from Mama: how wonderful of you to share what you've learned that's always a help!) Hi Petra, 2) Our first destination might be Dear
Mary, Whatever previous information we've had on the subject can be found on my Riding Gear: Transport a Motorcycle page. There's not a lot there, but some links that may help. Then I headed to one of my favorite directories, the WebBikeWorld and found their Trailers page. It segments different sorts apart, offers an insight on what the Department of Transportation demands, and has some reviews. In my mind, for a covered trailer, I'd want something wide enough so when the first bike is loaded and secured you still have room to walk the second one in and handle the tie-down without having to be a contortionist. A built in ramp would be nice. When I was still in NC, on the border of SC, I was on the coast. Lots of the best riding is in the western part of the states. I'd take a look at MotorcyceRoads.com for some ideas, including Deal's Gap, home of the Tail of the Dragon. You might also want to check into back issues from Road Runner Magazine. They do a nice job in their articles! Mama Wednesday, September 5 For Mary "Pixie" about choosing an enclosed trailer: Just one note of thought when purchasing an enclosed motorcycle trailer, is the size and towing capacity of the tow vehicle. So many times I have seen SUV/trucks towing trailers that are way too large/heavy for appropriate handling. Yes, the vehicle may have enough power to pull the trailer, but loaded with bikes the trailer weighs almost/more than the tow vehicle. This can lead to serious accidents! Anonymous (note from Mama: good point! Even when I bought my pickup truck with the idea of loading my motorcycle in the bed, I double checked what weight it could hold.) 8Dear VTwin Mama, Dear zhnurse, I don't see why you can't use a 3-section ramp as long as each piece is secured to the truck to eliminate any slip back possibilities and the overall load capacity (typically 1500 lbs) is enough for your converted bike! Mama
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