Hauling the Blur

[Rush]

Any suggestions on how to (properly and cost effectively) tow the Blur? What about if towing 10 miles versus 500 miles?

Seems like there are four options -

-Bed of a truck (is it easy to tie down?)
-Perpendicular rear rack carriers (is the Blur too long/heavy?)
-Tow Dolly (less expensive than trailer but seems the least stable of all options)
-Scooter trailer (likely the most expensive but perhaps best?)

[killbilly]

Any suggestions on how to (properly and cost effectively) tow the Blur? What about if towing 10 miles versus 500 miles?

Seems like there are four options -

-Bed of a truck (is it easy to tie down?)
-Perpendicular rear rack carriers (is the Blur too long/heavy?)
-Tow Dolly (less expensive than trailer but seems the least stable of all options)
-Scooter trailer (likely the most expensive but perhaps best?)

Standard motorcycle tiedowns generally apply - you could easily tie it down with cam-lock straps on the grips and you'd be good. If you want to be double-secure, do tiedown on the rear grabhandles too - back of a pickup should be fine.

Motorcycle trailers may work, depending on the trailer. The one time I had the bike towed, the guy had to make a modification to the front wheel chock on his trailer because scooters don't fit the same way bikes do.

The Blur is, I think, a tad heavy for those perpindicular ones, unless you get one rated for 500lbs. The Blur is around 350 or so with fluids.

[illnoise]

-Bed of a truck (is it easy to tie down?)

yep. Might be too long for some smaller trucks, but def. will work with tailgate down at worst. There are loads of threads in the main forum about this, or on the web. "Canyon Dancers" help.

-Perpendicular rear rack carriers (is the Blur too long/heavy?)

The smaller ones designed for coolers, no, but they do make ones designed for scoooters. They require a very high-rated hitch though, because you're putting all that weight on the tongue and none of it on trailer wheels. Only a heavy duty truck/SUV would be rated for that.

It would fit in a large cargo van, too (Might have to remove mirrors), but I'd drain the gas or at least keep the windows open.

-Tow Dolly (less expensive than trailer but seems the least stable of all options)

The collapsible trailers with just a center rail and wings work OK but I don't trust those for any long distance. I've seen MCs and scooters rigged where the front fork is mounted to a pivot on the hitch and the rear wheel actually sits on the ground. I don't think that looks like a very good idea, especially with a CVT, you'd wear out your belt and tire on one long trip.

-Scooter trailer (likely the most expensive but perhaps best?)

Yeah, a smallish vehicle with a class I trailer can carry about 1000-1250 lbs, that's a trailer and two scooters. A p/u truck bed is def. the easiest but if you don't have a truck, this is the second best bet.

[BlueMark]

I've seen MCs and scooters rigged where the front fork is mounted to a pivot on the hitch and the rear wheel actually sits on the ground. I don't think that looks like a very good idea, especially with a CVT, you'd wear out your belt and tire on one long trip.

-Scooter trailer (likely the most expensive but perhaps best?)

Yeah, a smallish vehicle with a class I trailer can carry about 1000-1250 lbs, that's a trailer and two scooters. A p/u truck bed is def. the easiest but if you don't have a truck, this is the second best bet.

A tow dolly (where the rear wheel is on the ground) would only wear the tire, the CVT belt would not turn. I wondered the same thing until I checked into it and learned that the clutch bell only works one way - so the wheel and clutch bell will turn, but nothing else.

If this is just a one time trip - check into U-Haul or the like. For something you'll own for regular use the cheapest option - other than the slightly scary tow dolly (which I'd only use for short hauls, not cross country) - would be a home-made Harbor Freight Special, which could work with a class one hitch on just about any car.

[Schomer]

I just bought a VersaHaul motorcycle trailer. Comes with a ramp and is very well designed. Spendy ($500) but much higher quality and design than the ones that are half the price.

http://www.versahaul.com/vh55ro.php

The one issue I have is not being able to tie the handlebars down. Wrapping around the center console did not work. I nearly lost my Blur while driving down the highway, when it fell over on the trailer.

I'm going to pickup a handlebar harness to get it really dialed in.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/ ... =SLIsearch

One additional feature I liked about this trailer is a 2" receiver on the end. I plan to put my bike rack on the end when we take the RV out, so we have both the scooter and bikes on one rack.

[killbilly]

Couldn't you cross-tie the handlebars down to the loops on the ends of the bars? It looks like that's what they're for, but can't tell for sure from the pic.

[viney266]

Canyon dancer is a wonderful tool!...I"ve used them for years...some sport bikes and scooters its the only easy way. Well worth the money

[irishtim]

I just put mine in the back of our mighty Honda Odyssey van and use tie downs from the handlebars to the van's seat anchors. There's enough room to get a large frame Vespa in there as well.

[turboscott]

I know this thread is a bit older now...but I picked up my Blur today after purchase yesterday. I live a good trot from the dealer so I elected to use my 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 (Ram Box - Short Box 5'7"). I had to put the gate down by about 4" extrta length. I purchased an 8' aluminum ramp and a set of Canyon Dancers. The Canyon Dancer grip tie downs worked excellent and I would not hesitate to use them for longer distances. I drove about 50 miles in them today. (Checking every 100 miles would be wise unless you tie them up well. The ramp worked excellent too. The ramp cost me about $60 and the Canyon Dancers with a set of tie downs cost about $40. (I got a 20% off discount for the bike purchase) Placing the bike in bed and backing it out wasn't too big of a deal either. You definitely need 2 people though, three is better.

The hitch mounted systems are great for times when you need to access the bed for other storage purposes.

[Rush]

Yeah truck bed is probably the best but need two people.

I ended up buying and assembling a harbor freight folding 4x8 trailer 8" wheels (on sale and 20% off but $100 in shipping) and had uhaul install a hitch on my Altima. Works great! Bought two bike chocks from harbor freight as well. I can load motorcycles and scooters all by myself.

Bought a ramp kit from Ace hardware - have a 4' going into my shed and a 6' for the trailer.

Thanks for all the info from the forum and numerous people I talked to at local shops including Metro Scooter in Cincinnati. http://www.metroscooter.com/

[turboscott]

Funny you said that as I planned to go to harbor freight also. They have a few goodies to choose from.

[Rippinyarn]

Yeah truck bed is probably the best but need two people.

I ended up buying and assembling a harbor freight folding 4x8 trailer 8" wheels (on sale and 20% off but $100 in shipping) and had uhaul install a hitch on my Altima. Works great! Bought two bike chocks from harbor freight as well. I can load motorcycles and scooters all by myself.

Bought a ramp kit from Ace hardware - have a 4' going into my shed and a 6' for the trailer.

Thanks for all the info from the forum and numerous people I talked to at local shops including Metro Scooter in Cincinnati. http://www.metroscooter.com/

Unless they've changed them, the axle "bearings" in the cheaper Harbor freight trailers were just bronze bushings. A clubmate started out from Detroit to go to the eastern edge of Ohio one time with one of those and the "bearings" melted about 30 miles out. Those trailers are famous for being shoddy in our club. Check your bearings very carefully before a 29 mile trip!

[illnoise]

I'll second the 'be skeptical about harbor freight trailers' argument.

I know a few people who bought $300 or $400 HF trailers, and then spent another $300 upgrading the bearings, wheels, hardware, buying plywood for the bed, and adding tiedown points and such. Then they rusted out or fell apart after a couple years of occasional use. My Snow Bear trailer cost $650 and it's just so much more solid, and I didn't have to upgrade anything.

Bb.

[Chessy1]

If one is only towing the scooter a few times, then it seems like the best option is to just rent a motorcycle trailer from Uhaul as it seems like the price is only $14.95/day. Big expense here would be the hitch, which if you have a car you need to remember that it does not add value on a resale.

For those to will haul it often and have a pickup, most scoots will fit fine, two people can lift smaller ones like a Buddy or my little Honda. You can get a tie down that fits over the handle bars which works really well (no wheel clock needed).

For those who will want to trailer often, but have little space to store an assembled trailer, why not use the TIB (Trailer in a bag) as they have one model just for scooters:

http://motorcycletrailer.com/tib/