Transporting Your Scooter

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:14 pm

In preparation of getting my scooter I was wondering how people transport their Buddies. Since I am getting a 50 longer trips are out of the question, but I still want to bring it with me. I will be going to the Outer Banks this summer and also to VIR for a lot of races. Both places are perfect for scooters.

I have a Scion xA. I want to get some type of tow set up. What does everyone here suggest. Sorry if this has been discussed but searching came up with nothing.

Valgal20 · Post by **Valgal20** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:05 pm

I was wondering that to, I dont want to dive my scoot home from the dealership and if I want to take it with me (like on vacation) I was wondering where to put it. I imagine I could fit my buddy in the back of my Astro Van with the seats out, or in the back of a pick up truck, but if you want something more perminant, they have all sorts of things to cary your two-wheeler on. there are fold up racks you can attach to the back of most cars/trucks/vans. But there are also motorcycle trilers just big enough for one or two scooters.
I asked my dealer if it could lie on its side- but they said that's bad for it, and it doesnt fit on the bike racks on busses either.
Good luck!

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:19 pm

My permanent solution will be a truck as my next car. In the mean time I want something for my scooter. I see metal carriers on the back of cars all the time with coolers and bikes on them. What are they called?

Leeroy Jenkins · Post by **Leeroy Jenkins** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:10 pm

for my truck i use cayon dancers.

There are systems that go into you hitch receiver, but you need a hitch that can take alot of tongue weight.

But I have been want to get on of these.
http://trailerinabag.com/

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 6:17 pm

Where would I be able to find a hitch system for my Xa.

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:44 pm

I think that the only way that you can transport a Buddy with your Scion is with a trailer. You will need to have a trailer hitch receiver installed on your Scion then you can load the Buddy onto a trailer and tow the trailer with your Scion.

Look up “trailer hitch” in the Yellow Pages to locate places that can install a trailer hitch receiver on your Scion. If you are looking for a national chain to install a trailer hitch receiver, go to U-Haul. The trailer hitch itself should cost you about $165 plus installation and I don’t know how much the installation fee would be.

You can buy a trailer but if you are only going to use the trailer a couple times per year you may be better off renting a trailer when you need it. U-Haul also rents motorcycle trailers that you could use to transport your Buddy.

healingpath · Post by **healingpath** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:49 pm

There seem to be the following methods for hauling a scooter:

1) a trailer pulled behind your vehicle; check out harborfrieght.com for examples of these;

2) ramps used to get your bike up into a pickup (not for you);

3) motorcycle carriers that attach to the receiver hitch of your vehicle; many of these will easily accomodate a 50cc scooter.

Check out ebay for option 3; you'll get an education. Good luck,

Matthew

Bethers · Post by **Bethers** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:42 am

I use a hitch receiver. The important thing is knowing that you have one that will hold the weight - which is another reason I liked the Buddy

It's easy to use and works well for me. Got mine on ebay for a good price, also.

Post by **ericalm** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:52 am

The name brand hitch carriers are Versa-Haul and Tilt-a-Rack. From what I understand, the ones sold on eBay are as good and much cheaper!

You may be able to carry a Buddy50 on one of these on your Scion. One less pickup on the road!

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:32 am

Thank you Eric for the name brands. I will need to look into those. Now I need to get a hitch for my car.

Post by **jmazza** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:33 am

I have no experience with this subject at all but these Trailer In A Bag things seem cool.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:54 am

ericalm wrote:The name brand hitch carriers are Versa-Haul and Tilt-a-Rack. From what I understand, the ones sold on eBay are as good and much cheaper!

You may be able to carry a Buddy50 on one of these on your Scion. One less pickup on the road!

Moto-Tote is another one and is priced between the Versa and the ebay brands.

Post by **illnoise** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:10 am

The versahauler and other hitch-mounted racks are usually designed for type-3 recievers, which (i'm pretty sure) are not appropriate for a Scion Xa.

With a trailer, the load is balanced on the axle, so the wheels are carrying most of the weight and the hitch is just pulling the trailer. (I can't lift two scooters, but I can easily roll around my trailer with two scooters on it) My Honda CR-V (smallish SUV) is only rated to tow 1000 pounds, which is roughly 2 scooters and a modest trailer. The tongue weight is much less than that, if I tried to put a Versahauler on my Class-1 hitch (aside from not fitting) it would just bend my frame and hitch and damage my car.

Harbor Freight is a good source for fairly cheap trailers. I got a Snowbear trailer from Costco a few years ago that I love, but it takes up a lot of garage space and it was several hundred bucks. The Trailer in a Bag solution is probably the way to go, although those seem a little scary to me, and it's hard to properly tie down your bike on some of them. An even better solution might be to just get a hitch and rent a trailer when you need it, they're not very expensive to rent, and you can often share the cost with someone else. Plus, rental trailers are built like tanks compared to affordable consumer trailers and they're hopefully carefully maintained (regularly greased bearings!) If you end up getting involved in the rally scene and carting it all over the USA, you can always buy your own trailer later.

To tie it down on the trailer or in a truck or van, the Canyon Dancers are great, use those with a tiedown attached to each and make sure the front wheel is properly chocked and have someone sit on the bike and compress the front forks maybe 2/3 of the way and tighten up the tiedowns (attached to eyelets hopefully diagonally forward and to the sides of the bars. Then maybe use one more tiedown looped through the back wheel or through the rear rack to keep the back tied down so it doesn't bounce from side to side.

If you don't have a canyon dancer, be sure you're hooking into something very solid, Mirror mounts are sometimes good but I'm not sure how strong they are on a Buddy. Watch to make sure the tiedowns aren't flapping around or rubbing against the paint anywhere.

Bb.

Leeroy Jenkins · Post by **Leeroy Jenkins** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:26 pm

I want one but i cant afford $1000+

"fits in your trunk"

http://www.bikelug.com/

Bethers · Post by **Bethers** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:19 pm

Those brand name ones are heavy duty - but I didnt find better necessarily. What I got was:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOTORCYC ... QQtcZphoto

It was recommended to me by someone who took a scooter on the back of their rv to Alaska last year - worked well for them.

It's lightweight and will work on a Class II receiver.

If the incline to get the scoot onto it is a bit much for some (I'm a lightweight) then it's easy to add a piece to extend the ramp or I park near an incline. Got to think smart

Lisa I · Post by **Lisa I** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:27 pm

This has been a great thread for me. I'm looking to get a scooter in Feb/Mar and was also wondering how to transport it home the first time and back/forth for maintenance as needed.

I'll probably rent a uhaul trailer the first few times then possibly get something that fits into my SUV hitch. Great information.

(Actually, this entire forum has been helpful for me. I have all kinds of knowledge now of things I need to think about before I jump into my scooter endeavor - lock, helmet, jacket, gloves, MSF class, etc). It's a little intimidating to figure out what to do first..

BuddyRaton · Post by **BuddyRaton** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:27 pm

I transport Like this!

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:31 pm

After speaking to a few people who tow a lot of stuff i don't think there is a good solution for my current car. It is just too under powered. I will be giving the Scion to the girlfriend this summer and I will be buying a truck.

Dan Buddy · Post by **Dan Buddy** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:14 am

I purchased a build it yourself trailer from Harbor Freight for about $300. The trailer is pretty light and tows just fine with our Jeep or car. It tilts for easy loading and folds away for easy storage. It took a couple of hours to put it together and another day to rewire the trailer to have a good ground at all time. I would recommend adding a ground wire from your vehicle. The tilt & fold feature also make for a good place to break the ground.

Here a couple pics with the trailer loaded up.

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:24 am

Dan,
My father and I actually built one of those to trailer race tires and tools on the back on our AutoX car when we were into that. I wish we kept it. We sold everything after 5 seasons as it was getting pricey.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:07 am

Dan Buddy wrote:I purchased a build it yourself trailer from Harbor Freight for about $300. The trailer is pretty light and tows just fine with our Jeep or car. It tilts for easy loading and folds away for easy storage. It took a couple of hours to put it together and another day to rewire the trailer to have a good ground at all time. I would recommend adding a ground wire from your vehicle. The tilt & fold feature also make for a good place to break the ground.

Here a couple pics with the trailer loaded up.

Cool! What's the speed rating for that thing?

Unfortunately, this would probably take up the space in my garage I've set aside for a motorcycle lift (that I don't have space for either, damn).

Dan Buddy · Post by **Dan Buddy** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:26 pm

The speed rating is 60 I think. The first couple of trips I took with it I kept an eye on the hubs to make sure they weren't getting to warm. I have taken the Buddys to the cottage a couple of times and it's about 110 miles and I do about 70 all the way with no issues. They do sell a trailer with smaller wheels but it is only rated for 45 so I spent a little more for the bigger wheels.

When the trailer is folder it takes up about 7’ wide by 2’ 6” deep foot print in the garage. I hang the sides above the trailer. It doesn’t really show up in the pics but I made wheel blocks out of some scrap lumber to keep them evenly spaced and to ensure they are off set just ride. Let me know if you need any pics of the trailer stored in the garage or the wheel blocks.

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:36 pm

Do any of you who transport your Buddys have any trouble getting it started after a trip?

I found with my trailer that I have to keep the starter switch depressed for an extended time before my 2007 Buddy finally starts running and stumbling awhile until it runs smoothly. It normally fires up instantly.

Mike at NoHo Scooters kind of implied that they all do that when I dropped it off for service.

If anyone in the LA area is looking for a trailer. I have an enclosed 4X4X8 foot one for sale.

Post by **illnoise** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:45 am

Tazio wrote:Do any of you who transport your Buddys have any trouble getting it started after a trip?

Another reason for a fuel tap! (I mentioned that on another thread). If the gas can't be turned off, it gets sucked into the carb and if your float is bouncing around, a lot of it ends up in the engine, and you're flooded. I've taken old 2-stroke vespas off a truck, kicked them, and seen a giant blurt of gas shoot out of the exhaust. I'm sure modern scooters and autochoke and all that make a difference to somewhat prevent it from getting that bad, but I'd guess that's the problem.

Back to trailers, yeah, get something with 12" wheels at least, 10"ers just don't seem robust enough for long trips. Most Harbor Freight and other cheap trailers can be ordered with 10 or 12" wheels.

Another thing about HF, their trailers are decent, but a lot of them don't come with the wood floor and they have 10" tires standard. By the time you spend the extra money on the floor (a huge sheet of heavy plywood is pretty expensive) and upgrading the wheels, you could have maybe bought something a little more solid. There are so many nuts and bolts involved, they tend to be a little rattly and require a little more maintenance than other trailers. Be sure to Loctite everything during assembly and make sure everything's good and tight every time you use it, or they'll rattle apart.

Also, consider how much space the trailer'll take up. Can it be tilted on its side for storage? do you have the garage space? Covering it with a tarp helps, but they really should be kept inside. A friend of mine had a HF foldng trailer and left it in his backyard uncovered, and in two winters it was pretty much worthless. Just about any low-end affordable trailer is going to rust to pieces if left outside for a couple years, and the wood floor will rot away in no time.

Dan Buddy · Post by **Dan Buddy** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:52 pm

Yeah, starting them is a pain after a long haul and once you get them started then run like crap for a minute or two.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:00 pm

illnoise wrote:Another thing about HF, their trailers are decent, but a lot of them don't come with the wood floor and they have 10" tires standard. By the time you spend the extra money on the floor (a huge sheet of heavy plywood is pretty expensive) and upgrading the wheels, you could have maybe bought something a little more solid. There are so many nuts and bolts involved, they tend to be a little rattly and require a little more maintenance than other trailers. Be sure to Loctite everything during assembly and make sure everything's good and tight every time you use it, or they'll rattle apart.

I'm still a little dubious of anything from HF. I think it's a matter of being very critical and selective in your shopping. Some of the tools and small electronics, etc. are obviously total crap. That makes me a little unsure of the bigger stuff.

Post by **illnoise** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:17 pm

ericalm wrote:I'm still a little dubious of anything from HF. I think it's a matter of being very critical and selective in your shopping. Some of the tools and small electronics, etc. are obviously total crap. That makes me a little unsure of the bigger stuff.

Yeah, it's like IKEA, some of it's cheap because it's just really junky, and the more expensive stuff is maybe not as good as something you could get somewhere else for the same price. But I'm a sucker for HF.

The trailers really aren't great, but they're OK if you're not going to use it much. IIRC, they have those small fold-up ones for $400 or so, which is half the bottom-end price for a good trailer. I'd be REALLY vigilant about watching nuts and bolts and welds, and check/grease the wheel bearings religiously, and/or upgrade the wheels and bearings.

Still, I'd say if it's an option, you're better off just getting a hitch installed and renting a trailer, the rental ones are so much better.

I would have guessed even a Scion XA could tow 1000lbs, but I just looked and a couple charts I looked at didn't even list a tow rating for it. Renting a pickup would be your best option there, please don't trade-in a Scion for a pickup, the world doesn't need more pickups, heh.

The Ninja · Post by **The Ninja** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:40 pm

I love the idea of a pickup for it's utility. The Scion will still stick around as my girlfriend's car.

Another "truck" I am looking at is the Subaru Baja.

Dan Buddy · Post by **Dan Buddy** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:20 pm

I agree about the quality of the HF trailers but I knew I would be storing it indoors and it gets a quick wash if I use it in the winter to prevent rust. If I had to store it outdoors or use it a lot in the winter I would have purchased a better trailer.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:43 pm

Given my dedication to small(ish) cars and the fact that I have no need for a truck/SUV in everyday life, I'll probably just rent anytime I need to haul for now. Problem with renting a pickup: many come with bed liners and make it difficult to secure your scoot.

Scootden · Post by **Scootden** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:40 pm

Ok so I just got a hell'a good deal on a Tilt-a-rack.

I'm planning to take my Scoot to Vegas for the month of March.

My question, for those of you who have hauled your scoots on hitch mounts, How much is it going to kill my Gas mileage? What about power?
I've a V6 toyota that will be loaded down with climbing/camping/biking/surfing gear as well. I'll be driving over multiple mountain passes.

So what say you?

josh

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:48 pm

You are taking surfing gear to Las Vegas?

I have a hitch mounted carrier similar to the Tilt-A-Rack and I carry my Buddy on the back of an RV, exactly like BuddyRaton’s picture above. My RV gets horrible gas mileage but carrying the Buddy this way has not noticeably decreased the RV’s gas mileage or power. Granted your Toyota V6 is a very different vehicle but I doubt that you will notice too much of a drop in power and/or gas mileage. I estimated that with a full gas tank my Buddy 125 weighs approximately 240 lbs and this is like carrying an extra passenger.

Bethers · Post by **Bethers** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:43 am

My gas mileage is pretty much the same, whether I have the Buddy on or not.

Scootden · Post by **Scootden** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:59 am

The surfing gear will be for a 4-5 day side trip to Venture.

Thanks for the info!

josh

Modern Buddy

Transporting Your Scooter

Transporting Your Scooter

Transporting your scoot