Transporting Buddy

[Stormswift]

Since I've scheduled my riding test for end of March now is a good time to figure out how I am going to get my scooter to MVA. In Maryland we are not allowed to ride scooters even with permit and valid car drivers license if we do not have someone with us who held motorcycle license for at least 3 years. I am told they are pretty strict about it and they check when you show up for the test. So this leaves me with several choices.
1. Find someone with 3 year M class license to accompany me to the test site (Not likely)
2. Rent a budget truck or U-haul and transport Buddy that way. My car does not have a hitch or electric wiring for it so renting trailer is out of the question.
IF I transport via Budget or U-haul how do I secure Buddy during transport so it does not flip over etc.
What type of tie-downs will I need? How many what size and length, if anyone has done this previously?
Will I need some type of a stand?
If all else fails, can I just lay it on it's side inside the truck and then secure with tie downs? I do not want to damage my scoot in any way but I am trying to brainstorm here.
Any suggestions?
I am not physically able to lift the scoot into my Rav4 even though it might fit in with back seats out. I just do not have the muscle power to do it like that or it would be a perfect solution.

[Syd]

Your RAV didn't come with a tow hitch of any kind? Bummer. That makes looking for an acquaintance with a motorcycle license more worthwhile. But if you rent a truck, you're going to need:

A Canyon Dancer or something similar. Lots of home made solutions will work, but for the unsure the Canyon Dancer is the right choice.

Next, some cinch straps or ropes and knowledge of knots, in order to tie the scoot down to the truck bed/hauler/trailer.

Finally, either a good long ramp, or a motorcycle rack. And a friend anyway to help push it up and roll it off the ramp.

There's better solutions, I'll bet, but I can't think of any right now. Best of luck on the test!

[ericalm]

Check out our Tips on Transporting thread here:
topic3281.html

[Cheshire]

If you're using a truck, I highly recommend a canyon dancer and minimum of three tie-down straps. Two are for either side of the front and hook into the canyon dancer. The third is for the rear: Loop once around the rear wheel or passenger bars to keep the back from getting squirrelly in the event you have to pull an evasive due to whatever unforseen en route. Oh, and make sure the ramp is long enough you don't end up pushing the scooter up your very own cliff...and sturdy enough it won't snap. (Don't use questionable lumber.)

[SingAwJib]

I had my left grip come off. Now I tie the two together with another strap so as to hold them from pulling apart.

Good luck.

[ericalm]

I've seen a version of the Canyon Dancer (on Glen G's SUV) that has big cups that go over the grips. Pretty nice design!

[Cheshire]

I've seen a version of the Canyon Dancer (on Glen G's SUV) that has big cups that go over the grips. Pretty nice design!

Wha...? *checks pics on transport thread* Oh.
Yup, they redesigned them, according to the website. I have the new style. Works great! http://www.canyondancer.com

[hcstrider]

An alternative to transporting your Buddy to the MVA for the rider skills test might be to take Basic Rider Course. If you pass the Basic Rider Course then you get your Class M license. The Glen Burnie MVA has not posted their 2010 schedule of classes yet but many of the Community Colleges and independent centers have posted their schedules here:

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/MVAProg/mot ... clefee.htm

The Basic Rider Course is more expensive than renting a truck but if you have never transported your Buddy before using a rental truck then I would be reluctant to do this for the first time on your way to your MVA rider skills test. The truck will not have a wheel chock and you don’t know what type of tie down points the truck will have.

If you decide to transport you Buddy to the MVA then the suggestion about using a Canyon Dancer tie down harness is good. Also the cinch straps should have a ratchet so that you get them pretty tight. I would not lay down the Buddy on its side inside the truck, you want it to be upright.

[Stormswift]

Thank you, everyone. I am definitely getting Canyon Dancers. I am also checking out the local U-haul: they install hitches and wiring on Ravs. I will check out how much for the hitch and for wiring and if that is reasonable I can always rent a motorcycle trailer from them. HCStrider,I took Basic course last summer but it was on their motorcycle. Did not work for me. The scooter however handles great in comparison. I am taking the test at MVA in Carrol County vs much busier Glen Burnie location . They do motorcycle tests at CC MVA and I will not need to get on a beltway to get there regardless of whether I transport the bike or find someone to ride with. I would be too scared to drive a truck on a beltway any way. Down Reisterstown Rd as busy as it can get is quite doable.

[Cheshire]

Question: what year's your RAV4?

[Stormswift]

It is 2005 sports model. I had Toyota look for wiring from the front (I was hoping it was there and I would only need a hitch but unfortunately my Rav does not have it.

[jmkjr72]

stop by a place that sells hitches they have a real nice set up where you just unplug your tail lights and then plug them into the new tee and you will have trailer lights normaly they are about 30 or 40 bucks then
then class 3 hitches for your rav start at about 130 from jc whitney
infact jc has the wiring harness for 52 bucks
http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/prod ... uId=192049


and here is a hitch
http://www.jcwhitney.com/CLASS_III_HITC ... 011914;0;0

i would say about 200 shiped and an hour to bolt it in

[Cheshire]

Up until December, I had a '99 RAV4. Before I got a bunch of accessories (front basket, windshield, rear rack) if I took the mirrors off it would just fit inside.

[Stormswift]

Jmkjr72, thank you for the links. I will take info to my mechanic and see if he agrees to do it. I don't have the tools. Cheshire, believe me, if I could find a way to lift or rolll my Buddy inside RAV4 painlessly and get it out the same way safely I would not be looking for other solutions.

[pdxrita]

In Maryland we are not allowed to ride scooters even with permit and valid car drivers license if we do not have someone with us who held motorcycle license for at least 3 years. I am told they are pretty strict about it and they check when you show up for the test. So this leaves me with several choices.
1. Find someone with 3 year M class license to accompany me to the test site (Not likely)

So this person with a class M license only has to accompany you? They don't have to ride your scooter? If that's the case, why don't you put up an add on Craigslist for this type of person? Offer to pay 'em 50 bucks or so and I bet someone would turn up. It would be cheaper than trailering and a lot less trouble, too. Just a thought.

[Stormswift]

I did consider Craiglist and paying someone. My biggest worry is that I already had one scooter theft scare this year and I am afraid of running into someone else unscrupulous. I haven't ruled out finding someone at work who is a rider to pay to go with me. Meanwhile I will likely have local U-haul install Class III hitch (hope they do not botch it) , rent their motorcycle trailer and pray I can drive the entire contraption to the test site.

[Vic]

Just my .02 but I am guessing that you have never seen a motorcycle tied up and ready for transport, let alone done it yourself.

I would very strongly urge you to consider having someone else ride with you.

I have my own ramp and everything and it is extremely difficult to load and unload my scooter by myself and I have managed to load it a few times by myself but it was extremely difficult. I have not managed to unload it by myself.

I am not physically strong enough, or tall enough, to be able to wrangle the scooter, *keep it on the ramp*, and not kill myself by pulling it over on myself or damage the scooter getting myself between the transport location and the ground. I know some folks can do it with ease, I can't.

I managed to screw up my back rim and had to buy a new one because of improperly loading/unloading my scooter, so doing it wrong can be really costly.

Also, if you have not seen how to tie a scooter down, where to put the straps, how to cinch them down, how far to cinch them down, how much wiggle room is acceptable and how much is not... Well, just my opinion, but I would be really concerned.

Good luck on your test!
-v

[Stormswift]

Vic, you are absolutely right about me not having any experience with transporting and securing the scooter. I am not sure what I dread more: transporting it there or riding it there. I've ridden all over our development, did turns, stops, U-turns in cul-de-sacs etc but the testing site is in another county. It is a straight shot once I get on a main road with speeds mostly 40 mph. I have not gone above 30mph and that was brief. Half an hour + ride is a bit scary. I might have to brave it any way if I find someone to accompany me. The test if for 11:00am so maybe if we leave really early the roads should not be that busy on Saturday. The other option is a friend who is a licensed truck driver. He doe s not know much about scooters but can drive a U-haul truck for me. With Canyon Dancers and other tie downs maybe this will work. Ether way this is going to end up being a trial by fire.

[SingAwJib]

Vic makes a Good point about tying down the scooter for the first time. There's definitely a learning curve...

One thing I would suggest that you DON"T DO, is DO NOT try to keep the scooter secured down when it is up on the center stand. The front fork should be compressed and the rear shock should be compressed. In other words, the tires must be firmly holding it in place.

Two small suggestions:

I have found that leaving the side stand down until i can get the right side pulled down a bit really works for me. I won't go into detail since you may want to try your own way.

Also, it may seem stupid now, but have your tie downs in position and extended enough so that you don't have to fumble later on.

Once you find a system that works for you, you'll be surprised at how fast you can safely secure it.

Good luck. Its great to have another two wheel rider sharing the road!

Sing

[TVB]

Also, if you have not seen how to tie a scooter down, where to put the straps, how to cinch them down, how far to cinch them down, how much wiggle room is acceptable and how much is not... Well, just my opinion, but I would be really concerned.

You just reminded me of the single most frustrating event on my ride not-quite-around Lake Michigan. I took the car ferry across rather than scooting all the way around through Milwauchicagary, and noted the instructions they gave for motorcyclists: You must supply two tie-downs. I bought some special just for this. They neglected to mention until I got there that I'd also have to tie the bike down in the hold of the ship myself. As if that was just the most natural thing in the world to expect someone to know how to do. So I was frantically surfing the web on my iPhone for a tutorial, trying in vain to get the the straps to stay tight, until a crew member probably overheard me swearing and showed me that the the tie-downs had been packaged with the straps threaded through the clamps wrong.

[Stormswift]

Oh boy. I will order the Canyon Dancers and tie downs now. I'll rent the truck a day before the test, take a day off from work to practice securing the scooter in the truck and hope for the best. I also hope my scooter will start else all oft his is going to be academic.

[Cheshire]

Especially if you're using Canyon Dancers, it's pretty easy. I was at my dealer when I first had to use straps. The trick my dealer showed me was to sit on the scooter and put some of your weight on the bars: just lean forward to shift some weight from the seat to the handles. That puts some load on the suspension. Snug up the straps to that point. You don't want the straps bottoming out your suspension, but you want the straps taking up some of it. That way, the forks are pushing up against the straps and keeping your scoot part of the vehicle through bumps, but it's got a little give for potholes and speed bumps. The strap securing either the rear wheel or passenger grab bars was the same guy's trick. He said that was extra insurance in case I had to swerve to avoid something so the bike didn't fishtail sideways.

Fork at about mid-compressed, straps snug. Shake the scoot a bit before heading out to make sure it's not going anywhere.

[Stormswift]

I looked at Canyon Dancers. They are apparently in 3 different sizes. If Someone uses them for their Itallia 150 can you share what size you've got? Also the tie-downs. What brand do you prefer and what length?

[Vic]

<snip> So I was frantically surfing the web on my iPhone for a tutorial, trying in vain to get the the straps to stay tight, until a crew member probably overheard me swearing and showed me that the the tie-downs had been packaged with the straps threaded through the clamps wrong.

Yes, I had that also, I put the end of the strap in the ratcheting part and started ratcheting away, after sucking up some feet of strap the spindle was filled up and I still had several feet that needed to be used up. I was getting really frustrated and finally figured out to pull the strap through until it was close to where it should be and THEN start ratcheting it, so the strap is kind of like it is doubled up, there will be a tail that is left that you then have to deal with. It was really frustrating and the package that I had bought seems to take for granted that purchasers would already know this fact.

my bigger problem is loading and unloading the scooter. I know part of the problem is me and my getting all nervous and clucking around like a worried hen (driving any and all helpers half crazy, sorry, I can't help it). Controlling the scooter as it is goign down a narrow little ramp is extremely diffiuclt for me. I also (unfortunately) purchased a ramp that has sides but at the top of the ramp the sides go up just high enough that it gets caught on the battery compartment that hangs down under the floor of the scooter in just the right spot between the two wheels. That ramp is useless because of this problem.

Definitely a learning curve and I had the opportunity to watch an expert tie my scooter down the first time and so I was lucky enough to have a clue how to do that. I can't imagine doing it myself thorugh trial and error.

-v

[Stormswift]

I measured the spread/width of handlebars and they are under 28 in. SO I guess this means I need short harness/Canyon Dancers
WOuld this be the right tie down or am I doing the overkill?:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/ ... downs.aspx

Scooterworks has these but they seem a little cheap?:
http://www.scooterworks.com/Ratchet_Str ... _P3852.cfm

[iwabj]

oops

[hcstrider]

I measured the spread/width of handlebars and they are under 28 in. SO I guess this means I need short harness/Canyon Dancers
WOuld this be the right tie down or am I doing the overkill?:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/ ... downs.aspx

Scooterworks has these but they seem a little cheap?:
http://www.scooterworks.com/Ratchet_Str ... _P3852.cfm

The small (28 inch) Canyon Dancer harness is a good size for the Buddy. The medium (32 inch) Canyon Dancer harness is also a good size for the Buddy. I have both the small and medium size. The Canyon Dancers will leave black-ink marks on your Buddy’s grips. To avoid the black-ink marks, slip a baby sock over each grip to protect the grip before slipping the Canyon Dancer on the grips. You can purchase the Canyon Dancers at most scooter and motorcycle shops. I purchased mine at Moto Strada. If you live near Moto Strada you might consider purchasing the Canyon Dancer harness from them because they can demonstrate exactly how the Canyon Dancer fits on the Buddy.

Those tie-down straps look nice. I especially like the carabiners on the one end of the strap because it makes it easier to keep the one end attached to something while you hook-up and ratchet down the other end. If you want to see the strap before you buy it, you can get the ratchet style tie-down straps at WalMart, Target, Advanced Automotive and Pep Boys. You will probably need 4 tie-down straps: 2 for securing the Canyon Dancer and then 1 or 2 for securing the back end of the Buddy.

[Stormswift]

I like those particular ratchet tiedowns also. Even if they are pricey, scooter costs more and its not like I will just use them once

[aprilatlanta37]

I am so happy! I read the transport tips and I have a few questions. When it says to engage the suspension, does that mean to just lean on it and put some weight on it? I'm imagining just pushing the front down before tightening the tie downs in the front and sitting on the scooter before I have the tie downs in the back tightened. Am I on the right track or am I in danger of damaging the scooter?
Thanks,
April

[Cheshire]

Don't push the front down too much, just sit on the scooter and maybe lean forward on the bars a little. Your body weight should put enough load on the suspension to do the trick. If you're nervous, watch the forks to see if they go down any when you sit on the scooter. If they do, you're good.

[aprilatlanta37]

Thanks! I'll do that. BTW, I also got canyon dancers.

--april

[suitupscooter]

Those Canyon Dancer things are a gimmick, regular cycle straps will work just as good. You hook/strap the handlebars not the grips at the end. 3 straps per scoot, two on front and one holding the back in place.

Pic of ours in the trailer...


or even two scoots in a trailer...

[Stormswift]

What hitch class does yor trailer need?
My dealer also suggested another type of tiedowns: There are 2 for the front part.
Do you have to have a choke for front wheel or a motorcycle rail on a trailer?

[suitupscooter]

The trailer only weighs 325# so it can be pulled with almost any vehicle. In those pics the wheels are not chocked but they are locked straight with a strap from wheel to center stand. I will be adding motorcycle rails to the trailer this year.

[Stormswift]

Thank you for the information. The way things are shaping up right now I will likely end up U-hauling the scooter to the testing site (I am too shaky yet to take on a 30-45 min ride even with motorcycle -licenced friend following me.
Meanwhile I am working on getting the best trailer solution possible for the future. Portability and storage will be a huge issue. We do not have a garage although I have sufficient parking in front of the house in our development. With compact enough trailer I an not likely to catch any grief from neighborhood association .
With U-haul I needed to know how to immobilize front wheel without wheel choke which I will not be allowed to install in a rental truck.

[Syd]

I don't know anything about it, good or bad. I only know that I've heard of it, and it is small. http://trailerinabag.com/index.html

[aprilatlanta37]

I found a really great video that shows how to load a scooter on a truck without using a ramp. It would also work with a ramp.
Here's the link:
http://www.scooterchimp.com/how-put-a-h ... oma-truck/

cheers,
april