Pet carrier

[rkcoker]

I have a small-medium sized (supposed to be a Yorkie but she weighs 30 pounds ) dog. Anyone have suggestions on where to get or make a pet carrier for my Buddy?

[pattio]

You will need something sturdier than the standard Genuine rack, which is not rated for that much weight. The Buddy is a sturdy and spunky little machine, but it is not a 'beast of burden'. Because the standard rack is cantilevered off the rear of the bike, putting weight on it strains the mounting points on the subframe. If you must, I would suggest building a platform to distribute some of the weight onto the passenger seat, then affixing your regular pet carrier you would use to take your pet to the vet on top of that.

I also strongly disapprove of carrying beloved pets in boxes on scooters, but that choice is yours and I respect that.

[ed85379]

Wouldn't it be way too bumpy? The poor thing would get a concussion.

[easy]

front basket or rack with carrier bolted on got be careful of blocking the headlight

[bluebuddygirl]

Much too bumpy. I would not recommend it. The dog will get jarred around quite a bit.

[TVB]

Do not put your pet under the seat.

[hcstrider]

I haven't seen any pet carriers that would work well with the Buddy, I should clarify this and say that I have not seen any Buddy specific pet carriers that I would entrust my precious cargo in. In my opinion, the main problem is the Buddy's rear rack which is too small and not strong enough to support a 30 lbs. dog.

Road Hound used to make pet carriers for motorcycles before they went out of business. You can usually find used Road Hound pet carriers on ebay but the main problem would be attaching it to the Buddy.

There are lots of motorcycle pet carriers available but the pet carrier that I have been seriously eying is the Pup Ryder hardshell pet carrier ( http://www.pupryder.com/index.html ). It's like a top case for a dog. But the Buddy's rear rack will not support this case so carrying my 20 lbs. schnauzer on the Buddy is not going to happen. Realistically, I need a larger scooter like a Honda Helix.

[Syd]

A 30 pound Yorkie? My sympathies

[RoadRambler]

Those Road Hound carriers looked beautiful and wellmade. Shame they went out of business.

[skully93]

For uppity small, barking dogs I recommend a bath in molten lead.

OK, before the flames start I'm kidding. I have seen one person on a vespa around town that does carry her dog in a basket for 5 block trips for ice cream, but that's it. I think it would be a tad too harsh for most pets.

[ericalm]

Will she sit on the floorboards? I've seen many people ride with dogs this way.

The Buddy racks really won't handle the weight and shifting very well for a dog this size. There are various solutions—customizing a large top case, for instance. I have seen kennel carriers and soft luggage-style carriers mounted on racks as well.

[CROSSBOLT]

I will see if I can get some pix on here and show you what we did.

Karl

[michelle_7728]

We have two Boston Terrors (no, didn't typo ). One is about 13 pounds and the other about 22 pounds.

I would dearly love to take them on rides with us, but in 2 years I have yet to come up with anything I think would be safe for them on the Buddy (even if one at a time)....and wouldn't scare the cr-- out of them!

[neotrotsky]

Or you could rock it like this guy does on my commute. Yeah, I'm driving with a camera on... so sue me It was too cute to pass up!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pP6wiPZvenI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[rkcoker]

Do not put your pet under the seat.

That's a cat on the sticker so I'd never put a cat under my seat. I'd put it under the tires where it belongs!
Come on people! I'm joking here!

Seriously, alot of good responses and I appreciate them all. After considering the idea again, leaving the dog off the Buddy does sound more reasonable.

[robby]

[BuddyLicious]

For smaller dogs I'd go with a Backpack Pet Carrier and for larger dogs I'd have to look at a pull trailer carrier.

[AWinn6889]

I took my little weenie around the culdesac zipped up in the front of my riding jacket on it's loosest fitting so he wasn't squished. He's about 14 pounds, but long enough to be sitting on my lap with his head sticking out on the front of my chest with his paws pressed up against the inside.
I would NEVER take him on the scoot, inside my jacket or in a carrier or whatever else, with me going any faster than 10-15 mph and/or in traffic. He sits really well, and he rides really well in the car, but the potential for catastrophe.. or dog-astrophe as it were, is way too high. He's my little bud, if anything happened to him on the scooter I don't know what I'd do. At least if I get plastered by someone who didn't see me, I can still chill at home with my arms and legs in casts and have my little dude lick my nose to let me know he cares that his mama is hurting.

[gitsum79]

I think for a smaller dog the backpack designed for a pet or perhaps a papoose would work and be safe. Providing the opening can cinched down to just allow the dogs head through and have a harness attachment secured to the inside of the pouch to remove any possibility of the dog jumping out.

I love my little 7 lb chipin like one of my kids and she is my best friend. We are inseparable most of the time and I like to take her everywhere with me. I always feel pretty guilty when I am riding scooters or motorcycles and she can't go

I know there is a greater inherent risk when riding a two wheel vehicle. Of course I am willing to take that risk for enjoyment, but do I have the right to make that decision for my dog? She is very smart, and I think if I could ask her she would understand and want to ride with me.

As small as she is a small pet carrier would work too. I would definitely fortify it with a metal roll cage and attach it with nylon bolts. If something did go wrong, the pet carrier should break off on impact and the reinforced roll cage will work like a barrel that protects an insane person falling down a waterfall. She would probably be less likely to be injured than me.

I'm going to figure something out so that she can be included.

[xTomBx]

My Wife has a Chihuahua Service dog, seriously no joke.
She talked with the instructors at our MSF class about options for keeping her in the best spot while riding, She has a hard carrier and a chest mounted papoose from "daba doo". It was decided that she was best off in the chest carrier, and they had them go through the riding portion of the class together. You can barely see Maize (the service dog) in the holder above my wife's right hand-



Here is the carrier site-
http://www.gollygear.com/poochpack.html

She also has "doggles" for on the road situations

[tc8105]

Have you checked Dennis Kirk?

Pet palace part # 50-8275 $170.99
Pet carrier part # 50-5833 $195.95

Not sure if they would work on the scoot but worth a look

Good luck

[SkutiJo]

For smaller dogs I'd go with a Backpack Pet Carrier and for larger dogs I'd have to look at a pull trailer carrier.

Exactly my thought.

http://www.amazon.com/Casual-Canine-Del ... B000GDZ0VU

[jlebard]

I am working on a custom rack and carrier now for mine will post pictures of it once its finished next week.

I am using a Kuryakyn pet palace and a metal black rear rack. The rear rack is being welded/ modified to the demensions of the pet carrier. It will be plenty strong considering the mounts were using and that we are splitting the weight of the carrier between the rack and the back 8-10" of the seat.

Expecting it to be a pretty sweet setup when its done! Will also act as somewhat of a backrest. The trickiest part of the design so far has been designing the rear rack so it doesnt obstruct the seat from opening. The only downside is that you will not be able to open the seat storage when the pet palace is on it but it wont be too hard to remove it either.

I have a 17 lb boston terrier who is going to look super cool back there:) haha

Pics will be posted here once its all finished so you can all check it out.

Cheers!

[VinylDoctor]

To attach dogs sucurely. use duct tape.

[LunaP]

I think there are very few ways I would do this. A 30 lb pup is not quite so small... without some modifications to the scoot, the only ways I see to do this are to either strap the crate to the seat behind you, which IMO would be better than keeping it on a rack (you can run bungees or straps under the seat and then shut it with the crate empty and then put doggie in), OR keep the pup with you, either in a chest harness or a backpack or in your coat or something like that.

[SonnyD]

A guy I see all the time has that back pack pet carrier shown above...I think his may be a Yorkie too.... I would just be so concerned of being in a wreck with my beloved pet on the bike anywhere....That would be horrible to me... I know people do it, but I just couldn't...If I didn't want to be seperated from my pet, I'd just go in the car... I have a Friend that has a basset hound that just hates to be away from him. We have a place where a lot of us hang out, and the dog comes with in his truck, of course no pets allowed inside, so the dog stays in the truck, with the truck running and the A/C on in the summer, and the heater on in the winter... The dog will watch him through the window and seems perfectly content.....but I wouldn't want his gas bill for a full size truck idling 2 or 3 hours 3 or 4 times a week, LOL....

[gar1013]

Frankly, I'm not sold on the idea that a pet on the back is a good idea, period.

It's bad enough riding on a bike when you get someone on the pillion who doesn't know what they're doing. Now imagine having an animal that doesn't care that you're trying to take a sharp bend in the road. What's more, the animal itself is going to potentially have issues with being flung about. Having a shifting mass balanced behind the rear axle just doesn't sound like a recipe for stability.

Also, there's also the issue of going over bumps. If you think your suspension isn't as soft as a vintage Cadillac, then imagine what it'd be like for the animal that has no idea what is about to come when a bump hits.

[LunaP]

Frankly, I'm not sold on the idea that a pet on the back is a good idea, period.

It's bad enough riding on a bike when you get someone on the pillion who doesn't know what they're doing. Now imagine having an animal that doesn't care that you're trying to take a sharp bend in the road. What's more, the animal itself is going to potentially have issues with being flung about. Having a shifting mass balanced behind the rear axle just doesn't sound like a recipe for stability.

Also, there's also the issue of going over bumps. If you think your suspension isn't as soft as a vintage Cadillac, then imagine what it'd be like for the animal that has no idea what is about to come when a bump hits.

I am not sure it's a great idea, either, BUT it totally depends on the solution and how the animal handles it. I don't like the idea of a carrier where the pet isn't actually strapped to anything and is left to slide of bounce inside the carrier and cannot (as you said) anticipate what happens. Which is why I think the backpack, chest harness, tucked-in-the-coat, or short-leash harnessed and sitting on the floorboard between rider's legs might be better and less scary.

Some animals handle vehicles brilliantly and are not bothered in the least... some are cowed entirely by the start of the engine. My cats, for example, think they are dogs and enjoy and short jaunt in the car... as long as I don't put them in the carrier. They are scared of the carrier because they can't see what's going on around them.

IMO, the idea of this makes me wary as a pet owner, but I also know that it really just comes down to knowing your pet well and respecting what they can and cannot handle.

[Wolfhound]

As an old time dog person, NO!!!! The only reasonable way to carry a pet
would be in a side car. You see a lot of the side car crowd that carry dogs
in the hack but they are carefully secured. I am not even comfortable
with that approach.

[Stormswift]

With that size carrier... I am afraid to ask what kind of a dog....

[Stormswift]

Frankly, I'm not sold on the idea that a pet on the back is a good idea, period.

It's bad enough riding on a bike when you get someone on the pillion who doesn't know what they're doing. Now imagine having an animal that doesn't care that you're trying to take a sharp bend in the road. What's more, the animal itself is going to potentially have issues with being flung about. Having a shifting mass balanced behind the rear axle just doesn't sound like a recipe for stability.

Also, there's also the issue of going over bumps. If you think your suspension isn't as soft as a vintage Cadillac, then imagine what it'd be like for the animal that has no idea what is about to come when a bump hits.

I am not sure it's a great idea, either, BUT it totally depends on the solution and how the animal handles it. I don't like the idea of a carrier where the pet isn't actually strapped to anything and is left to slide of bounce inside the carrier and cannot (as you said) anticipate what happens. Which is why I think the backpack, chest harness, tucked-in-the-coat, or short-leash harnessed and sitting on the floorboard between rider's legs might be better and less scary.

Some animals handle vehicles brilliantly and are not bothered in the least... some are cowed entirely by the start of the engine. My cats, for example, think they are dogs and enjoy and short jaunt in the car... as long as I don't put them in the carrier. They are scared of the carrier because they can't see what's going on around them.

IMO, the idea of this makes me wary as a pet owner, but I also know that it really just comes down to knowing your pet well and respecting what they can and cannot handle.

I am thinking about something in front supported by the bin might be a safer solution...not sure. But I have a cat and they are wiggly devils. Having Hufflepuff in the back where I cannot see what he is up to and he knows it is not a comfortable idea

[LunaP]

Frankly, I'm not sold on the idea that a pet on the back is a good idea, period.

It's bad enough riding on a bike when you get someone on the pillion who doesn't know what they're doing. Now imagine having an animal that doesn't care that you're trying to take a sharp bend in the road. What's more, the animal itself is going to potentially have issues with being flung about. Having a shifting mass balanced behind the rear axle just doesn't sound like a recipe for stability.

Also, there's also the issue of going over bumps. If you think your suspension isn't as soft as a vintage Cadillac, then imagine what it'd be like for the animal that has no idea what is about to come when a bump hits.

I am not sure it's a great idea, either, BUT it totally depends on the solution and how the animal handles it. I don't like the idea of a carrier where the pet isn't actually strapped to anything and is left to slide of bounce inside the carrier and cannot (as you said) anticipate what happens. Which is why I think the backpack, chest harness, tucked-in-the-coat, or short-leash harnessed and sitting on the floorboard between rider's legs might be better and less scary.

Some animals handle vehicles brilliantly and are not bothered in the least... some are cowed entirely by the start of the engine. My cats, for example, think they are dogs and enjoy and short jaunt in the car... as long as I don't put them in the carrier. They are scared of the carrier because they can't see what's going on around them.

IMO, the idea of this makes me wary as a pet owner, but I also know that it really just comes down to knowing your pet well and respecting what they can and cannot handle.

I am thinking about something in front supported by the bin might be a safer solution...not sure. But I have a cat and they are wiggly devils. Having Hufflepuff in the back where I cannot see what he is up to and he knows it is not a comfortable idea

Totally irrelevant, but +1 because your cat is named Hufflepuff

[jlebard]

[Wolfhound]

OK, folks. Hypothetical situation:For what ever reason, say you get hit by
a cager or you lose control and crash. Ever consider what will probably happen to your pet?? Not a pleasant thought is it. No way would I carry any
of my pets on a scooter. About the same as tying one in the back of a pick
up truck.

[jlebard]

[jlebard]

[jlebard]

We elected to not use the black cargo rack that I bought, the tubing was just not strong enough. We designed this rack so it would be way overkill. I drove around with a 200 lb man on the back, so its plenty strong.

Also I cant speak for previous years or other scooters but the mounting points on this are plenty strong for the application. We tore the scooter down expecting to need to reinforce it and both fabricators (one of which is also an engineer) said there was no need what was there is plenty strong.

We decided to build it out of aluminum for strength and wanting it light weight. Its not very pretty but we didnt build it for looks. I am going to paint it flat black.

The carrier I bought is the Kuyakyn pet palace built for pets for motorcycles. It is incredible I must say. Very well made and great materials. Good vents and 100% waterproof also. There is a leash anchor inside to keep them from jumping out if the top is open.

I know there is some concern about what if you get in a crash but here is my thinking:
If I get in a crash I am going to be in as bad of a situation as my pet. Actually looking at this carrier and how well its built he would probably fair better than me. Is it without risk? Of course not, but riding a 2 wheel scooter isnt either. So it is my opinion that I have made this as safe as possible for him given that this is my transportation and he has to travel with me. To each his own though.

For those of you that were interested in a solution to the rack let me know if you have any questions.

JLB[/quote]

[Tocsik]

jlebard = winner.

I was about to post a link to the Pet Palace but your heavy duty custom rear rack is da bom!

One could save a couple bucks with this carrier. Not quite as nice and maybe just a little smaller, though. The large one is 16 inches wide x 12 inches deep x 11.5 inches high @ $70, and the Pet Palace is 18-1/2" Long x 15” Wide (with pockets) x 13” High @ $190.

[jlebard]

Thanks Tocsick:)

I agree and ya the pet palace was pretty pricey but my pooch is going in this thing daily so I wanted to get the best one possible...

One thing if you go this route I dont recommend using the straps they send with the pet palace. Not that they arent good just the way we built it the clips were sitting at a bad angle and putting strain on them. Because Im not into chancing my dogs safety I drilled holes and put I bolts in now I can mount it good with paracord or other webbing. I also painted it to match the scooty:)

Heres an updated pic of the rack now

[clementine88]

My dog is considerably bigger -- almost 55 pounds! She's a Jack Russel Terrier/English Bulldog mix and a total spaz.

I think she would love riding with me, and I want to be on the road most of the summer, so I was thinking SIDE CAR!

Here's one at scooterworks --> http://www.scooterworks.com/sidecar--10 ... gggr9Lrz5Q

[Wolfhound]

Clementine88, I have that side car mounted on my TGB Lazer R9. May
be the only TGB hooked up with a side car in the country. A riding friend
who is a master machinist designed the under the floor board mounting
plate. We were told it could not be done but we proved them wrong. I
took the windshield and convertable top off as they killed the gas milage and
I did not intend to carry riders, just groceries and such. You have to learn to ride a sidecar unit and you need a strong left arm. Rear tire and sidecar tire wear is more than you might expect. Real attention draw tho. I would recomend that you go to sidecar.com and read up on the postings there for
more info. Many sidecar owners do carry their dogs in them.

[CapnK]

JLB -

Would you mind posting a few shots of the mounting points for the rack? I am going to have something similar made, though for cargo, not pets. That yours held a 200# load is impressive, and I'd like to see how you tied it in for it to be able to do that. TIA!