Securing the Scooter to the rear rack

Siimplyloco

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Scooter tried on the rack today for real. Two things came up:

1. The rear overhang of the David Cooper rack is about 8" more than it needs to be, so I've slid it through and I'll drill two more location holes to suit.

2. How is the best way to keep the scooter upright? - Fix a vertical pole to the rack and secure to that? Make a plate for the central stand and lash down to that? Tie up and pray?

Advice appreciated, but I'm tempted to make a proper location plate for the centre stand.
John
 
I have seen all sorts of heath Robinson jobs but without a doubt I have never seen one as good or as quick to offload or upload as ours. I didnt do it though. It was professionally fitted by Armitage Trailers in Ferry Bridge oop Norf!

This photo might help you though.

Basically we have the rack on the back which I assume you have. There is a ramp to push the bike up onto the rack. You will notice from the attached photo that there is a long steel square bar that is bolted onto the tow bar. Over that goes a U shaped bar with a rubber on it and also a hook for sticking through ratchet straps. This then loops around the botton long bar of the tow bar and ratchets down the U shaped bar onto the seat which is then locked in place by a hand tightened knob.

On the front wheel you will see a further ratchet strap to keep the front wheel in check and stop lateral movement. Not really needed but extra security.

It takes less than a minute to put on and even less to take off.

It could be that you could purchase the bits you need from Armitage possibly. Pig on rack.jpg
 
barryd said:
I have seen all sorts of heath Robinson jobs but without a doubt I have never seen one as good or as quick to offload or upload as ours. I didnt do it though. It was professionally fitted by Armitage Trailers in Ferry Bridge oop Norf!
SNIP

It could be that you could purchase the bits you need from Armitage possibly.View attachment 20222
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Thanks Barry, very helpful. Purchase? Did you say purchase? I'll be round to my mate's scrap bin in the morning and my workshop will be humming!
John
 
siimplyloco said:
Scooter tried on the rack today for real. Two things came up:

1. The rear overhang of the David Cooper rack is about 8" more than it needs to be, so I've slid it through and I'll drill two more location holes to suit.

2. How is the best way to keep the scooter upright? - Fix a vertical pole to the rack and secure to that? Make a plate for the central stand and lash down to that? Tie up and pray?

Advice appreciated, but I'm tempted to make a proper location plate for the centre stand.
John
Click to expand...

All the racks I've ever had have had a vertical square tube (that most people cover with foam pipe insulation) that the bike leans against and is secured to. And so does barryd's as well by the look of it.
 
El Veterano said:
All the racks I've ever had have had a vertical square tube (that most people cover with foam pipe insulation) that the bike leans against and is secured to. And so does barryd's as well by the look of it.
Click to expand...

I was going to go that way myself, but if you look closely at his set up, the scooter is held down on the rack by the pressure of the top beam, and not by strapping to a post.
John
 
siimplyloco said:
I was going to go that way myself, but if you look closely at his set up, the scooter is held down on the rack by the pressure of the top beam, and not by strapping to a post.
John
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Yes, I like that idea, however I wouldn't want to put too much pressure on that as it will eventually flatten the seat. I think I would use that just to steady it and use 4 bike ratchet straps, 2 front off the bars and 2 rear off the bikes own rack. And I would still put a strap around the rack trough and through the rear wheel myself. I've seen one or two bikes jump off racks in my 40 years of off road riding.
 
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Its not flattened the seat in nearly six years of usage which includes at least 3 of those actually away in the van.

You dont need to over tighten it really. Certainly less weight than someone sat on it. I seldom leave it on when parked for the night though.

Yes it was purchased and it wasnt cheap. Took them all day to fit it. Its fitted into the Alko Chassis so independent of the tow bar.

I think if your doing it yourself thats the way to go. the bike stands up straight and doesnt lean against the bar.

I would be very interested to see the end result. Good luck
 
barryd said:
Its not flattened the seat in nearly six years of usage which includes at least 3 of those actually away in the van.

You dont need to over tighten it really. Certainly less weight than someone sat on it. I seldom leave it on when parked for the night though.

Yes it was purchased and it wasnt cheap. Took them all day to fit it. Its fitted into the Alko Chassis so independent of the tow bar.

I think if your doing it yourself thats the way to go. the bike stands up straight and doesnt lean against the bar.

I would be very interested to see the end result. Good luck
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Thanks Barry, I'll post some pics if I can.
John
 
siimplyloco said:
Thanks Barry, I'll post some pics if I can.
John
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Somehow I think you can and will, look forward to seeing it but please understand if I stop Maggy looking at pictures, I have too much to do already :danger:
 
tezza33 said:
Somehow I think you can and will, look forward to seeing it but please understand if I stop Maggy looking at pictures, I have too much to do already :danger:
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Made a start today, hacking a slot in a piece of square tube which will be used as the upright support.



This is the alloy block which will be bolted to the towbar, and the upright will just drop on to it when needed.



Finished top joint. The gadget is a high security quick release pin which has been in my toolbox since I left the Army in 1974!



Tomorrow I just have to shorten the top bar to suit, and make the spreader bar out of some mild steel and I'm in business. The RH end of the top bar will have a place for a ratchet strap.

 
excellent pictures, but I think you are defeating the object by adding all that extra weight to the rack, I too have a dave cooper rack and I carry a Honda sky 50cc on it, perhaps not as heavy as your scooter/moped I do not know which you own, my rack has an upright to left side part that fits in the cradle and all I do, I make sure the rear wheel is attached to that with a tie strap, the rest is easy. just a couple more tie straps from the handle bar to the securing eyes of the rack and thats it. So far I have taken it away twice and not encountered any problems. :scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter:
 
wineciccio said:
excellent pictures, but I think you are defeating the object by adding all that extra weight to the rack, I too have a dave cooper rack and I carry a Honda sky 50cc on it, perhaps not as heavy as your scooter/moped I do not know which you own, my rack has an upright to left side part that fits in the cradle and all I do, I make sure the rear wheel is attached to that with a tie strap, the rest is easy. just a couple more tie straps from the handle bar to the securing eyes of the rack and thats it. So far I have taken it away twice and not encountered any problems. :scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter:
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With a payload of 1.25 tonnes I'm not too worried about 6-7kg of steel tube. The Vespa is 125cc and weighs 105kg. The mod will give me peace of mind if and when I brake hard!
John
 
Hi.

It isn't the braking accelerating forces you need worry about, it is if you drop down a hole in the road and the forces are in a downward motion that problems will occur, that is where the strength in the rack and installation has to be, and where a bought rack which has been tested and can guarantee that it will take the load imposed come into factor.

ray
 
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I am suitably impressed! Its starting to look a bit like mine. I see what you mean when you objected to "Purchasing" the bits. Blimey. I wish I could do stuff like that. The only thing I would improve upon is the bar thats going to clamp down over the seat. Can you not weld on a slightly U shaped bit and slip a rubber fitting over it like mine? All you need then is to ratchet it down over the seat and maybe a ratchet through the front wheel and you pretty much have what we have without spending £800!

nice work fella.
 
It Works!

barryd said:
I am suitably impressed! Its starting to look a bit like mine. I see what you mean when you objected to "Purchasing" the bits. Blimey. I wish I could do stuff like that. The only thing I would improve upon is the bar thats going to clamp down over the seat. Can you not weld on a slightly U shaped bit and slip a rubber fitting over it like mine? All you need then is to ratchet it down over the seat and maybe a ratchet through the front wheel and you pretty much have what we have without spending £800!

nice work fella.
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Well, it seems to work OK. It might even be a bit lighter than the proprietary ones I've seen. I have to shorten the top bar and put a lug on the end so that the strap doesn't fall off, but that's it really. Quite pleased, and all it cost was a £2 donation for the metal from a scrap bin!





My schoolboy flexicurve came in handy when copying the seat profile! The metal bar will have some rubber covering tomorrow.

 
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I think you are going to regret not having the 'bowed' top bar or some padded brackets which will stop the bike from wobbling backwards and forwards. It appears that the scooter will be able to move about (you will be able to see this if you have got a rear facing camera mounted high up at the back end) and you could even lose the scooter off the back unless you find a better method of anchoring the strap onto the red bar?

The scooters suspension will compress over bumps and undulations which will allow the strap to come slack with every 'bounce' !!!

I have done many miles with motorbikes carried on all different types of rack and by far the best set-up was a 'HOPE Rac n Roll' which are quite rare nowadays but well worth looking for

You are close to success but not quite there yet IMHO

Ian







 
I welcome your post but I don't follow your reasoning about the absence of a 'bowed bar'? I've made a substantial 'bowed bar' secured to the red bar and this will (hopefully) stop the scooter moving back and forth. There will be a lug on the red bar as described in my post. I'll also strap the scooter down across the footwell, so perhaps I won't have the outcome so graphically described?
John
 
It appears I missed your pic of the bowed bar you are in the process of manufacturing but I meant well :D

Good luck

Ian
 
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