To carry a scooter or pushbikes?

Phantom

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Our moho has a garage with quite big doors either side. We used to carry a couple of pushbikes about which occasionally got used on short trips but very easy to stow. Then instead we carried a 125cc scooter to explore further afield from base, and later upgraded to a 300cc scooter.
But to be quite honest unless we are on a site of sorts for a few days then the scooter just does not really get used at all so are currently mostly just lugging it about. We can load and unload it okay but still a bit of a hassle in all, so much more than a pushbike. But as we are full timing now have realised that on many occasions, even for just one night at certain free camp spots, we would have often used our pushbikes if they were to hand as so easier to access. Not only that but would likely leave more garage storage space for other things and take about 200kg off the back axle, which is often quite borderline, so that would be good! Transporting a scoot outside of the moho would maybe provide easier access but would add even more weight to the back axle unless trailered, but that just adds more potential hassle in itself.
Carrying the scooter about in the garage has generally been fine, though it has made just two attempts to escape! We usually put double-sided velcro straps on the brake levers and five ratchet straps to secure it, but sometimes it is like Houdini!
Once I forgot to apply the velcro tape to the brakes and after some bumpy twisty lanes it managed to throw it's side stand and smash a lock on each garage door - and they are not cheap! Recently it broke another garage door lock but I managed to fix it up. There are now many grazes to the scooter paintwork just from carrying it in the moho garage alone. It can get quite messy when it somehow manages to flip up it's side stand in transit whilst strapped down and now looks like it has seen some battles, dissapointing but no great worries about that as purely cosmetic, maybe even looks less stealable?. The Honda SH300 is still a really great scoot when not used with the moho.
Horses for courses dependant on practicality, 3 x better on fuel, but we're looking forward to having the pushbikes onboard now instead as will likely get much more use out of them when generally touring around even during the UK winter. It's good exercise too!
 
We use electric bikes to get round. Converted a couple of fold up ones to electric. Not a hard job took about 2 hours using a Bafang kit from China. We have downsized this year and bought a small A Class which we will use to get out and about in. Tried taking the car with us in the Uk and it does give you a bit more freedom but new MH is 6.4 M so easier to park.
 
Ebikes require mains power to charge the batteries. Something to think about if you are exclusively ebiking and not using campsite hook up.

Ebike battery performance deteriorates in colder temperatures so increased battery charging required. But then when it’s colder maybe don’t cycle as far?

Scooters v ebikes - much depends on the type of touring you are planning and where you are heading. Flat terrain v mountains, etc. Nice to have the option of one or the other or both.

Assuming you have motorbike licence of course!

Easier decision to make if you have heavy duty chassis and decent payload.

European plod more likely to pull you over if carrying scooter externally than U.K. plod so useful to have weighbridge certificate with you and to know where your chassis plating info is on the vehicle.

300cc scooter can weigh in the range 160-200kg. There are very few if any motorhomes in the 3500kg and under category that would be able to carry one of these legally. 125cc scooters come in at around 110-120kg but the selection of motorhomes under 3500kg that can carry one of these is very limited and maybe restricted to those no longer than 6m with a decent payload. You have to factor in the pivot point around the rear axle which can increase the scooter load on the back axle by 25% or more over and beyond the actual scooter weight and any scooter transport gear.

Just to add we have the luxury of both and carry folding ebikes (now 5 years old) in the garage and a scooter on the rack at the rear. I can remove the scooter from the rack in under 5 mins and load it up in under 7 mins. When doing the research I watched scooters being loaded into garages and decided against this as it very much limited what else could be carried in the garage. We have the Alko heavy duty chassis with a 2500kg load limit on the back axle and the weigh bridge certified the weight as 2280kg fully loaded in full European touring mode with full fuel and water tanks and Mrs Moped sat in the passenger seat. We have in excess of 40% of total weight on the front axle so fully comply if stopped by the police.
 
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Tandem bike fits on bike rack and 350'scooter on hydra tail .
Works perfic.
 

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Tandem bike fits on bike rack and 350'scooter on hydra tail .
Works perfic.
Had not seen these before. Interesting solution it appears for 3500kg MHs with limited payload requiring only a towbar. How do the small wheels perform on uneven potholed surfaces? And how is parking affected as you cannot reverse park with the rear of the MH over a kerb presumably?
 
Had not seen these before. Interesting solution it appears for 3500kg MHs with limited payload requiring only a towbar. How do the small wheels perform on uneven potholed surfaces? And how is parking affected as you cannot reverse park with the rear of the MH over a kerb presumably?
the hydra trail is non articulated so reversing is a doddle
 
Would it not be possible to have the best of both worlds and fit a scooter rack? I know it sounds daft if you have a garage that will take a scooter but I do know someone who did this with a tag axle old hymer as he found the scooter dominated the garage and was a total PIA to get in and out. It might not be possible for weight reasons but if your carrying an SH300 they are quite a heavy scooter. I think about 170kg. A honda Vision 110 is 102kg and an SH mode 125 116kg. The rack we use is the Armitage rack and its literally one bar over the seat and two ratchet straps. I can take it off or back on again less than a minute. Ive even pulled over in laybys on narrow mountain roads and whipped it off to scout ahead to see what the road is like.

You would lose some power obviously but providing you were still within limits you might get away with a rack, small scooter and a couple of bikes in the garage. I reckon you would need a pretty good payload though but you must have that if you can take a 170kg bike in the garage, albeit closer to the rear axle than a rack would be. There is the weight of the rack to consider of course.
 
Had not seen these before. Interesting solution it appears for 3500kg MHs with limited payload requiring only a towbar. How do the small wheels perform on uneven potholed surfaces? And how is parking affected as you cannot reverse park with the rear of the MH over a kerb presumably?
Works well just done nc 500 think that says it all .
Yes you can reverse.
Easylifter hydra tail .
 
Throwing in a couple of points

A scooter & rack totaling 200kg will take 200kg off the payload; add 300kg to rear axle load; reduce front axle load by 100k (traction issues).

A Hydra trail fixed to the MoHo increases the MoHo length with possible ferry / tunnel price implications.

After a Spanish truck totaled my 125cc bike and trailer last year I am going though similar decision making process. Current favorite is 2 electric bikes and a trailer.
I fancy the Fun2GO electric trike https://www.vanraam.com/en-gb/our-bikes/side-by-side-tandems/fun2go but the UK price is almost £8k!
 
Throwing in a couple of points

A scooter & rack totaling 200kg will take 200kg off the payload; add 300kg to rear axle load; reduce front axle load by 100k (traction issues).

A Hydra trail fixed to the MoHo increases the MoHo length with possible ferry / tunnel price implications.

After a Spanish truck totaled my 125cc bike and trailer last year I am going though similar decision making process. Current favorite is 2 electric bikes and a trailer.
I fancy the Fun2GO electric trike https://www.vanraam.com/en-gb/our-bikes/side-by-side-tandems/fun2go but the UK price is almost £8k!
You can buy a lot of tunnel tickets for 8k...
Added £8 for our hydra tail on isle of wight ferry. Last week.
 
Do a simple google search on easylifter hydra trail weld fails. There has also been a few reports on some facebook groups about them breaking.

wildcamping.co.uk/threads/easy-lifter-hydratrail.79141/
 
 
I was told by the guy I brought off ,was never use empty , they must have the weight of a motorbike on then. Or they bounce around like mad..causing damage.
2 e bikes are not a motorbike.
Poss used wrongly just my thoughts..
 
Your
I was told by the guy I brought off ,was never use empty , they must have the weight of a motorbike on then. Or they bounce around like mad..causing damage.
2 e bikes are not a motorbike.
Poss used wrongly just my thoughts..

That's right, the hydra-trail should never be used without a motorbike or scooter on it and it doesn't claim to be a push bike or e bike carrier. It should also be greased regulary at the various grease nipple points. I've seen reports of the bearings failing and I would guess they haven't been greased properly.

Regards,
Del
 
Your


That's right, the hydra-trail should never be used without a motorbike or scooter on it and it doesn't claim to be a push bike or e bike carrier. It should also be greased regulary at the various grease nipple points. I've seen reports of the bearings failing and I would guess they haven't been greased properly.

Regards,
Del
I grease once monthly tyres checked weekly
 
I was told by the guy I brought off ,was never use empty , they must have the weight of a motorbike on then. Or they bounce around like mad..causing damage.
2 e bikes are not a motorbike.
Poss used wrongly just my thoughts..

How do you account for others that have failed carrying motorcycles. To say they should never be towed empty is ridiculous. What would you expect to do if you were to sell yours. Would you expect a buyer to bring a motorcycle with them when they collect. Welds should not fail.
 

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