150cc scooter and your trawler...

Just doing a bit of homework and thought I would run this by y'all....I'm a motorcycle guy and have been for 40 something years. I have a couple of scooters sitting in the shop just waiting for me to take them boating :lol: now getting a scooter on and off the upper deck seems to be do'able with the right dingy lift winch ( and boat). Building a set of custom chocks for the fella to sit securely in seems do'able also. I would have a custom, plastic zippered, bag made that you would drive onto and zipper the fella up tight to protect it from the elements while on board. I would fabricate a custom bridle to make it easy for loading and unloading, weight is around 300 lbs.....the question to y'all.... where is the flaw, what's wrong with my thinking, bad idea, will not work, etc... Please let me know your thoughts. Not intrested in renting anything, I really would like to bring my own scoot with me and have to freedom to scoot off and explore on land as well the water

No flaw that I can see. We plan on doing the same thing- a scooter that lives on the dinghy deck, so we have powered land transport to explore.

We have a 125 cc motor cycle that we have plan to take with us. However I want something lighter and easier to lift. In stead of one two smaller ones. Great to ride around the marina and city but to small for highway freeway.

How does something like this look to you guys?

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or

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Then you just take an old bicycle and your good to go and easy to get on and off.

Anyone use one of these??

Scott, the only problem I see is those little 2 stroke engines are loud as heck. Then again that might be a plus

roguewave said:

Scott, the only problem I see is those little 2 stroke engines are loud as heck. Then again that might be a plus

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I agree, but it seams that they now have 4 stroke units as well and several aftermarket exhaust systems available.

I know the units are made in Asia/China but this is something they have built a zillion of and must have worked the bugs out by now.


My thought is a pawn shop bike and one of these and if its rusted/broken/gone after a year or two of cruising just get another.

Light enough to load and store easy, the claim is they add 20 lbs to a bike.

They are not street legal and may areas do not allow.

I own a Honda CB1100 and a Rebel. The big bike is way too heavy and even the 250cc Rebel is 330 lbs and most likely too heavy for my mast, boom, and winch.

So I put a deposit down on this little guy. Not available till Aug.

At just over 220 lbs. It weighs less than my Avon RIB and outboard which I routinely launch and retrieve with my mast/boom. I’m going to carry it covered just aft of the aft trunk cabin over the lazarette.

Just a heads up - a DeFever 44 carrying a m/c .on the “boat deck” capsized and sank on the Tombigbee last year while crossing a tow boats wake. Weight and placement are important.

Mike

Phil Fill said:

They are not street legal and may areas do not allow.

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In those areas you would just ride the bike with no engine running, right?

What about electric assist motors, legal?


I have a Goldwing (2008) it weighs nearly 900 lbs so that's not going.

Where to connect lift them is a concer as most are plastic and seem to be top heavy. I also want to stay around 200 lbs and Pink.

Sceptic said:

Just a heads up - a DeFever 44 carrying a m/c .on the “boat deck” capsized and sank on the Tombigbee last year while crossing a tow boats wake. Weight and placement are important.

Mike

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Any more info on this?

Soundings article.

Before your post sent me on a Bing search I did not know that the M/C weighed only 365 lbs. I saw a picture taken before the incident and the bike looked a lot bigger than that.

The incident was all over the great loop blogs, the MTOA list and the AGLCA list, with a few posts by loopers who saw it happen. That’s how I learned about it.

I am hardly a unbiased observer. After I sold my last cruising sailboat I decided that the only “trawler” style cruising motor yacht I would consider had to be designed by Art DeFever.

Think about this - 365 lbs (if that is true) 12 feet above the CB. That’s a pretty big moment arm.

On a happier note I love my brand new Honda take a look CB1100A obviously aimed at guys of a certain age, but that's ok since I am that age.

Mike

Interesting Mike, Thanks for the link.

Scooters are handier to drag up docks as usually they are shorter and lighter.

The small wheels require more lifting at most ramps , but that's better than needing to be carried around corners.

The enclosed engine and drive make a scooter easier to maintain in the salt air environment.

The step thru makes it easier , and less scary if the bride decides to become an operator.

Sceptic said:

Soundings article.



Think about this - 365 lbs (if that is true) 12 feet above the CB. That’s a pretty big moment arm.


Mike

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Boy that would sure limit the number of folks you could put on the fly-bridge.

People are a dynamic load, not all nice and strapped down and unmovable.

I would want to have more then two on the upper deck at a time.

Is this a real limitation on this/any boat?

I realize there is a limit but I would never have thought it less then 400lbs on a +40 ft. DeFever

SCOTTEDAVIS said:

How does something like this look to you guys?


Anyone use one of these??

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They work...and quite well. I have a buddy that built one and something you don't quite think about on a test drive is if the brakes are up to the task of stopping the bike with its pump up performance. He almost went off the end of the dock and practically had to run it into the last piling to get it stopped before he did!!! I do not have the details on how it all went together but he did load it onto his boat and take it on a trip.

Faster than a scooter?

The Flying Tortoise: It's Not A Bird. It's Not A Tortoise. It's The Flying Bicycle Taking To The Skies...

Mike, I just put a deposit down also, thanks for the heads up !

Sceptic said:

I own a Honda CB1100 and a Rebel. The big bike is way too heavy and even the 250cc Rebel is 330 lbs and most likely too heavy for my mast, boom, and winch.

So I put a deposit down on this little guy. Not available till Aug.



Mike

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