Motorbike on a trawler

[Olivier B]

I would be interested to hear experiences about motorbike on a trawler, maximum size, challenge to load, storage, benefits having a motorbike....
Look forward to reading answers.
Thanks
Olivier

 

[Hippocampus]

My father in law would put his Goldwing in his dinghy and tow it behind his Novi hull from Quincy to Martha’s Vineyard at the beginning of every summer for years. It was an old 4 cylinder Wing but still quite heavy. He said hardest problem was getting it out of dinghy on to a dock. He did it without a crane. Brains and brawn fix most things.

 

[DavidM]

My father in law would put his Goldwing in his dinghy and tow it behind his Novi hull from Quincy to Martha’s Vineyard at the beginning of every summer for years. It was an old 4 cylinder Wing but still quite heavy. He said hardest problem was getting it out of dinghy on to a dock. He did it without a crane. Brains and brawn fix most things.

Wow, that Goldwing weighs about 800 lbs. What kind of dinghy? Most would be overloaded with that much weight.

David

 

[Hippocampus]

He used an aluminum Jon boat with the engine off it. Still something I wouldn’t do.

 

[guy with a boat]

He used an aluminum Jon boat with the engine off it. Still something I wouldn’t do.

Sounds like he was a couple bad wakes away from creating a new artificial reef.

 

[Festina Lente]

Good morning. Its in german language, but the fotos are interesting. Nice greetings from Austria, Walter

https://motorbootonline.de/ausruestung/mit-dem-motorrad-an-bord/

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Maybe an electric bike instead. Much lighter. You probably won’t be doing long distances from the boat.

 

[Porgy]

I met a guy with a Honda Grom he stowed in the cockpit of his Sundowner 30 or 32 tug. He built a wood ramp to get it off and on. That bike weighs about 227 so manageable, similar to many scooters. In the cockpit kept the weight low. It gets over 130 mpg and tops out at 55-70 mph so the advantage over an e bike is obvious if one wants the range and speed for their intents.

I’ve heard of others using the dinghy crane or davit to load a bike or scooter on the boat deck next to the dinghy. Personally on a small boat, I’d not want that much of what they call top hamper added up high affecting stability. But I’ve also seen bigger boats unload a whole fleet of Vespas. If your davit has the capacity, there’s no reason it couldn’t lift a bike. I had a Honda Ruckus scooter that I could have taken with me but, wasn’t really necessary for our travel plans. I can almost always and prefer to pedal a bicycle for shorter trips.

Someone on a bike forum was thinking about putting his 350 lb. bike in a second inflatable “cheap raft” as he put it, and tow it to shore with his dinghy from an anchorage. As it was left, I might have talked him out of it and he hadn’t figured out how to get it off the raft after getting to shore. He was too cheap to want to get a slip and simply lower to the dock with his davit.

 

[backinblue]

I would also vote for electric. This looks fun to me and less than 300 lbs.
https://www.volcon.com/grunt-evo

 

[Olivier B]

Thanks a lot,
Anyone have experience with a motorbike and davit - and how to secure the motorbike on the flybridge? Thanks

 

[backinblue]

Just curious what the use case is for the motorbike. If it's just to get around off the boat and not to go hundreds of miles, an electric bicycle might be more practical and certainly easier to handle and store. There are quite a few good ones on the market these days. Some are even folding.

 

[Bmarler]

Thanks a lot,
Anyone have experience with a motorbike and davit - and how to secure the motorbike on the flybridge? Thanks

A couple of sturdy padeyes on the deck and ratchet straps to the handlebars. Just like you’d do in the back of a pickup truck.

 

[DavidM]

I used a Dahon Mariner folding bike that I shlepped ashore on my dinghy. At less than 30 lbs it was fairly easy to get off and on the dock with one person.

I now have an Lectric e-bike that weighs more than 60 lbs. I have never tried going ashore on the dinghy. The extra weight makes it tough. I can roll it from the swim platform to the dock alongside fairly easily though.

I can’t imagine doing that by myself with a 200+ lb motorbike. With two people it should be doable.

David

 

[SteveK]

Thanks a lot,
Anyone have experience with a motorbike and davit - and how to secure the motorbike on the flybridge? Thanks

No experience or the thought to do it. That said if the davit and deck can handle the weight then just do it and get back to us with the experience of it.

As asked, what is the purpose intended for a motorbike. Longer distance touring in comfort.

 

[AlanT]

I would be interested to hear experiences about motorbike on a trawler, maximum size, challenge to load, storage, benefits having a motorbike....
Look forward to reading answers.
Thanks
Olivier

We have thought about adding a M/cycle but opted instead for a pair of Rad Electric bikes. Each weighs around 65lb and can be wheeled on board our swim-step from a dock, from the swim-step they can be wheeled into the aft cockpit where they reside under a tarp on our protected water cruises.

With a range of around 30+ miles on battery power they provide ample range for our typical needs when cruising. On flattish terrain we use leg power and minimal electrical assist which doubles range. Speed up to 20mph.
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/members/4000-albums1033-picture7358.jpeg

 

[JYoung]

Motorbike

Interesting question. You might consider not riding it and using it on board. Gunwales might be too tight.

 

[backinblue]

I was at Costco today and they have folding electric bicycles for ~ $500. They didn't feel too heavy. I don't know any specs but they seem like they would work well for getting around and storing on the boat.

 

[Simi 60]

I had just got my much loved Burgman 650 exactly how I wanted it when our current vessel popped up.

Was torn between the two and did consider opening bulwarks , sacrificing the guest cabin , opening the cabin side and turning into a garage.

Financial stupidity to do so.
Appart from the cost of the cut and shut it would cost a couple of hundred every time I wanted to ride it.

Crane on foredeck, saltwater and air would kill it and too heavy for top deck.

 

[backinblue]

Everything boating = financial stupidity, so that's no excuse!

 

[Simi 60]

Everything boating = financial stupidity, so that's no excuse!

Everything boating might be financial stupidity for you.
For us, buying a big boat and cruising full time is financially prudent.

 

[Jeff F]

I had just got my much loved Burgman 650 exactly how I wanted it when our current vessel popped up.

Was torn between the two and did consider opening bulwarks , sacrificing the guest cabin , opening the cabin side and turning into a garage.

Financial stupidity to do so.
Appart from the cost of the cut and shut it would cost a couple of hundred every time I wanted to ride it.

Crane on foredeck, saltwater and air would kill it and too heavy for top deck.

I've got a Silverwing 600 and am taking it with me this summer, I hope

Will post pics.

 

[Delta Riverat]

I had just got my much loved Burgman 650 exactly how I wanted it when our current vessel popped up.

I had a Burgman 650, sweet scooter! Lot's of fun and the CVT tranny made it like a magic carpet ride -

But ride that sucker up a gang plank? No way Jose.

I don't want to be on "stupid boaters on youtube" after it falls off into the water with me on it...glub glub.

 

[Jeff F]

But ride that sucker up a gang plank? No way Jose.

A lot of people suggested ramps to me, but I view a hoist as the preferred method. Then it's not really any different than handling a tender. But you need a place to keep it.

The PO of my boat did river cruising with his motorcycle on the side deck. He had a BMW 750, and is confident the Silverwing will fit. You can see the hoist in this pic.

I'm planning to load it Monday. Getting kicked off my winter dock.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

too heavy to be practical.

pete

 

[guy with a boat]

Weight capacity and space are probably the only real limiting factors. I don’t have personal experience with it, but there is a Nordhavn 60 that carries two full-size cruising motorcycles on their boat deck and uses them to explore.

I also met a guy with an N86 that carried a Fiat 500 (car) on his foredeck. The color matched the boat (of course) and it looked pretty cool. That boat had a davit/crane that could lift the car on and off. I think they had to pick their spots to load/unload and the car might have eventually had corrosion issues, but it worked for him. That boat is so big that the car didn’t look out of proportion sitting up there.

I’m still debating if we want to carry electric bikes, so what do I know.

 

[Simi 60]

The effort in loading, offloading. Cost of crane and mounting, dock space/cost while doing the offload, cost of vehicle and upkeep.

Taxis, Uber, car or scooter rental are so much cheaper and easier.

 

[Adopo]

Can't speak to how to off load it, but this is how you get it aboard.

 

[Mako]

The effort in loading, offloading. Cost of crane and mounting, dock space/cost while doing the offload, cost of vehicle and upkeep.

Taxis, Uber, car or scooter rental are so much cheaper and easier.

Not to mention the headaches of bringing a motor vehicle into a foreign country. Electric bikes are classed as “bikes” and would simplify international cruising

 

[Delta Riverat]

The Burgman was not light, 600 pounds. A hundred over my Bonneville T100.

The same as my BMW R1200RT. Amazingly nimble for such a large bike.

But Rita (the RT) has to go. I'm keeping Bonnie for short rides.

Long rides (what Rita was for) have been replaced with the boat. Yeah, long boat rides -

 

[Northern Spy]

My 1982 Honda CT 110 fits in the cockpit of my Nordic Tug 26 just fine.