| Author | Message | ||
     General_ulysses |
I'm shopping for a Uly and if/when I get one I may have to transport it in my aerostar van (no jokes please  ). I know the bike is tall - too tall to go straight into the back of my van. So I'm wondering if the suspension can be relatively easily lowered/compressed so that the bike can be made to fit. Like loosening the fork clamps and dropping them, dropping the handle bars lower, using a cargo strap with ratchet to compress the front and rear suspension etc. Any ideas? And any specific data on how short the Uly can be made for this purpose? (without serious disassembly I mean). I guess I should also know the length, although I'm hoping that wont be an issue (the aerostar is an extended body btw). I have transported a Kawie EX250 in the back without any problems, but even that bike's windscreen was a little close going in (decent clearance once inside though). | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Perhaps the thing to do is remove the wheels?That would earn you at least half a foot. Perhaps then loosen the barclamp and rotate them back. Sounds like more of a pain than I would want to deal with. I would rather rent/borrow something. | ||
| Motorbike |
Does the Aerostar (no jokes here) have a hitch? Would it be able to pull a trailer if you could rent or borrow one  ? Or maybe you could ride the Uly and pull the Aerostar? No need to thank me for all the ideas.... | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
If your bike is broken down into it's component pieces as most would refer to as a basket case, then you can probably put it into the back of a Prius. No need to thank me either. | ||
| Reepicheep |
You can't drop much... maybe some tricks could buy you an inch, two at the most, but not a lot. It's a TALL bike. Taking off the wheels would buy you significantly more margin, but that becomes a fairly major effort, and then moving it around becomes an exercise in continual problem management. What are the obstacles to just riding it home? | ||
| Babired |
Hey General have you found a ULY yet? I see you are in Maryland. I was considering selling mine. But as I get closer to the training season I'm starting to have second thoughts on selling it. | ||
| Brucen |
I used to use one of the carriers that mounted on the hitch receiver of my Aerostar. I used it to carry a dirt bike, but occasionally carried a street bike. I think one should be strong enough to carry a Uly if you don't need to go too far. | ||
| General_ulysses |
My aerostar does have a hitch and yes I could rent a trailer. Only problem is that when I go to see a bike, I may or may not want to buy it. I won't know if the deal is gonna get done without seeing it firsthand and agreeing on price. That means one of two things: (1) I have to preemptively rent a trailer and hope for the best as I go to see the bike. If it turns out to not be the right bike for me, I turn around and go home, eating the cost of the trailer rental for that day. Or (2) I don't rent the trailer and go see the bike first. If I like the bike and we agree on a price, I give a down payment and then drive home to rent a trailer and come back. This means two trips, which may be doable as long as the bike is close by. But if it's a healthy drive (which it always seems to turn out that way), then I have to take two big road trips when one may have sufficed. That's the quandary. The only caveat is that if I was able to rent a one-way trailer (U-haul etc) locally at the point of sale and then drop the trailer off near my home. However, predicting that convenience will be available if/when you need it (on weekends etc) could be a wild card. As far as driving the bike home? That is a possibility, but only if the weather happens to cooperate on the day of sale (I don't have wet/cold riding gear) - assuming the bike's far away enough to make getting wet and/or freezing cold a serious issue. Plus, the owner would have to agree to let me use his/her tag to get the bike home. Maybe they will or maybe they won't? Depends, another wild card. Otherwise I have to pay for the bike in order to receive the title, then leave the paid for bike in the possession of an unknown person, then come back to Maryland (if out of state) to get titled and temp tag and then return to ride the bike home. Or I could use the tag off of my existing motorcycle and risk getting caught going home (although I could have it insured easy enough). Plus as a used bike with an unknown service/reliability history, there's also the possibility of a break down on a lengthy trip home. Being stranded on the side of the road far from home with a "new" bike? That'd be a real headache. None of these scenarios are exactly optimum in my view. It gets complicated when you take all contingencies into account. Sure would be a lot easier if I knew I could drive my van to the bike, check it out, if I like it and the price is right, do the deal and then just squish it in the back and drive off. Wam bam thank you maam. Of course I might luck out and find one close by. If that happens then everything becomes a lot simpler. I'm in no huge hurry, we'll see what happens. Starting to learn more about alternate bikes too (Triumph 800's seem cool), so we'll see how it all shakes out in the end. But if anyone has a height measurement of the highest point on the bike (with the windshield removed) with two full size people on it, that would give me an idea of how squished I could make the bike. Thanks again. | ||
| Zane |
General, I say plan on riding the bike home. It's a great way to get the feel of the bike and it'll be the cheapest method. When I bought my 09 XT I flew from Tampa to Dallas/Fort Worth. The previous owner picked me up at the airport, gave me a quick course on the bike and I rode it home. No problems for 1175 miles. Unless there's some glaring issue with the bike, it'll make it. These are really great bikes. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Borrow a friends pickup? Take a copilot with you who can drive the van while you ride? Or, if you find a bike to go look at...Google the nearest uhaul. Call them. Get their hours and inventory. Reserve something to be safe. | ||
| Reepicheep |
In Ohio, last time I checked, you can use the plate off your "old" bike for X number of days on the new bike. So I just phone my insurance agent to get verbal confirmation I am covered, and bring the plate off my old bike. I don't think anything in that law required the old bike be sold yet, it was (as I read it) pretty much just "intent to transfer plates". I suppose they can make you show a bill of sale to show that you got the bike within the required X days to be able to move the plate. Or you can just get temp tags (good for 30 days). You could also drive there, buy the bike if it is a good deal, park your car securely somewhere within walking distance, ride the bike home, then get a ride from somebody to go pick the car up later. The seller might have a truck or a buddy with a truck to help transport if you buy. | ||
| Yan |
I never rented a trailer at U-Haul, but I overheard someone mentioning that it can be as low as $20 a day. If you are going down there to look at the bike you are still taking a chance - if you don't like the bike you will lose at the very least the gas money plus your Aerostar's wear-and-tear, not to mention the precious time of your life. What's another 20 bucks to have a trailer ready to haul the bike back home in case if you do like it. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
go with a fried and if the bike is what you want drive it back home while your friend drives the van behind you. | ||
| Jetranger_2000 |
i have a 2006 kia sedona and If I remember correctly the bike just barely fits if you remove the shield, drop handlebars and drain the air out of tires. I went to pick up my bike 10hrs away from where i live and ended up using a buddies trailer instead. It was way way too much work to do all that stuff and then try to load it with no handle bars and then if your handlebars are bent over its hard to hit the brake and then where to hold onto and then trying to lift it in and then how to tie it down and then be on your knees and trying to pull it in and then if it tips and takes out a side window or you get into a accident and have that in your cab. and then having your wife ear F@#$ you for the next twenty minutes after you tell her your gonna put a motorcycle in the van and then and then and then..... two words TRAY LER!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Jetranger_2000 |
you could end up like this this time of year you never know the weather. when we left to go get it there wasnt a ounce of snow on the ground  | ||
| Eulysses |
I was going to cut the top out of a Cherokee for a toad...with the Uly run up in it...front wheel between front buckets. Also saw a toad Astro barn door with a Hog in it...top was cut out and elevated with a canvas snap down. You non-rv'ers...a toad is the car behind the motorhome. Euly | ||
| Mark_weiss |
Both axles are hollow. A stout bar or small diameter pipe through each axle, along with straps to the handlebars and the rear grab rails, will allow you to easily shorten the bike by three to four inches at each end. You can also roll the bike in this configuration. | ||
| General_ulysses |
Thanks everyone for the replies. Mark that's very helpful info about the hollow axles as a way for scrunching the suspension down. |
