Motorcycle-Mounted Bike Carrier

Motorcycle-Mounted Bike Carrier FARM HOME recreation 31-5-28 Mark Scotch, Madison, Wis., gets a lot of second looks as he makes his way down the highway, hauling his 29-in. mountain bike across the back of his motorcycle. He made his own basic mounting system, then bought a single bike rack that's normally used to mount bikes on cars. Mark works as a representative for a company in the paper manufacturing business and travels all over the Midwest. He makes many trips of 1,000 miles or more. "I like to race mountain bikes, and my motorcycle-mounted bike carrier gives me a chance to ride while I'm away on business," says Mark. "I had been hauling my bike on a Jeep, but I prefer the motorcycle because it's more fuel efficient and is also more fun to ride. My bike-racing friend Al Potter helped me build it." Mark says the bike carrier has been trouble-free, except that at slow speeds it makes the motorcycle a little wobbly. It also affects mileage. When operating the motorcycle alone he averages 50 mpg; with the bike it drops to about 40 mpg. "It's an unusual sight. A lot of people take photos of it when they first see it," says Scotch. "I've seen other people haul bikes on back of their motorcycles, but the bikes are always in-line. To make room for the bike they have to remove the storage trunk from on back of the motorcycle, then mount the bike rack in line on top of the platform that supports the trunk. There's no room for a passenger, and they have to remove the bike's front wheel. By carrying the bike sideways I can leave the trunk on all the time." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark Scotch, 30 Waterford Circle, Madison, Wis. 53719 (ph 678 488-1996).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.