Best ute? for a bike

[Motu]

I want to make a rack to go on the back of the Pajero,best of both worlds.

[Jackrat]

I had a Nissan 320,or at lest I think that's what it was called.
It didn't have a king cab but a sort of extended cab.
Heaps of room behind the drivers seat and a big enough deck to take an XR Honda straight on.I'd just back it against a bank(at the beach)an loading unloading was no problem.
But having said that,given the money I'd now buy a van.Not much fun sleeping under a ute.

[WRT]

Definately go for a van over a ute anyday. Got mates with both, and the van is by far the better option. You can sleep in it, heaps of room for all your gear (all locked up while you are out riding), nice and low for loading the bikes in, and you can stop off for a bite or a beer on the way home and not worry about your bike being accessible to all and sundry. Plus they make a mint shelter if you are out riding on a rainy day. The hiace's take 2 bikes easy (one facing forward the other back), and if you make up a ramp to the right length then you can wheel both bikes into the van and then slot the ramp across the back so that the rear ward facing one has something to prop the front wheel up against.

Also, FWIW, the speed limit for trailers has been increased to 90kph, with 5kph leniency.

[Motu]

I've had ute,van,trailer,and towbar bike rack - I'm back to the trailer behind 4x4 as most veratile,especialy for off road use.The advantage of the van is security and shelter,and I still have my van set up for bikes - but it gets stuck off road....and you have all the smells of the day come home with you,yuk!

[WRT]

Never had a problem with smells in the van, other than when my mate tipped over his bottle of oil. Fortunately it was Motul, so the van just had a nice strawberry scent for a bit . . .

As for it getting stuck off road . . . err, off road? Isnt that what the bikes are for?? Dont worry, I get what you mean, just couldnt resist commenting . . .

Interesting tho, your comment on making a rack for the 4x4. There was a guy up at Woodhill about a fortnight ago that had a rack for carrying his bike across the back of his 4x4, nifty idea, but looked like it would be a pig to get the bike loaded and unloaded. On the brightside, it would mean you could head up the beach a fair way to either the bombing range, or some other deserted strip away from the madding crowds.

[Motu]

A rack is good for a trials bike because you can just pick one end up at a time,or even pop the front wheel up on the clutch - mind you I think an alloy frame CR250 might be as light,or lighter than my 1986 trials bike.But the DT230 is heavier,and although I might strain to get it on in the morning,after a hard days crashing I don't think I'd be doing any lifting! So it will have to be a ramp,and that's bloody awkward.I'm looking at all the designs on the net and the brain is pondering,I also want to use a 2in hitch type arangment for easy fitting.

[WRT]

My CR's supposedly 97kg, which is a bit more than I am comfortable trying to lift on my own. The worst bit isnt the ~50 odd Kg at either end, its more the awkwardness of trying to pick up. If it was me tho, I would make is so that the rack can rotate out and tilt down. That way you could ride the front up onto it, and secure the handle bars against the back of the vehicle, then just pick up the back and swivel it back in before locking it in place. A decent length lever could help with this, or a rope and pulley from the roof of the 4x4.

[Ixion]

I've just gotten a $99 electric winch from Supercheap to fit to the Pajero, to pull bikes either up a ramp into the Pajero or onto the trailer. Tis one thing pushing a 200lb trials bike up a ramp, another thing doing it with a 500lb road bike. I've not worked out exactly how to route the cable yet, and I have to think about how strong the roof member is (ie can I bolt a pulley to the rear roof section). But the winch has remote control so I can guide and support the bike while hauling it up and in.

[DingDong]

I use a holden ute, plenty of power and a comfy ride... however, twin cab mazda/toyota/nissan are better because the holden utes dont have anywhere substantial to tie down to (you need to install your own) and when you spent 25 -30k on a ute you tend to look after it pretty well.
Go for a twin cab, 2 wheel drive 2000 or 2001 Mazda B2500 turbo, reliable and not too flashy, you'll get one for around 13-14k these days.

[Motu]

My TLR200 is supposed to be 93kg,who would of thought a MXer could be nearly as light as a trials bike? Not a modern trials bike though.The front is easy to lift - grab the right bar with your left hand,pushing in the brake with your thumb,with your right hand grab the front wheel and lift...easy,although the stretch would be more on an MXer than a trials bike.With the front located just lift the rear around the axle area somewhere.I've seen an overcentre ramp,real cool,but lots of construction time which I don't seem to have,grrrrr.

[adamt]

whatever u do dont buy a L200 2.6 1988 to 1996 i hate mine had nothing but trouble with it big fat pig! yeah maybe i just bought a lemon! oooh i mean its a beauty wanna buy?

[Reckless]

hi all
I have a Mazda Proceed 4x4 Cab plus 4-5 seater (jap import, 12K it cost). I put an extra lap belt in the middle of the rear seat for the occasional times I need to get the wife and 3 kids in but the back seat is only good for short trips. But its ideal for 2 x bikes on the back, got one of those plastic tool boxs (about 500x600x600deep approx with trays inside etc) waterproof for the fluids and spares. When we go Moto-x it takes 2 x bikes (tailgate has to be down) with the helmets and boots etc inside in the "plus" bit and comfy for two in the front. 4x4 so goes anywhere, no trailer, gear inside.

Dunno about the winch thing mentioned above, I just start the bike up pop it in first and walk it up under its own power??

[WRT]

Motu - if you think thats impressive . . . the '05 CRF 450's are just 100.7 kg. For a 450cc four stroke, thats incredible.

I was thinking just a basic ramp channel, with a combo pivot and swivel mounted a third of the way in from one end, and a socket a third of the way in from the other end. Two bars coming out about 2-3ft from the back of the 4x4, one to mount the pivot onto, and the other with an upright pin on it. Pivot/swivel the ramp out and down from the rear of the vehicle, ride the bike up onto it (so that some of the bikes weight is forward of the pivot point to act as a counterbalance). Tie the bike down onto the ramp and the handlebars back against the tailgate, then lift it back up and drop the socket down onto the pin, leaving the whole lot sitting level across the back of the vehicle. Then maybe just a bolt through the socket/pin arrangement to lock it in place.

I would post up a drawing if I had any kind of CAD experience, but hopefully this has outlined the idea?

[Colapop]

If you're looking to buy/import a ute/van/4x4 you could try HERE then use ] this converter to find out how much it will cost you. The costs of landing it and getting it on the road = approx. $3500. When you look at what the yards are charging for some of these vehicles you know why they can afford to give away TVs and shit with their cars.

[Squiggles]

"This page cannot be displayed...." for the tau-net.jp one :|