Transporting a motor bicycle - on its side...

Spillage from the tank and carb is never going to be a good thing.

Best to have a minimum amount of fuel remaining in the tank, and I would shut off the petcock and run the carb dry before laying it over.

Otherwise, it ain't gonna hurt anything.
I do it occasionally.

Best
rc

Also, there is a drain plug on the carb bowl.

StealthInspired said:

Hi guys,

Bear with me on this one - are there any issues with transporting a motor bicycle ON IT'S SIDE, say in the back of a car/truck? Suppose this would be the same for a regular motorbike too!

I'm thinking along the lines of liquids (fuel / oil) being able to spill out anywhere as it's lying flat. Could it cause any issues then starting the motor when you next use the bike?

I apologise in advance for such a n00b question! (runs to hide under the wheelarch of my SUV).
I've actually never owned a motorbike of any kind previously!

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If I was transporting in a truck like I do, I load it up upright and use straps to secure it, One strap will do but I use two. As far as leaning on its side, you have to deal with the fuel in the tank, as previous mentioned, drain the fuel bowl by removing the bowl drain screw, or running dry. Never a issue transporting on it's side.

Either of the top three..Sold in just about any stores that have automotive products.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=cargo+strap

2door said:

2 stroke or 4?

Tom

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I have the Honda GX35 (4 stroke) and I'm wondering the same.
I've been advised to remove the oil beforehand for good measure which sounds like a good idea, but, I'd like to know if it's really necessary or just a safety precaution.
If there is any risk, is it just a matter of some oil getting into the cylinder that will require spark plug removal to clear (is this no big deal?) or more serious issues like gas getting into the oil?
And if it's okay (to do it as is with all fluids) is there a better side to lay the four stroke on?

what we all need is a fuel tank from a small outboard motor,designed to be transported on their side,with a closeable vent on the tank cap.as well the cap needs to seal really well.as well as shutting off fuel and running it out of gas.

four stroke engines will tolerate being tipped on one side or the other,usually carb/intake side will flood cylinder with oil and will be nasty to start.
would have to experiment to see what side gives the least trouble or leaves the smallest mess.

hitch mounted bike carrier is all i have to say about that....

Thank You both for the input!
Hmmm, I have not even tried lifting the bike into the back of the truck since mounting the motor and boy do I feel the difference and I anticipate some awkwardness. It's the tilting of the bike to get the handlebars under the lowest point of the shell (the beginning) that makes it this way. Without the shell it'd be no problem.
I think I may be able to support the bike at about a 45 degree angle, so it wouldn't be totally "on it's side". Anyway I'm going to try this at least once because I'm planning on transporting it tomorrow. (25 min trip and the reason I don't just ride it there is because it's ultimately going to be my starting point and need to leave my truck there)

I actually sold a Bauer Swing Away Receiver Hitch Bike Rack that I had not used in 5 years just about a year ago. Ouch. But, hey, one of the reasons I let it go (it was top of the line at the time) was the awkwardness/heaviness of the darn thing when it came to storing it. Also, it cost a fortune so I held out against the lowballers on craigslist and finally got 175 of the 200 I was asking.
As I recall when I was checking out what was available to people shopping mine against others, I saw the non swing away ones were a lot less than the Bauer I originally had.
So, it may be time to pick up a new one, and make it a simpler, lighter, easier to store one! (For hopefully no more than about 175, hah)
I'm seriously going to be shopping for one, most likely an internet order.
If anybody would like to recommend any in particular, I'd like to hear what you have to say. I will say that I do need a very sturdy one cause my bike feels very heavy now... and capable of holding two bikes.

Thanks for the links 2door

I was able to put the bike in the truck and hold it at about a 40 degree angle.
I used the red tie down, attaching it to a couple brackets that hold the shell in place. I was worried about putting to much stress on those mounts though, so I looked for something to hold it up from the other side. I got lucky and found this old sponge mop that wedged in there nice and tight! The sponge and brush at the bottom worked perfect, protecting against scratching, fit's perfect between the seat post and friction mount area. It sat that way for a couple hours before I took it on a 25 minute trip across town. Unloaded it and it started right up on the second pull, no problem.