How do you carry your electric bikes? (1 Viewer)

[Puddleduck]

We remove everything easily removed from our ebikes (batteries, panniers), fold them, put them in their bags and put them in the garage, one each side. The lockers above the bed are used for helmets, gloves and jackets in one and panniers in another. The Grandson's toys go in the third . The batteries travel in a box under the table.

 

[jockaneezer]

If it's a decent bike? It will have a Lithium Battery and they weigh next nothing,the nonsense of taking them on and off the bike is not normal as they are designed to stay on the bike and be charged on the bike.

I like to think our Kalkhoff Aguttis are decent bikes and they're fitted with lithium batteries which weigh 3 kgs each, I always take them off before I put the bikes on the rack and we charge the batteries as we drive via the inverter.

 

[Eyeinthesky]

We have two Leccy bikes on a Fiamma 60k rack. Bikes weigh 47kg together inc batteries. Fitted to our Bailey on the supplied mounts.

No trouble SO FAR

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[BobtheBass]

After a lot of jiggling bikes about (they will both just shoehorn into the under bed locker), speaking to people at out local Bailey dealership and, most of all reading Funster's replies we have decided to keep the smaller of the bikes in the locker and put the bigger on on a Fiamma rack. The dealer assures us that this will cause no problems at all and is far and away the cheapest option. We had been reluctantly looking at a replacement van, but there is so little out there that comes even remotely close to the Bailey for value and size. We did go to our local Marquis "after show event" today to look at the Benimars they had said they would be displaying, but there were none to be seen. One of the salesman said they had sold so well at the show that their orders were already up to June delivery and their demonstrators were based at only 4 of their branches (all a long way away). Strange way of doing business? Get a great product then hide it away so no one can see it. They did say that if I paid them £250 they would get one to Tewkesbury for me to see, but even though this was refundable I wasn't tempted. They had lots of British models to view and not a garage to be seen.

 

[Forestboy]

Sensible option I think.
We are considering changing our large motorbike (650cc) for a much smaller (250cc) scooter as since getting the leccy bikes we hardly use the m/bike.
If we do we'll have room in the garage for 1 bike and a scooter then the other can go on the rack with no need for support or worry about the rear wall.
Its ok to say my rack is rated at 60kg but the rear wall isn't and good luck trying to claim off the manufacturer after the damage is done.

 

[olewilliam]

We have two Batribikes, without batteries weigh 25kg x2. In our caravan we could juggle them onto our towbar bike rack, placed between the beds making them secure. A fiddle but it worked. The Thule towbar bike rack was rated at 55kg so just on the safe side. This was bought for use on our car. Buying a motorh0me with a towbar was a bonus as we just plonked them on there. The weighbridge was interesting!!!! Eventually we got down to the legal limit.
I'd be very careful about mounting them on the back of the van. Thule also do a towbar rack specifically for electric bikes. The quality is excellent. They also make a very expensive bit of metal that allows you to push the bike up it onto the rack without any lifting. Thanks but that's going a bit too far and anyone who has a lifting problem could make up a bit of ply to do the job.

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[Jaws]

We carry the batteries in the van and the bikes on the back.
They were on a Fiamma on the back of the miller for about 5 years, but due to window and spare wheel placement on the Autotrail we have now gone to a Thule towball mounted bike rack we bought from Mr Duxdeluxe

 

[T & J]

We have exact same mobile home. Bikes on bike racks no problem. We reduce weight by putting batteries inside vehicle. Seemingly all well, certainly no problems yet!

 

[Baggers53]

Hi, we have a Bessacarr e425 and fitted a Fiamma 2 cycle rack.
We have exactly the same e.bikes as you.
At the end of Aug and into Sept we did 4 weeks touring around France, covering
around 2000 miles.
Bikes went onto the cycle rack without the batteries....these went into the MH
to even out the weight.
We had no problems at all, except receiving all the advice ( most of it very good )
about where we should tour....here is great...there is great...
We cycled, walked, drove and saw some amazing places...ate great food...drank great wine.
Go, go, go.....and enjoy!!!!!
Mike and Les

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[Bailey58]

Well I was working on a couple of things yesterday, re-engineering a wheelbarrow (don't ask) and working out how to run the extractor ducting from the new hob position after our kitchen job in March, we've been recycling until now (there's an obscure pun there somewhere). That all got shelved after opening an email from Al-Ko mentioned earlier.

The gist of it was:

"Supply and fit the Velo III Carrier System for carrying 2 bicycles including 13-pin electric cable."

Wait for it . . . £1475.00, but I was relieved to note that it did include fitting and VAT.

Given I haven't a towbar that would include some sort of extension from the chassis but it didn't actually give me a towbar should I ever want to use it. I asked the question whether it was feasible to include a towing option but as yet I've had no reply. This was to be fitted at their place in the Midlands.

So spent the rest of the afternoon looking at other options and amongst other things filled in an enquiry form or two for Watling Engineers which involved all sorts of measurements under the van again. Got a phone call this morning and after discussing the options decided on a towbar plus a bike rack mounted not on the ball but on an extension plate mounted either side. Ok it's not your back street garage price at £990 but it will give me a type approved should I want to tow and a well engineered rack mounted low down which is what I wanted. Slight hiccup is they want me there Monday morning at 7.30 I managed to make it 8.00 but as we're in Gt Yarmouth for the weekend it means an early start and I plan to make some noise when we leave about 5, if I'm up etc.

At least I'll know where I am regarding weights after the job's done and can then decide where we go regarding uprating.

 

[Dogsense]

Hi Littlewheels. Sorry for the novice questions.
We are planing to get two Ebikes before going on Europien advanture next year. Our van got a towbar fitted.
alfred-weih.de - will they have one to feet AutoTrail? Dose it sit on the towbar? How easy it to fit on and take off?
Advise will be appreciated.

 

[Wombles]

We did go to our local Marquis "after show event" today to look at the Benimars they had said they would be displaying, but there were none to be seen. One of the salesman said they had sold so well at the show that their orders were already up to June delivery and their demonstrators were based at only 4 of their branches (all a long way away). Strange way of doing business? Get a great product then hide it away so no one can see it. They did say that if I paid them £250 they would get one to Tewkesbury for me to see, but even though this was refundable I wasn't tempted. They had lots of British models to view and not a garage to be seen.

Saw the Benimars at the NEC show & very interesting features & useable layouts as like last years Chausson range but with UK spec on interior. Don't know how their overall spec & build quality compares with Bailey though. They were selling like hotcakes at the show so must be doing something right

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[Bailey58]

Bailey build quality? Hmm. Quality of the catches and locks leave a bit to be desired. I've had replacements for a couple of interior lockers and now the barrel of the battery locker pulls out with the key, wondered what that grey bit of loose plastic was. But we're happy with the rest of the van.

 

[Steve]

I always take the battery of the bike both for security and weight. Even if bike in trailer. The lipo batteries are best stored somewhere save and dry

 

[Bailey58]

Well we're back from Watlings with our towbar/bike rack and I'm very pleased with the work and the finished article. All done in a couple of hours and I checked for any slip ups (or is it slips up?) after Robert Clark's comments on the Broken Link Removed but pleased to say could find no fault. Spent an hour this afternoon loading the bikes and adjusting the rails and uprights and it's all looking good. Down to the weighbridge soon for weights and see what difference the additional load makes.

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[Littlewheels]

Hi again,

The attached is my option,not inexpensive €1450.00 but great piece of kit as it moves through both garage doors and it offers lots if storage plus the bikes,easy to load as you don't need to climb in the garage