Motorcycles...
- Thread starter JMSZ
- Start date
Sawfish
Very Active Member
Problem is motorized vehicles are not permitted in wilderness areas. If you can take your motorcycle, you will probably have to deal with an assortment of OHV riders. I will stick with my Jeep for those areas.
![7[1].jpg](/data/attachments/4/4122-c079a5ae27c0fdcd180d638390e6c701.jpg)
A jeep would only get me access to a few more roads than what I can already get on with my truck, so not a big advantage vs the cost.
Horses would be the ideal option since they can get into the wilderness areas, and I would love to get a horse anyways, but a bike has the significant advantage of not requiring daily feed and care all year.
Quads would make a better platform, but they aren't allowed on the bike trails and they're too wide to make it through most of them.
tim
Veteran member
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
tdub24
Veteran member
Mostly likely you would pack it out in pieces, making multiple trips using your pack frame and what not, in my opinion.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Something like these:
http://www.google.com/imgres?biw=1103&bih=1216&tbm=isch&tbnid=Z0W9X5CdafMidM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/322925-gun-rack/&docid=zAMB_kPAGa6WkM&imgurl=http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/5948/trickdrz1mp7.jpg&w=620&h=393&ei=zYtxUt72BOLcyQGBzYGgAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=615&vpy=141&dur=3369&hovh=179&hovw=282&tx=90&ty=65&page=1&tbnh=131&tbnw=226&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:91
http://www.google.com/imgres?start=406&biw=1103&bih=1216&tbm=isch&tbnid=oG_BUn7nGIAGWM:&imgrefurl=http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/7932-pics-of-expedition-bikes/page8&docid=dXdwMGlzZYwIuM&imgurl=http://hayduke.smugmug.com/photos/178839178_rbqA4-M.jpg&w=600&h=450&ei=mYpxUqvJAsP0yQH4mYDoAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=286&vpy=306&dur=3713&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=78&ty=113&page=9&tbnh=137&tbnw=216&ndsp=53&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:400,i:46
A rack on the back end and sides, and quarter the deer. I figure I wouldn't be able to carry much more than 100lbs in addition to me (and that would might be pushing it), so I'd have to make multiple trips.
But, if it's feasible, it would be better than humping it.
I just don't have any personal experience and don't know of anybody with experience doing this.
If you could fit a side car, you could do this:
http://www.google.com/imgres?biw=1103&bih=1216&tbm=isch&tbnid=hUA9WYkGasZa2M:&imgrefurl=http://blog.motorcycle.com/2008/11/05/lifestyle/finally-a-gun-rack-for-your-motorcycle/&docid=ojnuNON_-qVU1M&imgurl=http://blog.motorcycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/cow-sidecar-300x283.jpg&w=300&h=283&ei=zYtxUt72BOLcyQGBzYGgAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&dur=265&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=164&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:0,i:133&tx=108&ty=89&vpx=2&vpy=576&hovh=218&hovw=231
Last edited:
xtreme
Very Active Member
I have considered building one. Blueprints are done and the factory in Taiwan is very much aware, however I am doubting the sale ability . Mine plans call for a two wheel drive fat tired rig. I floated this concept on the forum a Long time ago. I have used motorcycle for hunting in Ne. Co, and Ar. They have a stigma to overcome. I have been a rokon dealer and currently have a Honda Fatcat. I think an auto clutch low seat hight with short but good suspension is a must, of course factory rack etc would be a must.
What say you?
What say you?
Eberle
Veteran member
I'll stick with my mules. The ones that require feed! I'm already feeding cattle & my wife & kids horses. So a few more mules are no big deal.
If you know how to ride a cycle and can handle rocky trails I think it would work great, I've considered it myself. But, if you don't have experience on a cycle then I wouldn't suggest it, because if you lay the bike over you could trash a lot of gear in a hurry, especially with your rifle strapped to the side like that photo shows. Not sure of your experience level on a motorcycle but I don't think mountain trails are a good place to learn with all your hunting gear strapped to the side. Could get expensive/dangerous in a hurry.
I've seen the Rokons, those are pretty cool, but not what I want. They're more than I want to spend, too complicated (more to break), too low and I don't think it has enough motor. I'm looking at something like a Honda XR650.
I don't ride now, but I live in a rural area an hours drive from where I hunt, so I can ride it on most of the roads around my house and get up in the mountains easily.
That said, how well a bike can handle with a heavy load like that at relatively low speeds is what has me concerned about how feasible it is.
Do you think a 450 would have enough power to handle the load at elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet without having to adjust the carb?
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I know moyorcyles have been and are very popular for off road use. I've watched the Baja 1000 and know their capabilities. I don't own one, never have. That said, I'll spew a little of my own concerns about them.
Around here everyone complains how the 4 wheelers tear up and damage the enviornment. 2 wheelers do the same and maybe even worse. The Forest Service allows 2 wheelers (motorcycle and bicycles) on the hiking trails around here. I hike a lot during the summer to keep in shape. I've seen the damage both do to the trails. Lots of the motorcycles are not street legal and some don't have mufflers enough to make them less noisy...they are loud. Just the opposite with Mt bikes. I've almost got run over by them because you can't hear them. They come down hill really fast and are on you before you know they are there. thr trails really get chewed up from their knobby tires.
IMHO if 4 wheelers don't belong off road, neither does the 2 wheelers. I know this will really tick off some of you, but this is how I feel. I have my body armor on!
Around here everyone complains how the 4 wheelers tear up and damage the enviornment. 2 wheelers do the same and maybe even worse. The Forest Service allows 2 wheelers (motorcycle and bicycles) on the hiking trails around here. I hike a lot during the summer to keep in shape. I've seen the damage both do to the trails. Lots of the motorcycles are not street legal and some don't have mufflers enough to make them less noisy...they are loud. Just the opposite with Mt bikes. I've almost got run over by them because you can't hear them. They come down hill really fast and are on you before you know they are there. thr trails really get chewed up from their knobby tires.
IMHO if 4 wheelers don't belong off road, neither does the 2 wheelers. I know this will really tick off some of you, but this is how I feel. I have my body armor on!
CC, I understand your concern and in a lot of ways, agree with you. That said, I think that, like a lot of things, the bikes aren't the problem, it's the owners/riders.
While doing some research, I came across a motorcycle forum where some of the members expressed some of the same concerns as you and actually want to get their bikes as quiet as possible and have a real distaste for the riders who go tear up the trails and give them all a bad name.
As far as the issue of quiet bikes sneaking up on you, it's up to the rider to make sure that they don't make themselves a hazard to hikers.
But, there are the same kinds of issues with inconsiderate or downright irresponsible hunters. I've talked to several people around here who would like to go hunting, but refuse to go around here because of bad experiences with other hunters, either tearing the place up, leaving huge messes behind and/or threatening the safety of everybody around them.
Personally, I'm only considering the bike because I don't know if it's my age, the weight I'm carrying, the altitude or a combination of the three, but hauling a pack out in the mountains here is kicking my butt. As a result, I can't get very far in and when I get back, I hurt for weeks. I have never been in so much pain as I was a few nights this past month, there were a couple of nights that I couldn't get to sleep without some Advil because I hurt so bad.
As I mentioned, I would love to get a horse(s) (or mules), but I don't have the time and money to properly care for a horse, and a quad or a jeep wouldn't get me any farther than I can get now, so none of those are viable options.
I have ridden and raced off road motorcycles for years and use mine hunting as well. Most full sized bikes have plenty of power for hauling out a quartered animal on a pack frame. Just go slow when hauling a load and it will work great. The biggest draw back is when it muddy or snowy that can make things difficult. In most cases I can take a bike places a atv cant even dream of going.
tim
Veteran member
xtreme
Very Active Member
I have known some Jones that could ride a dirt bike. I can't use the xr 650 for hunting and I did race the Baja 1000 on an xr 600. Retrieving gam requires a different setup. KTM will soon have the quiets bikes out there. I ride the 250 2 stroke which is very quiet and has enough power and grunt to retrieve quarter game. Four strokes are the loudest but a quiet bike can be just as good for racing and off-road trails.