Buying a bike in Midlands need to get it to Dublin but...

egan007

I'm a bike newby and have found the bike I want.
It's in Meath and I'm in Dublin.

I'm not competent enough yet to have Meath to Dublin as my first Journey and as i'm determined to always put safety first with this it just think it has bad idea written all over it....Chances are it would be fine, but why take the risk right...

Suggestions on how to get it to Dublin?

stipey

Well you could push it (and develop muscles in places you didn' even know you had places)

You could pay a company to transport it for you. Bike recovery places would probably do it for you too.

You could have a friend (or a stranger you think looks trustworthy) drive it to Dublin for you.

Or you could go with a friend who has a van (or rent a van) run the bike up a plank of wood into the back of it. Put the bike on the sidestand, in first gear and tape the front brake lever to the handlebars then drive to Dublin.

egan007

I like the sound of the last suggestion

Thanks

stipey

If you go for the back of the van approach don't rely solely on the sidestand, first gear and taped break lever.

In theory that should be enough to keep it upright and it has never let me down before - but I have always coupled that with some cautious driving and kind of wedging the bike in place some other stuff around the bike holding it in place so if something does throw it off balance it won't fall over.

Also make sure you have lots of soft things right next to the bike (cushions, matresses, great big roles of bubble wrap whatever you can find).

egan007

Yeah, my mate has a van so ill ask him, I can stay in the back with the bike.
Good call....thanks!

The obvious answere is invariably correct

MrPudding

If the van has hooks use a ratchet strap like they do on the ferries.

MrP

Wossack

egan007 wrote:

Yeah, my mate has a van so ill ask him, I can stay in the back with the bike.
Good call....thanks!

The obvious answere is invariably correct

best part of that, is you can sit on the bike and make vroom vroom noises while your mate drives you home

egan007

Lol

Krusty_Clown

Strap it down, Strap it down, Strap it down, Strap it down....

Even when transported by competent guys like the motorcycle recovery crew, bikes have been known to suffer damage..
Get some pillows, and call into LIDL today and pick these up:

http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20070524.p.StrapSet

12 euro, versus potentially hundreds or thousands of euro of damage! Not sure how strong these are, but they'll be better than nothing..

blackbird98

As Krusty says, strap it down, use 4 straps, front left & right and rear l&r. use a cable tie for the brake lever and leave it in gear!

BTW, best of luck with your purchase!

Dorsanty

What bike you getting?

If you can't strap it down for whatever reason and you decide to stay in the back wear your protective trousers and boots that you have and sit on it in gear and brake strapped down. Will give you a better chance at stopping any balance problems before they get out of control. Also don't fill up or add any fuel to the tank before you travel.

Obviously go slow. No points for getting there early if you end up having to swerve or take a bend too fast.

Good luck

Edit: I'd like to point out that I don't advise you go in the back with it when traveling. In an accident you won't be able to do anything to stop it. And if you end up in the middle between the bike and side/floor of van....well you know.

blackbird98

Don't even think about staying in the back of the van with the bike.

do you seriousley think that you would be able to hold the bike in the event of an accident? Not a hope!!!

Not to mention the legal implications of travelling in the back of a van

Steffano2002

Well, I never rode a big bike before I bought my Bandit 600 down in Wexford. Was scared to death about having to ride it from Wexford to Dublin but a mate of mine came with me in a car and a boards.ie user from this very forum (I'm so ashamed I can't remember his name! ) also came with me on his bike!

My mate in the car was up front with <insert name here> behind me on the bike. Got to Dublin safely and really enjoyed the journey!

I'll go with you to Meath if you want to ride it back to Dublin!

galwaytt

Steffano2002 wrote:

I'll go with you to Meath if you want to ride it back to Dublin!

best idea of the lot

ScouseMouse

Get another biker to take you up to meath on the pillion and drive back with you. Your confidence will be fine after a mile or two. I'd do it. Anyone for a rideout to meath????

Steffano2002

I'm in (depending on when you're going of course)!

egan007

galwaytt wrote:

best idea of the lot

Yeah best idea of the lot ....agreed....

Weather pending I'm going down with my mate on the back of his bike and riding back up, hopefully the rain holds off cause it's gona be sweet.
Hopefully I get to report back

Cmar-Ireland

Bought my bike in tramore and brought it home (monasterevin) in a van. Put the bike on the centre stand and used four ratchet straps, 2x front & 2x rear.
Done the straps up good and tight, up to where thay were compression the suspension. The bike didn't move a bit during the journey.

Fnz

Hah?..... Hah???

karltimber

If you have to pick it up out of hours - I am in Navan and you can get it dropped here and pick up at yer leisure.

Just another option for ye with the late evenings.

k

egan007

Thanks for all the help and offers guys, appreciate them.
I was all set to pick it up this evening with my friend riding with me, but now that I see FNZ's idea I might just load it up onto the old caterpult.

Fnz

egan007 wrote:

Thanks for all the help and offers guys, appreciate them.
I was all set to pick it up this evening with my friend riding with me, but now that I see FNZ's idea I might just load it up onto the old caterpult.

No worries, I live to give... btw if you're having trouble getting your catapult to the midlands, simply ask a neighbour to let you use their catapult to launch your one in the general Midland direction.

Godspeed!

Dorsanty

Fnz wrote:

No worries, I live to give... btw if you're having trouble getting your catapult to the midlands, simply ask a neighbour to let you use their catapult to launch your one in the general Midland direction.

Godspeed!

Move with the times man. What you want is a Trebuchet,



Wexford to Belfast in 10 minutes with one of these babies.

egan007

WELL It's the next day and I own a bike

Thanks to my friend sami who is the best teacher in the world we made the kinnegad to swords trip very nicely indeed.

Kinnegad - Enfield - Kilcock - Leixlip - Strawberry Beds - Phoenix Park - Phibsborough - Finglas - Swords.

Great ride for my first, A day I will never forget, I just cant wait to get out of work to get riding!

galwaytt

egan007 - we still don't know what bike it is ! Pics ! Pics!

egan007

Oh she's a real beaut


I'll take some pictures over the weekend and reveal it's true identity

Fnz

Congrats on your new arrival, egan007.

Dorsanty wrote:

Move with the times man. What you want is a Trebuchet,

Wexford to Belfast in 10 minutes with one of these babies.

Don't talk crazy... those things are death-traps!

egan007

Well Here she is
A Dragstar 250.
very well kept by the previous owner.
Recommended to me as a great starter bike and I could not agree more.
I have not got off it since.

Wossack

what year? looks like it just rolled out of the shop! best of luck with it

egan007

Thanks
Believe it or not 01
Only 8500 Miles

Dorsanty

Now that is 'One careful owner'

Shiny :cool:

tk123

hey OP how much was the bike? So I have an idea of what I could get for mine

egan007

Was Advertised at 3300 The Gentleman Took 3100