Motorbike to get around at Events?

[TallyhoFarms]

I posted this in "Around the Farm" but am not getting the response I was hoping for. Hope it's ok to post here, I know my fellow eventers will have the input I'm looking for :)

I'm curious about buying a motorbike for getting around at the horse shows. Any input on bikes? I've been against getting one for years (walking is so much better for you) but too many students means not having enough time to run from one arena to the next.

Lots of folks use them out here in Ca at the events. Pros/cons, things to look for/stay away from? When taking them to events how do you transport them?

Thanks!

[deltawave]

There have been a couple of threads on this. But how about a bicycle?

If you can, go SMALL. For scurrying around from one end of a show grounds to the other, you don't need a 200cc motorcycle. :) Even a 50cc scooter is going to be MUCH faster than you need or can ride safely over bumpy, rutted, muddy ground. Not saying you can't, but you probably don't need to, go 35mph. :) There are little electric ones that look cool--perhaps someone will post links--and those are quieter, probably more earth-friendly, and almost certainly lighter.

If you must go gas, try to find a four-stroke and not a two-stroke engine--quieter, less pollution, and less temperamental about starting in bad weather. :yes:

And wear your helmet!!! I ditched my 50cc scooter a couple of times and it's pretty scary how quickly that can happen. :eek:

[yellowbritches]

Get yourself a nice mountain bike. Cheaper, lighter, doesn't require stinky fuel, much quieter, and you still burn calories. My horse ponies off of my mountain bike. :lol: I am fairly certain, while he's used to them at events and sees the noisy ATV and Mule around the farm, he'd no sooner pony from a dirt bike than from a tank!

Yes, they are very popular, but I know on this side of the country, a lot of venues don't like them. And a leg powered bike is still often much faster than a dinky dirtbike or a golf cart.

[Blugal]

Having dealt with a scooter that sometimes started, sometimes didn't, and was a royal pain in the ankle to walk back to the horse trailer when it didn't ;) I also vote for mountain bike. Loading the mountain bike in the trailer is 100 times easier, and do-able by one person. And you can go on the XC with a bike, but usually not with a motorized vehicle.

[Atigirl]

If you have the $$$ a Segway is awesome. I love mine. It is battery operated, no messy oil or gas to deal with, they are quiet and it goes great around the x-c course. I can even lead my horse while I'm on it.

[nextyear]

pedal bikes are great for going green but as this is not the question you asked....................
A honda 70R it is small enough to put in the dressing room of the trailer but enough room on the seat and motor power for 2 adults to ride around a hilly X/C course, or a number of years ago it did the roads and tracks with 2 adults on it at Bromont (would have been hours to walk it or even hack around it) a student has a bike about the same size but different brand ( I think suzuki) it has great power but the seat is very uncomfortable for 2 people. The motor bikes of this size use VERY little gas and are very quiet.

[kml84]

I have a Honda 70 that I bring to events where I know it will be very hilly/long distances to hike around, (and if hubby will be there as it gives him something to play with!). I bring my bike most of the time though...usually because it's easier for me to throw around and lots of events just get too crowded for me to feel comfortable using the mini bike.

[Gnep]

those suckers are noisy. I use a electro roller, gets 15 miles per charge top speed 30 miles, folds to gether, no noise, mine is a Swin, $280

[Gryhrs]

I know this is not the answer you are looking for........but I second the bike. I use a little bitty bike with little wheels. The seat and handle bars can be adjusted so no problem for me at 5'10" to ride. Warning...you must have decent self esteem to suffer the "wicked witch....circus clown"...jokes! The brand is Giatex and it fits easily into the little tack room in the trailer. To make it even nerdier - I have a little basket on front!

[JER]

Also voting for the mountain bike. Those motorized things are noisy, annoying and can't get as good access as you can on a bike.

If portability is an issue, get a BMX.

[TallyhoFarms]

Thanks for all the suggestions. While I appreciate all the feedback, I'm not looking for a pedal bike so would appreciate hearing more about the motorized ones! It's been WAY too long since I rode a pedal bike I think it'd take me twice as long to get around than if I walked :)

[Gnep]

http://www.scooterwiki.com/directory/electric_scooters/schwinn_electric_scooters/schwinn_s-1000/

look at this one, it realy workd nicely.

[HER]

I have a 50cc yamaha and I love it. Definitely keeps the husband occupied and he will run errands and ferry me around the show on it. It could easily fit in my tack room but we usually put it in the back of the truck. If I'm alone I can usually find a hill to back up to or find men to help me get it out or in. It's only really useful at some shows- we really like it at the KHP because dressage is so far away. Some places it's easier to walk. We don't usually take it on xc because we don't want to tear it up. I did hear though that they are no longer making 50cc bikes so you may have to find used. Hope this helps!
-Helen

[mmyers]

I love my Yamaha Zuma! It has wider tires and can go just about anywhere that it's allowed--even water jumps don't faze it! It seats two riders comfortably and has storage space in the seat. When we've schooled cross country I carry the water and gatorade for the riders. It's also invaluable if your rider forgets her medical armband! It fits in the first stall of the trailer or in the back of the truck if you don't have a gooseneck and my daughter and I can load it ourselves. And, my dog loves to ride it with me!

[Liebe-ist-Krieg]

Gnep- we had 2 of those scooters, they worked great in the beginning, but in the end we alll ended up using my friends yamaha. those were much quieter and lighter though. and we did abuse them-3 people + 2 saddles/ 1 scooter. :D

[seajay]

Another vote for the Honda CRF 70. Love it. My trainer and I both have them and they are invaluable for shows where multiple horses are running and you are rushing from warmup to warmup. They are reliable and quiet and I can lift it in and out of the dressing room myself without any major effort. I just got a tie down strap and hook it to the spare mounted to the wall. You can comfortably fit two people on it and it is also excellent for x-c schools when you are the ground person and might need to run back to the trailers for something or in the case of an emergency to get help. Bikes are great too, but the mini bikes are a lot of fun and very useful.

[Gnep]

Love is War, I haul 100 pounds hay bales on mine and wood shavings and so on, realy nice, especialy considering the price.

[EventMore]

I have a 90 cc Yamaha. It's bigger than I need for events but my husband is too big to ride a smaller one. It's work for me to get in and out of the dressing room alone but is by no means impossible. It's great for walking courses - big enough to handle terrain easily. It's also great with 2 people on it.

What you might look for is what the bike dealers call "schoolboy" sized tires - a lot of the small bikes have kiddy tires that make the bikes hard for normal sized people to ride and hard to ride over bumby ground. I'd get a 70 cc bike with the larger schoolboy tires if I was getting one for myself.

[basil's mom]

I have a 49cc Yamaha Vino. It is a little temperamental in sand, but great on grass. It loads well into a horse stall of my trailer or the tack room if my trailer is full. totally unrelated but, I have also found it to be a man magnet. I can't go anywhere w/o a guy asking me about it. It is also street legal.

[roki143]

The SO got me one of the little, chain-driven mini-Harley's a couple of years ago for Christmas... it can be a bit noisy, but it's funand gets all sorts of laughs (comic relief, if you will). LOVE IT!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=37917012&l=f91dc3397e&id=20707034

Believe it or not, I'm over 6' and so is my SO, and we can both (kind of) fit on it to run around.

[beeblebrox]

Have a 70 and I can pop it in tack room of my trailer myself.. Turn fuel switch off though

I think there is a issue in some western states because of lead in some body part of the bikes and was told you can not buy or repair them at the moment as THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN hence them cracking down on the lead issue.

BUY one new, my first was used and problems aplenty.

Some people drive them like jack ass's which can make people cringe at the thought of seeing anymore but I use mine for getting to ring for students and back to barn to ride. While students have ridden it for those same issues it is not used for amusement purposes so when you ask about pro's and cons make sure to set the rules for use of your bike.

I used a bike for a long time and then as biz grew my ability to ride and teach and run all over god country was just made a wee bit more simple by the motor bike.

[Denise23]

For the most part the majority of motorcycles available today are pretty good at doing more than one duty. However, some bikes are definitely more capable doing certain things than other bikes are. For example, I would consider getting a sportbike if I would be using it for a daily commuter, riding twisty roads, or short trips to the country. I wouldn't necessarily pick a sportbike as my first choice, if I was planning to ride across Canada however. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that someone couldn't ride a sportbike across the country. It is just that there are other types of motorcycles (http://chopperfanatic.com/) (full touring or sport touring) that might better be suited for such a trip.

[eventrider]

I have a Kawasaki 110 that I bought barely used and I LOVE it. Can't say enough good things and I am sure glad I bought it. It fits in the trailer perfectly, and my Jack Russell loves to ride it too!

Christan

[Long Shadow Farm]

I have one of the mini-harley looking chain driven ones and loff it. I use it all the time around the farm and it's worth it's weight in gold at the shows. Two people can fit on it (if you really like each other....) and I can get it into my mid tack by myself. Where I really love it is when I am at the H/J shows or QH shows at the OKC fairgrounds......parking is way out in BFE and by the end of the weekend I would have killer shin splints and aching feet from running back and forth from trailer to stalls to show pen..again and again. With the mini-hog, I just zip around no problem. I got mine at Tractor Supply for like $450.00 new....


Bobbi

[Meredith Clark]

A lot of events in this area don't allow mini bikes or golf carts, especially ones in public parks. Make sure you check that you'll be able to use it at your events before you spend the money!

I was looking at the little ones at tractor supply today and they are so cute but I wouldn't be able to take it to most shows nor do I ride multiple horses or have students to justify it.

[suze]

After going through 2 electric scooters in two years, one of my daughters bought me a Honda Ruckus scooter. Fits in the dressing room, automatic transmission. Pedal bikes are out as I'm handicapped and a golf cart won't fit in the dressing room. I use it on a daily basis here at home & it handles all kinds of terrain. Love it, love it, love it!