[rickbert]

I've decided to go pick up my girl this weekend on the bike instead of driving my Suburban. I calculate the gas savings will be $50 picking her up tomorrow (Friday) and bringing her back on Sunday....yes FIFTY dollars. It's 75 miles one way so 150 miles round trip with a total of 300 miles between Fri and the Sun.



Anyway I have a dilemma.....I don't like riding without using my back rest....it's not so bad when the wife is behind me because I can lean back on her but when it's my 12 yr old girl there's nothing to lean back on....she is SO SKINNY !



So how can I solve this dilemma while still having something behind her to lean back on as well as me as well as something to carry her stuff in that she'll bring with her (clothes etc.)



Well here's my answer. Those are NICE 3 inch thick memory foam seat pads....I used to use one as my seat pad on the bike but have since got a more normal one as you see. I have no doubt she will be comfy with one under her butt and one to lean back on ! I have a bungee net to put over the top of the milk crate to hold her stuff from flying away.



My only minor concern is I hope the little curl back at the top of the sissy bar doesn't smack her in the face shield but I don't think so. If I get to her house and it doesn't fit her right I can always take the back cushion off and slide the sissy bar back and just suffer myself with nothing to lean back on.



But it's worth a try eh ?? Brilliance OR White Trash ??

 

[DakotaMK]

worth a try- if it works it works.... if not- eh, whatev.

 

[TonyR]

If her mom is like my sons mom you will suffer miserably for suggesting a long ride on the back of a bike with HER child.

Quick around town is fine but not long or highway rides...

Consult the oracle before suffering the consequence of your actions.



I have though similar stuff with my son. He is 52 miles each way and my Nissan Frontier gets less than 20 mpg.

 

[rickbert]

Good point but I could care less what her mom says......



What can she do ? It's NOT illegal. And I can always hang up the phone if she calls bitching. But I don't actually think she has a problem with it....I told my daughter about this Tuesday and haven't gotten any bitching phone calls yet.

 

[rickbert]

Another concern I have is that my daughter's legs will have to go OVER the sissy bar rods on each side of the bike since I have it slid up to the driver position.....but there's someone else here on Chopper Charles who had his sissy bar like that and his wife has to put her legs over them as well and he said it doesn't bother her....so we'll see.

 

[Shep]

It's just an effing,"Rat Bike" anyway<BFG>

Heh Heh Heh

PS

Nothing wrong wit,"White Trash" and it works done it

 

[Blindstitch]

Memory foam on a milk crate. Now I've seen everything. I wouldn't worry about the harley guys. What's the milkman going to say.

 

[rickbert]

As you can see in little spots that milk crate was once RED.....lmao



Was a crappy paint job by me for sure....the black is coming off in places

I have some black milk crates but they have solid bottoms, where as this one is grated on the bottom so I can put the tie wraps thru it.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

One concern is her leaning on the crate. Did you bungie to the rack, like I do. With it serving as a backrest, I'd secure it with some u-bolts.



I'd also be concerned about your sissybar in front of her if she's wearing an open-face helmet. Full-face, I wouldn't worry.





R



EDIT: Just saw you're using tie wraps. I suggest something a little more substantial.

 

[Jay Little buffalo]

Blindstitch makes me laugh, Rickbert i am diggin the sissy bar up against ur back i like that you must explain how ya did that that would support my back awesome rest of it looks good i would use some bolts to hold that crate on though and sit back there and bounce around a bit before going, dont want her falling off the back. besides that sweet, sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do

 

[rickbert]

Randall,



Full face helmet for her of course !



I do have a metal strip (I don't know what to call it), it's about 6 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide with holes in it that I could use to help secure the crate to the luggage rack with it and some bolts.

 

[Jay Little buffalo]

Ah sounds like ur refering to whats called strapping that will do it i used that on my endoro with one of those black plastic storage boxes attached to the back and pounding through the woods of florida never budged.

 

[graywolfs02]

Rickbert,



Go to your local hardware or big box home improvement store and get a length of pipe insulation....most likely for 1/2" pipe (look in the plumbing section).



The insulation is split in half length-wise and you can cut a section to fit over the bar on the backrest that would be in front of your daughter.



It'll help cushion any "bumping" and help to protect the finish on her helmet.



Greg







EDIT....also remember to make provisions to the rear foot pegs in case her feet don't quite reach.

 

[Cobram]

As to the original question, I would say yes, Brilliant White Trash.

I should have saved it, can't find it now, but there was a great pic on the net of a full size Labrador sitting in a milk crate on the back of a bike.

 

[marshallf3]

I wouldn't trust plain bungee cords either, I've had both low and high $ ones come apart.



Thick industrial tie wraps are usually pretty good but metal U-bolts sound even better.

 

[81custom]

Is your girl big enough to reach the footpegs with that seat installed?



I'd take your backrest off - not too much of a problem it's only a short trip, then your daughter will be comfortable, and a bit safer than having a metal bar in her face so to speak. Hanging on to you would be the best practice.



How does the foam booster seat attach? - or does it just sit there or velcroed to the milk crate ?



Safe trip too.

 

[phantomcxmenance]

cobram,



that picture reminds me of thailand were we saw a whole family on a 100 step through with one baby in the front parcel tray and another in the back milk crate come basket,with mum/dad /brothers /sisters interwoven just like this.

 

[WayneDW]

just my opinion, (but that's what you asked for) to me that bar in her face doesn't look very safe for your daughter.

 

[bearman1]

I'm thinking a metal milk crate would be best, because although the bottoms of those plastic milk crates are fairly firm and even a full-figured guy like me has no qualms about standing on one turned upside down, the side pressure from her leaning against it would give me cause for concern. But, then again, she's 12, and skinny to boot? How much back pressure could she put on it anyhow? Might wanna do a "shake-down" with the wifey on back and see what she says.



Those pipe insulators sound like a good idea also. Might want to get enough to put on the side bars of the slider for her legs.

 

[DakotaMK]

Now that I can see the pics- the first 20 miles might be OK- the rest look like it would be an uncomfortable ride for her!