The motorcycle bay

Twice in the last week I've been asked how we carry our motorcycles/scooter along in the bus. And twice I've searched through our blog archives, our old photo website, and my computer for a picture of the motorcycle bay setup. I know there's a good picture somewhere of that bay, but beats the heck out of me where it is!

So, I just went outside and took some new pictures of the darn thing. Here's the bay with my Honda Metropolitan scooter and Sean's Suzuki SV650, all strapped down and ready for transport. You also get a glimpse of some of the other stuff stored in that bay. Like everyone's garage, it is full of miscellaneous junk: bicycle, firewood, spare parts, orange safety cones.





We chose a Neoplan Spaceliner specifically for these very large luggage bays so that we could convert one into a garage for the bikes. We then visited many motorcycle dealers with a measuring tape, looking for bikes that would fit inside with little to no modification. The unfaired Suzukis fit the bill perfectly. We only need to unscrew the mirrors for the bikes to roll right in.


I also have a Suzuki SV650, but it is being stored at my brother's house in Houston. This post explains why we left the bigger bike there. And this one explains how a scooter came to take its place.




The bay is symmetrical, with the same fold-down door/ramp on both sides of the bus. It is possible to remove both bikes through the same door, but easier if there is access from both sides and each bike can be backed out. If one needs to roll forward down the ramp, the Pingel wheel chocks are removable.