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Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
18 March 2013, 14:23,
#21
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
Now this may be a subject I'be put a little thought into over the years.
I go to the Rat and Survival bike and trike rally every year. There are a lot of weird and wonderful machines that are cool as Fonzies fridge, but the real survival machines tend to be little simple MZs and the like.

Diesel bikes are cool... I go to the diesel bike rally now and again, but they are all quirky non standard machines. If you want to survive on one, it's best that you were the one who built it, and have a big stock pile of spares. You pretty much need to be a mechanic with facilities to produce bio diesel for this to be an option.

An off road or on road bike? this isn't so important as it is with cars. I have ridden plenty of road bikes off road, you will only need to do some green laning type riding, not motocross. A good set of road bias all terrain tyres would be a good bet. Size and weight are more important than suspension and comfort.
It's good to have a smaller lighter bike, they are easy to handle in all conditions, and to drag out of trouble. It does depend on how big you are. To me a 400cc is a tiny bike... a 125 would be great for some, but you would be limited on load.
I would recommend a bike between 300 and 600cc. Smaller does work for some people.

Simplicity is key. In most cases avoid water cooling, that is a whole other area to go wrong and makes the bike a lot harder to work on. Although a KLR600 or Armstrong 500 have done OK for the military.
A single cylinder engine is good for ease of repair and weight, but a twin will still carry you along with one cylinder not firing.
Obviously no fuel injection or fancy electro wank... I mean I refuse to have any of that on a bike I commute on, so no way do you want that after doomsday.

Range is not important. One Jerry can bungeed on add 500 miles to the range of a bike... it won't to a landrover.

If it is likely to be hostile out there. It is best to ride in groups. Wire across the road only gets the first in line (you should be armored enough to get up again) and then the others have your back. Bikes are indeed vulnerable on their own.

My Harley probably wouldn't be the best survival bike due mainly to size... I have taken it off road but it wheel spins like a bugger and is hard to lift. My 350 Enfield Bullet would be OK though, they do a trials version of it, it goes anywhere my old jeep would go, at 80mpg, 300 miles on one tank, easy to lift, kick start so works with diff battery etc.

So be it Kawasaiki, CZ, Husqvarna or whatever. The key really is reliability, ease of maintaining, availability of parts and the right size you.
Just avoid Italain... their bikes don't seem to be able to survive a ride to the shops on a damp day, let alone the Apocalypse!
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18 March 2013, 14:32,
#22
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
I'm looking at the Rokon Trailbraker at the moment.

SUPERWIDE tyres!!!

Good distance for fuel.

Strong enough to get shot at....

http://www.rokon.com/2_2_Rokon-Trail-Breaker.html

Views and opinions please.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
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18 March 2013, 14:36, (This post was last modified: 18 March 2013, 14:37 by bigpaul.)
#23
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
thats a very good summary Tonka, i think it says it all, especially having the back up spares, if its ONLY as a bug out bike you can forget about the lights, in fact you can remove all the lights and indicators entirely-less weight that way, you could EVEN remove the battery too-its only needed for the lights and horn and stuff--that would give you the battery box to store things in.....i did this with a Suzuki TS 185cc Trials , i built 1 bike out of 2 non runners, and it worked fine.

(18 March 2013, 14:32)Scythe13 Wrote: I'm looking at the Rokon Trailbraker at the moment.

SUPERWIDE tyres!!!

Good distance for fuel.

Strong enough to get shot at....

http://www.rokon.com/2_2_Rokon-Trail-Breaker.html

Views and opinions please.

you'd have to check, may only be Available in the US.
Some people that prefer to be alone arent anti-social they just have no time for drama, stupidity and false people.
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18 March 2013, 14:40,
#24
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
(18 March 2013, 09:50)bigpaul Wrote: most motorbikes have a 3 gallon tank so you are limited to how far you can get on that..probably about 150 miles max, the bigger the engine the more fuel it uses, the faster you go the more it uses, if i was looking for a bug out motorcycle i'd go for 200cc or less, if your bugging out you probably wont be going the speeds you think you will.

sub 250cc your looking at 1-2 gallon, motorbike range is usually 100-150 miles regardless of CC.
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18 March 2013, 14:47,
#25
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
(18 March 2013, 14:40)Binnie Wrote:
(18 March 2013, 09:50)bigpaul Wrote: most motorbikes have a 3 gallon tank so you are limited to how far you can get on that..probably about 150 miles max, the bigger the engine the more fuel it uses, the faster you go the more it uses, if i was looking for a bug out motorcycle i'd go for 200cc or less, if your bugging out you probably wont be going the speeds you think you will.

sub 250cc your looking at 1-2 gallon, motorbike range is usually 100-150 miles regardless of CC.

most bikes i have had came with a 3 gallon tank,my Honda Nighthawk has only a 3 gallon tank, my TS 185 had a 3 gallon tank, maybe more newer bikes are different but then i've never had enough money to buy NEW!Big Grin
Some people that prefer to be alone arent anti-social they just have no time for drama, stupidity and false people.
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18 March 2013, 14:51, (This post was last modified: 18 March 2013, 14:53 by Binnie.)
#26
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
(18 March 2013, 14:47)bigpaul Wrote:
(18 March 2013, 14:40)Binnie Wrote:
(18 March 2013, 09:50)bigpaul Wrote: most motorbikes have a 3 gallon tank so you are limited to how far you can get on that..probably about 150 miles max, the bigger the engine the more fuel it uses, the faster you go the more it uses, if i was looking for a bug out motorcycle i'd go for 200cc or less, if your bugging out you probably wont be going the speeds you think you will.

sub 250cc your looking at 1-2 gallon, motorbike range is usually 100-150 miles regardless of CC.

most bikes i have had came with a 3 gallon tank,my Honda Nighthawk has only a 3 gallon tank, my TS 185 had a 3 gallon tank, maybe more newer bikes are different but then i've never had enough money to buy NEW!Big Grin

I've owned a few bikes, my 600 bandit would do 130ish miles to a tank, my 900 divvy would do 140ish miles to a tank (though i think it was quite a bit larger than the bandit)

My brothers 125 only took £5 of fuel at todays prices, and could do circa 110 miles to a tank.

i had to goodle honda nighthawk lol.

i had a superdream CB125, again, only around 100miles per tank
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18 March 2013, 15:17,
#27
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
yeah, the Nighthawk is an import not many around, and none like mine..its a lowrider chop.
Some people that prefer to be alone arent anti-social they just have no time for drama, stupidity and false people.
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18 March 2013, 15:25,
#28
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
(18 March 2013, 14:32)Scythe13 Wrote: I'm looking at the Rokon Trailbraker at the moment.

SUPERWIDE tyres!!!

Good distance for fuel.

Strong enough to get shot at....

http://www.rokon.com/2_2_Rokon-Trail-Breaker.html

Views and opinions please.

I looked at these before. Like the fact that you can store fuel or water in the wheels, but getting one over here is like trying to find rocking-horse shit.

Very, very cool though, and perfect for the prepper.

If you're not going to be usign it on the road pre-SHTF you could make your own...
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18 March 2013, 15:27,
#29
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
yep, get yourself an old bike and build a rat...you can then incorporate all the bits and bobs for attaching packs and stuff to.
Some people that prefer to be alone arent anti-social they just have no time for drama, stupidity and false people.
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18 March 2013, 16:14,
#30
RE: Motorbike as a BOV, help please.
(18 March 2013, 15:25)BeardyMan Wrote:
(18 March 2013, 14:32)Scythe13 Wrote: I'm looking at the Rokon Trailbraker at the moment.

SUPERWIDE tyres!!!

Good distance for fuel.

Strong enough to get shot at....

http://www.rokon.com/2_2_Rokon-Trail-Breaker.html

Views and opinions please.

I looked at these before. Like the fact that you can store fuel or water in the wheels, but getting one over here is like trying to find rocking-horse shit.

Very, very cool though, and perfect for the prepper.

If you're not going to be usign it on the road pre-SHTF you could make your own...

I remember something about FedEx doing international vehicle delivery very cheaply. It's a 2 year plan thing, but it's definitely worth looking into.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
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