Skydive206, one of my customers just flew his airplane to an avionics shop and rode home on the motorcycle. It sounds like a motorcycle is a good fit for your needs. I’m not sure why the Ninja 250 is so heavy. I hear that they ride very well but they seem to be around 100 pounds more than some bikes with the same displacement. We ended up looking at dual sports because they tend to be light. Unfortunately, they also tend to be rather tall, but that was something we were able to take care of.

Several people commented on the weight and complexity of my rig so I wanted to share the unique mission that it was designed for. The market is already flooded with little folding scooters, such as the DiBlasi and 50cc monkey bikes. These things do indeed “work” and they are fine for getting to the other side of the airport, or for rumbling around the campground. I used to have a 25cc GoPed and it was a lot of fun around my airport. However, I rarely put it in the airplane and I can’t remember a single time that it saved the day or affected my decision to fly. After the novelty wears off, most people use these things once or twice a year, if they ever use them again. For this type of use, cheap and simple is the way to go. So why in the world did I design something more complex and expensive?

Mini folding scooters have their place and our designs aren’t intended to compete with them. Our designs evolved as a practical alternative to roadable aircraft. There is plenty of research to suggest that practical integration of air and ground transportation can potentially change the way that we use our airplanes. After more than 2,500 attempts, roadable designers never managed to achieve the “practical” part. I wanted to see if something could be accomplished with motorcycles. Our mission required a very high-performance and uncompromising solution. Stuffing a chainsaw scooter into a half-million dollar airplane isn’t enough to change the way we fly.

The airplane and motorcycle are both integral parts of a complete door-to-door solution. Poor performance of either vehicle affects the overall performance of the pair. Therefore, we intended to make our ground transportation every bit as good as the airplane. That required working at a price-point and complexity-level that are consistent with the airplane itself.

Our intended mission necessitated a “real” motorcycle with a full-size frame, electric start, comfortable two-up riding and highway performance. Nothing less will suffice for truly practical transportation and every-day use. That put us into the realm of 200-300 pound machines. Picking one up and sliding it through the baggage door was no longer an option. We put a lot of effort into streamlining the loading/unloading process until it was convenient enough for every-day used. My girlfriend can transition from flying to riding in about two minutes, without getting dirty.

Unlike my old GoPed scooter, my 225cc motorcycle is a practical tool for going places and doing things. I use it regularly to complete every-day errands, explore cities and to visit concerts, conventions, beaches, etc. I’m able to land at the nearest airport, hit the road and reach most destinations 30 minutes sooner; beat that speed mods! I have also become more independent and free from reservations, paperwork and third parties; I can go where I want, when I want. Flipping through my log book, I can see that I’m flying more often, exploring my destinations and doing more exciting things than I used to. In the end, ground transportation has improved both my flying habits and my life-style.

PS – Chicks dig it

55wagon, I'll send you a private message. It depends a lot on whether it fits with the stock wheels and suspension. The best thing is for me to send you some drawings and dimensions. I like to make a cardboard or foam box to do a test fit inside the airplane.