Possibly the stupidest question ever seen on BB?

[Disastrous]

>deep breath<

>massive sigh<

Ok, here goes.

I've just moved office to a swanky place in the City Centre. It's perfect but for one thing. I have a dog. She comes to the office with me, and that's fine. The landlord is happy with it and she sleeps under my desk most of the day. It was fine in the old place as there was loads of parking so we'd drive in each day. The new place, being city centre, is metered bays only and thus costs a fortune to park the car.

Tantalisingly, there is a perma-deserted 'Solo M/Cs Only' space literally, and I mean that in the literal sense of the word, outside the front door.

So, the question is simple:

Has anyone had experience of taking a dog on a motorcycle?

I appreciate how ridiculous this is and have been considering daft options like putting her in a rucksack on my front or whatever but I sense I am onto plums.

I don't want to go Wallace and Gromit with this (the Aprilia will look st with a sidecar) but if there is *something* out there that works, it would kill many birds with one stone. Free parking, more riding and dog looked after.

She's a whippet X lurcher so whippet sized btw.

[Fitz666]

The fact it says Solo M/C's mean you cannot park a bike with a sidecar there, I can only really think that a trailer might work....

[Alex@POD]

There are tank bags made for dogs, not sure you'd fit a whippet in one though!

[PATTERNPART]

A custom made top box of some sort with a hole big enough for Fido's head but not body should do it. My dad's pal travelled in a vintage car with his sheepdog in a box on the running board. I believe the box had a canvas cover with a hole.

[CAPP0]

I read an article really recently about a couple who tour Europe with their dog. On a bike. I can't remember where I saw it, I'll try to find it. I only read Bike and a Classic mag every month, possibly one of those.

Basically he had a tankbag with a hole for the dog's head. Pretty sure the dog was also attached with a harness.

I'm a biker and a dog owner (although I'm not sure I'd get 35kg of GSD onto my bike!) and I don't want to be negative, but it did occur to me reading that article, what would happen if you throw the bike up the road? You slide off to wherever, dog is attached/trapped/squashed etc?

[Disastrous]

CAPP0 said:

I'm a biker and a dog owner (although I'm not sure I'd get 35kg of GSD onto my bike!) and I don't want to be negative, but it did occur to me reading that article, what would happen if you throw the bike up the road? You slide off to wherever, dog is attached/trapped/squashed etc?

A fair question and one I had given a bit of thought to as well.

In all honesty, I guess the answer is "she'd be killed" but I guess that's the same answer as what would happen if I crashed the car with her sitting in the footwell (though appreciate this is less likely).

That's why I was going down the route of rucksack attached to me rather than the bike though.

A bigger worry for me would be her freaking out, if I'm honest. I suspect she wouldn't like a box with a hole type idea but I'm just not sure.

She loves going out on the stand up paddle board or going sailing so she's not averse to a bit of action but a bike may be a bridge too far!

Thanks for the ideas - will look into the tank bag plan though at 10KG I suspect she may be too large.

[Rosscow]

This sounds like an awful idea, OP.

I'd park the car as close as you can and take the dog on the tube!

[Disastrous]

Rosscow said:

This sounds like an awful idea, OP.

I'd park the car as close as you can and take the dog on the tube!

I suspect you may be right. In fairness, we walked in this morning - 40 minutes door to door - and that took care of walking her as well so a good option for better days.

[Alex@POD]

Disastrous said:

A bigger worry for me would be her freaking out, if I'm honest.

I guess that depends a lot on the dog... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YzX3X9iD7U

[cat with a hat]

I've seen it done a few times, I wouldn't worry about looking like a weirdo!

[Hooli]

Seen it done, but never with a dog that big.

[SAS Tom]

Bagster do a tank bag for dogs called the friendly. I've sold a few of them and the owners reckon they are great but I doubt you'll get a whippet in one.

[RizzoTheRat]

I've never seen anything bigger than a West Highland Terrier in one of those doggie tank bags.

If you can walk it in 40 minutes is it a route you could cycle with the dog running?

[Disastrous]

SAS Tom said:

Bagster do a tank bag for dogs called the friendly. I've sold a few of them and the owners reckon they are great but I doubt you'll get a whippet in one.

Just had a look and she's outside the weight limit by 2Kgs, the massive fatty! Annoying as this wold have been absolutely perfect I reckon. The bonus of a front mounting being I can keep an eye on her and give her a pat from time to time.

[julian64]

I've ridden from london to leeds with a 20 inch CRT TV on pillion. I tried to ride with a single mattress on the back of a moped, but had to abort very early on due to wind effects.

I have ridden with a frame rucksack that was so big, that probably could have fitted a human being in, so I think you might be able to sort a dog out.

[Prof Prolapse]

It works with toy dogs because they have the brain the size of a brazil nut, but most dogs would get incredibly stressed by this. I'm also not convinced there's anyway it can be done even vaguely safely for the animal, not too mention the enormous distraction you'll be dealing with.

As a one off, maybe, but as a regular thing frankly it's a st idea. Get a job working from home, pay a dog walker, or keep doing what you're doing now.

[CaptainSlow]

Maybe buy a scooter, use the underseat storage?

[Disastrous]

Prof Prolapse said:

It works with toy dogs because they have the brain the size of a brazil nut, but most dogs would get incredibly stressed by this.

I think this is a fair call, as mentioned above.

[gareth_r]

Framework over the pillion seat, big topbox (lengthways) or make a plywood box, anchor for harness, lid with a hole, flyscreen and/or doggles for extra cool.

Give Fido the choice of lying down, or head out with ears flapping in the breeze.

Something like

Edited by gareth_r on Wednesday 25th November 14:56

[gareth_r]

Dogs can't read either statistics, the Daily Mail, or big bad PHers who "couldn't have a bike because they'd kill themselves", so they don't know it's "dangerous".

Most would just enjoy being with the boss and sniffing all the wonderful new smells.