What is the Absolute Lightest Propulsion Available?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by mdenize

Hi Chotu fantastic project! It seems to me the lightest thing you can use to carry the bike must be filled with air. Like some sort of totally inflatable raft That way you only have to carry the skin not the whole craft, just inflate when you need it and deflate it when you don't. It doesn't have to be powered as you already have a dinghy just tow it. I have seen large inflatable pontoons that are stiff like a large SUP they are designed as extra transom space for boats could you just use one of those. It seems like you could take the bike and the girlfriend!

I agree. BUT, part of the requirements are a “leave no trace” departure from shore.

In nearly all harbors/boat ramps/etc, you can’t leave a dinghy or anything tied up overnight.

Any links to those inflatable transom space extenders? Worth a look for sure.

[BarbW]

Just a suggestion: foldable ebike. Take an extra battery or two for extended trips.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by BarbW

Just a suggestion: foldable ebike. Take an extra battery or two for extended trips.

Bad suggestion. Not street legal. Cannot ride on the road. Doesn’t go fast. No good whatsoever. Plus, where am I getting the power to charge that? Even more solar panels? Only looking for on topic posts here please.

[mdenize]

Let's see if this works but if not Google inflatable floating dock aliexpress for ideas. Regarding the low impact landing you could just deflate it and put it in your dinghy but what are you going to do with the dinghy ?

Nope the pasting a url didn't work... but you get the idea...

[mdenize]

Mmm looks like I should have edited the header...

[Chotu]

Oy! That’s the whole point!

Please read the thread.

Don’t want the thread clouded up with half baked stuff please. We are doing very well with it so far.

Originally Posted by mdenize

Let's see if this works but if not Google inflatable floating dock aliexpress for ideas. Regarding the low impact landing you could just deflate it and put it in your dinghy but what are you going to do with the dinghy ?

http://https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005003656602437.html?_randl_currency=NZD&_randl_s hipto=NZ&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt =494-037-6276&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&al bagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false &albcp=9444695485&albag=99457316601&trgt=145973460 6882&crea=en1005003656602437&netw=u&device=m&albpg =1459734606882&albpd=en1005003656602437&gclid=Cj0K CQiAmeKQBhDvARIsAHJ7mF7_HTTpg--NR6F5lrt_5f2e5tOHgn0Jfze-RJfsTcrvcvHaJsUKO5IaAj_zEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&aff_ fcid=b058ed399f45439b807632940d08245d-1645821784776-09589-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneM JZVf&aff_trace_key=b058ed399f45439b807632940d08245 d-1645821784776-09589-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=58e1327b6d824ccd8f430aa127fc5 0aa&afSmartRedirect=n

[mdenize]

Well they do come in all shapes and sizes so if you want really half baked you could use one that has a jet ski dock in it and hang the back wheel of the bike in salt water and use it for the propusion. But I don't think you would really want to do that with your nice shiny motorbike. So the two practical options I see are use it solely as a dumb barge and return both the Platform and the dinghy to the mothership and use a SUP or something the fits on the bike to return to shore so two trips... or take the bike, platform and propulsion with you but that would cramp your biking adventure a bit ( imagining a 2.5 hp outboard on the back of your panniers)

[cruisedon66]

Take a look at this folding Kayak.
https://foldupkayaks.com/

[mdenize]

Originally Posted by cruisedon66

Take a look at this folding Kayak.
https://foldupkayaks.com/

Note 300lb payload... can you imagine loading this with a 300lb motorbike and going anywhere at all? Let alone a long way with a man on board too. I don't think you would make it very far before you both got wet...

[Chotu]

Sorry mdenzie. I wasn’t feeling too well physically and responded a little harshly. Small exposure to epoxy dust yesterday I think.

Was just trying to keep the thread on track. Could have said it better. Thanks for taking it in stride.

Your last post sums up the situation perfectly. Those are indeed the two choices, unless we are all missing something still.


These was a sort of 3rd approach. A dumb platform that goes on the regular dinghy, both being returned to the boat and then an inflatable kayak to get back to the bike on shore again to actually leave with the bike.

I’d sure love to make one trip under power and be done with it. Somewhere in the thread I was talking about using a very cheap raft and the smallest outboard possible. 2.5. 40 pounds. And then just putting them in the bushes and chaining them up to a tree or something like that. If they were sufficiently cheap, I wouldn’t have to worry too much about them getting stolen. That violates the leave no trace constraint on all of this stuff, But given the two choices are not perfect above, it’s somewhat viable.

I believe for that case, I was talking about using one of those weedeater engines. So nobody would even want to steal it.

[mdenize]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Sorry mdenzie. I wasn’t feeling too well physically and responded a little harshly. Small exposure to epoxy dust yesterday I think.

Was just trying to keep the thread on track. Could have said it better. Thanks for taking it in stride.

Your last post sums up the situation perfectly. Those are indeed the two choices, unless we are all missing something still.


These was a sort of 3rd approach. A dumb platform that goes on the regular dinghy, both being returned to the boat and then an inflatable kayak to get back to the bike on shore again to actually leave with the bike.

I’d sure love to make one trip under power and be done with it. Somewhere in the thread I was talking about using a very cheap raft and the smallest outboard possible. 2.5. 40 pounds. And then just putting them in the bushes and chaining them up to a tree or something like that. If they were sufficiently cheap, I wouldn’t have to worry too much about them getting stolen. That violates the leave no trace constraint on all of this stuff, But given the two choices are not perfect above, it’s somewhat viable.

I believe for that case, I was talking about using one of those weedeater engines. So nobody would even want to steal it.

OK what about something like this? A one way trip on calm day

Benefits...a one way trip, light weight package, folds up small on the boat or on the beach, limited chance of capsizing... you never know it might even work!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by mdenize

OK what about something like this? A one way trip on calm day

Benefits...a one way trip, light weight package, folds up small on the boat or on the beach, limited chance of capsizing... you never know it might even work!

That’s my original idea. Using a cheap raft and smallest outboard available for the one way trip.

It is all in the thread.

[mdenize]

True. But these platforms with a small outboard are the first real solution Ive seen so far

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by mdenize

True. But these platforms with a small outboard are the first real solution Ive seen so far

Oh yeah. I see more closely now that it’s different. It’s an actual platform.

How does that thing roll up? Really small? Lightweight? Because the water is only half the problem. The other half is packing it up and riding off with it on the back of the bike. Unless it’s really cheap. Then I’ll just leave it behind may be in the bushes. Then again that’s another idea. Leave the raft behind in the bushes, and take the outboard on the bike. A very small outboard.

[mdenize]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Oh yeah. I see more closely now that it’s different. It’s an actual platform.

How does that thing roll up? Really small? Lightweight? Because the water is only half the problem. The other half is packing it up and riding off with it on the back of the bike. Unless it’s really cheap. Then I’ll just leave it behind may be in the bushes. Then again that’s another idea. Leave the raft behind in the bushes, and take the outboard on the bike. A very small outboard.

The specs of that one are...

Maximum load:*230 kg

Gross weight:*17.2 kg

Packing dimensions:*73 cm*45 cm*30 cm

Which is marginal as a bike load but doable. You could always bury it in the beach?