1988 Prevst xl and my 2009 Harley

[unimog_willys]

Want to start off that this will be my first post on this site. I have been lurking here for a while and find you folks very interesting as we share the same interests in this hobby. Thanks to everyone for ideas that have gotten me this far and an almost a divorce. LOL. Opps almost forgot, Happy New Year  .

Some back ground info....

Just picked up a clean and straight 88 Prevost XL, 8v92, 6 speed. It's located about 6 hrs away from where I live now. Not too bad. I live in Northern Alberta Canada. About 700 miles north of the border. It's the middle of winter right now. I asked the seller to store bus for me till spring.

Part 2. My Harley is in Reno. Motor died on my bike trip last summer and I had to fly back home. She is getting a 107 upgrade. . In May, I'm flying back to Reno to pick up my bike. I'll have a nice drive up the coast again, cut across BC and back into Alberta.

My question.....

Now I read of guys putting their bikes in the bay of the bus. I was thinking I could go get my bike in the spring, drive it to the bus. Load the bike in the cargo bay of the bus and drive home. Will my 2009 Softtail Harley Crossbones fit in the bay with the handle bars lowered? I'm not sure how large the cargo bay is, or for that matter, the height of my bike with handle bars lowered as none of them are in my procession right now. If nobody knows, maybe some nice Bus nut of a Prevost variety will measure their LxWxH of the largest cargo bay for me. If this works The bike will be on every trip. My buddy thinks I'm mad. He wants  me to cut a door in the bus to have bike parking in the future living room..........wife may not go for that.

Thoughts?

Thanks

D

[Timkar]

Welcome D,
Sorry I can't answer your questions for sure, but I don't think Harley will fit.
Hopefully someone with an XL will chime in with the bay dimension sizes.
Here is a link to the Prevost site which has all sorts of info under technical publications.

https://www.prevostcar.com/?q=content/conversion-coaches

HTH....Tim

[robertglines1]

door width  aprox 50 inches clear   might drain fluids for one trip and lay on side   will ck height for you tomorrow. I have a 89 40 XL  door size is 53 inch less seal = aprox 50 inch  inside length aprox 96 inches on 102 wide coach after you take off width of bay doors.  Had seen a guy that put some kind of gismos on bike crank case and laid bike down on side to transport on slide.  Ace on board here is Harley guy.   .  By the way Van is bike guy in area your bike is at now.   I was once but rode one under car. Can tell you underside of bumper stories.   Eventer is from north of Alberta and a prevost guy.    Small world.     Bob of north from BC and prevost guy       Welcome and good luck     Bob

[rwc]

I don't know if the bike will fit but I am going to take my bike everywhere I go. It will be in bed of truck with a cruiser loader so I can load and unload by myself Just my way. Rod

[Ace]

All I can help you with is my experience! My 08 fatboy which is for sale by the way will NOT fit in my bay with or without handlebars down and my bays are much bigger than yours! It's a converted seated model H Prevost!

[bevans6]

Small world!  I rode a bike under a car once too.  Oil pan bounced down, as the driver (may she live forever and have all her dreams come true) slammed on the brakes, and broke my foot, which was under said oil pan and over the crank case of the bike.  She backed up, I stood the bike back up and rode home...  Young, dumb, no license for me or the bike, it was dark, what can I say...  I was in the army then and explaining why my foot was black, blue, and kind of mottled green took a lot of ingenuity...

Brian

[Oonrahnjay]

Small world!  I rode a bike under a car once too.   (snip) 

     Never got under a car.  But being under a truck (well, a lorry, actually) was a treat I'll never forget.  Except for the bone in my elbow that pushed through my Barbour jacket (sure wish I'd been wearing my leather jacket but it was raining) and "belt sanded" itself down to the bone on the road surface, I wasn't hurt much.

[grantgoold]

Why not purchase a hydraulic motorcycle lift for the back of the bus and simply drive the harely onto and off the ramp as you like. Can't see laying the bike on its side without some type of damage in the end.  Good luck. I have seen motorcycle lifts for sale for $1,000 in the area.

If you are coming down I-5 or near vancouver (washington) let me know. I might be able to help pay for some diesel fuel!

Grant
Sacramento

[Uglydog56]

I boght the cheapest one I could find on Amazon and shipped it to the guys house I bought the bus from.  He felt a little nervous about it hence the straps to the windows.  A higher quality one would look much more sanitary.  My connie weighs 700+, similar to your harley.  The bike was a little sooty when I got home (1500 miles) but the engine in my bus hadn't been ran in some time and took a while to clean up.  Search for motorcycle hitch rack.  You have a prevost which has an actual trailer hitch receiver I am told.

[lostagain]

I have a lift really similar to Uglydog's you could buy from me if you want.

We tow our bikes, (road bikes or dirt bikes in a trailer).

JC

[GilligCrown]

' talk about ingenuity!  As I don't relish pulling a trailer behind my 40 footer(s), I may rethink my "conservative" plan . . .

[unimog_willys]

hi folks

thanks for the great in site and feedback. Well by the sound of it that idea is no good. a bike holder for the rear will be how I go after getting it home. I'll find another option. Thanks for the info guys and gals. Not looking forward to laying it down. don't want to damage it. I figure something else out.

D

[robertglines1]

can always buy a cheap bike trailer  locally and sell it when you get home.  Or rent a U haul trailer.  Probably buy and sell would be cheaper.

[Chaz]

I got lucky. I have a 1977 GMC and my '46 Knucklehead Harley (on a '69 swing arm) will "JUST" fit in the bay after I lower my ape hangers. (bet that all sounds funny to the uninitiated folks.  )
Anyway, I believe I saw a single crazy wheel type......... um.......... trailer (??) that attaches to the back of a bus that would work nicely for you. Someone had posted it on this site I believe. A buddy of mine is having a mechanical lift put on his and his bike will ride crossways. You can also get a hydraulic lift.
I contemplated building a cantelever type device that allowed the bike to ride on back crossways. It pivoted on the actual hitch and when the front came down, rested on yet another hitch tube (2" heavy wall) and then slide another tube under the rear wheel area and pinned in like another hitch. Basically, riding on 3 hitch receivers and tubes. Clear as mud??  It would be nice to have the "kneeling" ortion on the back of the bus for this also.
Just a thought but if you do your due diligence now, and find what you really like, you could have one shipped to where the bus is and put it on there and go. But, just a thought. Either way, you definitely need to check out all the options that are out there.
Good luck and keep us posted!!!!!!!!!! (I'm certainly interested!)
  Chaz