Carrying bikes on an NC

General Discussion Forums MX-5 Chat
2

There’s lots of odd questions about this one, some answered, some not, so I thought I’d jot down a few notes. Car is a 2007 1.8 MK3.

First of all - no tow-bar mount! I think you could get one made-up but not sure what this would do to your insurance/retail values etc., so I settled for a Saris Bones 2 rack having seen one in use. I may or may not swop it for a Bones 3 if it will fit, will update this article if so.

This article shows a (ancient!) mountain bike, I haven’t figured-out yet how to fit the road bike without the pedals hitting the car bodywork!

ELECTRICS

First of all, a trailerboard is needed - and for this you need electrics! I had mine fitted by Fast Fit Nationwide in West Bromwich, cost about £45, they found that a bypass relay etc. was not needed so this kept the cost down. It all packs away into the jack compartment, and the cable fits between the boot lid and the seal when in use. Following pics illustrate the electrics:-

This last photo shows how I secured the socket and connector while travelling.

THE RACK

The rack I am using is a Saris Bones 2, which has 3 feet. Hopefully the following piccies are self explanatory. I did find that the upper (front) foot distorts the boot lid - when I arrived at my destination I was so alarmed by this that I went and had a coffee before plucking up the courage to remove the bikes and see what damage was done - but it all popped back into shape! This is shown as best I could by the first 2 photos, the rest illustrate how I strapped it all up. Although the bumper is a plastic moulding which again distorts as you strap thing up it was all ok.

Straps - I used the standard straps and hooks as supplied for the side and upper mountings with a bit of plastic door protector under them, and got a pair of “hatch huggers” to replace the bottom hooks. This rack folds-up and goes in the boot OK, the trailerboard doesn’t (but it will with the aid of a hacksaw!). I’m considering using the hatch-huggers for the sides as well.

NB I would think twice about carrying more than one bike, or a heavyweight “gas-pipe” or downhill bike, on the MX5, the boot lid is very lightweight! 

A couple of useful links   
    www.wiggle.co.uk
    www.speeds-cycles.co.uk (good prices on the bones!)
    www.saris.com

 

Any questions please drop me a note

 

The load remained stable (although no enthusiastic driving) for about an hour or so of A and B road driving, then I did the return journey no probs. I could see the single foot bouncing up and down alarmingly on bumpy town roads, which was a bit scary! Time will tell how it all goes.

3

 Very good but personally, I would have gone down the fit a tow-bar route and mount the rack to that. I think you have to weigh-up being able to carry 2 bikes, still have access to the boot, against only being able to carry 1 bike and the inevitable damage that the bootlid is going to suffer one day using a boot mounted rack.

With a tow-bar you can always tow a trailer-tent, or small trailer, and fit your bikes to the top of that, it just gives a vehicle more flexibility. admittedly side-ways fun can become real fun with a trailer.{#emotions_dlg.indif}

Am currently toying with the idea of making an extended 6 wheel MX5 pick-up truck…

Dr. Eunos Geek

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Why do Mazda say that you can’t tow with a Mk3?

Does that make illegal to fit a towbar, or just difficult because there isn’t a kit available off the shelf?

5

If you decide to look at a trailer/towhitch, please, please check with your insurer. My research a few years ago says that only the Mk1 MX5 has a tow rating on the rego document. Non of the later models are weight tested by the manufacturers. For many years Whitter, the biggest towbar company in the UK, made a Mk1 version, but expressly excluded the later MK’s.

For Taff here’s a bit of inspiration

6

I agree that the towbar mounted hitch route is the best as long as the vehicle is suitable. I have used the Witter cycle carrier attached to towing brackets on my previous cars for the last 20-odd years, and have only recently sold-on my old trailer which was adapted to carrying up to 4 bikes. A 6 x 4 trailer built on a Metro hydrolastic rear-end rides very well with the relatively light weight of a few bikes.

However the MX5 is different and yes, I have done the research

Handbook for this vehicle in the “Towing Caravan and Trailers” sections states “The Mazda MX-5 is not designed for towing. Never tow a trailer with your MX5”. This in turn means that brackets are not available or listed (except on an American site where the instructions for the hitch state “Never exceed your vehicle’s towing limts”, which in this case are Zero!), the vehicle is not type-approved for this kind of use in the UK, and indeed you should ask yourself the question “would I buy an MX5 with a towbar fitted”. I definitley would not. Please note that where a vehicle manufacturer does allow fitting of a bracket, and gives limits, this means that the vehicle body has been extensivley tested to ensure it can take the stresses without damage. Up until the MX5 this information has been a key factor when I purchase a car.

For further info see this link http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/towbars/qualityStandards4.php and also the FAQ “What may happen if I don’t fit a type approved towbar” http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/towbars/qualityStandards5.php, also the Ford KA question, plus the instructions to check the VIN plate which on my mk3 shows the train weight as “----”. 

So this is not an option on the mark 3 in the UK, and I would go far as to state that to suggest doing this, even in jest, is quite a dangerous thing to do. I also suspect the boot lid damage would pale into insignificance compared to the knock-on effect of fitting a towing bracket, since the boot lid is easily replaceable, the body shell is not if it becomes distorted under the stresses of towing. I would suggest that anyone buying an MX5 lifts the boot carpet to see if the holes have been drilled-out to take a towing bracket and if found, avoid buying. I do this with every car I buy.

This article was meant to take a more positive aspect as regards carrying bikes and to relate an experience in a way which does not currently seem to exist, perhaps it is best not to distract from this by bringing-up something which is not an option and, to the uninitiated, could lead to significant problems.

7

I wonder if the trailer in Geoff’s photo is made from the back half of an MX5 which split in two while towing a caravan …

8

 seems like you may have bought the wrong model MX5 Lol!Big Smile

Certainly for the purpose of what you are trying to do with one, as yours is certainly being damaged by carrying just the one lonesome bicycle…just another reason to stick with pre S reg beautiesThumbs up

Dr. EunosGeek

9

 

Seemed like a good idea at the time since my 60 mile per day commute looked like it was going to go up to 90 mpd so the MK3 1.8 seemed to be the right one to buy! But it went down to 0 instead Sad, so now I have plenty of time to use my bike and walking bootsBig Smile!

You win some, you lose some …

10

 

I am really surprised that manufacturers are now choosing to simply not bother giving certain models in the range any kind of permissable towing weight. Mechanically there is absolutely no reason why an MX5 Mk3 cant even have a maximum trailer weight of say 500-750kg but it seems another case of euro-bollaux has managed to mess-up peoples pleasures, (and theres me thinking that Renault advert recently “has it got a tow-bar?” was a joke aimed at the good folk of Yorkshire, obviously not, its now a pre-requisite question that you really do have to ask if thinking of buying a new car in Europe) at this rate I may have to emigrate to somewhere else (wouldn`t be Australia Geoff, although that V8 Supercar racing looks tempting…) we are all loosers thanks to euro red tape yet again.

Am also sorry to hear of your extra enforced leisure-time, bit of nice weather and you`ll soon get used to it though CoolThumbs up

Regards Dr. EunosGeek

11

HI all, i think you will find that fitting a tow ball does not mean you will tow. I have had a tow bar fitted for the sole use of “carrying” a tow bar mountable bike rack. Notice the word “carry” not “tow” as it does not have wheels. If i got caught towing a trailer i would expect to get stopped and questioned. I have never been stopped with it… The americans can get access to nc tow bars and everyone knows their litigation processes so towing can not be a dangerous thing to do with a nc… Mine has been fitted for 2 years and was a god send because our only car was made into a vehicle that suited all of our purposes. It carries both our mountain bikes easily. It mounted to the chassis, not the bodywork. 

The mx5 has to go now so i removed the tow bar and am selling it on ebay, we need a car with 3 seats and the mother in law is not comfortable in the boot.

good luck all