How to transport jo and bokken on a motorcycle?

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[Nick P.]

I put this in the general section, as it is not purely weapons related.

Last fall I got my motorcycle license and a Kawasaki ZZR 250 (not the exact same as a US model Ninja 250, but pretty close), and just picked up some used soft saddle bags. She looks just like this one...http://proshop-saito.tripod.com/new/zzr250.jpg

I rarely need to carry weapons, but if I do, it would be for rather long rides (2+ hours). I believe I can build and bolt-on a case made of PVC pipeing carry case that would have the tube rideing at a 45-degree angle, bolted to the passenger footrest at the bottom and attached to the frame near the back of the seat (pictures of a mock up coming later). In essence it would look like a slanted flagpole (or weird exhaust pipes).

If it were just the bokken, I would lash it down across the seat and be done with it as it doesnt protrude much wider than the bike. The jo is another story and this is clearly not an option.

How would/do you carry a jo on a motorbike at highway speeds?

Thanks in advance.

[JO]

I have caried my weapons on my bike, a Kawasaki Vulcan 500, a few times. Up to highway speeds each time. I carry them all together in the cheap nylon case I got with them. I strap them diagonally across the back seet with bungees. I manage an angle where they don't stick out too much on the sides. It usually makes me a little nervous, but I haven't had any problems as long as I get them right enough that the don't get shifted by the wind.

[Michael Hackett]

I know this is a serious inquiry, but I just keep flashing back to the scene in one of the Indiana Jones movies where a umbrella is jammed in the spokes of a pursuing Nazi motorcycle. Please try not to set a distance pole-vaulting record!

[Nick P.]

I know this is a serious inquiry, but I just keep flashing back to the scene in one of the Indiana Jones movies where a umbrella is jammed in the spokes of a pursuing Nazi motorcycle. Please try not to set a distance pole-vaulting record!

Ta ta ta daaa, ta ta daaaa
Ta ta ta daaaAAA, ta ta ta ta ta!

Funny thing is my wife is a huge Harrison Ford fan, and is of German descent. This makes your comment even more funny!

Jonathan: thanks for that.

[phitruong]

don't have a sport bike, but i think i could rig up a PVC tube on my highway bar of my cruiser. it should be able to hold a jo, bokken, javelin, possibly a spear. :D

ride home the other weekend and a turkey ran out near me. wish i had a javelin. it would have been an early thanksgiving dinner. :)

[Aikibu]

BuJin Designs makes a nice weapons bag that I just strap diagonally on my back and it works well.

William Hazen

[Janet Rosen]

I've had folks carry my cotton denim and twill bags slung across bandolier style on motorcycles very comfortably, but they wouldn't really do in inclement weather.

[chunie]

BuJin Designs makes a nice weapons bag that I just strap diagonally on my back and it works well.

William Hazen

Just don't fall of your bike and land on your back. The weapon will break up and pieces of wood will enter your back. Carrying them on your bike is preferable, although I don't know a ready solution, or you can put them in a hard metal tube. Sorry if I cause you extra anxiety while riding your bike, although one can see it as an extra exercise on zanshin :D

[Janet Rosen]

The PVC has served many folks very well for checking in weapons on airline flights so may be the best plan.

[ikkitosennomusha]

Get a weapons case and wear it on your back across your body.

[Tim Griffiths]

Just don't fall of your bike and land on your back. The weapon will break up and pieces of wood will enter your back.

Only if you have cheap weapons! I'm willing to bet my bokken against anyone's spine! :D

I wear the weapons bag across my back, and then put a rucksack with my clothes on top of that. It stops it sliding around. The only problem on my bike was the end of the PVC weapons bag would sometimes touch the pipes, leaving me to clean burnt plastic off them regularly.
And yeah, if you come off the bike while carrying them you're so screwed...

Tim

[seank]

I'll concur with the idea of carrying them across your back. Whenever I'm on the bike I use dojo weapons (a poor compromise but I'd much rather not take the risk).

Why someone can't come up with a screw together bokken and jo a la the collapsible billiard cue I don't know.... oh yeah, it'd probably break somewhere around the join :D

[aikibudo]

I don't like putting my weapon bag across my back when im on the harley, but someone seriously needs to make a device to carry your weapons that bolts on to motorcycles.:)

Respect,
Aaron

[crbateman]

Funny thing is my wife is a huge Harrison Ford fan,Not really a good idea to say your wife is huge... ;)

[Michael Hackett]

Nick,

In all seriousness, I was looking at an old Harley a few weeks back at a dealership. This particular bike was from World War II and it had a rifle scabbard mounted along the forks on the right side of the bike. It had a springer front end instead of the more modern telescopic shocks and I didn't look closely at how it attached. That might be a better way to go than trying to carry your weapons strapped to your body. Going down on a bike with something strapped to you could be really unpleasant. It ain't all that much fun with leathers on dirt, now that I think about it.

[Michael Hackett]

Nick,

Thinking a little further back, I remember that the El Monte, California Police carried shotguns on their motors. As I recall, they mounted them vertically behind the rider. There were a number of articles written about it at the time as they were the first to have shotguns for their motor officers. It might be worth a few minutes of research to see how they did it. I just don't recall most of the details as this was probably around 1975-1980.

[Keith Larman]

I was a long term motorcyclist up until I got too nervous around where I live.

My solution -- don't. Sorry, I can see carrying things up to even a bit bigger than a bokken. But a jo... Just something else to get tangled with when things go wrong (and they always do). The last thing is having something that makes you less maneuverable/more vulnerable/ a larger target. I would rather have a second set and get permission from whomever to keep them hidden away at the dojo. For trips to seminars, well, USPS, UPS, or ask nicely if you can borrow when you arrive.

Bokken can be worked with. Stitch a small bag yourself with a strap you can wear diagonally across your back. Or maybe figure a mount to hold it vertically on the bike itself (preferable). But even then I still don't like the idea at all. I don't want anything attached to me if I go down that isn't body armor and nothing extra on the bike to poke or whack me at highway speeds.

Just my $.02.

Keep the rubber side down.

[Nick P.]

Excellent pointers everyone...especially NOT calling my wife huge. Touché.

My Google-Fu is failing me, as any police motorcycle searches at best come back with BMW R1200 flashlight or baton open vertical mounts. I'm going PVC this weekend, and see what I can fenangle.

If it were for short trips around the city, agreed, across the back they would go. But the times I would transport weapons it would be for 2+ hours at highway speeds; it's a small bike (yes, have thought of upgrading, but plates here in Quebec cost $650 per year for 400cc+, this one costs me some $320) so this bike is easily affected by wind resistance and loading as it only weighs 320 lbs. Not tiny, but not as stout as some bigger bikes.

[phitruong]

If it were for short trips around the city, agreed, across the back they would go. But the times I would transport weapons it would be for 2+ hours at highway speeds; it's a small bike (yes, have thought of upgrading, but plates here in Quebec cost $650 per year for 400cc+, this one costs me some $320) so this bike is easily affected by wind resistance and loading as it only weighs 320 lbs. Not tiny, but not as stout as some bigger bikes.

you live in Canada, why not ask the Mountie on how they carry riffle on their horses? personally, i want to be able to carry a couple of javelins so i can throw at some of these bastard drivers cutting in front of me. :disgust: wonder if there are laws against carry javelins.

i seemed to remember in the Kill Bill movie where the gang has some contraption to mount the katana on their sport bikes. of course i also want to fly on whatever that airline that has katana holder by the seat too. :D

[Dan Richards]

I rarely need to carry weapons, but if I do, it would be for rather long rides (2+ hours).
I travel frequently and need objects/things/stuff I'd rather not travel with at my destination when I arrive. I ship them insured UPS Ground. Never had a problem.

If you're going to a camp or a dojo, just take your well-packed bokken and jo into the local UPS office, and send them off to the address where you'll be going. They'll be there waiting for you when you arrive.

When you're done, ship them back to your address. (You can even schedule a UPS pick-up) And, again, there they'll be all safe and sound - when you arrive safe and sound.

My 2¢.

[Walter Martindale]

I'd be nervous about transporting anything resembling a weapon visibly on a Canadian highway. A friend, walking to the dojo (500 m in a university district) was challenged by Regina police for his jo and bokken in their bag slung on his back.
A Polish tourist was tasered multiple times by 4 (I believe) RCMP ossifers because he was agitated and holding a stapler, in the arrivals area of Vancouver airport - he didn't know any english and was stuck behind customs or immigration for a few hours.. Heck of a way to end up when you go to visit your mother in a strange country...
Maybe in a PVC pipe...
Maybe the suggestion to ship by UPS/FEDEX/CANPAR is best...
Walter

[Nick P.]

Guess I shouldn't mention I would be crossing US (then Canadian on the return) customs, huh?

Diagonally across the back seat fit surprisingly well (again, small bike, so was worried), Here is my original idea, and in the bag are both jo and bokken. Mockup pics only, secure lashs/tie-downs required. PVC sleeves represent a real challenge for the bokken, as diameter moves up to 2" to accomodate the bend.
PVC mockups last night would have one tube on each side of the seat, but that 2" is a pain for sure; might try some 1" with some 22-degree bends...note removal of side fairings,as though they are nice to look at, obstruct criticial lash points for soft luggage, and increase overall width of the back.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-IdaXDSJkFU/SkmCzOSoLuI/AAAAAAAAJOc/8ZArr6GOoro/s288/IMG_2755.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-IdaXDSJkFU/SkmC0WFPURI/AAAAAAAAJOg/fgryI0lEMSM/s400/IMG_2756.JPG

[Lyle Bogin]

Dude that rig is right out of Snow Crash! You should get some ski goggles and hold the jo out like a lance, a la Akira style. *cue drums*

[Jory Boling]

the 3 minute scooter commute to one of my dojos is by wearing them on my back in a weapons bag but i've seen a lot of scooters and cyclists with surfboard mounts over here. maybe something like that could work... but your mock up seemed to do the job.

[Nick]

BuJin Designs makes a nice weapons bag that I just strap diagonally on my back and it works well.

William Hazen

That.