Transporting bike on outside of car options

[nabrU]

The difference between UK and some European countries (so potentially Croatia too) with regard to tow bar is that some European countries require that towbar (apart from authorised installation) is checked by their equivalent MOT station and then relevant note included in the car registration document that the car has aftermarket towbar fitted.

No such requirement in the UK (whether before or after Brexit) hence OP has nothing to worry once they get their towbar installed.

 

[Paul Mac]

I use this.

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I have the same car, but have only ever mounted one e bike to the towbar carrier, as am worried about the weight, think Tesla only state 55kg for nose weight.
Have you successfully mounted two ebikes to you car?

 

[Funkeydunk]

I have the same car, but have only ever mounted one e bike to the towbar carrier, as am worried about the weight, think Tesla only state 55kg for nose weight.
Have you successfully mounted two ebikes to you car?

Sure have total weight was 50kg plus’s the weight of the carrier. most of the time it’s just my bike at 24kg

 

[Eliadn]

The difference between UK and some European countries (so potentially Croatia too) with regard to tow bar is that some European countries require that towbar (apart from authorised installation) is checked by their equivalent MOT station and then relevant note included in the car registration document that the car has aftermarket towbar fitted.

No such requirement in the UK (whether before or after Brexit) hence OP has nothing to worry once they get their towbar installed.

This is correct, as I'm actually from Slovakia, it's the same there. I guess it has something to do with insurance and of course bureaucracy.

 

[Rus Ler]

That is very interesting to know. In the Canadian jurisdiction where we are you can do your own. In fact we had to do so after the 'U-Haul' shop could not do it on our Nissan Rogue. Also you do not have to install electronics unless you block the lights or haul a trailer. Your license plate cannot be blocked although it seems they never enforce that rule. Poor mechanical work is supposed to be covered by roadside inspections. Therefore, if your hitch is found to be 'unsecured' (EG: wobbly), you can be ticketed or the vehicle could be impounded. Your licence plate is supposed to be illuminated if you move it to the back of your bike rack, but I've gotten away with it for 20 years in spite of carrying a clip-on goose-neck battery operated light just in case.

Moving the license plate back and forth when you decide to use the bike rack is a real PITA, I wish we were allowed to have 2 license plates so I could eliminate that problem.

We're allowed a supplementary licence plate for a bike carrier.
This is an Australian made carrier rated for up to 4 elec bikes, it can also be transfered to my caravan

iSi Bike Racks

Extreme Duty Bike Racks - 100% Australian Made and Owned - Manufactured in Melbourne with 100% Australian Steels and Materials.

isi-carriers.com

I got my Rail stolen from this carrier last week, cut the cable lock & gone - scum

 

[Bikeeandy]

Thanks again for all the info and suggestions, chaps.

I've been doing a little research and I think you're all right that a tow-bar and rack is the way to go for peace of mind and convenience, considering it will be used for long journeys 200-400 miles plus.

I've found a few options from PF Jones, and I've looked into videos of fitting one (I've read it's legal in the UK) which I'm fairly confident I could do, though the wiring looks more daunting.

I need to research some more options, but the buzz rack e-scorpion looks like an affordable and good piece of kit.
So if I can manage to fit myself, It may be achievable for around £500

Two options for the tow bar are "flanged" or "swan neck"
I'm not sure what the benefits of either are, and which should I look into getting?

Cheers

I looked into options when I bought my wife an e-bike and knew I would eventually get one for myself. Tow bar was the only realistic proposition. It was a lot more expensive than I thought it would be (£960), but just had to bite the bullet. This is not something you want to risk going cheap on. I was advised to go with swan neck, as it worked best withe the Thule (Easyfold XT) rack I was going for. I went for a detachable option, which meant you only fit the tow bar when you want to use the rack, i.e. rest of time nothing is visible.

Irrespective of what you go for, don't forget to notify your insurance company as fitting a tow bar is considered a vehicle modification. If you don't tell them and are involved in accident, your insurance may be invalid and they won't pay up. My insurance company didn't charge any extra.

 

[Jackware]

Ok, the bar is on, only issue that was quickly resolved with a hacksaw and file was that the Brinks towball had two small lugs on it to stop you attaching a normal towball receiver to it, but since my Buzzrack does have a normal receiver, they had to go ...
Notice the vitally important doormat, to avoid grazed or muddy knees when fixing the towball on.
And yes I know I forgot to attach the rear number plate....

 

[Fangs2k]

Looks almost like you fitted a side mounted car rack to the bike?!

 

[Old Codger]

Ok, the bar is on, only issue that was quickly resolved with a hacksaw and file was that the Brinks towball had two small lugs on it to stop you attaching a normal towball receiver to it, but since my Buzzrack does have a normal receiver, they had to go ...
Notice the vitally important doormat, to avoid grazed or muddy knees when fixing the towball on.
And yes I know I forgot to attach the rear number plate....

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I had one of these towballs with the lugs fitted at the dealers, it’s called a “non towing tow ball”, go figure. It’s because the car, which is a hybrid, was not “homologated” for towing. Fortunately the hitch had open sides so fitted ok.

 

[Jackware]

@Hattori-Hanzo
Did you get sorted with a towbar on the Fabia?

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

No, it's been put on the back burner for the minute. I'd found a few options and was considering fitting it myself to reduce costs, but I've not got round to pursuing it yet.