MotoPOD Stashes A Motorcycle Under Your Light Aircraft
By Andrew Liszewski
It’s not uncommon for people who travel across the country in a large RV to tow a smaller car so that they can leave the RV parked at a campsite while still making day trips. The same problem exists for pilots who fly around the country, except that they have no choice but to leave their light planes at the local airport when they want to go into town. But finding a ride can be difficult since most small airports that cater to light planes don’t have car rental facilities. So if you’re a pilot who’s encountered this problem before, you might want to consider the MotoPOD which is basically a cargo pod that allows you to carry a street-legal motorcycle underneath your plane.
The motorcycle is a Yamaha XT225 which was selected because it was both economical and lightweight, and overall the pod and bike add about 500 pounds to an aircraft’s total weight. (Resulting in an airspeed cut of about 9 knots.) The bike does require a bit of assembly before it can be ridden, but the pod is easily lowered with a built-in powered winch and you can apparently be on the road just minutes after landing. The MotoPOD is expected to go on sale later this year with a price tag below $10,000 (including the motorcycle) but you can reserve one now for a fully-refundable $1,000.
Related Tags: Aviation, Transportation
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