Just completed my first trip (Montreal to Ocracoke Island, NC; 2200 mi) with the new motorcycle (BMW R1100RT) rack. I completed the rack the day before leaving for vacation , so it was never tried on the road and I was anxious to see how my Breakaway would behave with an additional 800-850 pounds at the back. Results are very good, no noticeable change in behaviour : no tail wagging, side wind or semi- passing, maybe a little bit more bouncing. I will post pictures later but I will have to take them first, then try the new ‘Photo upload’. I was planning to add air bags on the rear axle but the only one available ‘Firestone AirRide’ is not made any more for the EC-2000 chassis!
Would anyone know if anything else is available? If not, I am planning to make my own brackets and buy the air bags from Firestone (Found some good drawings and installation procedure for the original AirRide)
Mike
92 Breakaway 30’, 5.9 Cummins 230HP, Banks

Hey Mike,

I'm a fellow B&B (Barth and BMW) owner. I carry my GS 1200 and my KTM 300 in a trailer though, along with several mopeds, a PW80 for the G-child and many other travel "necessities".

Glad to hear the rack system worked for you. Considering the airbags, check out performance companies like Jegs or Summit, who may carry universal truck airbag kits for the rodders. It may require a little rigging, but since all you're doing is adding additional capacity, perhaps you will find an answer.

Corey

And yet another B&B here. Got any pictures of the rack?

Is your 230 hp a rotary or in line injection pump?

What trans does your 92 have?

Was the Banks kit on it when you bought it?

And another B&B with a Breakaway. Would really like to see those pictures.
Thanks Richard Garrett

Pictures will be coming hopefully tomorrow, bike is in the upper position at 17’’ from the bumper, you can’t get much closer, goes up ( winch 2500# with 2 pulleys) with a slope so access to the ramp is easy, final height is 22’’.

In-line pump, Allison 4, 230HP? Banks was already installed when I bought it so I cannot comment how was power before Banks. What is installed: Banks PowerPack with the TwinRam manifold, turbine housing, pyrometer, boost gauge and increased fuel delivery. Driving at 65-70 mph , I am getting about 10.5mi/gal

Corey , I sent a request to Summit for air bags, will report on results.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by micha:
maybe a little bit more bouncing.

HI Mike, I would strongly recommend that you weigh the Breakaway at all four corners as how you head out with the bike attached. You may be surprised.

I leave home with full water and fuel + a lot of gear, I am at 18K +/- (12K rear & 6K front)I could go to 20K (13.5 rear & 6.5K front) BUT, on this last trip, when my fuel got low and the water was nearly empty, I had at least two occasions where the front wheels left the ground on some dipsy-dos. If you are in a tight corner and have some undulations, it may not be pretty!

I have the stock air bag assist on mine, can send you pictures if you need. The bracket is very simple, but I had to modify it as it would move and cock the air bags Could have been much better designed. I have the Eaton 15040S rear end and it is vastly different then the Dana 80 which I think you have.

What engine RPM do you run at 65-70?

We used to carry a 250cc scooter when we had our bus. Mounted it on the front. If I put a rack on our breakway would probably make a front rack for it.

No luck with Summit either for the air bags, will start working on the brackets for the Firestone AirRite.
I had the intention to weigh it before leaving, but had no time before vacation, will definitely do it. Did not see anything suspicious happening over the 2000 mi trip. Kept the water and fuel tanks close to full and after hearing Ed, will continue to do so. RPM at around 2200-2300. I was under the impression that the front axle is most of the time closer to the upper limit than the rear one. Do we have the the weight repartition on an unloaded Breakaway?
I finally took pictures of the rack:

BMWs look best in black.

That is quite a rack! Any details on it?

Would you like me to send you a Firestone air bag catalog?

Any relation to Ray Chabot of El Lay and Florida?

From an OLD R-50 rider ..........BMW now makes a crotch rocket?

quote:

Originally posted by Dick Dubbs:
From an OLD R-50 rider ..........BMW now makes a crotch rocket?

I think from the R90S forward, they had at least one bike that could be considered a sportbike or a Superbike. Steve McGlaughlin and Reg Pridmore finished 1-2 in the first US AMA Superbike championship in the mid '70s on R90Ss.

Before that, the R69S, despite its rather ponderous handling, could cover a lot of miles in a very very short time. Few other riders could match one on a long road trip. In the '50s John Penton set a new record on an R69 for NYC to El Lay, and there were Bonneville records.

Certainly the later K75S was a sportbike. Mine isn't a rocket ship, but it keeps it's speed in the bendy canyons where faster bikes buck, weave and bobble.

BTW, I put a Porsche 1600s alloy barrel engine in my R50 (which was not a crotch rocket). I was unable to acquire the correct rear axle gearing for it to realize its true speed potential, but it really got up to its max RPM in a hurry.

Very slick rack!! Beautifully designed!!

I will take pictures today of the airbag mount and post it here for your reference. As I mentioned, I had to modify it so that it would stay fixed, it is not a really good design but with the bandaid that I put on it works OK for now.

The front axles are indeed near the limit, There is usually a tag on the front opening door that has the axle rating, and it depends on which set you have. Seems all 30' Breakaways are not the same and there were some changes made in the '93/'94 builds when the 230 HP Cummins/6 speed Allison were offered.

ARRRRGGGGHHH! My comment about bad design of the air bag mount has come back to haunt me!! When I went under the Breakaway to take pictures, I found that the right side air bag mount was off the spring, evidently one of the 3/8 bolts holding the mount in place gave up and the lower mount moved off the spring.

This is how it should look


This is what I found on the right side:


This is what the bracket looks like off the bag:


I am now in the process of enlarging the bolts to 1/2 inch and also looking at ways to reduce the stress on the bracket because of its off center mounting to the spring. The air bag can not be moved further outward because it would come in contact with the caliper so it has to stay in this position.

Interestingly when I arrived home from this last trip, I saw that the coach was sitting low on the passenger's side, I checked the air pressure and found the right side to be low, so I pumped it up to match the driver's side. Still sat low. NOW I KNOW WHY!

I would have found it as I am removing the fuel tank once again to improve the fill rate, my previous mod worked well but I still have to work to get the last 5-7 gallons in so that the fuel is at the top of the neck when done. For some reason, the last two fills would click off almost immediately and I had to nurse it all the way, not fun for 30 gallons. Something has either plugged the vent or I have some restriction that is new in the fill line. Either way, the tank will come down and I will turn it 180 degrees to bring the filler at the front of the tank and eliminate about 4 feet of filler hose. I also have to get a new main fuel supply hose made for the engine as the existing hose will not reach when the tank is rotated.