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Tow Bar & Bike Rack

4K views 36 replies 13 participants last post by  Robb 
#1 ·
Hi,I bought a low mileage 2017 Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDi DSG L&K recently and had a tow-bar fitted. The tow-bar is a Brink swan neck with 13-pin dedicated electrics. It was fitted by P H Jones and the fitter, Ian, did a fantastic job. He was very careful and thorough and everything works properly without interfering with the rear parking sensors. I use this tow-bar for my Buzz Scorpion 2-bike bike rack which can take the weight of 2 electric bikes. I'm very happy with my Yeti, very comfortable with plenty of torque and biggest surprise, good handling and steering. The bikes are very secure on the new rack so we can now explore far and wide. For me, the Yeti is now the perfect package!
 
#5 ·
Did you know that you can use the extension to the car's alarm system to help protect your bikes?

Put the lead from the light board through the wheels before you plug it in. Then when you turn the car alarm on, if the lead is unplugged the alarm will sound.
 
#6 ·
Welcome to the form. Nice to read you are happy with the tow bar and the yeti and we have had members looking for recommendations for bike racks so good to know you are pleased with yours.
 
#8 ·
I carry my Trials bike on a towbar rack. I use an extra tiedown between bike and the roof bar which really helps when driving on bumpy tracks.
After all that time I never thought about Grahams idea putting elec cable through the bike. Thanks Graham I will from now on.
 
#9 ·
I had forgotten it did it, until I disconnected the caravan late one evening.............................


I wasn't very popular!!!


And now I know a few people will try it, too.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the replies. I shall start looking around for a towbar and I shall buy a light bar. I plan to buy an E-MTB as a second bike and I am just waiting to see if the Government follows through on their promise to offer vouchers to get one third off e-bikes. They released 50,000, £50 vouchers for bike repair then it all went quiet. No second or third wave release as promised.
 
#15 ·
Robb, bear in mind that most bike racks won't take the weight of an ebike, so do some research. The Buzz Scorpion seems a good tow bar rack (as the OP says), but I wanted one that would fold up small enough to go in the boot, so bought the Thule EasyFold.
 
#16 ·
Good point Big Stevie. Below is a pic of my e-road bike on the Thule Express with battery in place, but once the 2.2K battery is removed my Road-E is about 16Kilo and the Express handled that and my old Boardman Hybrid together. All the way up to the Isle of Skye. Taking the battery off, lightens the load but also stops it getting nicked at service areas.

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#24 ·
Some lights aren't required by fr MOT, such as reversing light
""" 1. New failures
There are new failures for:
  • daytime running lamps (DRLs) on vehicles first used from 1 March 2018
  • front fog lamps
  • reversing lamps on vehicles first used from 1 September 2009
  • light source and lamp not compatible
  • headlamp washers tested on vehicles first used from 1 September 2009
  • 3. Reversing lamps
You need to test reversing lamps on vehicles first used from 1 September 2009.
One or two may be fitted, but all must work.
Record a ‘major’ defect if one or more does not work."""
 
#23 ·
are required to have fog-lights nowdays to be EC compliant.

I have to wonder just how relevant EC compliance will be once we have left (with or without a trade deal)

I don't require glasses for reading or driving but I had a pair of vari-focals for night time driving in France. I was stopped by the police who noted that I was wearing glasses and asked to see the spare pair that French law requires that all drivers carry. They let me off on that occasion but our friends in Paris confirmed that the spare pair in the glove box is a legal requirement.

I imagine that EC rules will be "adopted" in the UK until such time as the English Parliament might trouble to change them. (which means not anytime soon)
 
#31 · (Edited)
I imagine that EC rules will be "adopted" in the UK until such time as the English Parliament might trouble to change them. (which means not anytime soon)
Already done! As I understand it. As part of the "Withdrawal Act" that was enacted by Westminster earlier this year. (The Act that was controversial in that it allows Boris to break the law in respect of Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. In effect to put a border down the Irish Sea. The media noise surrounding that aspect drowned out all the other impacts of the Withdrawal Act.)

Although I haven't read every detail of the Act, it supposedly includes lots of road safety aspects and other Good Things that were part of EU legislation (such as beach pollution rules, vehicle emissions testing, block exemption rules on dealers insisting servicing must be carried out by the same dealer who sells the car, etc. Basically it says anything that was previously in EU directives on thousands of aspects of life is now part of UK domestic legislation. Until, as you say, Westminster gets around to altering any of them. In 99.999% of those aspects though, why would they want to?

The EU vehicle lighting rules already include provision for things like which side reversing lights and rear fog lights should be placed. To accommodate LHD vehicles. And will continue to do so, to accommodate Republic of Ireland.

We'll still need to comply with local rules when driving in EU countries though. But will now need an International Driving Permit for several of those, as your UK driver's licence no longer has validity everywhere, depending on country. Additional Medical Insurance for injury or illness is also required I suspect, as your EHIC card becomes just a useless piece of plastic.

Perhaps we need a new thread to properly discuss and share knowledge on these aspects affecting cars and driving? E.G. Will new Skoda cars be subject to additional UK Import Tariffs? We still don't know that one (I believe?)?
 
#25 ·
Just been looking around on eBay

Basic light board at £18.60


And the one with fog lights at £28.99


For an extra tenner - I shall get the better spec of the two I am thinking
 
#28 ·
Must find out how to do "quotes" on this forum.
Tap on the word quote at the bottom of this post, the top of the screen will tell you the quote has been added.
Put (click on the position the cursor where you want the quote in the reply box. Then click on isert quote in the box below the reply that you are making. As below


4902
4903
 
#32 ·
Interesting post @Flintstone but the bit that jumped out at me was ......

Flintstone resides mid North Yorkshire. Cars on the drive include:
(1) Yeti S+ TDi 2010, CR110 EA189 unfixed, 2WD manual. 230,000 mls, shared.


230,000 miles? That deserves some further discussion in my book. I had an Audi estate one time and I did 230,000 miles in that - so I am mightily encouraged to hear that a Yeti is capable of that kind of mileage. Please tell me more.
 
#36 · (Edited)
It’s genuine alright. Still got plenty of life yet too. I’m it’s second registered keeper. Bought it just off warranty at 3 years old with 78,000. Having turned down two others of similar age because they “did not have enough miles to be healthy”. When I’m next working on the laptop* I’ll try to copy off a section of the Yeti’s service schedule spreadsheet. For example, it will fairly soon be due for its 22nd oil change, as now a little over 7000 miles from its last one in June.

I’ve run Rovers to 200,000+ miles (yes - Rovers!), a couple of Renault’s to 120,000 (that one was goosed by then mind), 145,000 respectively. (The latter still running perfectly but needed a new DPF). My first 6-cyl BMW was sold on at 240,000 miles still sweet as a nut, the second at 180,000 (should have kept that one, as its “low miles” 90,000 at the time replacement has been more bother). It’s no secret really, that the key to long vehicle life (and therefore lowest possible full life CO2 emissions compared to buying a new car every 2-3 years), is to disregard the “manufacturers recommended” service intervals completely. And service them properly instead. :) As The Hood also does. Plus use them regularly and often.

* Yesterday’s car task was replacing both side front brake calipers and pads on my eldest daughter’s FIAT 500. One side had semi-seized during lockdown. Still worked fine but was wearing the outer pad 3-times as fast as the inner. Today’s / tomorrow’s, depending on weather, will be to bleed and flush its brake fluid on all four corners. Take off the rear drums to check the state of the friction lining on the shoes while I have the wheels off. Then it’s the BMW’s turn for new disks and pads all round, prior to its MoT. Followed by the Octavia (that one doesn’t actually belong to me, but is a regular visitor to the drive).
 
#35 · (Edited)
Nice change of direction @Farmer John

I saw Span first at Poyton Folk Club and later at Glasgow Apollo, November 1976. I had just started dating my soon-to-be wife and this was a memorable evening.

I also saw Sandy Denny at the Apollo shortly before her last performance and death at the age of 31.

I was impressed by your "useless fact" @Llanigraham (y)
 
#37 ·
Interesting. My days of doing my own brake pads, oil change and brake fluid ended many years ago. I still have the BMW with only 34K on the clock and I bought it at £22K when it was 10 years old. I was living in the South with a double garage and long drive. It was a second car and I had a Citroen C4 Picasso adapted for wheelchair users. Maybe I should have bought that from Motobility after my wife passed away. But the Yeti is definitely growing on me. I might even bite the bullet and learn how to top up the windscreen washer bottle.

My sister's drive holds 5 cars and she lives somewhere else so it sits there at the moment - I would like to keep it but my community flat gives me one parking place and the Yeti now gets that.

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Changing the subject entirely - will the iPod slot work with my iPhone 11 lead. I tried it on a drive out to The High Peak last week and it wasn't keen


4912
 
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