Buggying

I am ready to get another buggy. Preferably something a bit bigger than the Peter Lynn Comp that I have, definitely want something more stable. I am leaning towards a Sysmic S2, in stainless with barrows. Also considering a Libre Vmax or a Zebra.

The thing is, I only have a hatchback for transport, so whatever buggy I get needs to break down small enough to fit in the back. I can fit the Peter Lynn in there no problem just by removing the axle. I presume I can do the same to the buggies mentioned above, and even remove the downtube from the side rails and rear wheels from the axle to make it even smaller.

How easy are these buggies to disassemble? The Sysmic looks like it has four bolts holding the axle on, I can't tell for any of the others. I don't mind spending ten minutes putting a buggy together, but I would have to put the Peter Lynn together for my wife as well, so I don't want to spend all day doing it. Anyone have experience transporting buggies in pieces?

The S2 will pack away quite tightly, johnnyG brings his in a boot or similar depending on which car he's got. Although he looks at me and johnH pull ours out of the back of utes ready to go somewhat jealously
I would get the stainless one as what vie seen of the paint job it's not as good as the libre, and a few builds/dismantle will see it gone around the bolt areas on the neck shaft.

Buy a cheap trailer ..... you (I) would eventually get the s#!ts with break down ... re build ... break down ... re build.

or maybe you wont

I know me .... n buggerthat

I break down my vmax as follows.
rear wheels off (2 bolts)
axle off (4 bolts)
take front fork and tyre off as one piece (1 bolt)

I used to get it all in the boot of a Camry with half the rear set folded down, and fits in the back of the Forester no worries. Hatchback with the seats down should be no problem at all. Good idea to put a tarp in the boot to catch all the sand and crap.

Worst thing about the whole pack and unpack thing is cleaning it before packing it into the car.

A simple trailer or a rack is a better proposition in the long run, as it allows for more buggying time. Then cleanit when you get home.

I went for the trailer option
(See avatar)

I went for the Hilux 4x4 option. now I don't even have to drag the buggy on and off the beach, just drive the ute down to where I'm going to kite


Depending on how big your hatchback is? If its a longer, 5door hatch like a lancer or focus, you may be able to fit an s2 in just by removing the rear axle. If its a shorter hatch, like a yaris, then you will also have to remove the swan neck as well. The rear axle option would only take a few minutes to remove and fit, but completely dismantling s2 will take about 15min of mucking around.

We have a Fiesta at the moment, which is not really big enough to tow a trailer, so it has to go inside.

Now with assembling two buggies, organising gear to take in buggy bags, launching two kites, possible 20 minute walk, a 40 minute drive, and time packing the car, what is an extra 5 or ten minutes to set up a bigger buggy?

Maybe the wife can launch her own kite from now on.

I can recall seeing a mounting arrangement where the buggy was attached to a modified push bike attachment on one of the international forums.

Rob Lukin had something similar on his green subaru, but I haven't seen his new van yet to confirm that he is doing something similar.

I've used the standard "bike rack" that goes on a hatchback with straps for the buggy. It works incredibly well, quick to put on and off as well.

If you're getting a Sysmic and you want to put it inside your hatch you will find you need to loosen the swan neck and take the rear axle off. With a PL/Flexi buggy you can generally just take 1 bolt out of the downtube and bend the front wheel backwards in to the seat.

I reckon you'll find stripping and rebuilding an S2 every time you go out will get old really quick!

I've only ever built an S1 so can't comment with firsthand knowledge on the S2 but I can assure you building these beasts is not a trivial task. I don't know about you, but if I were required to assemble then disassemble my bug every time I took to the beach this would seriously impair my ability to get motivated.

I'm not exactly sure what it is about the Sysmics that is so much harder to deal with than the PL buggies but they do require a lot more work. I guess there just that much heavier and the tolerances are so much tighter and so forth, so while it looks like there isn't that much more to them there ends up being a fair bit to it. For instance, it looks like that rear axle just has 2 bolts on each side rail so taking it off should be a easy job of just whipping off 4 bolts, but the bolts require spanners on both sides and when you take them out you've got 4 bolts and 4 nuts to drop in the sand, then those side rails actually fit fairly tight, and I really had to pull mine apart hard to get the axle in -and don't forget you've got that backrest holding the side rails together which you may need to loosen. Then the down tube/swan neck has 4 double sided bolts as well and two of them are mooshed in behind the side rail padding and... You get the idea.

Now I love Sysmics and really think they represent great value for dosh, but if your seriously looking at stripping the beast down every session, man, if I were you I'd be opting for something a little more manageable.
(If I were me however, I'd be opting for a different way to transport the Sysmic )

If you have your mrs to help you lift the buggy, maybe some roof racks would work. just sit the wheels on the rails and tie it down.

if your taken the misses its a no brainer !!!! piece of rope tied through the windows if u dont have a tow ball!!! her sitting in buggy with other bug tied behind as close to or on to rear axle of first bug , now get her some really hard soled shoes as my boots wore down at sandypoint with joel towing me to the inlet almost tore the heel off and only 1.5 ks away also a sharp knife to threaten to cut rope if she dont stop saying you going too quick !!!

18102008(002).jpg (295.52 KiB) Viewed 718 times

my old bug going to Stockton beach but like Joel said a bike rack works well too for smaller bugs or do what i did till i got a trailer !! And im lucky to have so many great mates that come by an picked me and my shit up when i didnt ,the other thing buggys are quite lite so a small trailer is all u need if you got room for one mine was a fixerupper put new draw bar and bits on

new pics 18th 014.JPG (3.78 MiB) Viewed 718 times

all good now cause i didnt want the hassel of pulling apart (yes that big orange bug fits in the back of a hatchback threedoor ford laser) westfire made it that way but i havent pulled it a part for over two years almost now (im lazy) and cuts into buggy time but best of luck mate in the way u wanna go (altho the misses one i still like !! )

(altho the misses one i still like !! )

I will put the proposition to her. She will probably suggest that she can drive.

I reckon you'll find stripping and rebuilding an S2 every time you go out will get old really quick!

I've only ever built an S1 so can't comment with firsthand knowledge on the S2 but I can assure you building these beasts is not a trivial task. I don't know about you, but if I were required to assemble then disassemble my bug every time I took to the beach this would seriously impair my ability to get motivated.

The lake here makes it worth a bit of effort. Otherwise I have the Peter Lynn

but the bolts require spanners on both sides

That is why you have two hands.

Seriously though, I appreciate all the advice. A trailer is out of the question at the moment. I don't see a roof rack working on our car. A bike rack may be possible, but looking at the pictures above, a medium sized bug would probably need to be disassembled to fit on it anyway. We have a bike rack, so I will try it and see.

I am fairly set on an S2, now to see if they are in stock.

Go with the pull down and pack method for the time being. At least you can buggy until you work out something else.
I have been doing it for several years that way, but you will eventually want a rack or trailer of some sort.

I'm going to get a light trailer for storage and transportation trailer eventually and kill 2 birds with one stone.

Clive is right mate after half a dozen times I was well and truely over pulling and putting it apart. Not to mentione it's not easy putting it together yourself and if it weren't for the generousity of my fellow buggy enthusiasts I would have wasted a lot more time...

To be honest after the last time I was going to sell my car and buy a ute like JohH or Clive's and be done with it. BUT I fund a guy that custom builds 4 x 4 accessories and I'm having a rack built that I will be able to attach on the tow bar and transport two buggies. Both my PL and Sysmic S2. That''s the plan. The buggy was going to go in for initial measures but holding off until after our session (planned next Friday wohooo!!!) In any case I'll post pics of the rack and details once I got it.

So Slarti, do you think the Zebra would be substantially easier to partially assemble/disassemble over the Sysmic?

Send jolli a PM, he has converted a bike rack to mount his buggy on it, he drives one of the small Ford hatches, it's a pretty neat system. The bike rack come buggy rack is mounted on his rear tow bar. Mind you this is a for a Peter Lynn bug not a big Seismic.

I think the Vmax might be a little easier to disassemble than the S2... still a bit of a pain though. Have you considered a wider axle and maybe longer side rails for the PL ?

I think the Vmax might be a little easier to disassemble than the S2... still a bit of a pain though. Have you considered a wider axle and maybe longer side rails for the PL ?

Yes, but we need a second buggy anyway, and the dry lake here is suited to going fast, so I want a buggy that is designed to be stable at speed.