Hubby wants Hyperbike

[Mominis]

I was just messing around online and looking at stuff when hubby saw the Hyperbike over my shoulder. He has decided that he wants one "Baaad!" Does anyone here have one (Leia, you'll be getting a PM from me soon) and can I get your opinons on them? Thanks.

 

[Sue_C.]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

No PM needed Mimi, all my comments on the Hyperbike are positive and I'm proud to say so in public.

There are things it isn't suited for (starting green horses, roadster in the show ring, taking two people) but for what it's designed for it absolutely can't be beat. The thing is the most stable vehicle I've ever driven, bar none, and goes up hill and down dale like a tank. NOTHING stops this cart. Horses love it as they can just about pick up and fly. At this point with his back injury it's the only thing I'm confident hitching Kody to and it was invaluable for getting him slowly reconditioned after his stifle surgeries the other year. It is an amazing off-road machine and lots of fun on the beach and thanks the light weight and no-tools disassembly it's very easy to haul along even for one small person. You two could have a blast with a matching set!

Leia

 

[Mominis]

Well, I'll get it for him but he can't use it with Shake, who will be ready for one before his horse will. I'm locking the stall door...I mean it!!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Aw come on, Mimi! Shake would love it! His tail would have so much more room to drape under the cart....

Leia

 

[Mominis]

Hey now, no hating on the tail! The horse is worth $10k extra because of the tail!

 

[LazyRanch]

Does anyone here have one and can I get your opinons on them? Thanks.

I have had my HyperBike since March. I got two tyre sets: Fat Daddys and airless - needed the airless for ADTs. I have a little over 400 miles on the airless set and about 100 on the Fat Daddys. I had the Fat Daddys for a couple months before putting air in them and about another month or so before actually putting them on the 'Bike. Boy are they ever nice!! I was worried about the goat heads, but haven't had a flat yet.

I drive my 'Bike hard - and I mean, seriously hard. Roads, trails, mud, water, bush, brush (sometimes higher than our heads!), gravel, rutted dirt roads. Pretty much if you name it, we've driven on, over or under it (big culverts). My horse loved the HyperBike from the first second. He can bend and fly and turn effortlessly. In fact, I drive the HyperBike all three phases of our ADTs - yes, the dressage! At our last ADT, the dressage judge scored us VERY high on Presentation.

Mom's horse would hide in his stall every time I pulled out the HyperBike. I'd have to drag him out to hitch him. About the third hitch, he suddenly discovered a new gear. Since then, he's discovered a whole new freedom in all his gaits and paces. In fact, he has become such a cones fiend, I took him to his first Darby. We entered as Novice - no cantering - and he had the second fastest time of the day, including horses, ponies and VSEs and he trotted the course. As soon as I figure how to get photos up, I will put a couple of both horses and the HyperBike up.

You cannot wreck them. They are almost impossible to turn over. I did flip mine - PJ had a temper tantrum, reared up and ran on his hind legs. He hit a post and wire fence which flexed and literally hurled him up and over the cart. I do remember thinking, as I was looking at more and more sky between his ears, how happy he wasn't a horse. He landed on my chest, then continued on, landing in the mud on his back. Because my feet were in the stirrups, they weren't trapped in the basket of an EE cart, so I could wriggle myself out from under. I remain absolutely positive that would not have happened in an EE cart; I'd have been trapped. I am sure this would have been a horrible wreck had we not been in the HyperBike. It took me a minute to get myself freed up and PJ disconnected and free. He was fine; the 'Bike was fine. We re-harnessed and hitched in no time.

Oh and one other REALLY nice feature: the HyperBike weighs next to nothing! I'm 4'10 and can toss the 'Bike up into the truck bed. One morning I had a really early start, and I hitched the trailer before putting the 'Bike in the back. Later in the day, I could have put the 'Bike up and over the side of the truck bed, but at that hour of the day, I wasn't quite there yet. So, I popped off the shafts and the tyres, and put everything in the front of the trailer, under the feeder tack compartment. My buddy yelled I had forgot something when I pulled up (asked if I'd at least remembered the horse). Boy was he surprised when about 3 minutes later, that HyperBike appeared from "nowhere"!

You cannot beat how easy the HyperBike is to get somewhere.

You won't regret a HyperBike. Your husband will have the best time ever. You'll end up getting one too.

 

[Mominis]

Thanks for that. I think I'm sold on the idea!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

You cannot wreck them. They are almost impossible to turn over. I did flip mine -

Wow, that's impressive! I've TRIED to flip mine and couldn't!

I have literally run one wheel up a stump as tall as my horse (by accident, I'll admit) and thought for sure we'd go over but nope. I ran most of a 5km Section E marathon on a bare wheel rim once when Kody managed to peel the tube off the airless tire in a hazard and the wheel wasn't even chewed up.

These things are tough.

Because my feet were in the stirrups, they weren't trapped in the basket of an EE cart, so I could wriggle myself out from under. I remain absolutely positive that would not have happened in an EE cart; I'd have been trapped. I am sure this would have been a horrible wreck had we not been in the HyperBike.

Nope, it definitely wouldn't have happened. You would have been ejected from that "easy exit" cart long before PJ could flip on it!

EE's are very easy to accidentally slide out of and are prone to flipping over sideways due to their high, narrow profile, but they are very hard for a horse to flip over backwards because of the length of the rig. Most the time the horse will flip in the shafts and ends up bending one or breaking something. It happens all the time in Jerald-style show carts which are even lower and shorter than an easy entry so I can't imagine what it would take to flip an EE backwards.

I'm sure someone here has seen it though!

I wonder how bad being trapped under a mini-sized EE would actually be. They only weigh about 70lbs and come to think of it, the singletree and seat back would be the points contacting the ground so I bet the basket would actually be propped up and fairly easy to crawl out from under. Hmm! Not an experiment I'd care to try, but interesting.

I do agree with you about Hyperbikes being Godsends in an accident though. About the time I was being dragged under the wheel of one in KY by a wrist tangled in the reins while the horse galloped frantically cross country I remember thinking it was a really good thing the cart only weighed about 37lbs!! Otherwise the sound it was making as it spun on my helmet and back might have been a bit nastier.

After being pried out of the tree they were wrapped around, the horse and I were both fine with mild lacerations, bruising and one good "vet-quality injury" each but the harness, Hyperbike, mare and I were all back to driving the next day with some minor repairs.

Leia

 

[LazyRanch]

Wow, that's impressive! I've TRIED to flip mine and couldn't!

I have literally run one wheel up a stump as tall as my horse (by accident, I'll admit) and thought for sure we'd go over but nope. I ran most of a 5km Section E marathon on a bare wheel rim once when Kody managed to peel the tube off the airless tire in a hazard and the wheel wasn't even chewed up.

These things are tough.

Leia

Well we did have a lot of help from that fence. I don't think PJ ever saw it as it was all covered in tumbleweeds - 6' high.

I cannot imagine flipping one sideways though. I have also hit some fairly high stuff - also usually covered in tumbleweeds - but it's solid as can be. I let a fellow drive his daughter's horse hitched to my 'Bike. He started galloping like a locomotive. We were standing under a tent in the corner of the arena when he blasted by us. One lady behind me just covered her eyes - couldn't figure how the cart was going to make the corner and figured we'd be the backstop for driver, cart, horse, because we had no place to go. HyperBike never turned a hair or lifted a wheel. It did lift a wheel when he ran over his EE cart's shafts, though. We'd parked it off to the side, out of the way, and he still hit it! But the 'Bike just rolled on over the shafts about half way up them and bounced down flat and moving.

I have heard some pretty grim stories about EE carts and seen a couple ejections. I'm sticking with the 'Bike. Although, I did make one venture out into a mini pleasure class with the EE cart. My coach started yelling "Blasphemy! BLASPHEMY!! Cheryl's in an easy entry!" After driving the HyperBike so much, I was totally horrified when the EE cart started to slew! And Rascal hadn't even hit 3rd gear! I will call it driver error, of course, but the turn was half the arena wide, and we can make half that in the 'Bike, so who knew?

In any case, I'd like to say that will be the last wreck, but as you have experienced, and likely I will as well, road rash happens.

 

[susanne]

At the 2008 Happs VSE Driving Trials Twice, Mingus decided he wasn't crossing the creek -- while we were half-way down the very steep bank. He made a sharp left, putting me at a 45 degree angle in the HyperBike. WAny other cart would have acted like a slingshot, and I would have been swimming with the fishies, but with the HB I just held my breath, braced myself between the stirrups and the seat back, and stayed on board. (After that first refusal, Mingus gritted his teeth and pushed on through, then decided that creeks are kind of fun...)

 

[BigDogs & LittleHorses]

I have to say that I love mine, too. Super easy to transport, set up and break back down. Less weight equals guilt when using it on a weaker or more elderly animal, but you get extra performance out of any horse.

I think it's cooler looking also than other carts, just bare bones what you need and nothing you don't. It is to the carting world what a chopper is to a motorcycle in that respect. Is has a little wilder attitude.

Some drawbacks... you can't take a friend for a ride and it's not easy entry! I think it's a little more tiring on your legs, but your leg strength eventually compensates after regular use. But the great thing is since your legs ARE always involved in the ride rather than mostly hanging in a basket, you are always braced and more prepared for corners and bumps!

I also like being a little closer to the horse; it's more like horseback riding...more like you are a team together!

Daryl

P.S. I'll have to confirm with Bob, but I think my mare Dancer was used in the original development of the Hyperbike before I bought her, and also modeled the Hyperbike on his website for many years.

 

[Carriage]

Daryl

P.S. I'll have to confirm with Bob, but I think my mare Dancer was used in the original development of the Hyperbike before I bought her, and also modeled the Hyperbike on his website for many years.

Wow Daryl, I didn't know that you owned that many Be Bop horses. Yes Dancer was used on the original as was Legacy and Billy. She was also my first favorite due to her demeanor and nice size. She brought allot more beef to the party. She took to the cart VERY quickly. Also its hard to resist those blue eyes. Ya gotta go scritch on her.

Leia said,

"Wow, that's impressive! I've TRIED to flip mine and couldn't!"

Um,...... Why? Do you own stock in Grecian formula for men? Let us count the ways to keep a fabricator awake at night......

I do recall a few years ago quietly telling you that you really hadn't scratched the surface, performance wise" with the 'Bike. You, quite rightly, told me that you wanted to take it slow and easy and take the proper steps necessary in order to increase performance. I thought "Ok, gotta respect that line of cogent thinking." Fast forward a year later and you were regaling me with the story of cresting a hill, having the 'Bike do a "Streets of San Francisco" style clearing of the ground on the crest and you becoming airborne off the seat as well.....

The 'Bike has been used unconventionally and running over stuff for years. The first off track use was as a means to round up a mini heard. After it ran over the front end of a Vega, we suspected we were on to something FAR bigger than just racing.

Seriously People, as I never get to see this stuff in person, I need to start thinking of offering a helmet cam of some sort. Although, perhaps seeing these things would be counter-productive in that I would need sedatives... On the bright side, I'm sure we could keep Funniest Home video's going for years.

All the false complaining aside, we revel in the antics some of our peeps pursue in either the knowing or "uh oh" mode. As I tend to get bored easy, I do try to plan for the "What if I....?"

We just ask that you think of the horse's safety first, that your affairs are in order and that your surviving horse have a good home to go to...

Bb

 

[CZP1]

How are they for people who have back problems? (Lower back)

 

[whitney]

I don't have a hyperbike but my fiance made one using the hyperbike as a model and I LOVE IT, and, I bet you money after you drive it you'll be fighting over it. The thing is so light and agile, it is the closest you can get to a driving horse. I kid David that we could break the minis to saddle all we would have to do is tie some weight on their back and hitch them to the bike you can actually cue with your legs. I have 3 carts and it is my FAVORITE! I hate my easy entry cart now its like driving a bus. GO FOR IT you won't be sorry. I have lower back pain but the seat has a slight backward tilt and lotsa a padding it is very comfy. You wouldn't think so but getting out of this cart is much easier than the easy entry....I've done a flying dismount more than once. Also not sure if this is something the hyperbike people would want to look into but David put a swivel on the seat so I can use it as a training cart and sit backwards. It also makes it easier to get into. For young horses I believe they like these carts better they are lighter but also they are so agile that the horse never feels trapped in any situation they can just pivot out of just about anything.

 

[Sue_C.]

David put a swivel on the seat so I can use it as a training cart and sit backwards. It also makes it easier to get into.

Okay, you've gotten my attention...what, pray tell, does driving backwards have to do with training a horse???

I would be afraid of the seat swiveling on a rought part of the trail?? OOPSIE-DAISY...KERPLUNK...

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Leia said,
"Wow, that's impressive! I've TRIED to flip mine and couldn't!"

Um,...... Why? Do you own stock in Grecian formula for men? Let us count the ways to keep a fabricator awake at night......

Um, because you told me to test it into the ground? *grin*

Fast forward a year later and you were regaling me with the story of cresting a hill, having the 'Bike do a "Streets of San Francisco" style clearing of the ground on the crest and you becoming airborne off the seat as well.....

Oh yeah- forgot about that!

As it turns out, a Hyperbike and a dirt bike track are a fun combination. I thought Kody was hiding a rocket-launcher under his tail that day...he darn near broke orbit as we ricocheted off the third hump of the track!

I was sooooo glad for that seatback. I would have been flipped out the back without it.

We just ask that you think of the horse's safety first, that your affairs are in order and that your surviving horse have a good home to go to...

We promise, Bob.

Leia

 

[LazyRanch]

How are they for people who have back problems? (Lower back)

I have had people with back problems sit in my HB and say that it's the most comfortable cart they have ever been in, and some who cannot sit in it at all. And then there was the guy who sat in it and we just fiddled with the seat and stirrups until he was comfortable. He drove it for about 20 minutes and scared his wife so bad she threatened him with divorce if he ever got one. Looked like he was having a lot of fun to me.

I think it just depends on the person and how willing they are to play with the adjustments until it's just right for them.

 

[LazyRanch]

Um,...... Why? Do you own stock in Grecian formula for men? Let us count the ways to keep a fabricator awake at night......

Seriously People, as I never get to see this stuff in person, I need to start thinking of offering a helmet cam of some sort. Although, perhaps seeing these things would be counter-productive in that I would need sedatives... On the bright side, I'm sure we could keep Funniest Home video's going for years.

We just ask that you think of the horse's safety first, that your affairs are in order and that your surviving horse have a good home to go to...

Bb

Come on Bob! I think we decided I am older than you are!! While I will say PJ and I are more aware of where the fences are (brush covered and all) I will also say that pretty much everything driving is unconventional to me, still.

Funny you should mention using the 'Bike to round up. Last week, we used it to herd our neighbour's St. Bernard home. If you take hold of her collar, she lays over on her back and you have to drag her home by her legs. I thought about harnessing her, then found she herded very nicely. OH! and a couple months ago, our other neighbour's miniature Angus bull rolled under his fence into my hazards course - while we were driving in it. By the time he got his cutter saddled up, we already had the little rascal herded up to the gate for him. Couldn't have done that in an EE - too many twists and turns!

But, too, taking your advice on remembering to have a good home - just in case!

Will try to behave ourselves!

Cheryl

 

[gatorbait4sure]

Buy one, You'll love it!

I too have tried to tip mine and failed.....BUT I now know I can get it up pretty high...high enough for the horse to get worried!

The seat it comes with is nicely padded and has springs so when you are racing up a trail and run over a 4 inch log you don't get hemorrhoids!

You do, however, get soaked when racing with it in the surf....but then after thinking about this, that is part of the fun if it! They hose off well too.

dru, and "I can't believe you put her in that cart, Elle"