Motorcycle travel ukulele

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I do a bit of motorcycle touring and enjoy playing a uke at camp. I have been carrying a Kala travel soprano. That's been fun but a tenor or bari would be a bit more satisfying. I am looking for advice on a uke and case that may fit my travel needs.

I say bari because that is what I mainly play and I am most comfortable with the DGBE tuning.

My concerns are mainly with a case that can protect the uke in dust and rain conditions, size and price. I hate to break the bank on something I may damage in a situation where the bike wants to take a nap. A bonus would be a uke I can strap to a backpack when hiking.

First thought is a Kala travel tenor. The thin body would work well on the backpack. I like the idea of the optional hard case I can mount to the bike. Low G tuning should let me do the fingering I do on my bari.

Thoughts?

A pic with the soprano on the scooter.
CIMG2816_zps5qvkkmxa.jpg
 
Get a Flea or a Fluke. I've had my concert Flea on three continents. It lives in my car winter & summer, from below zero to over 100. Usually in tune. Bulletproof.
 
If worried about replacing a broken uke - a Kala or Ohana, laminate baritone or tenor (which can easily be tuned to DGBE), would be good choices, & put into an ABS case, should solve the weather problems. (Possibly strapped to the rear of your pannier, upright.)
 
I see ABS cases like the Crossrock 800. Are these things water tight?
I assume the Kala and Ohana ABS cases are rebranded Crossrocks.
 
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I was just thinking any make of ABS styled case - I would think they'd be at least shower proof, but I would put a bin liner/plastic bag over it whilst travelling to be sure of stopping water ingress. :)
 
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Kala makes a travel version in Baritone (it is pretty rare though/ hard to find). Just make sure you get it from a reputable dealer who does setups
 
Nice Beemer. I have a Fluke that I strap on my Moto Guzzi Norge. It's in a Mono M80 case wrapped in a plastic trash bag. Works ok, but not crash proof......... but then again what really is?
 
For a high quality ukulele the Tiny Tenor is good, but, unfortunately, it's not that much smaller than an everyday tenor. And possibly they go over the "expendable" price by a hundred dollars or so. I think a thin uke is a good choice for cutting down the overall size, but the thinness would be wasted on any commercial case...does anybody make a thin case?
 
First of all, nice ride! Used to ride Yamahas more than anything else, and still miss it.

It seems this may be one of those situations where the case may end up costing more than an instrument. Waterproof and padded well enough so the instrument isn't beaten up during the ride, and sized so it can be easily and securely attached - tough criteria!

Agree with the Flea/Fluke thought, especially with all the vibration and such the instrument will endure. My Flea is tougher than my Jeep.
 
Thanks for the input everyone.

A Fluke seems like the best option for a travel uku but no hard case option takes it out of the running for the bike. There was a nice one in the Market Place not long ago.

The ABS Crossrock seems like the smart way to go. I could mount it to a pannier lid and not have to strap it. Good for quick access. I like the lock the zippered Crossrocks have. Wish there was a dealer here in Vegas where I could see these in person.

I don't think the soft bags will work. I have to strap things down very tight for rough back country trails. The wash boards get rough in Death Valley or Escalante. Phones and cameras don't last long unless I keep them in my pocket. The guts shake loose pretty fast.

I'm also not to keen on putting the case inside a water proof bag like a trash bag. More likely I would put the uke in a plastic bag inside the case. That's what I did with my soprano. Lucky I haven't needed to use the plastic bag so far.

Think I'm going to pull the plug on a Kala travel tenor hard case and look for a used travel uku. The travel uke will work well back packing. It looks like Kala has stopped making that case so I better get one while I still can. Need to give this project some more thought.
 
stevejfc said:
Nice Beemer. I have a Fluke that I strap on my Moto Guzzi Norge. It's in a Mono M80 case wrapped in a plastic trash bag. Works ok, but not crash proof......... but then again what really is?
Click to expand...

Nice bike. The Moto Guzzi Stelivo maybe my next ride.

Another pic of the bike somewhere in Death Valley on the way home from Mammoth. I get a bit stupid with it.
IMG_2855_zpsf8wvmied.jpg
 
Contact the Magic Fluke Co., there are some hard cases that fit.....I just can't remember which ones.
Guzzis are great bikes, but in hot weather they can get uncomfortable. They V slants 90* cylinder heads blow the engine heat on your thighs.
 
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I have a Honda 1100 Shadow; a 750 Shadow and an 883 Harley Sportster. I have no troubles with slinging two Eddy Finn Travel concerts across my back when the weather is nice. (one tuned linear-1 reentrant) When it is rainy I put on my rain gear, put both ukes (in nicely padded gig bags) into a large garbage can liner and tie the bottom end closedwith small zip tie. I put them behind me and secure them to me with a bungee cord that hold them tightly against me. AS I am writing this I am reminded of the wide elastic support belt that I have. That will work even better. These are both wood instruments.
I just got a shipment of the Eddy Finn all plastic soprano and concert models. They play well, and would certainly take any weather condition in stride.

You must be tall...There isn't a BMW that I can touch the ground with in a normal straight up position. Two smaller trash can liners would also work.
 
Ya but you are in Oregon. Even when the speed limit gets over 55 you get stuck behind some guy with yellow plates going 40. Utah has a lot of 80 mph zones that will shred a trash bag in a couple miles. :rolleyes:
 
A friend of mine builds a unique travel uke called the Pahulele. Pahu in Hawaiian means 'box'.

I did a review a while back, and there are a few videos on YouTube with Reid showing both the
takedown (about 30 seconds) and the set up. about 3 minutes :)

while not everyone's cup of tea, I believe it is an option for anyone who wants a very sturdy, self-
contained travel uke which is literally as strong as a plywood box... which is what it is.

Let's say, it has its own appeal.

I took mine with me back to HNL this summer and played it at Ala Moana Food Court a couple of
times. I had purchased a cheap soprano from the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, and mostly played
that for the summer :)

Anyway, please check out the Pahulele, you might like it!

keep uke'in',
travel uke
 
here's some additional info re: the Pahulele

Pahulele Notes: Creator Reid Shigemura, HNL, HI

Pahulele Dimensions:

Travel/Storage (Stowed) mode: disassembled
Soprano: measures 6" x 10" x 2-1/2"
Tenor: measures 7" x 12-1/2" x 2-1/2".

Play mode: assembled
Soprano is 6" x 18" x 2-1/2" (8” is neck)
Tenor is 7" x 23-1/2" x 2-1/2" (11” is neck)

I hope this helps :)
 
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