My friends and I have recently started using trail bikes to explore and access more remote areas and have stumbled upon this dilemma. Have any of you ever tried to make a rack suited for crash pads or seen one? For the moment I am just wearing it on my back but the weight distribution causes balance problems. Also sits too high to clear trees comfortably.
Vrooom vrooom!

Wouldn't a lightweight trailer like a mt bike trailer be best? Or you you on too rough terrain for that?

Way too rough for that. But a trailer is what one friend is getting for road travel to local developed crags.

Doesn't that create a significant sail effect on the back of a bike, or are you not getting enough speed to be a factor?

Anything under 30 is fine. I want the rack for stability.

They make bicycle racks for surfboards. Perhaps you could somehow use that as a starting point for the motorcycle. I've encountered the same problem with my bike and just carry it on my bike, which does create a nice sail if I drive too fast. Also makes it tough to check over my shoulder for cars...

Thinking about the problem for a minute, a sissy bar turned sideways and (or even wider triangle) slide the crashpad over it such that the bar rides up inside the folded side and bottoms out on the pad hinge (does this description even make sense). Then some way to hold it on to the sissy bar. That would make the narrow profile of the pad be inline with the bike. (note I am not a motor cycle rider or a heavy user of crash pads, but I do like to solve problems).

As you've mentioned you don't want the pad to stick up too high (for balance and clearance issues), and you also need to remember that you can't cover up your brake light/signals. It it were me riding, I wouldn't want it mounted such that it has a big wind profile in either direction...especially sideways (even a small sideways gust on a relatively high mounted pad wouldn't be fun). Given this, I would probably make a rack like this, where red is the rack and green is your pad. This wouldn't be hard to fabricate, and it could also act as a luggage rack when you don't have the pad.

Motorcycle crash pad suggestion. Submitted By: Ian Stewart on Mar 23, 2012

I would just wear the crashpad and not go over 15 mph. Seems to be the cheapest way!

Ian, thanks for the pic. That is the general concept my friend and I were leaning towards. We are going to try and fab a prototype soon.
PS: this is for offroad use trail riding. Max speeds of 40 mph.