Tow Hitch Motorcycle Carrier

[UberXY]

Anyone using a tow hitch mounted motorcycle hitch for a 500+ lb bike? Recommendations?

 

This kind of thingie:

 

[roadscholar]

I've got two of that brand, found both slightly used on local craigslist. One is 500lb and the other I think is 600 max although the heaviest bike I've had on either so far is about 440lbs., not really bumping the limit. I do trust their numbers though, the quality seems first rate (there appears to be some knock-offs out there of dubious merit).

 

I love it, negates all the downsides of a trailer including that it has little or no effect on fuel mileage. If there is a drawback it's that the height is a little higher than a trailer and makes solo loading somewhat dicey, but when possible I back up to a curb to get the carrier closer to the ground.

 

Lightweight bikes like this are a snap. This set-up was an experiment and worked fine for it's intended purpose although probably doesn't meet the letter of the law, or even come close for that matter. We found at night certain bikes had enough clearance between the tire and fender for the headlight beams to pass thru but others didn't reflecting the beam back at the driver, not so good.

 

[FLrider]

I bought one recently, very similar to this. The one I have has a locking chock in the front and a slide out ramp in the back. I load it by using the throttle to ride it up the ramp. My max weight is 600lbs.

 

I like it a lot. As the previous poster said, it's a lot more efficient than a trailer.

 

I'd buy another one. I bought mine on ebay.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400335835241

[UberXY]

Thanks, I will take a serious look at both of those.

 

I have a good trailer, but short trailers are hard to back up with my RV. Given that the bus weighs 32,000 lbs, adding 500 pounds to the rear to haul my K12 should not pose much of a problem.

 

 

 

[Jagman]

I saw one of these in a state park on a large RV.... looked like a good way to go. Very well built. Called a Mighty Hauler.

 

http://www.mightyhauler.com/1000m.html

[tallman]

I bought one recently, very similar to this. The one I have has a locking chock in the front and a slide out ramp in the back. I load it by using the throttle to ride it up the ramp. My max weight is 600lbs.

 

I like it a lot. As the previous poster said, it's a lot more efficient than a trailer.

 

I'd buy another one. I bought mine on ebay.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400335835241

 

 

Did you sit side saddle to ride up the ramp, or walk it, or actuall have enough clearance to ride normal seating?

[philbytx]

We used a Versa Haul on the back of our Safari Class A without any issues .

 

[eddd]

Last summer I talked with a southern California rider and wife who had one of these types of units carrying Harley dresser. They wanted to ride Zion, Bryce, and the north rim but didn't want to cross the desert on the bike. It wasn't their first trip with it.

 

It was mounted on a 1/2 ton pickup. Obviously it can be done, but it just looks like an accident waiting to happen with a bike that large especially since it hung so far off the rear of the truck.

 

A lighter bike mounted as close to the vehicle as practical would probably be no problem though I would inspect the system often for signs of metal fatigue.

[mickeym3]

I've got two of that brand, found both slightly used on local craigslist. One is 500lb and the other I think is 600 max although the heaviest bike I've had on either so far is about 440lbs., not really bumping the limit. I do trust their numbers though, the quality seems first rate (there appears to be some knock-offs out there of dubious merit).

 

I love it, negates all the downsides of a trailer including that it has little or no effect on fuel mileage. If there is a drawback it's that the height is a little higher than a trailer and makes solo loading somewhat dicey, but when possible I back up to a curb to get the carrier closer to the ground.

 

Lightweight bikes like this are a snap. This set-up was an experiment and worked fine for it's intended purpose although probably doesn't meet the letter of the law, or even come close for that matter. We found at night certain bikes had enough clearance between the tire and fender for the headlight beams to pass thru but others didn't reflecting the beam back at the driver, not so good.

 

 

road scholar; great setup (for daytime anyway), we've got an Airstream as well being pulled by a large SUV. I've been trying to figure a way to haul a CRF250L when RV'ing and live south of Savannah...any chance of loading the CRF on yours to see how it would work out, especially for nighttime running?

[szurszewski]

Last summer I talked with a southern California rider and wife who had one of these types of units carrying Harley dresser. They wanted to ride Zion, Bryce, and the north rim but didn't want to cross the desert on the bike. It wasn't their first trip with it.

 

It was mounted on a 1/2 ton pickup. Obviously it can be done, but it just looks like an accident waiting to happen with a bike that large especially since it hung so far off the rear of the truck.

 

A lighter bike mounted as close to the vehicle as practical would probably be no problem though I would inspect the system often for signs of metal fatigue.

 

We've used lighter duty models to haul Vespas (the new ones - around 250-350 lbs) with a 1/2 truck and standard SUVs. It's a little unnerving, to me, to have it back there, but we've been careful with loading and tie down and never had a problem. My parents have a similar set up on their RV for their 240lb Vespa and it's been all over the country multiple times with no trouble.

 

My aunt's boyfriend on the other hand ended up dragging his bagger, which had been mounted on a Mighty Hauler on the back of their RV, out of a gas station and half a block down the street. No fault of the rack - he had just used questionable tie downs, and no secondary tie down locations...one strap broke, so the bike fell over but remained tethered to the rig. Sigh.

 

So, while metal fatigue concerns are valid, if using a properly rated setup from a reputable manufacturer, I'd worry more about how and with what the bike was attached.

josh

[roadscholar]

 

 

road scholar; great setup (for daytime anyway), we've got an Airstream as well being pulled by a large SUV. I've been trying to figure a way to haul a CRF250L when RV'ing and live south of Savannah...any chance of loading the CRF on yours to see how it would work out, especially for nighttime running?

 

 

Sure Mickey we could do that, just pm me for contact info and to figure out a time. Meanwhile here are a couple things to think about too. The van as well as the truck pictured below are both 3500's (1 ton chassis) and have HD rear suspensions but also likely have more stout front end components (springs, tie rods, anti-sway bars, wheel bearings, brakes, etc.) than a full size suv, although I don't know that for sure. You may want to check with the service dept. for your model. I've had people suggest it might put undesirable stress on the steering and bearings, but there wasn't a noticeable change in driving characteristics on either truck. Long term I don't know, the van has just done two 800 mile trips like that.

 

Another thing is your headlights may be a different height from the bottom of the bumper (apprx. height of the carrier), some measuring may be in order then compare to the Honda's tire heights. Once we removed the DRZ's muffler and didn't fully tighten down the front suspension the headlight beams could mostly get through. Removing the front fender is another possibility but wasn't necessary for us. Also there was a rise in engine temperature due to less airflow to the radiator, but nothing harmful. Extreme conditions could change that though.

 

 

 

But here's another option. If your Airstream has a front couch layout (many do) the CRF will fit thru the door (it's why I got one, the opening has 2 inches more width than other TT doors and open space to the opposite wall) and roll it into a sturdy wheel chock. Of course use of the couch is negated temporarily but as with most redneck ideas, priorities trump sensible thinking : ) That was a 3 day, 6 bike dirt ride from Fl. to N.Ga. that allowed us to camp in the rig each night and haul the bikes and riders back home in one day (3 bikes in the back of the van, 1 on the front, and 2 in the trailer) instead of slabbing all day on a dirtbike. Loading took some wrangling but was worth it.

 

Anyway, let's talk, I'd be glad to try your bike and see how it looks. We could roll it up in the Airstream for that matter too!