Do motorcycle hitch carriers work?

Had a friend that used one for years,he made his. You could always beef it up some if you weld.

Been using my cheap AMC 400 aluminum hitch Carrier on my 4runner for about 3 years now. Yes they work, you have to get used to the rocking back and forth. The anti sway things work a little, but none of them are perfect.

Mine looks flimsy but I use it all the time. Works good but moves around...I don't care as long as it stays on.

My dad used to use one, looked like such a pain in the ass, especially after a hard day riding

I've used mine to carry both my CRF and my CBR900... Had it now for about 4 years... I'm happy with it

Works pretty good for what it is.
Don't have to deal with max speed of trailer.
Don't have to worry about maneuvering/parking w/ trailer.
Roll it up the ramp much easier than going into truck bed.
Your F150 will be just fine. Use minimum class 3 IIRC. Tongue weight comes into play, check MFR's specs. Not a good option for very lightweight/crossover SUV's.

I have used one for about 8 years now on a Tahoe when I do not feel like towing my trailer. Some bikes seem to "sit" better on it than others but overall the one I have has worked out better than expected. Of course I strap the bike just in case...

Used a cheap one last weekend. Had to stop and tie the bike up all crazy bc it was leaning like a cholo

I had one at one point. Thought it was tied down adequately but my bike popped off if it when I was doing one of our crazy gas station entry. Made the truck articulate enough for the straps to go loose. Didn't hurt a damn thing but freaked me out enough to go back to my enclosed trailer or back of the toyota PU.

I'm using a Mototote behind my 4runner. No problems so far. Kind of pricey but you get what you pay for.

I have one of the double from amc I modded it to get rid of the sway and it's been great.

I used a Joe Hauler hitch on our RV several times and it worked great. I would suggest not going the cheap route. Would hate to have one of those snap off on you

Been using one for years. One trick I do aside from the usual tie down points is run a ratcheting tie down from one foot peg underneath the carrier to the other foot peg and crank it down.

I made one and used a bike shoe as the tie down. It has worked great and no worry about the bike coming off or getting loose.
I did not like the majority of the factory units as they seemed a bit weak and poorly built for me.

Paw Paw

Ultimate MX Hauler

/thread

I used one on my Suzuki Samurai for ever. I still have it, the hitch not the Samurai , and use it on my wife's Navigator. Works great.

When you say double, do you mean 2 bikes?

This year thought I would go the eco-route and added a receiver hitch to my Equinox...went to Harbor Freight and bought their carrier, with a coupon for $99!
This carrier actually works OK; of course there are WAYYY better options out there. Be careful to NOT over load it. The majority of the carrier is made of extruded aluminum like a door or window frame material, of course the main spar is heavy steel, though. The steel spar is connected the the carrier frame by a fairly large extruded piece on the bottom side but its not beefy enuf IMO, I cracked one (luckily I noticed the cracking before it broke off) and Harbor Freight swapped the whole thing out for me-very excellent customer service within the 90 day warranty.
Their is a bit of sway, but it does not hurt anything.
I'll likely add a piece of steel angle under there and I'll be all set.
Loading/unloading is not so bad after you do it a few times. Easier than loading into the old 4x4 especially in the wet or muddy or dark, etc.

Normally I haul in a utility trailer, but lately have been hauling only one bike, and the trailer is overkill.

I had been considering buying one when this thread popped up. The cheapy model Harbor Freight sells gets mixed reviews, mostly based on it's flexy build and low quality bracing prone to overload and cracking if you're not careful when you load/unload. It's currently being sold for $130 and everybody has access to a 20% discount which makes it about $105.

The local Cycle Gear store sells an all-steel unit for $120. Also has customer review complaints about a short ramp.

My nephew drove up last night with one on his truck that uses a heavier aluminum platform, and heavier steel bracing. He bought it used, and has had good experience with it. The ramp it comes with is longer than the HF unit, which is also a customer review complaint.

I found the model my nephew has online. It's an AMC-400, and discountramps.com sells it on ebay for $125 with free shipping.

I have one on the way. I'll recover the cost of the unit in PA Turnpike tolls (2 axles instead of 3 when hauling a trailer) and fuel cost in half a dozen trips.

H

I had one in the mid 2k hauled my 450exc,400exc and my 04 zx10r on it, It was the rail type with tie downs. like above you'll never get all of the sway out bit if you tightenit up every fuel stop you'll be fine.

I used the harbour freight one for years. It is a little flimsy but I had no problems with it,

We've used an add-a-bike hauler on the back of the van and never had any issues. Reinforced some of the welds but it is great, much easier to load up after a long day or motoing. Also doesn't even need tiedowns, can get the bike on and off in 15 seconds. Looking into getting another one for my crossover but just concerned on the hitch weight.

http://www.addabike.com/HOME.html

They work great so long as you don't buy a cheap imitation. I would highly recommend a Joe Hauler. They are well-built, American made and have been battle tested for years.

My buddy has a dual bike hitch carrier from Joe Hauler and we've carried a pig XR650 and 450 on that thing without a problem.

Just make damn sure you strap the wheels down. Another friend of mine neglected to do this and the rear wheel popped out of the track and he dragged his KX450 behind his 5th wheel until it caught on fire and burned to the ground.

Yep have hauled 2 bikes on one all over the place.

There is a way to get the sway out. I countersunk a pilot hole in my receiver. Just right around the edge where the metal is doubled up. This lets the center bolt on the anti sway got into the hole and set solid. Completely gets rid of all the sway.

I got one for free with a bike i bought and I love it. The best thing i found to do was run a strap from the bike to the hitch itself along with the two to the carrier. steadys the bike up alot

Don't bother.

I like that one!!!!! That's a Bike Show on the front of it.

FYI: If you can eliminate the sway of the bumper carrier is will work fine.

Paw Paw