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Location: Avon, IN USA
yeah yeah, go ahead and laugh
but seriously, has anyone done this or considered it? I drive a ton of miles per day, most trucks get shit MPG and I dont use a truck bed for anything other than the bike, which even that is rare. Ive seen some guys at locals with the ramp that you drive up on, hell even a guy with a newer Audi with one and a brand spankin new ktm 450 on it. bropinions welcome
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Location: Humboldt, CA USA
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Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID USA
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Joined: 5/3/2017
Location: Pinckney, MI USA
I bought one from discountramps.com. We don't have a pickup and I got tired of borrowing my father-in-laws trailer, so I got one. Works great on the back of my wife's Traverse.
http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-carrier/p/AMC-400/
2008 Honda CRF450R
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Location: Ithaca, NY USA
Edited Date/Time:
I'd advise against it. You're going to be above the tongue weight for a Class 1 car hitch, and the extra leverage will make the front wheels extremely light. Recipe for disaster IMO.
Go buy a cheap Tractor Supply trailer for $500 and you'll be much better off. I tow mine with my 01 Acura with no problems
Posts: 331
Joined: 1/31/2017
Location: Irvine, CA USA
Exactly what Jbulz said. You have to make sure the rated tongue weight is fairly stout for the vehicle that it's going on. I use an "add a bike" on the back of my Touareg tdi and it's great, but no way I'd put it on anything that is rated close to the weight of the bike plus carrier. These things put some leverage on the back of the vehicle. If you go this route, get a decent quality carrier. Mine is aluminum but still very sturdy. It also has a wheel chock in the front that folds up so you only need two tie downs to secure the bike. Makes for fast loading/unloading. I've seen the versahaul's in person as well and they're very sturdy. Same with the ultimate mx hauler thing that is on the Audi above. I would not trust the cheap chinese shit. I think they are hit or miss.
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Location: Haleyville, AL USA
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Joined: 3/6/2017
Location: Indian Trail, NC USA
I have one that I bought from Harbor Freight and I run it on my Nissan rogue. Works well, but I hate it. I like throwing my gear/tools/gas on the back of a truck and just hitting the road. With a hitch carrier you have a process to follow and if you miss steps it will just piss you off (example, loading the bike before putting my gear bag in the back of the vehicle...or loading the bike on the carrier then realizing you didn't put straps on it) Plus putting your gear bag and supplies in the back of your family car will get it filthy not to mention I for one am not going to put a gas can in my car so I have to fill my bike up at the pump before I hit the road.
I would say it probably takes me 30 - 45 minutes at the minimum to load up (that's changing kid's dvd player to my wife's car and pulling out all of the kiddie essentials she'll need while I'm riding). Putting the thing on is a pain in the rear, storing the thing is a pain in the rear. Its just a process that makes riding more of a chore honestly. I long for the day that I can get another truck.
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Location: Orlando, FL USA
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Location: AUS
urbanlift707 wrote:
I just bought this one and did 2000 miles in a week with it. To be honest I don't even know the brand, just picked it up at ...more
Anyone had experience with both the track type as per previous post versus the platform type stand used in the quoted post here? Pros/Cons of each.
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Location: Humboldt, CA USA
I've owned both now that I just got this one last week. My ramp style one I built myself and is great, I built it long enough that I could still have the tailgate down on my truck, thus I could carry 4 bikes.
The problem with that one was for my wife's ford explorer, it was too low to the ground and would scrape all the time. They are better suited for trucks.
This new unit is super stout and has the bike very high up, it also doubles as a stand at the track. This style is a must for SUV's imo, but you would not be able to put a tailgate down with it hooked up.
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urbanlift707 wrote:I've owned both now that I just got this one last week. My ramp style one I built myself and is great, I built it long enough ...more
Thanks for the reply.
What brand is that one you just recently got? When you lower the stand (bike off) can you open the tailgate?
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Joined: 5/25/2014
Location: San Diego, CA USA
I want to go this route, too, on my next vehicle. But I'm thinking of fabbing something that comes
out off the back of the car at the frame rails, going directly under each wheel of the bike.
Skip the whole trailer hitch thing.
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Location: Humboldt, CA USA
https://www.btosports.com/p/ULTMXHAUL/option/MXHAUL-BLK?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gs_allproducts&utm_content=18478794385&utm_term=&matchtype=&adposition=1o4&device=c&adtype=pla&product_id=MXHAUL-BLK&product_country=US&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7MzuwaWm1QIVioZ-Ch2YbAyoEAQYBCABEgLsjPD_BwE
I paid like $380 OTD with tax from my dealer. Yes the tailgate opened, but it is close. I've gotta move my hand gaurds in a tad.
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Location: AUS
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I should clarify, I can open the tailgate of the explorer with the bike fully up and ready to travel. I cannot open a truck tailgate with it up.
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Location: VA, USA
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Location: West Milford, NJ USA
urbanlift707 wrote:
I just bought this one and did 2000 miles in a week with it. To be honest I don't even know the brand, just picked it up at ...more
I have used both...The platform type is nice if your bike fits properly without hitting the linkage and the bike being balanced on it. I like the the type that holds the bike via foot pegs...A major downside is that the bottle jack seals often go bad and you're stuck buying a specific one for the rack that goes low enough...Tough to find and expensive.
The track type is easy but I don't find it to be high enough off the ground depending on the vehicle it is on.
The other solution others have mentioned is a small utility trailer, which is what I have ultimately ended up with myself. It is just so much easier to throw everything on the trailer, plus mine is small enough where I can put the EZ-Up around it and have a cool place to sit between motos and not have to worry about gear bags etc sitting in the mud! I tow mine with my VW Golf and still get around 25MPG to boot.
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Location: Raleigh/Durham, NC USA
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Location: Huntington Beach, CA USA
Edited Date/Time:
I run a Snugtop, so I bought the AMC 400 that folds up. No problems to report, but I have only used it for short hauls to the woods with a XR200 strapped onboard. Sure beats the hell out of dragging the old 24-footer around all the time.
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Joined: 8/6/2010
Location: Nashville, TN USA
I have this one on my SUV... I was skeptical at first but have been very happy with it...
https://www.cyclegear.com/accessories/trackside-motorcycle-carrier
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Joined: 1/7/2009
Location: Cincinnati, OH USA
Here's my setup. Works great. I've seen the same hauler mounted on one of those small Nissan Jukes.
2013 KTM 450SXF, 1983 YZ 250K, & 1983 CR 250
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Location: Cincinnati, OH USA
urbanlift707 wrote:
I just bought this one and did 2000 miles in a week with it. To be honest I don't even know the brand, just picked it up at ...more
I had the platform type and decided to sell it and get a rail type. I really wish I had kept the platform type. It raised the bike a little higher and also you could lower it a little to get the back window open without completely removing the bike. Dumb move on my part.
2013 KTM 450SXF, 1983 YZ 250K, & 1983 CR 250
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Joined: 1/7/2009
Location: Cincinnati, OH USA
Some company in Indiana was selling really small plastic sided enclosed trailers that were big enough for 1 or 2 bikes. Anyone know who that was or better yet have a link?
2013 KTM 450SXF, 1983 YZ 250K, & 1983 CR 250
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Location: San Diego, CA USA
Madmax31 wrote:Here's my setup. Works great. I've seen the same hauler mounted on one of those small Nissan Jukes.
Hey Max, that's sorta what I'm thinking; a rack on the back of a smaller SUV-ish vehicle. But people just
loose their shit saying no way you should go with that much weight on a unibody car. Had any issues?
Does the front end of the car get light and wander? Can the rear suspension handle it? Does the carrier drag
on driveway entrances and the like?
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Joined: 7/4/2009
Location: West Palm Beach, FL USA
Edited Date/Time:
I have the platform type (like a bike stand on steroids) and have used it on my Range Rover Sport and now on my Tesla Model X. I had to get a tongue extender for the Range Rover as the rack wouldn't slide in far enough to pin before hitting the rear bumper. No issue with the Model X.
Pros:
Takes up hardly any room in garage when not in use.
Keeps bike well off the ground. Never drug it going through a dip.
Nothing touches car.
Able to lower bike to open rear hatch or tailgate if you need to access without unloading bike
Cons:
Heavy as fuck to carry when off car and to line up the receiver male/female parts
No way to haul fuel (they sell a fuel jug carrier.- I got it but my jug didn't fit)
Carries the bike and that is about it
If the bottle jack goes your fucked (there is a locking pin so your bike won't flip down and get drug down road)
Must buy locking hitch pins but I guess they all need that
And it's pricey. Around $400 I think, It is called the Ultimate MX hauler.
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Location: AUS
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Location: Sparta, WI USA
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Location: Steamboat Springs, CO USA
This has made my life easier. $200 bucks on Craigslist 10 miles from my house. It was on my truck 45mins after i saw it on CL
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Location: CA, USA
jasonward73 wrote:I have the platform type (like a bike stand on steroids) and have used it on my Range Rover Sport and now on my Tesla Model X. ...more
As far as fuel goes, is there room on most of these to weld on some sort of a fuel jug carrier? Or is that an instant ticket?
What are the class ratings for this stuff?
I guess they break down between the 'platform' type and the 'rail' type. If it's made out of aluminum it shouldn't be that heavy when off the vehicle?
What else is there to look out for?
