dusty Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Hey everyone, First off if this forum already exists than I apologize and would love a link to it. So I have been looking into these rear hitch carriers for motorcycles and was wondering whether they can be trusted and if anyone has one? I am weary about putting a brand new motorcycle on a rack like this simply because I don't know anyone with one and whether it will hold up. Would love anyone's opinion on the product and would love to hear from someone who owns one and has used it! Now keep in mind the load capacity on it is 600 lb however when driving I'm not sure if bouncing will cause issues with the bike (These manufacturers tend to be very secretive about their factor of safety on these products as they don't seem to be willing to tell me, this is really what makes me weary). Any Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member jimf Posted June 4, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 4, 2015 Hey everyone, First off if this forum already exists than I apologize and would love a link to it. So I have been looking into these rear hitch carriers for motorcycles and was wondering whether they can be trusted and if anyone has one? I am weary about putting a brand new motorcycle on a rack like this simply because I don't know anyone with one and whether it will hold up. Would love anyone's opinion on the product and would love to hear from someone who owns one and has used it! Now keep in mind the load capacity on it is 600 lb however when driving I'm not sure if bouncing will cause issues with the bike (These manufacturers tend to be very secretive about their factor of safety on these products as they don't seem to be willing to tell me, this is really what makes me weary). Any Thoughts? I don't know anyone who's used one for transporting motorcycles, but I've seen them used in other high-load situations and for transporting bikes on an RV. Given the weight of the FJ you're going to be > 100lbs under the specified weight limit to begin with, and as you say they will have over-engineered it. My gut call? I'd get one myself if I had an appropriate vehicle to attach it to. It's small (easy to store when not in use), relatively inexpensive, it doesn't require additional registration or taxes like a trailer, it doesn't significantly limit vehicle speed (many trailers are restricted to 55-60mph), it's less expensive to run through tolls (no extra axle), etc. I wouldn't try off-roading the truck with the bike on the back, but for normal road transport? Sure. 2015 FJ-09 (Mary Kate) 2007 Daytona 675 (Tabitha, ret.) 1998 Vulcan 800 (Ret.) 2001 SV650S (Veronica, Ret.) 2000 Intruder 800 (Ret.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beberle Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Man, that looks like an accident waiting to happen! I'd sure hate to see a strap come loose and see it bouncing down the road; or being drug I'd say the odds of you dropping your bike just loading or unloading will be much higher also. If you already have a pickup, I'd just load it in the bed using a good foldable ramp... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusty Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Well if the straps come loose on any setup it will be going down the road (rofl) But it will not be mounted to a pickup truck or believe me it would simply be going in. The height while loading doesn't seem to bad to me either, really looks as though the bike will be raised roughly 1-2 feet off the ground. But agreed does still seem scary to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beberle Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Problem is that not many trailer hitches can support that kind of tongue weight... unless it's a big pickup Class II is 250 or 300lbs? I personally use a small utility trailer that pivots in the middle; usually pull it behind my BMW wagon. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusty Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Yeah not many hitches could handle that tongue weight, especially since the carrier itself tend to be almost 100 lb itself. That is a very good point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctrlaltdl Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I would do it with a 1/2 Ton pickup/SUV (preferably 3/4 or 1-Ton) with a class III hitch, but that would be the bare minimum. I've done that with my 450 Husky dirt bike on my smaller Mercedes SUV. It doesn't even know it's there and drove fine. But a dirt bike is half the weight. A class III hitch (600-lb) is a minimum, but a class IV (1000-lb) would be ideal. What rig would you be putting it on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusty Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 its going on a class IV hitch, Most of the time it will be on the back of a motor home and perhaps on the back of an F-250, both of which should have no problem with the tongue weight. More or less worried about failure of the product itself. Knowing myself I will model this on Inventor and do an FEA (finite element analysis) on it so I can see where it would fail before I end up purchasing it... Was hoping I could get some first hand experience answers before I had to do this though haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momentum Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I purchased one (600 lbs capacity) to carry my new FJ-09 bike home from an out-of-state dealership that was @ 3 hours away. I did make it home, but it was the scariest drive (for me) that I ever experienced! During the trip, I purposely drove slow (@ 40-50 mph), but I was constantly watching the bike lightly bounce, especially when my mini-van crossed over a freeway dip. I was constantly worried, "What if" the bike came loose and that uncertainty was too overwhelming for me throughout the entire trip home. Thankfully, the bike was secured properly, and I made it home safely. But after using it only once, I immediately sold the hitch carrier and decided to just rent an enclosed trailer in the future. (Note: My mini-van was a Mazda MPV with a Class III hitch, but the hitch sits quite low. So perhaps a truck with a higher clearance would fair much better. It probably also depends on the personality of the driver, since I consider myself a very cautious driver.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momentum Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Yes, I fully agree with Piotrek. Lesson Learned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsimple Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I looked at those but just couldn't convince myself it was worthwhile. Am now looking at bike specific trailers to pull 2 bikes + a little camping gear. I would have lost my mind watching the bike bounce on the back! 2015 Red FJ 09 2013 WR250R - little boy blue - sold 2012 DL650 V Strom - sold 2007 FZ6 - sold 1986 FJ600 - sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted February 21, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted February 21, 2017 https://www.kendonusa.com/stand-up-folding-trailer/ This is what I use The whole rig "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted February 22, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted February 22, 2017 Agree on the Kendon, but $3K is a lot to spend on a trailer for your motorcycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member DavidS Posted February 22, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted February 22, 2017 Or get the Kendon used for only 2K http://www.ebay.com/itm/2013-Kendon-Dual-Stand-Up-Motorcycle-Trailer-/252778793347 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fj09hardware Posted February 23, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted February 23, 2017 I have a 2003 chevy Tahoe and I trailer hitch tow the FJ. I have extra straps on it as backup but have no issue with it. I also put the front tire stop as close to balance point as possible so the bike would not rock in the hitch as much. I felt very confident with the setup but I think the type of vehicle is most important. Tahoe is 5500# so 500lbs on back doesn't change the characteristics of handling much but on a 3500lb front drive suv it could. Also the Tahoe has a class 4 hitch bolted to a frame not to a sheet metal unibody. I am thinking of reinforcing the frame of the truck a little (fully boxing the frame rail) to keep the bouncing of the hitch from causing fatigue cracks. Ok now you heard my two cents and you probably should ignore me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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