tow hitch motor bike carrier

[conquistador]

Looking at a tow hitch mounted motor bike carrier. Any body had experience with these? Ive heard uncorroberated accounts of gen3+ rear ends bending due to towing too much. I suspect its more urban myth from the live axle separate chassis brigade.

I have however seen the odd ute or two with bent chassis which is usually related to overloading behind the axle, airbags and or over driving.

So i have a 120kg bike. Maybe add 30kg for mount. A little outboard of a typical trailer mount thats rated at 250k download. Need I be concerned?

[frog]

I've see 6 push bikes on a tow ball mount carry rack tear the tow bar off a Rav 4 because the leverage weight of the bikes made the tow ball be the fulcrum .

[wrexy]

Looking at a tow hitch mounted motor bike carrier. Any body had experience with these? Ive heard uncorroberated accounts of gen3+ rear ends bending due to towing too much. I suspect its more urban myth from the live axle separate chassis brigade.

I have however seen the odd ute or two with bent chassis which is usually related to overloading behind the axle, airbags and or over driving.

So i have a 120kg bike. Maybe add 30kg for mount. A little outboard of a typical trailer mount thats rated at 250k download. Need I be concerned?

There is probably a mathematical equation to figure that out, beyond my capabilities though. Ask your kids to ask their teacher, providing you ahve kids & there not in Kindy, lol

[conquistador]

As it happens, Wife is a lower grade primary teacher the kids are just in school and its school hols! Calculations of 1st & 2nd class mechanical leverage are probably not part of the early learner curriculum.

[geopaj]

With a trailer the trailer weight sits on the ball (obviously).

With the proposed motor bike mount, the weight would be outboard of the ball (maybe 300-400mm). I'd be concerned about the "counter leaver effect"... Especially on anything but a perfectly smooth road.

[sub888]

I seen a Honda 450 on a new Jeep at pt Augusta last weekend and he had just came across the nullabor from Perth. So it can be done.
Was going to take a photo, unfortunately I didn't. ,

[Betz]

This might help to give you the ratio

http://www.engineersedge.com/calculators/levers/page_levers_1.htm

Probably worthwhile making sure the tongue interfaces with the full length of the female section of your tow bar, and even add a guide either side to help with pitch and roll.

[Wrex]

I have a loadhauler and have travelled 3000+kms with my DRZ400 on it and similar kms with my WR450F on the back of my NS SWB no issues at all.
I travelled Perth to Port Headland once 3500km return and Perth to Kalgoorlie 3 times 1250kms return with nil ssues they are awesome.

150-170kg of down ball weight should pose no issues for you.

One tip to stop the rocking is to attach a strap from triple clamp or handlebars back to the car to stop the rocking under braking and acceleration. Mine never moved.

Similar to this one

[whitehillbillies]

I made my own, for my Greeves, will try and get some pics over the weekend. Tie downs, front and rear.

whitehillbillies

[conquistador]

Wrexy

Well if the back end of the paj can handle the earths gravitational pull on a drz400 then it'll be all good. Thanks for the tip on stopping the wobble. How did you go clearing the rear wheel?

If it feels Sus I might brace the rear rails.

[conquistador]

This might help to give you the ratio

http://www.engineersedge.com/calculators/levers/page_levers_1.htm

Probably worthwhile making sure the tongue interfaces with the full length of the female section of your tow bar, and even add a guide either side to help with pitch and roll.

Thanks, confident the hitch receiver and the connection between tow bar and chassis can handle it. Not so much with the leverage effect on any weak point further forward of the tow bar mounts.

The utes I've seen crack chassis in front of the rear axle with the air bag or rear leaf pickup acting as Leaver point without having 150kg+ outboard of the vehicle.

[Betz]

Not likely to see the ute type failures you are referring to with a wagon imo, as the roof and mid to rear pillars no doubt contribute to rigidity.

[Wrex]

Due to the spare wheel and the hard plastic cover i could not sit mine perfectly upright. Due to the plastic cover i would cable tie or occy strap my inside peg up so i could get the bike close to the spare wheel. A $2 sponge with a hole cut out of it would then sit over the peg to stop any scratching of the cover. It had a slight lean out away from the car at the top.

I have pics of mine somewhere but I'm at work so can't access them.

I use a rear wheel strap to stop loading up the forks as pictured below.

I also use 2 normal tie downs off of the handle bars but with minimal force just in case.

3rd strap would go from the triple clamp over the spare wheel and would use the steel hook on the end of the tie down strap to hook onto the frame that the spare wheel is mounted on between back door and spare tyre.



I bought mine 7 years ago it was called a newlite i don't think they make them any more but did come out with an extended tongue version.

If you don't want to spend the money you could always try this.

[Matt79]

I've got the Motow carrying a WR 450
Works a treat, no issues thus far✌️

[conquistador]

See how we go.