Receiver Hitch Bike Carrier

[Raux]

696 is 355 dry  mine is lighter   

[Carstarphen]

I will be traveling about 6 hrs for a vacation this summer. I was looking at the receiver hitch mounted motorcycle carriers. I have a Suburban so it won't be an issue to carry it, i just wasn't sure how safe or well they work. I know what everyone will say, just ride it. I would but its about 400mi of all highway. I will probably ride some of it but not all. plus, I am a p***y when it comes to riding in the rain. I hate it.

kawazar,

I was interested in your comment  about rain.  Apparently the route and time of year of your planned trip may involve rain.  I'm sure that you are familiar with the cloud of filthy water that follows a Suburban traveling at highway speeds in the rain. If it's an area that salts the roadways in freezing weather, it will be a cloud of salty filthy rain. Your beautiful Duc will be completely trashed at the end of a rainy trip with a layer of possibly corrosive road grime in every nook and cranny. You would have to disassemble your bike to get it clean.

An alternative suggestion:  You have the towing package on your Suburban. Rent a small enclosed U-Haul trailer, rig some tie-down points, and tow your bike in complete protection. It will be cheaper, and, if rainy weather does occur, your bike will arrive at your destination spic and span rather than incredibly filthy.

An illustrative anecdote:  Many years ago I had a friend who traveled to all of the Texas Enduro Circuit events in a GMC motorhome.  He was a plumber and a very inventive fellow.  He rigged a cable system so that he could open his dump valve from the driver's seat.  His plan was to empty his holding tank while traveling down some lonely stretch of Texas highway.  While traveling at highway speeds he did so and covered the back of his motorhome with a layer of blue sewerage. I saw it before he got to a truck wash (where he spent several hours), and the word "filthy" was really an understatement. I should also mention that he was pulling a flat bed trailer with his and his friends' motorcycles. You can imagine the rest.

So maybe you should re-think your idea but it's your bike and your idea so do as you please and ride safely.

[kawazar]

Thanks for the input. I won't be traveling until summer and my bike is no show piece. While it still looks good a little dirt won't hurt it. I, myself, don't like to ride in the rain. Maybe if i had some rain gear it would be different.

[Carstarphen]

. . .  my bike is no show piece. . . .

Not to hijack your thread, but your bike could be a show piece. I know you have seen all the gorgeous Ducs assembled and created by members of this forum. If not, spend some time looking at the photos and you may be inspired. I have an '08 that is not as good looking as some of the older bikes on this forum.

But whatever you do, have fun and ride safely.

http://newenough.com/ for raingear.

[rgramjet]

Just saw this ad on Craigslist.  No affiliation.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/1019024793.html

[rgramjet]

Resurrected

[ducmon695]

Just my two cents...I used to work at Harbor Freight and also I had bought one of there fold up trailers.

A couple of issues with the trailer...they are made in Korea...and they don't go together really easy.  Bolt holes don't exactly line up and stuff like that.  Also one other issue I had, when I strapped my bike down the trailer deck got really out of shape.  With the tension from the straps the deck would bend.  Now it maybe just me, I put a lot of tension on the straps when I put my bike on a trailer.  Comes from work for a concert production company, we would have to make sure all that stuff stays put.

Also having not strapped something down very well in my past and seeing it bounce down the freeway.
(Ford Ranger, with a 4ft X 4ft X 8Ft block of compressed foam in the bed, not strapped down well enough = big f 'n block of foam end of end down the freeway and then meeting a semi truck!  Hey look mom is it snowing in July!!)

But a digest...I really didn't like the way the folding trailer wasn't that stable.

[ducatiz]

My harbor freight folding trailer was made in China, not Korea, and has been very stable for the last 6 years.

I have seen 3 other people with them and everyone has said the same thing.  If they are assembled correctly, they last.

Come see mine, and I'll show you the original registration on it.  It's been thru hell and back.  Already replaced 2 tires as the old ones wore out. 

Assemble it correctly, get the tires balanced, and use a correct hitch and it will last just fine.

I originally thought to put a weld on the joints but I never did, and it hasn't made a difference.  It flexes some due to the nature of bolted metal joints, but all the holes did in fact line up correctly and were torqued correctly.  A weld on the frame joints might help rigidity, but when it's in use, it doesn't seem to matter.

I've bought half a dozen bikes around the country and carted them back home, I estimate that trailer has about 30k miles on it now. 

Biggest weakness of the folding trailer is the fold-up caster wheels.  They are not strong enough and do not do well on uneven pavement. 

Otherwise, it will be the last trailer you own if you just need it for hauling bikes to and fro.

[Duc796canada]

I like the looks of the vershauler, I have a dirt bike and a trailer and that gets old fast! I always have to hook on and off and no room for storage of the trailer! However that looks like a lot of weight on the hitch!! I could see if it had another attachment to say the frame.

[rgramjet]

A 200-300 lb dirtbike should be no problem as long as you have a proper class hitch. 

A heavier bike like the Monster will cause noticable sag unless you have load leveling suspension or beefed up rear springs.  The stabilizer does a good job of reducing the wiggle.

[ducati culture]

Dont forget , this bad boys saves on tolls as well.  Plus with the toll increase on Jan 1 2012 ... MANN!  If some on needs to borrow one I have the two bikeset up that is current set up for one bike. 

[Rob Hilding]

I recently used one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-trailer-carrier-tow-dolly-hauler-hitch-rack-/110804833463?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item19cc7b94b7

to "tow" a friends ebay purchase. There were no issues and it worked fine. I was concerned that when turning the bike really leans. I was also concerned with what any LEO would say - but fortunately in a trip from oceanside to Moorpark, Ca we didn't encounter one..........

Not sure I would buy one, but it was easy to load the bike. It requires Canyon Dancers, which I don't personally care for as
it always seems you end up with damage switchgear on the bars.

I would remove the chain for any extended "towing"