reciever hitch motorcycle questions

Message

wistech · #1 Post by **wistech** » Sat May 21, 2011 2:27 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOTORCYCLE-...sQ5fAccessories

Anybody have any experience or suggestions . I would like to take my bike along on our vacation out to the dunes this year. We will be meeting some freinds out there who will be renting a couple of the 2 and 4 person polaris rarz's. They will have enough room if I take a quad and one of us ride in a buggy. If I take a the new bike with me it will open up a chance to ride on our own at another place. I dont want to take the trailer and pay the fuel penalty.
Any suggestions for a particular model or brand ? Im thinking get aluminum for weight savings. Are these things safe for the truck and the hitch? Do they affect mileage or handling bad? thanks for any input.

who_gives_a6 · #2 Post by **who_gives_a6** » Sat May 21, 2011 7:33 pm

I recently sold mine to get a trailer for our bikes. If you buy one, ONLY buy the Joe Hauler models. They cost more but they are leaps and bounds above the rest. I've had a few over the last couple years. The cheaper ones rack back and forth on your hitch and at higher speeds you can feel it movng, especially in corners. I didn't feel safe with them.

The better Joe Hauler models have a camlock option which actually expands in your hitch and keeps the mount completely solid with no body roll or movement. Try the cheap ones at your own risk but I've heard and seen some pics from horror stories on cheap ones, yet never heard of a Joe Hauler issue on one with the camlock. Just my two cents.

Edit - the main horror stories are on the dual bike haulers. The singles aren't as bad but still recommend a model that expands in your hitch. I saw one a few months ago on another forum that was a cheap one and aluminum where the mount actually bent down eventually causing failure and a roadrashed bike.

kfxbryan · #3 Post by **kfxbryan** » Sun May 22, 2011 4:17 am

Wistech, I have the same one from motobatteries and got it for $98 bucks shipped. Keep your eyes open.

I use it all the time with my DRZ 400 and it is a portly dual sport. They only thing bad about it is the unload by yourself as the front wheel gets stuck in the large front void. I have had it a year now with over 20 uses and no issues with the rocking and such. I am looking at the jack style one now but it is expensive. You could not fabricate this unit for less money BTY.

-Bryan

kfxbryan · #4 Post by **kfxbryan** » Sun May 22, 2011 4:20 am

BTW, I haul it with a 2010 tundra and a 05 Tahoe with little to no fuel mileage hit. I get 17mpg with the tundra and 16mpg with the tahoe.

rayspeed · #5 Post by **rayspeed** » Sun May 22, 2011 8:12 pm

They are also handy for getting a broke bike out of the dunes...

This was one of those cheap disposable hitch haulers... it was only good for one use but it got us out of a jamb!
I put the reciever in there to stick in a winch in with this in mind also.

wistech · #6 Post by **wistech** » Mon May 23, 2011 7:42 pm

I ordered an aluminum one for $99 shipped. Made in china for sure . It has bad reviews because the bolts dont line up well and the straps are cheap crap but it does have an anti wobble device. I got 18.5 mpg on my last trip with the avalanche doing 67mph . Pulling any trailer Im sure mileage will drop down in the low teens so this carrier might pay for itself if I can keep the mpg up near 20 . Not spending a couple hundred on another machine rental will also help.

kfxbryan · #7 Post by **kfxbryan** » Mon May 23, 2011 11:23 pm

QUOTE (Wistech @ May 23 2011, 03:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I ordered an aluminum one for $99 shipped. Made in china for sure . It has bad reviews because the bolts dont line up well and the straps are cheap crap but it does have an anti wobble device. I got 18.5 mpg on my last trip with the avalanche doing 67mph . Pulling any trailer Im sure mileage will drop down in the low teens so this carrier might pay for itself if I can keep the mpg up near 20 . Not spending a couple hundred on another machine rental will also help.

Yeah, it looks like the same company made these and packaged them with whoevers name on the box at prices from $95 to $199. I threw away the bolts that came with it and bought grade 8. The straps are for sure junk also. I used my own. So far this thing has held up very well just double strap the bike as a back up and you will be fine.

kfxbryan · #8 Post by **kfxbryan** » Mon May 23, 2011 11:38 pm

Here is a picture of my bike loaded up.[attachment=11456:2011_03_...0_16_965.jpg]