| Author |
Message |
Nick
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 08, 2005 - 11:44 pm: | |
I'm shopping for a motorcycle and have about settled on a Yamaha V Star, either in 650 or 1100cc size. We travel fulltime in our MCI 8 and tow a Toyota pickup with a camper shell behind us. I know there are several motorcycle carrier racks on the market that can be used. Does anybody here haul a bike, and if so what type carrier do you use? |
niles steckbauer (Niles500)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 08, 2005 - 11:53 pm: | |
Versa Haul makes some heavy duty ones
http://www.versahaul.com/vhsportro.html |
JimH
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 7:13 am: | |
Blueox.us has just what you need/want
JimH |
Don/TX
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 11:17 am: | |
I think some sort of lift is in order, if you want your hands fuller than you bargained for, just imagine that V Star going up that ramp and you trying to keep it from falling over on you. I have done it and it is NOT fun, actually very dangerous! I have been investigating lift type haulers rather than ramps for that reason. I have some photos, one that is home made with nothing more exciting than an old bumper jack, saw that one at Oshkosh. If anyone wants a photo, email me. |
Don/TX
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 1:52 pm: | |
Here is a link to another carrier, I found it on Jim Bullard's site under the links:
http://www.cruiserlift.com/ |
David Evans (Dmd)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 5:34 pm: | |
hey Don, thanks for the picture and the link. I saw a Silversides with a small Honda mounted on the front bumper once. |
CARL GULLETT
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 10:00 pm: | |
DO A GOOGLE SURCH FORE OVERBILT LIFTS INC. THAY AR IN NY |
Don/TX
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 10:46 pm: | |
Not a bad design, but $2500 price makes me want to dig out the plasma cutter and mig welder for a couple of hours. You can see it here: http://www.overbiltlifts.com/ |
john david lebrun (Davidlebrun)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 10:53 pm: | |
Nick;
If you put in the truck, the cap has to come off.
Then the bike is exposed to the weather, not good.
Me and Carol have been thinking of this problem for the last couple of months and still haven't come up with a solution we like. What I've been thinking of is a cap that rotates forward over the truck roof, and is tall enough to cover the bikes. Yes, we have two to think about, although we will be downsizing from the connie and gold wing to something a litle smaller.
A ramp that spans the width of the tailgate along with some type of winch, will let you get the bike into the truck bed safetly.
David |
t gojenola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 6:55 pm: | |
If you hang it on the back of the bus it will still be exposed to the weather - plus the engine blowby that spatters the back end of the bus - worse in wet weather. I'd carry it in the back of the pickup and get or make a fitted cover for it. Convenience is the objective and you will probably find it easier to get on and off the pickup than the back of the bus.
ymmv
tg |
Don/TX
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 10:04 pm: | |
Good points there for sure T, but IF you can make the right kind of mount, getting it off the mount is a piece of cake, MUCH easier than unloading out of a pickup for those short runs while on the road. I have loaded and unloaded my quota of bikes from pickups, and some (like me) are also trying to eliminate the toad entirely, so easy off and on becomes quite important. This also of course depends on the difference between a full Harley or a Honda Spree for the two wheel choice. It seems that you have a choice of scrubbing deceased bugs off if on the front, or cleaning diesel splatterings if on the back. maybe a cover is in order. |
john david lebrun (Davidlebrun)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 8:47 am: | |
Don;
You want to hang 300 to 600 pounds from the back of the bus? |
Don/TX
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 9:26 am: | |
Why not? |
John MC9
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 9:55 am: | |
And tow a loaded pickup! |
JR
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 10:39 am: | |
I'd take the cap off the Toyota and load the bike in there. It won't be easy to load into a 4Wd Toyota. Two man job. A V-Star is longer than the bed of a Toyota...but the tailgate can be left down and the rear tire will rest on the tailgate. A V-Star Classic 650 (and 1100) weighs about 545 lbs dry...add 4 quarts of oil and 4 gallons of fuel and the 650 is heavy for such a small displacement motorcycle. When you factor in the weight of a hitch mount carrier, the rear structure of an MC8 is going to be heavily stressed with that stuff hanging on the hitch. Same's true for the Toyota hitch. And you'll still want to tow the Toyota. I don't know what the Blue Ox carrier weighs, but, a couple hundred lbs minimum, would have 750 lbs bouncing around on whatever hitch you use.
Leave the Toyota at home and get an enclosed box trailer and you'll have the bike, it'll be clean, and you'll avoid theft of the motorcycle. In some areas the evil doers will unload your motorcycle while you sit at a stoplight.
If you decide to load the motorcycle into your truck, get one of the "arched" ramps, and not the Northern Tools flat style ramps. A V-Star is long and low, and the muffler and frame will drag on the tailgate when the front wheel goes into the truck. If you have a 2WD pickup, this won't be so bad, but a 4WD is tall.
Other options would include custom building a bumper/carrier that would hold the motorcycle close to the engine doors...but the bike is going to get soooo nasty. Take forever to clean up.
Good luck, JR |
Don/TX
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 11:08 am: | |
I still advise, load that sucker and unload it several times first, then think of unloading it just to go from your campground out to a decent dinner or shopping in the evening, bet you wind up eating at home. If you want a show bike all he time, then the trailer option is probably best, or just a simple cover. |
Sean Mormelo (Sventvkg)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 11, 2005 - 5:00 pm: | |
I would mount the bike on the front before adding to the tounge weight load on the back while pulling a Toad...I plan to do this eventually myself. |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 5:40 am: | |
UP front the wheels will usually block part of the headlamps.
At least our Honda 250 Trails bike does.
You also have the hassle of needing to demount the bike and bracket , to use the spair tire.
Takes an extra half hour for a tire change.
Bike carrier is slipped into 2, std 2X2 recievers.
May scrape a bit , even if high mounted ,when starting up steep driveways.
The gas tank & carb need to be drained to not give a gas aroma.
FAST FRED |
Frank Mooney
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 9:47 pm: | |
Lots of choices,myself...I'd just drive it into my baggage bay on my Scenicruiser....Frank |
David_
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 3:43 am: | |
Nick,
Rob Gray is an Australian photographer who built a motorhome on an Acco 6x6 chassis. He uses two Honda bikes that are stored in a garage in the side of the motorhome. He uses an electrical winch on a swivel arm to haul the bikes into and out of the garage.
Check out his pages at http://www.robgray.com/motorhomes/index.htm, I find them to be quite instructive and entertaining as well.
Good luck.
David |
Cary McCart
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 01, 2006 - 3:01 am: | |
Hi,
We have an older Overbilt unit that we bought, but aren't going to use after all. My husband has decided his back just isn't going to do bikes anymore. If you might be interested give me an email, paper1@direcway.com. Cary |