Sublo Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Well, I've seen it alluded to in a couple threads here before... But, if anyone is wondering, you actually can use one of those hitch-mount motorcycle carrier doo-dads to carry your VFR. There are a couple of caveats however, I wouldn't put anything over 300 - 350 pounds on it really (despite their ridiculous 600lb rating) without fashioning some sort of strong, 1.5 - 2.0", 12 or 14 gauge steel outriggers connected to the frame as this thing has a tendency to be visually "bouncy" when hitting road bumps - not a good feeling. That said, I also would never advise doing any long haul with a 1/2 ton truck. I have a 3/4 ton Suburban and the truck itself had zero problems - very little sag. I've seen a couple of dudes mount dirt-bikes to the back of Wranglers and don't know how they didn't get arrested from the bad angles I witnessed. Anyway, I bought this thing pretty cheaply off amazon and my full review is actually there if you search for "TMS T-MC-M800C 600-Pound Heavy Duty Motorcycle Sport Bike Hitch Carrier." For reference, my truck is leveled. It will normally sit higher in the back from the factory. So with the porker sticking out the back like that, it did go down a couple of inches. I may lift it 3" and get rid of the leveling kit at some point as I'm towing more these days. Cheers. -Freddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted August 20, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2013 Very nice. How do you get your bike up on the carrier and back off again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer luvtoleanit Posted August 20, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2013 I find it odd that your bike is rigged for luggage and you've got it on the back of a truck. Shameful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublo Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 I find it odd that your bike is rigged for luggage and you've got it on the back of a truck. Shameful! Lulz... sigh, but it was enroute to the insurance adjuster at the time :( Very nice. How do you get your bike up on the carrier and back off again? It comes with a detachable ramp. I feathered the clutch by myself to get it up there. I did need the help of a strange 110 pound woman who inexplicably occupies my house and bed, to keep the thing balanced while I strapped her it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mk2davis Posted August 20, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2013 Freddy, My brother has a 1 ton Dodge that he put some firestone airbags on. For $280, the ride is dramatically better both loaded and unloaded, and it's good for leveling left and right and front to back. Is your tow rack "as bought"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vanion2 Posted August 20, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2013 That gives me the jitters just looking at it. All that weight on that small receiver bar. Too many engineering physics classes and bumpy roads in my life I guess. I have my fingers crossed that you are looking at many happy miles of no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublo Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 Freddy, My brother has a 1 ton Dodge that he put some firestone airbags on. For $280, the ride is dramatically better both loaded and unloaded, and it's good for leveling left and right and front to back. Is your tow rack "as bought"? Yes it is. But as I mentioned in my Amazon review, the strain on the hitch - loaded with 450+ lbs of VFR - and the slight bounciness out of the rear view mirror do not inspire confidence. That same series of reviews has claims of hauling even heavier Harleys on this same carrier long distances. I dunno if I believe it. Anyway, if I keep it, my plan is to weld a detachable outrigger assembly together to fit to each side of my Suburban's hitch and attach to the hitch's outriggers. I want to some extra "help" in supporting (1) yaw when loading/unloading (2) reduce said bounciness particularly over bumps and (3) provide a more obtuse angle for the straps. I don't like the 75-80 degree angles out of the box. I feel it needs more stability/support. Furthermore, the rings on the hitches outriggers - meant for secure straps - are total junk. They're not much thicker than key rings. That's why you'll see my straps are actually secured to the inside of the outriggers in the pics. I plan on welding some thicker eye bolts to fix that problem. That gives me the jitters just looking at it. All that weight on that small receiver bar. Too many engineering physics classes and bumpy roads in my life I guess. I have my fingers crossed that you are looking at many happy miles of no issues. Agreed. Same here. I had major apprehension driving with this setup. Even with my 7000+ lb 'Burb, it noticeably affects driving experience. It's not unstable, just unwieldy. I'm a Mechanical Engineer by schooling BTW and over analytical - borderline OCD. I plan on making the changes noted if I keep it (still debating selling it and buying a trailer - that's another debate entirely). The Blue Ox lift may blow your mind of you look it up. It comes with a custom 3 receiver hitch and electric lift system - rated for 1000+ bikes (on RVs and busses). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rice Posted August 20, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2013 I too looked at this setup for my truck, but decided to not go this route - Just too much load on a loo long-a lever for my liking. And the load isn't stationery - it gets multiplied when you jump on a nice bump. If I had to guess, and I do, I'd say that it would exert over 1K LB of tongue weight as it's bottoming out after a jump with the VFR loaded. I wouldn't do it if I were you. Even if I was 100 % sure that it will hold... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublo Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 I too looked at this setup for my truck, but decided to not go this route - Just too much load on a loo long-a lever for my liking. And the load isn't stationery - it gets multiplied when you jump on a nice bump. If I had to guess, and I do, I'd say that it would exert over 1K LB of tongue weight as it's bottoming out after a jump with the VFR loaded. I wouldn't do it if I were you. Even if I was 100 % sure that it will hold... Like I said, I think if you limit the load to a much lighter dirtbike or scooter, this setup is perfectly fine for routine hauling and long-distance trips. It's no good for a relative porker like the VFR done on a regular basis. I haven't any scientific evidence, but I just "know" regardless of the given ratings. I intentionally took local roads for a 15 mile trip and was extremely cautious (read: slow) with approaching bumps and ramps. As far as the dynamic v. static load, yes. Obviously, there is a significant additional force exerted on the hitch when bottoming out - depending on how much, how far, how fast, blaa, blaa blaa. That's why I really only used it once for insurance purposes. I will either (a) sell it (b) beef up the mounts with my mad welding skills, again - similar to the Blue Ox setup or © use it for lighter loads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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