any one use something like this? i have a ball hitch and these are only for receiver/male female kind is there another one out there that would work?
(http://www.motorcycleramps.com/rhmc1bscanb.jpg)
(http://www.motorcycleramps.com/images/sport-bike-hauler.jpg)
Woah, the caddy looks totally crazy. I'm not sure I'd trust my bike to one of those...
There aren't any that would work with a standard hitch bumper. You will need a receiver hitch to use anything like that.
Mak makes/made those little tow behind deals.. Personaly I wouldnt trust them. I had a friend that used one like the bottom one for a YZ450 dirt bike on the back of a Nisan Xtera for a bit. It seemed fairly stable. But I duno how well the GS would fair on one :thumb:
The bottom one would be alright if you have something with a stiff rear suspension, aka truck/van/suv... The top one i wouldn't trust, plus it would still wear your tire/chain, and don't forget neutral :o.
A friend rigged up one of these on a car back in the 80's and towed his Ducati 900 to Cali and back. It worked just fine. As I recall he removed the chain.
Quote from: gearman on November 10, 2008, 08:50:53 PM
A friend rigged up one of these on a car back in the 80's and towed his Ducati 900 to Cali and back. It worked just fine. As I recall he removed the chain.
yup disconect the drive
Looks like a quick way to die. :laugh:
I welded one up like the one on the bottom and used it behind our suburban to haul my gs to school. It worked great. We did use 2 tow straps connected to the roof rack for lateral stability though. Also mine was put together so that the reciever hitch connector was close to the motor (the center of gravity). The bike sat lower than the one in the pic.
I'm imagining an emergency lane change with a bike flopping behind...
I wonder what the cops think of it - it looks like you can't see the plate from behind with the type shown in pic #1. I've been behind vehicles with dirtbikes on the sideways carrier, a la your second pic. It's a nice idea in theory, but in practice, the plate is the least of the problems - you can't really see the brake lights and turn signals from behind.
We have a passenger van with the seats removed, and it is the best bike hauler, IMO. Second best being a pickup truck.
the bottom one seems the best, i agree.. but the pick doesn't make sense.... if you've got a truck with... why not just put it in the back????????? O0
The bottom one is BS, the wind on it and what not can pull you into a wheelie ... with the truck ...
The top one I plan to make one for myself and use it with my little nissan. Either that or sell the nissan ... whichever ...
Cool.
Buddha.
Ooo, truck wheelies sound fun. As long as you were using a front wheel drive truck everything would be fine, as soon as you went too fast your front tire would lift off the ground and you'd slow down again...
The second design there actually looks like a decent design, so long as its structurally reinforced to prevent flopping around. all you'd need to do is relocate your tag to the back of it, along with a set of trailer lights hooked up to the trailer harness, and you're good.
that first one looks like a TERRIBLE design IMO. imagine if you back up, the bike isnt straight. DAMMIT! I just trashed the forks, or worse. just looks like a nightmare waiting to happen frankly.
plus I dont understand why you'd use one of those if you have a truck? ramps are cheaper, and truck beds are designed to haul stuff like this. are they not? hell, even a minivan or cargo van, unless you've got the back loaded with crap, offers adequate space to fit a bike in there if you know what you're doing.
Im actually suprized on the second design that they didnt incorperate a set of small LED lights right into the under bracing with a small wiring harness to pug into your trailor plug. They have to know that if they take a picture up close and cant see the tail lights of the truck your not going to see them driving down the road. IMO that would be a liability to the manufacture if someone gets in a wrech with this on there truck.
I'm building one of the bottom ones. It's going on a Grand Cheorkee 4x4 V8. I cut the 2 extra recievers last night and will be taking the hitch off this weekend to have them welded on. The bike will be supported on 3 points to the hitch with 2x3/16" box tube. The bike will sit on a piece of 4x3/16" channel. The ramps that will be attached to either end will also support the tires when in motion. As it comes together Ill take pics and post the whole thing when done.
A gs weighs around 400lbs. Your standard reciever hitch is rated at 500lbs tongue weight. Probably not going to wheelie. Its more for SUV's anyway... not for vans or trucks. Also if you build you own with the reciever hitch close the the center of gravity of the bike, it wont flop arround. You can see the taillights through the rims.
Try the hillbilly wind effect and see if it will wheelie ... :icon_mrgreen:
Cool.
Buddha.
Warning! Warning! :nono:
The 1st pic seems to show towing a bike with the rear wheel rolling on the ground. you MUST MUST MUST disconnect the drive chain / belt / shaft. If you tow with the drive connected, the rear wheel will turn the chain which turns the output shaft in the transmission. This shaft will not be lubricated with oil unless the engine is running! You will very quickly fry the output shaft bearings without a constant supply of oil!!!!!!!!!!! :icon_twisted:
I suppose you could rig an electric oil pump of some kind, but that seems like more trouble than it's worth.
Also, and I think thsi was mentioned above, DON'T BACK UP! har har :nono:
Orrrrrrrrrr, just buy an itty bitty trailer......Problem solved.
Quote from: shiznizbiz on November 11, 2008, 11:18:49 PM
Orrrrrrrrrr, just buy an itty bitty trailer......Problem solved.
+1
Yeah, a small trailer sounds like the way to go. Plus, if you got a slightly larger one, you'd have space for another bike. You could also use a tiny trailer to haul all kinds of other interesting things, which could be a lot of fun..
Quote from: shiznizbiz on November 11, 2008, 11:18:49 PM
Orrrrrrrrrr, just buy an itty bitty trailer......Problem solved.
A trailer will not fit in the trunk of a car ... the caddy in the top pic will ...
The bearings will not get oil that is true ... however the thing that kills bearings etc is load and lack of oil, this situation will not load them ... and really think about it ... if this will kill bearings ... the carbs that are pulled behind RV's will be dying on the road every mile of our highways ... and the cars that get towed with the drive wheel on the ground - rear wheel drives mostly ... will not be far behind. Disconnect the chain if you can ... but I'd not worry if you cannot. The oil puddle and stuff spinning and splashing to to the whay the bike has been tilted will be plenty for the bearings to swim in ...
BTW, ball bearings only need soaking in oil or even traces of oil flowing into them ... plain bearings are what need oil pressure ... and the transmission is held in place with ball bearings with no real oil pressure feeding to them ... they are splash lubricated even when riding the bike.
Cool.
Buddha.
http://hhauler.com/ is the place to go!!! the website looks very lame but i used it and know first hand it lagit and it works, and works GREAT. I lived in MI and just moved back down here to FL and only had my suzuki aerio and my gs500 to move everything thing i own except the tv and bed everything else like the entertainment center and compture desk i broke down and fit it all in the aerio. and i got a class 1 hatch on 200lbs max weight. and i bought the handihauler with the smaller receiver and hooked it up just like he says on the website and drove 1,227 miles Mi to Fl on 69, 70, and 75 not the smothest of highways. I started out only driving the min speed and checked it evey 50 miles for the first 200 miles and nothing shifted everything works well, and after that i went 70-75mph from then on. so id recommend this to anyone that doesnt have a truck and needs to transport their bike weither its to move or cause its broke down. When turning the bikes back in leans like when your riding but sinces your front tire is tightly pulled to the hauler and the handel bars are wrenched down too it keeps it straight.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d136/subzero_568/fl%20move/suz1.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d136/subzero_568/fl%20move/suz2.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d136/subzero_568/fl%20move/suz3.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d136/subzero_568/fl%20move/suz4.jpg)
I know this is an old thread, but check it out, totally cheaper solution to the problem!
http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/stilldoingitwrong/1004949324
Quote from: fred on December 01, 2008, 04:38:06 PM
I know this is an old thread, but check it out, totally cheaper solution to the problem!
http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/stilldoingitwrong/1004949324
thats hilarious. :thumb: may try that
:o how great is that!
Quote from: Cusimano on November 15, 2008, 11:43:08 PM
http://hhauler.com/ is the place to go!!!
I'm really interested in it for the short trips (10-30 miles) when I need to take it to a mechanic; however, I've been reading mixed reviews. Of course, I don't want to do any damage to my GS, so if there is any possibility of long-term damage (e.g., from bearing wear) I will avoid it; however, given the testimonials from people who have used it, they are happy: http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=65554
Anyone with more drivetrain experience have any suggestions or caveats for a "trailer" like this?
Guys ... there is no need for pressure lubrication for the bearings in the transmissions ... the teeth get contact lube, and the lack of load and lack of real combustion making the thing get super hot will all prevent it from getting damage. The tilting and rolling will do plenty of splash lube for anything in there ... but to make it extra safe, unclip the master link on the chain and you're good.
Cool.
Buddha.
word to I love YOU.
splash lube!!
when i did that long trip i took off the chain, but ive used it since then to go 10-20 min drive with the chain on and have had NO problems with anything.
Quote from: The Buddha on November 12, 2008, 10:23:14 AM
Quote from: shiznizbiz on November 11, 2008, 11:18:49 PM
Orrrrrrrrrr, just buy an itty bitty trailer......Problem solved.
A trailer will not fit in the trunk of a car ... the caddy in the top pic will ...
trailer in a bag man, trailer in a bag! dunno how well those'd work though. i dunno anyone who's actually USED one. i'd imagine it'd fit though, depending on whatever other junk you have in your trunk :thumb: