Picked one of these carriers up a few weeks ago and will be using it primarily to tote my R1 to track days....it's rated for 600 pounds.....do I dare throw the monster on it? I'm assuming it's failure rate is probably tested at more than 600 pounds but I'm still a tad nervous about throwing the 14 up on it....

Thoughts, experiences?

Thanks,

Troy

I would be so nervous of the carrier failing. Wouldn't be able to relax and drive.

It wasn't to long ago this same topic came up and I don't think anyone had a answer. I think I'd stack 600 pounds of cement blocks on first and try that out.

That's a tough one. I don't think I could do it.

But, you might consider having a 2nd 2" square tube welded to the bottom of the existing one ... so they're stacked to where it's 4" high ... to at least strengthen the part sticking out of hitch. Just looks like that sucker is cantilevered out there so darn far

I dunno what the rest of the carrier's metal consists of ... but even if I did I'd just be guessing. I'm not a structural engineer ... I just like to pretend

These days it seems like manufacturers skimp to the cutting edge on things, rather than leaning towards over-building like years ago.

If you have the trailer hitch why not just rent a U-Haul motorcycle trailer for $15 a day?

Wow!! That thing scares the shit out of me. Not to mention having the big boy hanging off the end of a bit of 1.5" tube.

Personaly it looks like a great idea! I am a fully Qualified Boilermaker /Welder ! the only thing I would change is that main 40mm light wall tube for 50mm x 6 mm wall RHS instead, then ya could lift that whole setup clean off the ground with a crane if ya wanted to for a strength test!

Hey, if he moved it that way and it work then I guess it's ok...at least for an light weight bike

SlowmoZX14 im serious with what i said you could put more weight than the balance of the Wagon holding it could tip it over lol in other words my 320kG V-star would not be 1% of concern!

So all that being said.....bean, or anyone else....what could I do to help strengthen the current set up. I spoke to the manufacturers and they said it will hold 600 pounds.....but I would like to make myself feel a little better. What about having a 1" piece of steel welded inside of the main tube? Would that help at all or just add more weight....the hitch itself is a class IV on a Toyota sequoia and is welded to the frame....hitch is rated at a 1000 pounds tongue weight.

Thanks to all,

Troy

Yes you could find a snug inturnal slightly heavier wall tube to suite ( im not sure of USA sizes we are metric over here in OZZ but if you can find it to neatly fit inside then it would not be a majour refab and all you would need to do is insert it to get it welded on the outside around or simply say a 3/8 bolt through it, making sure it goes from one end at least flush to the back end the same and of course your going to beef it up to take a great persentage of extra weight with noworrie of the thin wall collapsing!

If you run that setup as it is in the pictures you'll risk getting pulled over for an obstructed license plate and tail lights. You really need to put a trailer light kit on that and mount your car's license place to it (also with a light)

If you drive it that way at night you're going to kill someone and/or yourself, they'll ram right into you.

well said aegisranger also a very expensive bumper bar too!

Not Me.

No F-ing way.

What Kofla said, the thing is cantilevered *waaaaay* out there. It's rated at 1000 at the "normal" distance of a trailer hitch ball, and is much lower rated at the distance the force appears with this setup. (As with any crane, there is a de-rating chart to allow the operator to easily understand how a crane maximum lifting ability is reduced when they extend the crane arm. Same Thing Applies Here).

No F-ing way could you make the Toyota-installed hitch OK.

You need "after market" welder assistance, and probably need a different (stronger) hitch setup once you figure out what the tounge weight (force) actually is, and over rate *that* for bouncing , twisting loads (I believe that twisting loads will easily fracture hard steel, and see how you have no twisting preventative straps / anchors).

Buy a trailer. Forget this idea.

Or, do the math. Its not hard. You have a hitch rated at 1000 for "X" distance normal ball hitch distance (assume no "drop hitch" being used). Now, put your hitch on, and measure the "average" distance to the center of the load. Now find a de-rate chart and look up the new rating. Does it de-rate to the weight of your cycle? Or is it (as I suspect) much lower than that weight?

Now, you have your "legal" leg to stand on. If you get into *any* trouble out on the road, this is where the legal system will pick up. Sure, you *can* strengthen the system to a better rating than the new calculation, but how will you prove it if / when you need to?

For that matter, how you gonna prove it to yourself, other than trying some of the ideas suggested here, and try to break it?

This is why my .02 says: Forget this idea, and buy a trailer with the money you gonna spend anyway.

* Last updated by: mebgardner on 8/17/2014 @ 10:15 AM *

It wasn't to long ago this same topic came up and I don't think anyone had a answer.

See what I was saying.