Building a hitch mounted motorcycle carrier

[2011GT]

I'm wanting to build a motorcycle carrier. I'm pretty handy with a welder and cutting steel so no issues there... Anyways it will hold a 250lb dirt bike.

I know I need 2"x2" square tube so I can slide it into the receiver hitch on my truck. I'll use angle steel for the part that actually holds the bike. What I really have no idea I how thick the steel needs to be. I tend to always way over build things.

I attached a picture I found on the internet and plan on making something similar.

[2011GT]

[Chili]

I can't see your pics but Harbor Freight sells one for a little over $100 that holds 400lbs. For the price, seems better to just buy one.

Unless you have everything you need already on hand anyways.

http://www.harborfreight.com/400-lb-receiver-mount-motorcycle-carrier-99721.html

[2011GT]

I was looking at the harbor freight one and almost bought it. But it's a huge pile of shit and the mount cracks very easily. I have to drive my truck down a dirt road for almost 15 miles to get to one on the trails I will be riding. Also where I live the speed limit it 75 and I don't want to watch the bike fall off and get ran over by a semi lol. I buy a lot of harbor freight stuff but would not buy that.

[Chili]

I was looking at the harbor freight one and almost bought it. But it's a huge pile of shit and the mount cracks very easily. I have to drive my truck down a dirt road for almost 15 miles to get to one on the trails I will be riding. Also where I live the speed limit it 75 and I don't want to watch the bike fall off and get ran over by a semi lol. I buy a lot of harbor freight stuff but would not buy that.

Fair enough.

[2011GT]

[Chili]

Fixed the embed for you.

That's too bad. I am hoping to buy a dual sport within the next couple of months and that was how I planned to haul it.

[2011GT]

Fixed the embed for you.

That's too bad. I am hoping to buy a dual sport within the next couple of months and that was how I planned to haul it.

Thanks for the fix. I'm on my iphone and I suck at the internetz anyways.


Look into this. 10 times better then harbor freight. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IUV1CM?ie=UTF8&at=&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links[/ame]

I just want to build one. Probably cost about 60 bucks in materials and time, but I have 4 days off a week.

[2011GT]

Ttt

[SMKR]

Id say the more girth the better

[Ruffdaddy]

This is one case that I wouldn't worry about over designing. Definitely make sure to beef it up and inspect frequently until you're comfortable with the performance.

[kingjason]

I had a really nice steel one for a while. One day I noticed my YZ426 kind of swaying back and forth. All the welds had popped on the piece coming from the receiver. I always ran extra straps from the bike to the truck so it did not go anywhere but it sure got my attention.

[dsrtuckteezy]

this was my old one. was really handy with the bottle jack. lower the lift, roll the bike over the platform, and jack it up. had little hooks that secured the bike by the pegs.

[Sean88gt]

You have a truck? Why go with a hitch mount then? I had a metal one and hated it. It held up, but I was always nervous that I was going to see my bike bouncing. Plus it didn't like the wider 450 tire I used.

[kingjason]

You have a truck? Why go with a hitch mount then? I had a metal one and hated it. It held up, but I was always nervous that I was going to see my bike bouncing. Plus it didn't like the wider 450 tire I used.

Four wheeler and gear in bed, MC on the hitch. It makes a nice little compact package VS a trailer.