Motorcycle hitch carriers - Recommended or not? (~300lb bike)

[shamoo]

I recently picked up a Honda CRF300L dual sport, which weighs around 310lbs, heavier than a dedicated dirt bike (typically 200–250lbs) but lighter than most dual-sport, adventure, or road bikes, which can range anywhere from 300 to 600+ lbs.

I don't have room for a trailer so I'm curious how reliable and safe using a motorcycle hitch carrier would be. I borrowed a friend's to get the bike home from the dealer and I felt very nervous. Documentation shows the tongue weight limit in the 700-800lb range which seems unusually high. It is a Class III hitch too which is considered pretty beefy.

My main concern is that a hitch isn't designed to handle consistent downward force from bouncing loads. It’s primarily built for pulling a trailer with a limited, static tongue weight. Am I overthinking this? Will my R1S and the hitch carrier be fine? I keep imagining scenarios where I hit a dip in the road, and that 300lb bike creates a downward force that could spike to 600+ lbs. Plus, positioning the carrier farther back to accommodate the handlebars adds extra strain on the receiver.

Here I have it strapped down well enough for the drive home. It swayed a little which is expected but some of the "bounces" really concerned me and I was taking it real slow. If I hit a dip at speed, I wonder what would happen.

Found a picture of an OEM hitch. Certainly looks like the side frame attachments are solid. No concern there. But...

The receiver portion I worry about. Yes it isn't simply welded on and it has some additional supports. What's everyone's thoughts?

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[Mathme]

Last summer I pulled a U-Haul car trailer and car that weighed about 5k together. According to the Weigh Safe hitch, tongue weight was a little about 500 lbs...

300ish pounds is way under the limit so I wouldn't worry about it. To make things a little more quiet inside, you may want to get an Anti-Rattle clamp...which I always use.

 

[eRacer]

I just saw an R1S with two dirt bikes mounted to a hitch similar to what you posted. I wasn't able to ID the bikes or snap a photo. However, I thought it was rather "interesting" to see on a Rivian. It also was sticking out quite a bit. It caught my attention as the driver was pretty agressive on the on ramp getting up to speed.

 

[Zoidz]

You're not really overthinking it - IMO when towing/using the hitch you can never overthink safety.

The downforce is not a problem. Keep in mind that the 700 - 800 lb rating is static load as in tongue weight. Tongue weight also is a dynamic force and the hitch can likely handle 2x the rating or more.

I would be more concerned about the torque applied to the hitch. When you accelerate or brake hard, the bike acts as moment arm. The heavier and higher the center of gravity of the bike, the greater the torque applied to the hitch. If the bike COG is 24" and it weighs 310 lb. that's potentially 620 ft-lbs of torque, but it's unlikely to ever be that much force actually applied.

The simple solution is to add stabilizing straps, if possible, to reduce front/back sway of the bike.

Tesla has recommendations limiting bicycle racks just for this reason. Aluminum is more brittle than steel.

"Tesla bike racks, especially hitch-mounted ones, have weight limitations. Tesla's officially available hitch racks have a vertical weight limit (including the rack itself) of 160 lbs. They also have weight limits per bike (e.g., 70 lbs per bike for the Model X/Y Platform Hitch Rack). Some aftermarket racks might have different weight limits, so it's important to check the specific rack's specifications. "

 

[shamoo]

Last summer I pulled a U-Haul car trailer and car that weighed about 5k together. According to the Weigh Safe hitch, tongue weight was a little about 500 lbs...

300ish pounds is way under the limit so I wouldn't worry about it. To make things a little more quiet inside, you may want to get an Anti-Rattle clamp...which I always use.

Fortunately I do have an anti-rattle clamp, but I never used it yet. For some (crazy) reason in my head, towing a heavy trailer which may have a high tongue weight worries me less than some heavy bike pushing down on the hitch like a lever.

I just saw an R1S with two dirt bikes mounted to a hitch similar to what you posted. I wasn't able to ID the bikes or snap a photo. However, I thought it was rather "interesting" to see on a Rivian. It also was sticking out quite a bit. It caught my attention as the driver was pretty agressive on the on ramp getting up to speed.

Interesting. Two dirt bikes would probably be heavier than my setup. Plus two bikes would set the tray out pretty far, further stressing the hitch.

You're not really overthinking it - IMO when towing/using the hitch you can never overthink safety.

The downforce is not a problem. Keep in mind that the 700 - 800 lb rating is static load as in tongue weight. Tongue weight also is a dynamic force and the hitch can likely handle 2x the rating or more.

I would be more concerned about the torque applied to the hitch. When you accelerate or brake hard, the bike acts as moment arm. The heavier and higher the center of gravity of the bike, the greater the torque applied to the hitch. If the bike COG is 24" and it weighs 310 lb. that's potentially 620 ft-lbs of torque, but it's unlikely to ever be that much force actually applied.

The simple solution is to add stabilizing straps, if possible, to reduce front/back sway of the bike.

Tesla has recommendations limiting bicycle racks just for this reason. Aluminum is more brittle than steel.

"Tesla bike racks, especially hitch-mounted ones, have weight limitations. Tesla's officially available hitch racks have a vertical weight limit (including the rack itself) of 160 lbs. They also have weight limits per bike (e.g., 70 lbs per bike for the Model X/Y Platform Hitch Rack). Some aftermarket racks might have different weight limits, so it's important to check the specific rack's specifications. "

Thank you. Are you saying the hitch can handle 2x the tongue weight limit dynamically/occasionally? So if there's a 700lb tongue weight, it should be able to handle 1400lbs for a brief period (hitting a dip in the road)?

Hm I didn't think too much about the rotational torque applied to the receiver. You have a point. Fortunately there are easier ways to secure the bike from swaying and it is easier to take a turn slow vs. noticing where a dip in the road might be.

 

[Mathme]

If you're wanting to mount two bikes, make sure to check your state laws on how far back things can hang from the rear-bumper without the addition of lights.

 

[NY_Rob]

Ask Rivian, they can forward your question to Engineering to get the official answer..

 

[Dark-Fx]

Totally fine with a Rivian. Just don't take the truck off any sweet jumps with the bike back there.
Trailers can dynamically put 5x the tongue weight or more depending on what you drive over.

 

[Zoidz]

Thank you. Are you saying the hitch can handle 2x the tongue weight limit dynamically/occasionally? So if there's a 700lb tongue weight, it should be able to handle 1400lbs for a brief period (hitting a dip in the road)?

Hm I didn't think too much about the rotational torque applied to the receiver. You have a point. Fortunately there are easier ways to secure the bike from swaying and it is easier to take a turn slow vs. noticing where a dip in the road might be.

Yes it should be fine. Trailer hitches are designed with a wide safety margin. Also remember that when the vehicle does encounter dips, bumps, etc. the suspension is buffering and absorbing some of that energy.

Regarding the torque and how powerful leverage around a pivot can be, Archimedes said, “Give me a firm place to stand and a lever and I can move the Earth.”

 

[ohseedee]

I've done a few hundred miles (multiple trips) with a KLX300 (same size as your Honda) using the harbor freight 600 pound motorcycle carrier (cheap and solid). An anti rattle clamp is a must. I've had zero issues and it feels pretty solid. I will say I don't love watching it bounce around over a speed bump, but for the most part it's pretty planted. The other thing I hate is the front fender (your Honda will be similar) catches in the wind and violently flaps around on the freeway.

I'd also recommend adding trailer lights because the break and turn signal lights will be at least somewhat blocked. I picked up a magnetic set for $20 that I can get connected and mounted in 30 seconds.

 

[Captblue]

Over-thinking it !!!
I have black widow, dual dirt bike Carrier. I put 2 Stark Varg on it.
Most importantly , get a lock bolt, so the rack doesn’t move when driving.
You will be fine. If you have good insurance, then Send it!

 

[shamoo]

Yes it should be fine. Trailer hitches are designed with a wide safety margin. Also remember that when the vehicle does encounter dips, bumps, etc. the suspension is buffering and absorbing some of that energy.

I posted in a related FB group and quite a few have moved much heavier bikes for hundreds to thousands of miles on their Rivians. Looks like it'll be pretty good!

I've done a few hundred miles (multiple trips) with a KLX300 (same size as your Honda) using the harbor freight 600 pound motorcycle carrier (cheap and solid). An anti rattle clamp is a must. I've had zero issues and it feels pretty solid. I will say I don't love watching it bounce around over a speed bump, but for the most part it's pretty planted. The other thing I hate is the front fender (your Honda will be similar) catches in the wind and violently flaps around on the freeway.

I'd also recommend adding trailer lights because the break and turn signal lights will be at least somewhat blocked. I picked up a magnetic set for $20 that I can get connected and mounted in 30 seconds.

Funny I debated on the KLX for a little while. Ended up with the Honda a week later.

Any recommendations on where to strap? The Harbor Freight one is the cheapest one (that isn't used or home made) but it doesn't have attachment points/anchors near the pegs where I'd like to put some additional straps (rack to pegs).

How do you like the Harbor Freight one? Lots of good reviews, but some of the bad ones sound scary (the racks failed/bent).

Over-thinking it !!!
I have black widow, dual dirt bike Carrier. I put 2 Stark Varg on it.
Most importantly , get a lock bolt, so the rack doesn’t move when driving.
You will be fine. If you have good insurance, then Send it!

Haha, based on your picture you have a full sized pickup which can typically have Class IV hitches. With a Class IV, I wouldn't be worried at all. I have a Class III.

I will certainly get one of the anti rattle/sway things. I have insurance, but not sure if insurance wil cover a hitch snapping, causing the bike to fall off on the freeway at 80mph lols.

 

[ohseedee]

Funny I debated on the KLX for a little while. Ended up with the Honda a week later.

Any recommendations on where to strap? The Harbor Freight one is the cheapest one (that isn't used or home made) but it doesn't have attachment points/anchors near the pegs where I'd like to put some additional straps (rack to pegs).

How do you like the Harbor Freight one? Lots of good reviews, but some of the bad ones sound scary (the racks failed/bent).

I was also debating the CRF300L, but went with the KLX mostly due to the suspention.

For the straps, I go a little overboard in case of failure. There are 4 mounting points (2 back, 2 front) on the carrier. I do 4 handle bar strapes to each of the 4 mounting points. Then do rear frame to rear mounting point (not pegs). Then for fun, I do a strap over each tire, which I like as I feel better about not needing to compress the front suspention as much.

The 600lbs Harbor Freight carrier is solid and I've been happy with it.

 

[amullins]

I have a similar hitch setup for my 400lb street bike was pretty smooth experience.

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