Motorcycle carrier (1 Viewer)

Aug 7, 2013
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I'm a newbie bought our first motorhome 7months ago and love it
hi I am looking for a bike carrier to fit on the back of our van looking to carry a Honda Superdream 250 or a Honda cb 1300 are there any for sale
Cheers Andrew
 

MikeD

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A bike carrier generally might not have the capacity to carry a 250kg plus bike.

I think even the 160kg of the super dream would defeat most of them.
 

TheBig1

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the load on the back axle will be more than the weight of the bike and carrier combined (about 250kg with a big bike). have you got the payload spare?

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Forestboy

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You might get away with the Superdream on a rear rack but reckon you'll struggle with the CB 1300.
We used to carry a 650 Versys on the back of a 7.5 tonne RV and even that was on the weight limit.
We now have a 5 tonne tag axle van with a massive garage so carry our motorbike inside, much easier and safer next best is an enclosed trailer.
You could also consider a Hydratrail here; http://www.easylifter.co.uk/hydra-trail.htm I sold one 18 months ago and I'm pretty sure the guys still using it and happy. The CB 1300 would be too heavy for that as well though even though the manufacturer claims 250kgs max not a good idea to permanently run at max capacity.
Lots of options just need to pick the one that works best for you.
Good luck(y)(y)
 

138go

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Lot depends on which MH you have. If it's got a long rear overhang you may finish up making the front rather light on the steering. Tow bars can be very expensive as they have to be type approved and not many places are willing to fit them.

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Jan 2, 2017
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I suspect you may struggle to put either on a rack behind a Swift Kontiki. Watling Engineers made up a rack for me that I carry a 300cc Honda on. The bike weighs about 160kg, but the motorhome is on an Iveco chassis with a 3.7 tonne rear axle capacity. I think the 1300 cc bike probably won't work on any carrier behind any motorhome, but stand to be corrected. Agree that a trailer of some description may be the best answer.
 
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TheDentons
Aug 7, 2013
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I'm a newbie bought our first motorhome 7months ago and love it
the load on the back axle will be more than the weight of the bike and carrier combined (about 250kg with a big bike). have you got the payload spare?
I have a swift kontiki 659 tag axle thought the payload would be ok
 

TheBig1

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I have a swift kontiki 659 tag axle thought the payload would be ok
i very much doubt it, in fact i am pretty certain

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MikeD

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Have a look at link and then have a chat with Watling Engineers near St Albans. They are pretty good at this sort of stuff

http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/motorhome_axle_loads.html

You have around 900kg payload but it would probably be limited by the design of the metalwork behind the rear axle. A towbar usually only has a safe loading of around 150kg.

My motorcycle rack from Watling only has a loading of 130kg.

I suspect the CB1300 would be a definite NO NO. Mores the pity as I love those bike "cc" naked bikes. (y)
 

GWAYGWAY

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You will find the limit of the actual towbar cannot take the download of the carrier either with a big bike, as they have a limit because of the distance from the chassis and the leverage on it. usually 100kg on the ball, towbars are designed to pull not carry.

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Ivory55

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When questions are asked about bike rack weights etc always reminds me of school and levers etc. When you had to hold a bag of sugar to your chest then hold it at arms length, you soon got the hang of how much more it seemed to weigh at arms length.

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Oct 7, 2013
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Just collected our Hydra trail this week.

Seems very well engineered but haven't really had a chance to test it yet.

Have carried a lightweight m/bike on a towbar mounted rack before but didn't really like it, especially on bad road surfaces.

Taking the load off the back axle certainly seemed the right way to go for us.
 

MikeD

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We have done four trips into Spain with the Hydra Trail and it has been faultless. But I doubt it would be happy with a CB1300 on it.

We modified/strengthened ours after a friend broke his on the tarmac strips we called roads in the UK.
 
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I have a 2015 Kontiki and had a motorbike carrier fitted a few weeks ago at Armatige Trailers. Can carry up to 170kg max. It does not use the tow bar, but has brackets fitted to the chassis. Not used it yet. But I am only going to use about 140kg as I don't want to load it to the max.

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Mar 24, 2010
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Think you will find anything over say 100kg will be too heavy to carry on towbar.I have a witter towbar and special rack (16kg) and have had the towbar strengthened and fixed to chasis.(2007 Relay PVC).I have a Honda Innova and it carries it comfortably .Wouldnt want anything heavier on back.
 

Kingham

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I have a swift kontiki 659 tag axle thought the payload would be ok
Your overall payload may take the weight of the bike, but it's the effect on your rear axles and the spare capacity you have on them before the maximum weight limits are exceeded, especially the rearmost.
 

Kingham

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....
I suspect the CB1300 would be a definite NO NO. Mores the pity as I love those bike "cc" naked bikes. (y)

Like a lovely lady, no need for a bike to be fully naked to be sexy !.... and for the record, I like naked too :cool:

image.jpeg


image.jpeg

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cornish boy

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We have a tag axle Kon Tiki 669 and looked into the feasibility of taking my XJR1300 with us.

Came to the conclusion a clam body bike trailer was the best answer to transporting it although that was a far as I got looking into it....
 
Last edited:

138go

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The rack on it's own weighs 30kg + weight of tow bar steel + bike. Then you have all that jumping up and down on the back every time you hit a bump in the road. The weight is in the worst possible place out on the end of a long lever.
 
Oct 7, 2013
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We have done four trips into Spain with the Hydra Trail and it has been faultless. But I doubt it would be happy with a CB1300 on it.

We modified/strengthened ours after a friend broke his on the tarmac strips we called roads in the UK.
Would be interested to know what you did to strengthen it. We picked ours up this week.

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PhilG

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Biggest issue with bikes on racks, is the inability to triangulate the strapping load,just pulling it down isn't good enough , you need to be able to secure it, and unless you have rack that has zero flex, it isn't ever going to happen. The CB1300 is over 250Kg, I wouldn't want to be putting one on a rack under any circumstances, they are hard enough to put into a van without grounding the pipes out. Unless you can get it solid , which you wont , the straps will back off and it will be gone. I know people who cant put a bike in a van without having it fall over, especially something that big. Trailer is the only way for something that big.

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MikeD

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I will post some pictures this evening or tomorrow morning (y)


Hi
Sorry it has taken so long but I have added (I hope) a album on my profile entitled "easy lift" and there are six photos in it.

Three show the crack and temporary repair on my friends lifter and three show the final repair and subsequent plating which was carried out. The final three are of my Easylifter which I did as a precaution. I had no problems with around 10k miles touring with a 165kg scooter on it.

It basically failed where the box sections were changed in size. A plate was made to make the sections same thickness, a triangle piece was then welded to spread the load. Both open ends of the box section were plated to add strength.
 
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Mar 29, 2011
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I have a Ifor Williams BV85 box trailer with a drop down ramp on the back, its brilliant and easy to move as its a single axle, bike rack fitted inside front and ties in the floor, My Honda scooters have never moved yet the latest one being a SH300 weighing about 170kg

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