Motorcycle rack advice

[Derekb]

Can anyone recommend a good moto rack? My BMW F850 GSA weighs about 550 lbs with a full tank so if nearly empty should be 35 pounds lighter.
I currently have a cheap aluminum ladder style rack for my previous moto that weighed 200 pounds.
I have looked at two on Amazon. One is steel, rated to 600 pounds. The other is aluminum with a tilt down feature for loading.
This mounts in the 2” receiver.
Thanks for any help.

[d23haynes57]

In addition to the rack what is the hitch and motorhome rated for? The tung load rating is based on the hitch ball being right at the end of the receiver, not 2 feet out.

[Alpine36]

Just keep in mind you will need the tire rail centerline approximately 22” behind the RV for handlebar clearance. That’s asking a lot out of a low cost single 2” receiver carrier. You won’t find what you’re looking for on Amazon. I started with a single rail from MotoTote and added two additional 2” receivers and additional square tubes.
Probably overkill for my #400lb bike, but we also flat tow a Jeep Wrangler.

https://mototote.com/collections/mot...hitch-carriers

[Derekb]

https://a.co/d/7IT7Udi

Thanks all. The tongue loading limit is 500 pounds. I think this is close enough but do realize I am a little over the limit.

If the link above works, what do you all think of this rack on Amazon?

I did look at the Moto Tote website and their stuff looks great

[d23haynes57]

All I can say is that you will not be the first to drop it, rip it off dragging it on the ground, or otherwise having a bad day. Only question is which part of the hitch, rack, or chassis attachment will fail? Being a bit obnoxious, yes, BTDT.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Derekb

Can anyone recommend a good moto rack? My BMW F850 GSA weighs about 550 lbs with a full tank so if nearly empty should be 35 pounds lighter.
I currently have a cheap aluminum ladder style rack for my previous moto that weighed 200 pounds.
I have looked at two on Amazon. One is steel, rated to 600 pounds. The other is aluminum with a tilt down feature for loading.
This mounts in the 2” receiver.
Thanks for any help.

Well Derekb,
You've got some experience hauling bikes so, you know at least some of what's needed. But, as the weight of a motorcycle increases, so does the load calculations. A 500 lb motorcycle weighs 500 lbs sitting still. But, BUT, take that same 500 lbs and start BOUNCING it up and down, as you would find on some (or quite a few) of Americas less than stellar roads and freeways, and that load changes by quite a bit. It's called a STATIC load vs a DYNAMIC load.

When I had my 2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports DCT, it tipped the scales at 558 lbs. The hitch mounted hauler I was intending on using is called a *Versahaul* motorcycle carrier. This particular one was/is rated at 500 lbs. Well OBVIOUSLY right off the bat, I was going to overload this carrier and that didn't even take into account I was also going to use that rack to tow our Jeep.

So, I, like Alpine36, decided to add two more receivers to help with the weight carrying capabilities and also create a more stable platform for towing. Once the extra receivers were installed, I used some 3/16" thick 2" square tubing for the connectors between the newly added receivers and the rack floor/rail. I bent those connectors so each one would take at least 1/3 the weight of the bike. When completed, that Versahaul can easlily handle the 558 lbs of that A/T AND be able to tow our Jeep. We ran with that scenario for many thousands of miles without any issues.


But, in your case, with that kind of intended weight, I would very carefully pick and choose your components and don't let price be your guide. My hitch assembly on our coach is a 10,000 lb capacity assembly with a 1,000 lb tongue load and I STILL wanted extra receivers. I want that bike AND the Jeep to still be there after a days towing. There's lots to consider in this kind of scenario.
Scott

[Alpine36]

This is what I ended up fabricating from a MotoTote tire rail and front wheel chock purchased from their scratch n dent sale page. Basically I ended up copying one called an “Overbuilt”, no longer being produced. Like Fireup, two outer 3/16” 2” square tube horizontals and a 1/4” main tube. I built this so it’s modular, so all three sections bolt together after pinned into the three receivers. This has worked flawlessly for about 15k miles flat towing a Jeep Wrangler over some pretty rough terrain, and the road up to Agness Oregon several times. Loading is easy with the air suspension dropped.

[Alpine36]

Sorry about the upside down photos, but you get the idea

[FIRE UP]

This better Alpine 36?
Scott

[Alpine36]

Attachment 438937

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

This better Alpine 36?
Scott

Yes, thanks much.
Time to retire this old iPad…