So I was cramming away this weekend thinking about the best way to move my '96 CBR 600 F3 around. After looking at several products I have found this one and really think it is quite interesting. It gives my the ability to move my motorcycle around, without losing my bed space. Check it out and let me know what yall think!

MotoTote MTX Sport Motorcycle Carrier

 

1. will a 500 pound tongue weight rated hitch hold a 400 pound bike for an entire trip? for 500 bucks for the hitch trailer deal, which isn't a BAD idea, but I think you could rent a U-haul open trailor for a lot less. Do you need to move the bike more than say 3-5 times? I just don't know that I'd trust my hitch to hold all that weight for an entire trip...

 

Spend a little extra and get a trailer. I got my trailer at TSC for about 4-500 bucks, and it's WAY more useful than that thing. No way I'd put a bike on that...maybe a dirt bike, but not any street bikes.


Here's one example for the same price...

http://www.tractorsupply.com/vehicle...pacity-1011070

 

oh yeah, I forgot about prices for trailors. you can get trailors for 300-500. But remember you have to pay taxes and keep tags and inspection good on it.

I'd try to find a 5x8 to 6x10 trailor you can get a lot more in that than a 4x6. I looked up some trailors out your way...found a few good deals but had already been deleted. start looking in CL for trailers

here's a couple but you'd have to barter down...or you could buy new from a stealership/store.

6x10 Utility Trailer

2008 big tex 8ft x 5ft trailer

 

yea i've seen people use those things before, looked pretty sketchy. My dad used a dolly hitch on his jeep when he use to ride, uses barely any tongue and towing weight.

 

Get a 7x12' trailer and call it a day, that or put it in the box.

 

The problem I have with a trailer is finding the place to store it, and dont think I would like all the hassle of having to register it, and all that other fun junk. The lift does look a little scary at first, but after doing extensive reviewing, I have found more posistives then negatives with this model.

 

dude...rent a uhaul open trailer. can't cost that much and you get to return it haha

 

I'd haul it with what you posted...I know I've had more then 600 lbs on my trailer tounge, yes I know I'm so horrible and going to kill everyone.

 

LOL! Its all good, just checking on peoples opinions...besides, its not going to be an everyday thing...Maybe just a few times a year. Yes I could go through the hassle of renting a trailer or a uhaul, but its just that, a hassle. I could get ramps, but then I would want a wheel chock. I wouldnt want to go cheap on the wheel chock because I wouldnt want the bike to fall over in the bed, or even fall out of the bed. If I strap it down correctly on the Moto-tote, Ill be good in more ways then one. I have a fully secured bike, as well as the room to actually use the bed space of the truck. Just may want to reinforce the suspension a bit, but thats actually fairly cheap, and easy. Someone even suggested torsion bar keys for a nice three inch lift, and an add-a-leaf to the rear for more support back there....

 

haha, no just people who are stupid enough to ride right behind you.

and I wonder just how much weight a regular trailer and boat put on your hitch. most are rated for 500. But I'm sure they're putting close to that so you could maybe get away with it. I just don't trust the idea, or their "anti-rocking accessories" no matter how many people say they're great!

Where do I start...here's what I do when I haul my bikes, granted my 250 weighs around 330-350 which is lighter than yours, I know without a doubt i can toss it in the back, throw two straps on it and be just fine. It's nice having someone help you but if you had to you could get it in yourself (I do it more often than not) mainly just pushing down on the front end and tightening up the straps -- your bike won't move AT ALL by doing that. Just don't bottom it out... As far as the truck goes I've never had an issue with the suspension. As far as ramps go, I have two 2"x6"x10ft boards I stack and lean up on the tailgate. I usually try to park on a hill even if it's small it still helps and as far as the weight of your bike you could go with wider boards to help hold the weight. umm...yeah, don't know what else I could tell you...thats just how I do it. I don't know if you can shut the tailgate with the F3 but I can with mine with the front wheel in the middle and the back wheel all the way to one side

 

Well, I dont have the bike here in front of me, but if my specs are right, there is no way, no matter how I put it in the bed for it to fit with the tailgate up. I may have forgotten to mention I have a retractable toneau cover, that takes up about 8-10 inches in the front of the bed...

 

well forget about using the bed to hold the bike, you wont be able to put that much pressure against that. Sometimes I have to let air out of the back tire to close the tailgate so I can promise you it wont fit. I wish I would have known that about the toneau cover. haha. oh well

so now it's trailer, weird scary hitch deal, or front wheel trailer hitch. i just wish the front wheel hitch deal was offset so you could miss stuff if you needed to center something.

 

Im kind of against the front wheel hitch...I hate how it would bounce, and the fact that the front rotates to turn, I wouldnt know how it would be fully supported. As far as the bed goes, I wouldnt mind going with the tailgate down, thats not a problem, just very close to the back. As far as the carrier goes, it seems like the best idea. I would have less visability troubles, as well as more use of the bed. I dont think its a bad idea...

 

go for it. like I said most are rated for 500 but I'm sure they can hold more than that for a reason. And even with the weight of the hitch/carrier you'd be under 500. I'd probably ride the bike around til you get low on gas and save some weight there.

and yeah, I agree with the back wheel bouncing plus wear and tear on your back tire. those wheel chocks are amazing though. your bike will rotate through the steering stem not the wheel. the wheel is in there good.

all in all, I say go for what you feel is best. I am more of a trailer guy (if I had to have one or the other) as you can get the bike and loads of other crap in the trailer and your bed.

 

just get the hitch carrier and do an inspection on everything before you load it up and youre be fine

 

Sweet...yeah, a little dissapointed that I cant really afford a trailer at the time, but it will come eventually. I gotta save for my toys, and cant get them all at once, lol! Thanks for all the advice...

 

why not get one of the bed extenders that came on the sport tracs? that way you wouldn't have to worry about the bike falling out the back and you could store items around the bike and they'd be secure too.

 

because you can't put force against the toneau cover up front. with nothing there stock you'd be able to ratchet strap the front of the bike basically into the back of the cab/front of the bed and force the bike to stay put. with the toneau being there'd it certainly break.

but not a bad idea...just won't work in this case

 

you don't have to push it all the way up front. you should have four mounting points in your bed. secure the front of the bike to the back points and the back of the bike to the front points. the tailgate extender makes sure if the straps loosen up (shouldn't if done properly) the bike stays in the bed.

 

you've got a point, It would work. I only use the front two bed hooks for my bikes and when I drag my boards along I use the back of the bike to strap in the boards with one of the rear bed hooks. But I don't strap the bike in with rear ratchets as I already have it extremly tight up front against the bed. BUT in his case the toneau is taking up I think about 10 inches IIRC and the tailgate is just over a foot...I don't think it will fit, the overall length on a f3 is 81 inches. The wheel base is 55, so 25 inches that's 12.5 so you need about 67.5 inches from the toneau cover to the very edge of the back of the tailgate. It would be EXTREMELY close. And turning the back wheel to one side could work in theory but I don't think I would trust it.