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After some careful math....I figured out that I could put the Hyper on the rack. I could transport my bike to more scenic locations without battling the morons eating burritos and watching their iphone music videos on the busy freeways around me. And I could take the fam to whatever destination, earning plenty of points for ride time. Or drop it off for the suspension setup, allowing me to leave the thing for a couple of days at the shop. (I do most of my own maintenance, but I wanted to have someone dial in the suspension and address the "stuck in gear" situation. Mine got stuck once, and the factory now has a kit to put into the affected bikes)
So...after posting in another thread...I was looking at the versa-haul (too much $), the joehauler (too heavy and I could not figure out the web site). I finally decided on the moto-tote, which was supposed to be high tech, light, and cool-looking (worth some extra $). But after delays and a manufacturer switch from India to China...I bought a cheapo model off ebay, from discountramps.com, built in the USA. It was only $220, and it is working just fine, with no tax and $30 shipping. Info on the site is comprehensive, with animation of the loading procedure.
http://discountramps.com/smc-600-motorcycle-hauler.htm
The math:
Dry Hyper = 395lb, 2 gal of gas at 6 lbs/gal =12 lbs, rack itself is 85 lbs, oil and brake fluid= 1lb----493lbs.
The rack is rated for 600lb, while the hitch in my 2003 Expedition is rated for 500lb. I am cutting it close, but so far...so good.
I bought 4 soft ties (think figure 8 loops) to put around the bike's body parts, and then 4 tethers for the corners, with ratchets and hooks on both ends, rated for 800lb. One end goes to the eylet in the rack, the other one to the soft tie. I have extra straps for the rims, just in case...
Loading is best done with two persons, although one person could do it. Bike goes up the ramp, and then after the rocking cradle rotates....it is locked by the wheel chock bar, allowing you to put the tethers in.
The bike sways a bit, even with the suspension compressed by the tethers, but it is a tolerable range of motion.
here is a low res pic at dusk
So...after posting in another thread...I was looking at the versa-haul (too much $), the joehauler (too heavy and I could not figure out the web site). I finally decided on the moto-tote, which was supposed to be high tech, light, and cool-looking (worth some extra $). But after delays and a manufacturer switch from India to China...I bought a cheapo model off ebay, from discountramps.com, built in the USA. It was only $220, and it is working just fine, with no tax and $30 shipping. Info on the site is comprehensive, with animation of the loading procedure.
http://discountramps.com/smc-600-motorcycle-hauler.htm
The math:
Dry Hyper = 395lb, 2 gal of gas at 6 lbs/gal =12 lbs, rack itself is 85 lbs, oil and brake fluid= 1lb----493lbs.
The rack is rated for 600lb, while the hitch in my 2003 Expedition is rated for 500lb. I am cutting it close, but so far...so good.
I bought 4 soft ties (think figure 8 loops) to put around the bike's body parts, and then 4 tethers for the corners, with ratchets and hooks on both ends, rated for 800lb. One end goes to the eylet in the rack, the other one to the soft tie. I have extra straps for the rims, just in case...
Loading is best done with two persons, although one person could do it. Bike goes up the ramp, and then after the rocking cradle rotates....it is locked by the wheel chock bar, allowing you to put the tethers in.
The bike sways a bit, even with the suspension compressed by the tethers, but it is a tolerable range of motion.
here is a low res pic at dusk
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