Motorbike Carrier

[Bob]

This is a project I started for my neighbor to carry his motor bike on the back of his camper.

The white part is the finished drive up ramp. Expanded metal for traction to drive up. The brown is the not finished carrier itself. We originally were thinking a receiver hitch mount. We learned his hitch is bolted to the frame and are now thinking bolt on over the existing hitch mounts.
Planning two 2x2x1/4 angle iron struts sticking out the back of the motor home that the carrier will rest on.

I imagine a slot structure the front wheel will squeze snugly into, possibly with a bar thru the spokes to hold it in. Concept for attaching the back of the bike is still forming.

Bob

[linngl]

Here are some sites for ideas.

http://www.great-racks.com/

http://www.joehauler.com/products.html

http://www.motojackrack.com/

http://www.mototote.com/install.html

http://www.thumpertalk.com/bike/pages/pr_sarge_carrier.htm

[Bob]

Thanks!
I liked the joehauler site the best. Lots of great ideas.
Thanks!
Bob

[Hobart Expert Rock]

HI BOB.................RAMP LOOKS NICE HOW MUCH WEIGHT WILL THIS HOLD? HOW LONG IS THE APROACH RAMP, ALSO HOW MUCH DOES THE BIKE WEIGH................?........... SORRY CURIOSITY ALWAYS GET'S THE BETTER OF ME, I THINK IT IS A WEIGHTS AND MEASURE THING..........................TRYING TO BE SAFE............ROCK
[email protected]ELDS.COM

[Bob]

You concerns are valid.
Bike is under 100 lbs. Small 1 cyl job to putt around a camp ground.
Ramp and carrier channel are about 5' and 5.5' respectively.
Two of us plump old men stood on the ramp and it is fine for the quasi static loads. He will stand beside, and power the bike up with its motor so it is just the bike weight going up.

The part that initially worried me was attachment to a 2" box tube that goes into the receiver. Lots of lever arm and not much attachment area. Went through several conceptual schemes of backing plates, gussets, and tension straps with out much comfort. That attachment is beyond what I trust my welding with a HH-135 to hold up to.
New plan is two 2x2x1/4 angle iron struts bolted to the motor home frame and sticking out behind. Carrier channel will bolt on top of these (bolts here to make the bolt/un-bolt of the struts easier). The struts will also have the tie points for four tie downs to keep the bike upright. Carrier channel is thus mostly a way to get the bike up into place. Struts carry the weight.
Will post more when done.
Bob