110 Hitch Capacity

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dchsw · #1 Post by **dchsw** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:59 pm

I'm investigating the purchase of a small off/on road motor cycle which I'd need to hang from the trailer hitch on my 110 when 'adventuring' using something like this: http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-carrier.htm

Anyone have experience doing this kind of thing?

Should I swicth from the dixon-bate hitch I have now to a north american style? I have one of these, just not fitted yet.

How heavy can/should I go on the bike?

Should I look at upgrading the suspension? (my feeling is I should)

Fully loaded the truck will have me (fat, late forties, you get the picture) a roof tent, one kayak, one canoe, 60 litres of spare diesel, one bicycle, camping gear, one motorcycle and all my personal junk.

I've carried seven humans, 3 kayaks, 5 bicycles and whole pile of camping gear in/on a TD5 110 before now and still managed 90 mph on the UK motorway network (ok, so I had disco gears in the main box) so I know the truck is up to the job, but that was a two week highway trip, not a one year mixed surface trip.

All advice greatfuly received.

Thanks, David

rezdiver · #2 Post by **rezdiver** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:01 pm

as an example my old klr650 was around 350 pounds, she was a heavier bike for an on offroad bike but it was a 650. most hitches i think are rated for around 600-700 pounds tongue capacity ( and i know i have exceeded that amount by lots and did not have any issues, NOT reccommended though) so i think you should be fine.

depending on the size of bike, average around 250 pounds for the bike, and the weight of the rack to hold it plus extra fuel for the bike.

those racks are nice but annoying if you have to get into the back for anything. almost would be a better bet to get an old light trailer from the buy and sell, spring over axle it if you want some ground clearance and call her done.
dependng on where your adventure takes you those racks will drag on the ground and once you have the bike off now you have to put the rack somewhere in the bush if you want to take both the bike and truck out on the trails. with a small trailer you can leave all the heavy stuff and unload the weight from your truck at camp and have a nice ride. and you dont have to modify the suspension on the truck.

just my thoughts as i was planning on the same thing a while back

dchsw · #3 Post by **dchsw** » Fri May 22, 2009 9:05 am

Thanks Rezza.

I've been considering a trailer and keep flip-flopping between the two ideas. I already have a suitable enclosed trailer so I guess the logical approach is to first get the bike, which will probably come out at about 230 - 280 pounds for a 250cc machine, then try both methods on weekend trips before deciding which to go with for the long one.

I have some time to figure this out as my UK bike license, having not been used for 25 years or more is probably not worth the paper it's printed on! I have a summer of riding instruction ahead of me so I can get a BC one. I'm actually looking forward to it :)

Whilst getting my license, there's nothing to stop me lugging the bike around behind/on the 110 to see how it feels.

Cheers, David

HeadDamage · #4 Post by **HeadDamage** » Fri May 22, 2009 3:23 pm

I used to have a Class III hitch carrier for my motor bike that I used on both my RR and my 90. It worked well with a KLX250 but it felt a bit off when I put a KLR650 on it, not to mention the chance of hurting myself getting the KLR650 up there. I'd limit them to bikes under 300lbs for regular use and only use them for heavier bikes in a pinch.

rayhyland · #5 Post by **rayhyland** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:06 pm

I have just had a class 5 hitch made up for my 110. Should take any bike easily. 1300 lb tongue weight and trailer weight of 13000 lbs. Of course the rover is limited to about 7500 lbs so it is a bit of overkill. But if you are interested I can send you some specs and pics. It is an easy swap between the hitch, my tow ring, or my Pintle hitch, about 40 mins for the re and re.

My YZ250F is about 300 pounds if you are looking for a reference weight. Only issue for me with putting it on the back of the truck is I already have a 35" tire back there...

So for now I have the 3 bikes in a trailer, the canoe (thanks Greg) on the roof rack, and kids and dogs inside the landie.

All I need now is sound-proofing, so the family will want to go on a long drive in it.

Cheers

Ray

rayhyland · #6 Post by **rayhyland** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:17 pm

Oh, forgot to say, no need to upgrade your suspension unless they are worn out. If you have the stock springs in the back they are rated for 1 ton. So the extra weight will probably improve your ride.

But if someone has tried the old "increased flex and a softer ride..." trick of putting range-rover springs and spacers instead, then you could have a problem.

Cheers

Ray

DaveB · #7 Post by **DaveB** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:24 am

Dave, I have a set of motorcycle bumper brackets here you can have when you come up. You might be able to either bolt them straight to the bumper or make up a receiver bracket with them. They're for a small dirt bike.

D.

dchsw · #8 Post by **dchsw** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:51 pm

Thanks Dave, very kind of you. Just now, the trailer option is getting most votes as the KLR 650 I went for in the end comes in at over 400 pounds. Greate bike, in fact the only bad point is I forgot to check if it fitted in my trailer before getting it. Width and length are fine, height isn't :(

rayhyland · #9 Post by **rayhyland** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 8:49 am

You can still go for the carrier if you use a class 4 or 5 hitch.

The Rover-Landers of BC

The Rover-Landers of BC

110 Hitch Capacity

110 Hitch Capacity