Towing motorcycle with class c hitch.

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thompkinz

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Joined
Oct 4, 2016
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13
Hey  yall. I am in the process of trying to find a method of hauling a motorcycle with a small class c, like a winnebago view but I would much  rather only  connect it with a hitch instead of a trailer but I'm wondering if a single hitch would suffice. I really want to stay away from a trailer due to extra hassle of parking and finding good boondocking sites.
 
thompkinz said:
Hey  yall. I am in the process of trying to find a method of hauling a motorcycle with a small class c, like a winnebago view but I would much  rather only  connect it with a hitch instead of a trailer but I'm wondering if a single hitch would suffice. I really want to stay away from a trailer due to extra hassle of parking and finding good boondocking sites.
How much does the bike weigh?

I use one of those hitch motorcycle carriers that need no straps. It uses a bar to hold the bike.  The only bike I have carried on my RV is my 2002 Suzuki DR200SE as it weights less than 300 lbs. See here.

BTW, I now own eight motorcycles, all run fine, all insured and registered.

I am the original owner of all of these:

1971 Black BMW R75/5
1984 Red Yamaha Venture
2002 Yellow Suzuki DR200SE
2013 Blue Triumph Trophy SE
2016 Orange/Black Kawasaki Versys 650 LT
2016 Orange Moto Guzzi Stelvio
2017 Orange/Black Zero DS ZF 6.5
2017 Red Zero SR ZF13 w/ Pwr Tank

-Don-  Auburn, CA

 
Well, we don't actually have the  bike yet. It's crucial for it  to be able to be easily carried with the  hitch so if it doesn't work, we wouldn't be getting one. So we're trying  to figure out that first before we can look into which bike to purchase. I'm just looking for something small but could carry two people and camping equipment so about 350-400lb. I'm not sure what size bike that would need to be though
 
thompkinz said:
Well, we don't actually have the  bike yet. It's crucial for it  to be able to be easily carried with the  hitch so if it doesn't work, we wouldn't be getting one. So we're trying  to figure out that first before we can look into which bike to purchase. I'm just looking for something small but could carry two people and camping equipment so about 350-400lb. I'm not sure what size bike that would need to be though
I have two bikes that are around or below 300 lbs. Both can carry two people, one is gas, the other electric. My other bike that is  close to 300 lbs (317 lbs to be exact) is my small E-bike, the Zero DS ZF6.5. It can take you around 45 miles on a charge, but a bit less with two people on it. It has plenty of power for the freeway (will go around 90 MPH up a hill--downhill the same speed <controller sets the speed> much like a cruise control when at WOT). That's in the Sport Mode. In the Eco mode, the max speed is 70 mph, a lot more power and torque than my DR200SE, but the DR200 can take you a couple of hundred miles on a tank of gasoline and can be refilled in minutes, instead of the hours (~four hours) to recharge the E-Bike. The batteries in these E-bikes are very heavy, so if they can be removed, you can reduce the weight a lot. But with most of these E-bikes, it is NOT easy to remove. Removable saddle bags & travel trunk can be added (I have them on both my E-bikes), but the bike has some storage space by itself, as that space would be all battery in the larger E-bikes, so they made that space available for a little extra storage on the smaller E-bikes.

But the first things you need to do is find the "tongue weight" capacity of your RV hitch and then find the bike that is under that rating, along with the carried weight. Anything heavier than hitch tongue weight has to be towed by another method.

My RV listed below has a max carrying "tongue weight" of 350 lbs. Usually, the tongue weight max allowed is 10% of what it can roll on wheels, 3,500 lbs in my case.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
thompkinz said:
Well, we don't actually have the  bike yet. It's crucial for it  to be able to be easily carried with the  hitch so if it doesn't work, we wouldn't be getting one. So we're trying  to figure out that first before we can look into which bike to purchase. I'm just looking for something small but could carry two people and camping equipment so about 350-400lb. I'm not sure what size bike that would need to be though

"two people and camping equipment"

You're asking a lot. I'd look at a KLR650. With 2 people and gear you're going to need a bigger bike.

You may also find the weight of the bike and the rack on the rear of the RV a problem. A trailer can be used for way more than hauling the bike. May be worth the extra effort.
 
DonTom gave good advice, I think.  Some Class C rigs have hitch receivers rated to carry 500 lbs, but 300 or 350 is probably more typical.

A bike big enough to carry 2 people comfortably and perform well is probably going to be too heavy to carry on the hitch like that.

If you aren't a motorcycle purist and just want transpo, consider a motor scooter in the 150-250 cc range. Often lighter than cycles.
 
I bought my Yamaha TW200 new in 2007. It's a bit scary on highways, but great on any road with 60mph or under speed limits.

It is a mild trail bike with lots of torque. Often referred to by owners as "the mule".

When I bought my RV three years ago one of the first things I added was the motorcycle carrier. I quickly beefed it up with extra brackets at each end mounting it to the bumper. That kept it from swaying.

With the pass through hitch extension I can have both the TW and my VW behind the RV. Though I haven't actually done that yet. I usually just take one or the other.
 

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I throw my vote to the Yamaha TW200 as well..  The wife and I are going to buy 2 of them next year for tooling around the mountain trails and roads out west next year. It is NOT a highway cruiser, but it gets around pretty good at 55mph ..  And is a decent trail bike..  2 up will be a little crowded on it though.. So if short rides, may be ok. I would not want to ride double for hours on it though,, Hence why we are getting 2 of them.

I have carried our 550 lb Yamaha Majesty on a rear carrier that I made,(they can be purchased as well) on our hitch rated at 500lbs...
I figured they had a 10% safety margin at least !  ;-)    And I have had many dirt bikes that weighed 250lbs on it for thousands of miles...
And the trick to keep them from swaying, is to hook one strap at one end of the bike to the MH, Not the carrier..

Here is a picture of our old MH with the Majesty on the back..


Bob

 

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IMO, a small electric bike, such as my Zero DS ZF 6.5, would be best for a RV use for several reasons.

1. No noise. It won't bother anybody in a RV park, not even at night.

2. No clutch (helpful to get up on the hitch and it's easy to have it go very slow). There is so much torque on these E-Bikes that there is no need for a transmission and clutch.

3. There is always a way to charge it from a RV. Generator or the AC from when the RV is plugged in.

4. Usually, you only need a short range from your RV and this cycle is good for around 70 miles in slow city traffic on full charge. Half that distance if on the freeway.

5. The optional saddle bags and travel trunk are very easy to remove and store in the RV when the bike is on the hitch.

6. The bike has the torque for two people (78 ft-lbs of torque). It does have passenger foot pegs. Comfort is NOT much of an issue on such a short range bike.

With the saddlebags, travel trunk, other storage spaces in the bike (for not having as much room taken by batteries) and a backpack, there is a lot of storage space on these E-bikes.

But if you want a cycle that is best for a camping trip (when not being towed on the RV) you need two different motorcycles.

I am into backpacking and backpacking stuff is also great for motorcycles as everything is rather light and small. But what is best to be towed on your RV is a lot different than the type of bike I would want to take on a long trip by itself.

-Don-  Auburn, CA
 
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