The gas prices are putting a dent in my riding and I'm looking for cheaper alternatives now that I don't own big bikes anymore.

Would it be possible to fit a trials bike in a compact wagon type car ? Something like the Dodge Caliber ? What about a bike carrier mounted to a hitch on the back of a car (class 1 hitches have a 200 lbs. tongue weight) ? I rather not use a trailer if I can.

I use one of these. http://www.addabike.com/ . It is amazing and well worth the money. You will wonder how you ever got by without it. I've carried enduro bikes and trials bikes with ease. There are a lot of similar products out there, mostly made of steel and h-e-a-v-y.. There are even rails that haul two bikes. Check them out here. http://www.motorcyclecarrier.net/ . I recommend the Add-a-Bike. All you need to do after you get it, since it is set up for tall bikes, is drill a hole down near the base at the right height and you are good to go.

You will need to upgrade to a larger receiver hitch though, not for weight but for receiver size. The Class I is too small to effectively control the torque generated by the long moment. Basically, you would strip it.

John

^^^ yep, My buddy uses one of those, and it seems to work well for him.

pull the front wheel off and remove the handlebar clamps, put the handlebars under the bike laying on its side. just remember to run the carb dry before you put it in the back of your car. I saw a guy put his bike in the back of a honda crx car.

I use this and it doubles as a great work stand. Great when you need to work on either end of the suspension. Also, the suspension it not under load while traveling. Moto Jack-Rack is out of business now but the Ultimate MX-Hauler is almost an exact copy.

http://ultimatemxhauler.com/index.php

Because the Trials Bike foot pegs are so far back, I added my own version of a hold-down for the front of the skid plate as in the second photo

It does require a sturdy 2" receiver hitch with some sort of anti-rattle device to take up any slack in the receiver, but a Trials Bike is less than 1/2 of it's designed carrying capacity.

I also really like that no straps are required. Nothing of the rack nor bike touches any part of your car. Just something to keep the front steering from flopping back and forth in turns. I use the steering lock on the newer Gas Gas models.

I like the open frame of the Moto Jack-Rack better for things like changing oil and such. I've been using mine for 8 years now and I also have the optional gas can basket for it.

2PLY said:

I went to this site. Is that a hydraulic cylinder jack that provides the lifting force? Pretty slick. I like the simplicity of my Add-a-Bike hauler - no moving parts - but there are times when it can be difficult to get the bike on or off the rail. Like when you're parking on the shoulder of the road, or parked on an incline, or when you get boxed in by trailers. This design would eliminate those problems. Does that hold-down do the job? Must be a pretty good way to tighten those little clamps. One thing about the Add-a-Bike is that there is no way in H311 the bike is coming off. Ever. And locking the bike just requires locking the pin that goes secures the hold-down bar. No cable needed.

John

Yes, that's a standard bottle jack in there and it's replaceable if you wish. It's great for raising or lowering the bike when working on the front forks or the steering head.

Sometimes I don't even use the jack. I can just walk up to the bike, wrap my arms around it and lift it off or lift it up to the platform. Most fun to do that when there are people next to you trying to man-handle their sit-down bikes out of the back of their pick-ups.

The hold-downs are great and have never slipped, but I heard that a few people have forgotten to tighten them with some really bad results. That is why the Ultimate MX-Hauler uses the wing nuts.... With idiots and lawyers around waiting for an excuse to sue, I don't blame them. I like the cinch bolts better but they are less idiot-proof.

i called motojack rack several years ago to see if they'd make me a cheaper version without the complexity of the jack, they said no (trials bike's are so light!)
i intend to make my own, if i ever get access to a welder again...

onto1wheel said:

Yes, it would be easy to make one especially if you can get your hands on one. But I think the MX Hauler has a better main pivot point by using a bolt instead of the welded rod like the MJR.

I've started copying mine into Solid Works so that I can play around with it and see if there is a better ratio I can come up with. If so, I'll have my friend build me a stainless steel version. SWEET!! :thumbsup:

I left a trials event here in NC one time behind a guy who hauled his trials bike on a small trailer behind his Goldwing!

M

I have a Tilt-A-Rail hauler that I picked up on Craigslist for $150 almost new. I love it. It is well made from Aluminum and as the name implies it tilts to make it really easy for one person to load or unload the bike. It is very stable down the road.

2PLY said:

not sure if i was clear, but i want one with no pivots; just a small platform that i can lift my bike up on to (they're so light).
but i recently picked up 2 used rail types bike haulers for cheap, so i guess i'm set.

to answer the orig question,
i've also seen trials bikes hauled in geo metros (car passenger seat removed, forks on bike removed),
in motorcycle side-cars,
in a trailer towed by a little honda 2 seater (forgot the model)
in the honda element, etc.


i recently put a reciever hitch on the front of my superduty, but i think the trials bike up front is too high for proper driver vision. i'd probably get a ticket.
anybody else hauled one up front?

2PLY said:

As our good friend Joseph Stalin once said, "Better is the enemy of good enough." :busted:

Actually, I was thinking that the hauler like yours (2PLY) would work well with a spring. The spring could have an adjustable preload that when properly set would compensate for the weight of the bike. You could then lift it either up or down with just a gentle push. The only real design change would be some kind of retaining pin to hold the thing in place when it was in it's unloaded position.

John

i pull my 280 behind my goldwing ,it works perfect i ride year around every weekend. i built the trailer ,a 1 rail from a compact car rearend and a piece of channel iron for a total cost of $110 including the new 12in tires,i have pics if you want to email me i will share them ,postalrider@windstream.net

CRM114 said:

That might end up even more complicated than the bottle jack. Sounds like it would be fine with the bike attached, but how would you get it back down after unloading the bike? Could end up acting like a giant mouse trap. :eek:

With my rack, I don't have to pump the jack to get it in the up position, I can just lift it to the top and lock it there. The jack is not positively attached to the upper arm, it rests into a socket and stays there as long as there is pressure or weigh on the rack. I store it this way so that the jack's piston and shaft is not exposed to rain and rust.

One of the dangers of this type of rack is that if you have a road strike, it's your bike's wheels that hit. With a tray style rack, the rack would take the beating first. For this reason, a high lift is important. I opted for the optional extra 2" lift when I bought mine and if I build a new one, I'll work more lift into it. Another feature I like is that the bike is relatively close to the vehicle. With the front tire turned to one side, the bike can be closer to my van and still not touch anything. With a tray style rack, the handle bars can get in the way if the bike is mounted too close.

My VW Van is a Syncro Model (AWD) so I do explore some Jeep roads and ground clearance of the bike on the back is important. So far, so good. :thumbsup: