I have a 250cc dirt bike I want to haul with a 2005 Saturn vue, 4 cy, 5 speed, 60,000 miles. I want to use a basket rack to carry the bike. Saturn can install a hitch with a 1 3/4 receiver for $400. A local shop can install one with a 2" receiver for $200. The 2" receiver is recommended for the basket rack and the local shop is also recommended.
Anyone have any advice or comments about this?
BTW, my wife does not like the idea. My alternative is to use my 2008 Honda Civic 4 cyl automatic, 12,000 miles.
Thanks
Joe
Put it on your car not your wifes and get the $200 one
I’ve never used one of those rear racks but are they not weight limited; as in about 75 pounds or so?
If this is the case then I would think the weight of the basket and a 250cc bike would make the vehicle a bit tail heavy and loose in the steering.
On a heavy Suburban you might get away with this. Maybe not on a lightweight Saturn or Civic.
You need to check the tongue weight if listed for your car. Your suspension may not handle a 300 lb tongue weight. The way around that is to consider the cheaper hitch and a small trailer.
I don’t think either car was made to haul this kind of weight, but I am sure about the Civic. You better rent a vehicle. Definitely don’t do this to a Civic, and if you wife doesn’t want you to do this with her car, don’t. It is her car, right?
I don’t want to be the one behind you when that rack and bike fall off. Seriously, get an inexpensive trailer, add a wheel guide using 2x4s bolted to the bed and some tie downs to secure the bike to the trailer.
The more weight you have behind the rear axle, the more directionally unstable a vehicle becomes. Putting that much weight behind the rear axle of such a small car is an invitation to fishtailing. If you got to do it, make sure your rear tires are inflated to maximum and the front tires are inflated to minimum, this induces understeer which counters the oversteer induced by the changed weight distribution of the car.
I think you should just buy a motorcycle trailer, that way you can also haul gas cans someplace other than the back of the car.
You might be better off having the hitch installed and towing a trailer with the bike on it. You could rent or buy the trailer. The trailer doesn’t need to be large since you are just towing a small motorcycle. Another alternative is to buy a pick-up truck, but that may mean giving up one of the other vehicles. The pick-up might work out best if you move the bike often. The Nissan Frontier has a great load securing system installed at the factory; it’s been available for years.