- Local time
- Today, 03:02
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2006
- Messages
- 55,084
- Points
- 1,407
- First Name
- Dave
- My Ride
- Speedmaster
- Riding Since
- 1974
Published in: Gear
Loading a motorcycle onto the bed of a pickup or a van is a time-honored tradition for many of us. But not everyone owns a pickup or van, and even if you do, perhaps the bike won’t fit or weighs too much. Or, you prefer to use the space for other purposes, like in my case, where my Econoline serves as a makeshift apartment complete with a twin bed and a nifty IKEA wire cabinet for clothes and riding gear.
Or maybe you own or have access to an SUV or some kind of cross-over vehicle that can’t carry a motorcycle? This is where a hitchhauler comes in handy. It’s a simple solution to a more complicated problem, but as long as the vehicle has a hitch, you’re in business.
However, as convenient as that might sound, not all hitchhaulers are created equal. The generic variety found at Harbor Freight will do the trick… for a while. For example, I loaded a Suzuki DR650 onto a Harbor Freight hauler and drove down the West Coast from Washington to Southern California, where it did the job, but it was broken by the time I was ready to return. The quality you’ll find at your local Cycle Gear will also do the job and likely last longer than the Harbor Freight variety. Still, they’re bolted together, which makes them inherently weaker and prone to eventually rattling apart. For cheaper solutions like these, ongoing maintenance is required; they make a lot of noise and don’t feel sturdy, especially when carrying a heavier bike.
I first came across a Joe Hauler about halfway down the Baja peninsula. A friend and fellow moto journalist had a Toyota 4Runner with a Honda XR650R strapped to a Deluxe Cam-Loc Heavy Duty Hauler from Joe Hauler. He’d just come off the Baja 1000 racecourse and was unphased at the prospect of driving additional off-road miles with this rig.
This motorcycle carrier can be installed on any Class III, 2-inch hitch with a motorcycle up to 600 lb. It’s made from welded steel and an innovative Cam-Loc design that all but eliminates play—also known as “hitch slop.” The Joe Hauler weighs in at 80 lb. with the detachable ramp installed. It comes with a three-year warranty and, being designed for heavier motorcycles features a wider platform for bikes with rear tires up to 10 inches wide. The hold-down bars are also wider for more stability and have four tie-down points. The hauler comes powder-coated in black, but lights are optional.
With my Econoline, the Deluxe Cam-Loc Heavy Duty Hauler has now carried countless motorcycles across the Baja border, down rough dirt roads, and even over a rocky mountain pass in southern Idaho. It’s an absolutely bullet-proof design that requires only a single tool to install to provide a stable, secure platform for transporting motorcycles. At 80 lb., the hauler can be installed by yourself, however a bit of help from a friend is always nice. The Cam-Loc design reduces noise when the hauler isn’t loaded down with a bike, and it feels rock-solid when ripping down the road. The $1K-plus price tag is certainly a contrast to the sub-$200 Harbor Freight model, but the stability, security, and heavy-duty construction of the Joe Hauler make it well worth the money.
MSRP: $1,160
JoeHauler.com
Continue reading...
Loading a motorcycle onto the bed of a pickup or a van is a time-honored tradition for many of us. But not everyone owns a pickup or van, and even if you do, perhaps the bike won’t fit or weighs too much. Or, you prefer to use the space for other purposes, like in my case, where my Econoline serves as a makeshift apartment complete with a twin bed and a nifty IKEA wire cabinet for clothes and riding gear.
Or maybe you own or have access to an SUV or some kind of cross-over vehicle that can’t carry a motorcycle? This is where a hitchhauler comes in handy. It’s a simple solution to a more complicated problem, but as long as the vehicle has a hitch, you’re in business.
However, as convenient as that might sound, not all hitchhaulers are created equal. The generic variety found at Harbor Freight will do the trick… for a while. For example, I loaded a Suzuki DR650 onto a Harbor Freight hauler and drove down the West Coast from Washington to Southern California, where it did the job, but it was broken by the time I was ready to return. The quality you’ll find at your local Cycle Gear will also do the job and likely last longer than the Harbor Freight variety. Still, they’re bolted together, which makes them inherently weaker and prone to eventually rattling apart. For cheaper solutions like these, ongoing maintenance is required; they make a lot of noise and don’t feel sturdy, especially when carrying a heavier bike.
I first came across a Joe Hauler about halfway down the Baja peninsula. A friend and fellow moto journalist had a Toyota 4Runner with a Honda XR650R strapped to a Deluxe Cam-Loc Heavy Duty Hauler from Joe Hauler. He’d just come off the Baja 1000 racecourse and was unphased at the prospect of driving additional off-road miles with this rig.
This motorcycle carrier can be installed on any Class III, 2-inch hitch with a motorcycle up to 600 lb. It’s made from welded steel and an innovative Cam-Loc design that all but eliminates play—also known as “hitch slop.” The Joe Hauler weighs in at 80 lb. with the detachable ramp installed. It comes with a three-year warranty and, being designed for heavier motorcycles features a wider platform for bikes with rear tires up to 10 inches wide. The hold-down bars are also wider for more stability and have four tie-down points. The hauler comes powder-coated in black, but lights are optional.
With my Econoline, the Deluxe Cam-Loc Heavy Duty Hauler has now carried countless motorcycles across the Baja border, down rough dirt roads, and even over a rocky mountain pass in southern Idaho. It’s an absolutely bullet-proof design that requires only a single tool to install to provide a stable, secure platform for transporting motorcycles. At 80 lb., the hauler can be installed by yourself, however a bit of help from a friend is always nice. The Cam-Loc design reduces noise when the hauler isn’t loaded down with a bike, and it feels rock-solid when ripping down the road. The $1K-plus price tag is certainly a contrast to the sub-$200 Harbor Freight model, but the stability, security, and heavy-duty construction of the Joe Hauler make it well worth the money.
MSRP: $1,160
JoeHauler.com
PROS:
- Heavy-duty steel construction
- Four convenient mounting locations
- Cam-Loc system prevents noise when unloaded
- Safely transports motorcycles up to 600 lb.
CONS:
- Price is considerably more than the competition
- All-black color makes it hard for other drivers to see when unloaded
- Sticks out far behind your vehicle
Continue reading...
