Toyspeed.org.nz Message Board

by **thornz** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:21 pm

Looking at buying a dirt bike and just looking at how to transport it.
Saw these things here on Trademe which look pretty sweet as saves space over having a trailer in the driveway:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbi ... 502290.htm

Question is, would a towbar with enough tongue rating be able to be fitted to a Subaru legacy? Would need a few hundred kgs of down rating to be able to take carrier and a bike safely. Most standard towbars seem to have only around 60kg of tongue rating from my quick searches.

Anyone have experience with this before?

by **evil_si** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:41 pm

Ahh no,

by **rolla_fxgt** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:03 pm

My fiancees brother has one, from memory had to have extra mounts put on under the rear of the car to handle the weight. Think it was one mount point each side (may have come off the chasis rails), and the standard towbar in the middle.

If you get it, remember you've got a lot of pressure on them to tie the bike on well, otherwise the bike can come off the back, and well thats just bad.

(this was on a surf, not sure how a car would actually go without stiffer/adjustable air/gas shocks in the back)

by **thornz** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:15 pm

Thanks guys,

Think its just going to be easier to grab a trailer as well. Been doing some more searching about them and alot of guys are'nt overly fond of them. Not many people are overly confident about them lol.

Website · by **Bling** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:28 pm

Unless you put truck springs in the rear i'd say even if possible you'd be bottoming out.

by **BZG Wagon** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:56 am

My (lowered, but not too low) Caldina GTT sags with 3 mountainbikes on the back, and the towbar scrapes going up / down driveways.

I'd hate to think what a motorcross bike would do.

by **ee904age** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:37 pm

I'm not sure what the average mountain bike weighs but most modern mx bikes are around 100kg, probably not much more than 3 mountain bikes. Still thats a fair bit of weight on a lightweight towbar, and by the look of those carriers, the weith is not directly down on the ball, its further back which would compound the problem.

by **Leon** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:05 pm

ee904age wrote:I'm not sure what the average mountain bike weighs

About 15kg, so you're only looking at circa 45kg for three.

by **duddley** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:49 pm

Whats the maximum tongue load on your towbar? my Legacys is 50 kg and thats maxed out with 3 Mountain bikes

by **ee904age** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:09 pm

Leon wrote:
ee904age wrote:I'm not sure what the average mountain bike weighs

About 15kg, so you're only looking at circa 45kg for three.

Sh*t is that all? How technology has changed since I last rode a bike!!!

by **sergei** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:20 pm

ee904age wrote:
Leon wrote:
ee904age wrote:I'm not sure what the average mountain bike weighs

About 15kg, so you're only looking at circa 45kg for three.

Sh*t is that all? How technology has changed since I last rode a bike!!!

This what I have (pretty average):
http://www.merida-bikes.com/fr_ch/bike/2011/1019/MTB+Hardtail/Matts+40-D and it weighs 13.5kg. If you go top end it can weigh a lot less.

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:30 pm

Have you actually weighed it? I'd be amazed if it's actually that light.

by **duddley** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:40 pm

My bike weighed in at 45 lbs with dual ply minions and freeride tubes but my bike is a brick haha

by **Mr Revhead** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:52 pm

My race crusier weighs 11kg. It's aluminium frame and components except the chromoly bars and forks. 24" wheels and one brake no gears. So you're looking at some flash stuff to get a MTB down to 13kg.

15-18ish for most middle of the road single suspension MTBs is where you'd be looking

by **slacker** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:37 pm

Mr Revhead wrote:My race crusier weighs 11kg. It's aluminium frame and components except the chromoly bars and forks. 24" wheels and one brake no gears. So you're looking at some flash stuff to get a MTB down to 13kg.

15-18ish for most middle of the road single suspension MTBs is where you'd be looking

Middle of the road stuff about the 15kg mark, slightly better dual suspension stuff (5-6" travel, about the same), spend more and you will get XC race rigs (26" dual sus or carbon 29er Hardtail) down at the same or less than your race cruiser and 5-6" bikes not too much heavier

but yes most cars will end up pretty saggy and unbalanced with 3 mtbs on the back. I wouldn't want to go anywhere near putting a full moto-x bike on the back of a car with that style rack. A few years ago when I lived in Palmy one of the local trials moto types did it with his trails bike, but they're a bit lighter than a moto-x bike, and even that looked like it wasn't doing great things for the handling of his company car

by **rolla_fxgt** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:20 pm

I used to carry 3 rigs at times on the back of my old fxgt, and apart from it being a bit lower riding in the back, it was not too bad, and i took it at least twice on gravel roads, that weren't that pretty, and it never scraped, came close once, but it was okay.

3 average mountain bikes (not talking warehouse jobs here), would be under 50kgs, in fact I'd think that 4 bikes would be more like it for 50kgs.

Website · by **Bling** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:05 pm

My full sus just weighed in at 16kg. FWIW

by **slacker** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:15 pm

BZG|Bling wrote:My full sus just weighed in at 16kg. FWIW

Whatcha got?

DH bike in the low 17's (Turner DW DHR)
Trail bike at 15 (Turner DW 5.spot), but depends a bit on tyres

Website · by **Bling** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:20 pm

2010 Jamis Dakar XC sport. Much heavier than the other bikes I looked at. That were 3 times the price

by **slacker** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:31 pm

BZG|Bling wrote:2010 Jamis Dakar XC sport. Much heavier than the other bikes I looked at. That were 3 times the price

good simple fun bike.

If you're having fun on it, who cares what it weighs

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