hitch for luggage carrier

[rm]

i am interested in info about  how to mount  a luggage carrier on my interstate. not the kind that fits on the trunk as i already have done that with info from this site, but the kind similar you see mounted to cars,vans trailer hitch ect to carry extra luggage.do i need a hitch like hitch doc or is their a carrier available that mounts some other way. i am not wanting to pull a trailer  so the ball hitch type i assume would not be necessary with a hitch my friend has on his trike,but a friend with the trike is concerned that the weight will be a problem on a bike. i have not seen a motorcycle with such a carrier myself but using a  small aluminum carrier and carring a light wt cooler with clothes would be the objective . anyone with experience or knowledge of brand name hitches,carriers and other info would be helpful.or is the luggage carrier idea not safe for motorcycles only for trikes

[Kaiser]

The ones that I have seen for cages still require you to have a hitch.  It's just that instead of putting a tongue and ball into the receiver (wow, that sounds bad), you put in the carrier.  The carrier has it's own tongue attached to it that slides into the receiver that is mounted on the vehicle.  There may be another way of doing it, but this seems to be the standard.

I'd be a little concerned about what additional weight behind the back tire will do for balance, handling, etc.  I defer to those with more knowledge and experience about this.

Worse case scenario, you'll have a wheelie machine!  

ON EDIT:

I do now remember seeing a company that manufactured a golf club carrier for motorcycles.  I know they offered a model for the Goldwing.  I'll have to see if I can drum up how that system worked.

[sugerbear]

i have a 2k I/S w/trailer hitch.

bought a carrier that mounts to the receiver.

http://wingstuff.com/pgroup_detail/6_Add_On/576_Cooler_Rack_Snaps_Into_any_Horizontal_Straight_In/

used it on a trip to key west and back.  couldn't tell it was there.

it does cover up the turn signals and license plate though.

[fudgie]

I use one on my bike. Love it. Its about a little over a foot square on the platform and about 16" tall for the upright. Mine is steel and is a little heavy. Its on a aluminum reciever so that is light. I'm gonna find a aluminum one or slap a pc of plywood on the hitch for a make shift one. We only use it to go to Sturgis. We do get a little bounce but we are weighted down anyway with luggage. I never worry about it. The only thing we haul on it is a duffle bag with rain gear, novy helmets, and a liter of gas. Occasionally we will throw the leathers on it but that it. Once there we haul beer. Got mine for $45 from something like rays motorcycle acc.com. Search something close to that and it should pop up. It does obscure your tail lights but we use hand signals anyway on the highway. I did wire up a small light but going around Chicago on them wonderful roads, it fell off. 

[chip]

I use one when traveling, actually have a couple .Which one I use of course depends on what I'm carrying. I made both and they mount in a receiver trailer hitch. There is one says it s a Show Chrome on Ebay saw it earlier today at that time it was at $200.00. Should you decide to use one of these cargo carriers remember your turn signals and license plate most likely will be hidden, both illegal nd unsafe. I addressed these by adding turn signals to the running lights in my trunk and moved my plate up on a piece of aluminum flat stock that I mounted between the helmet locks under the trunk. I also added a white LED under the trunk as a light for my plate. I may have found another benifite of the plate relocation, I'm thinking red light cameras may not get a good pic of the plate.Shhhhhh  
                  
                  
                             This one is removable luggage,carries like a suitcase
                  
                  

  The pic of the playmate cooler painted black was before I relocated the plate.The plate frame has built in turn signals.            
                

[GOOSE]

you have to have a hitch to do what you want. hitch doctor will not work because of its design. show chrome does not make one anymore, but daryl at xf6-custom has a beautiful stainless model that will work good for this.  check out his web site, and take a peak.  yes i do have one on my bike.

[fudgie]

I use one when traveling, actually have a couple .Which one I use of course depends on what I'm carrying. I made both and they mount in a receiver trailer hitch. There is one says it s a Show Chrome on Ebay saw it earlier today at that time it was at $200.00. Should you decide to use one of these cargo carriers remember your turn signals and license plate most likely will be hidden, both illegal nd unsafe. I addressed these by adding turn signals to the running lights in my trunk and moved my plate up on a piece of aluminum flat stock that I mounted between the helmet locks under the trunk. I also added a white LED under the trunk as a light for my plate. I may have found another benifite of the plate relocation, I'm thinking red light cameras may not get a good pic of the plate.Shhhhhh 
                 
                 
                 
                 

                  The pic of the playmate cooler painted black was before I relocated the plate.The plate frame has built in turn signals.           
                 

You should make some and sell them. I'd buy 1. 

[GOOSE]

now thats what i call a good looking hitch plate there.

[chip]

Thanks        ;tread plate recycle center     $6.00
                 :square aluminum tube           $20.00
                 :friend that welds aluminum:    Priceless

[Bugslayer]

My neighbor built this for me. I added the turn signals, (LED's). I also mount my liscense plate to it when it's on the bike. With my cooler full of ice/drinks, and the small gas can, it doesn't cause any problem's with the ride. The added  weight actually smooths it out a little.
It sure was nice to have cold drinks and sandwich fixin's on our trip to Big Bend.

[tank_post142]

http://www.jpcycles.com/product/ZZ69262?N=275051&Nao=30

http://www.jpcycles.com/product/ZZ84355?N=28012452&Ntt=hitch&Ntk=All&Nao=20

you'll still need a hitch.

[sugerbear]

two VERY good ideas.

i'll buy and license plate frame like that and the "chain links" welded on for bunge cords.

thanks guys

[B]

Rico makes one that the bracket can be mounted to a hitch or they sell a mount to use without a hitch (made for the 1800 but may work). www.rivcoproducts.com.  Part#s GL18008 & GL 18011. I have the rack but use it with my hitch doc trailer hitch.

[PAVALKER]

Rico makes one that the bracket can be mounted to a hitch or they sell a mount to use without a hitch (made for the 1800 but may work). www.rivcoproducts.com.  Part#s GL18008 & GL 18011. I have the rack but use it with my hitch doc trailer hitch.

I have the Rivco model rack that slides into a bracket that is placed between the hitch ball and hitch frame.  It is more or less made for bike hitches that do not have a slide in tube receiver.  The bracket is bolted on using the hitch ball.    Here is the link for it.....
 http://www.rivcoproducts.com/products/product.php?productid=36&cat=255&page=1


Here is a pic...

[Walküre]

you have to have a hitch to do what you want. hitch doctor will not work because of its design.

I beg to differ - Hitch Doc makes a "hidden receiver" model, as well as a "fixed ball" model. The receiver is just vertical, instead of horizontal, and hidden inside the fender. If you are handy, and have a decent shop, you could easily make an insert, that would go into their receiver, then either have another 1 1/4" receiver tube attached, that would take a store-bought tray, or if you are fabricating one, build the tray right into the insert. That's how mine will be built, and I have the Hitch Doc.

I have a few other projects before I can get to mine, (I ALSO like the chain links for bungee attachment!), but it should be done before too long. I'll try to post pics. I can't weld aluminum, so I MIGHT do the receiver tube, if I decide that the extra weight of steel is too much. Time will tell...

R

[chip]

 rm thought in reply to your PM I would post these here in case someone was searching the archives for info on the cargo rack/hitch subject. These are the pics of the simple license plate relocating I did so my plates are visible to vehicles following me while I have my cargo carrier in place. I leave the plate in the new position all the time now. The other is the additional turn signals added to the running lights in the trunk, also added for safety while using the cargo carrier. Good luck on the project.Let us know wht you come up with. Lots of good info found here