Best hitch for Interstate

[Fudd]

A friend's wife called and asked which HitchDoc hitch to get her husband for Christmas.

I know he wants a receiver type, but I do not know the pros and cons of getting one made for 'hard bag hardware' (model 15400) -or- one made for 'guard rail hardware' (model 15420).

Is one more sturdy than the other? or just easier to install? or what?

Which one is best?

[Michvalk]

The Hard bag hardware will work on the Interstate. The Guard rail hardware is made for Interstates and Tourers with Hondaline bag rails. The only difference is the hardware. (bolt and spacers length)

[blastedbugler]

In Australia there is a Company that makes a hitch for the Valkyrie & exports to USA.
www.classicind.com.au/
Cost to USA $435 + postage $154.
Attaches at muffler brackets & saddle bag bracket.
Pull is along the axle line.
See :-
http://www.classicind.com.au/images/TH27.jpg
I have had one on the Interstate for years & have pulled a camper trailer.
A majority of hitches installed in Aussie come from this firm.
Don ( Aussie )

[Joe Hummer]

My take on the Hitchdoc Hitches...not a slam because I like my hitch...just something to keep in mind when getting one. 

Because of the spacers installed with the hitch, the bags are spread out a little more.  This causes the cross-bar that ties the bags together (under the fender) is too short...I believe by about 1 1/2".  The instruction say to just squeeze the bags together but then the bags are not straight.  What I done was had a spacer turned by a machinist friend, cut the cross-bar in half, drilled holes in the cross-bar and spacer, and put screws in the holes to hold everything together.  The bags are back in their regular orientation and held solidly.  If you don't have access to a machinist, an aluminum or steel dowel should also work.  Take the cross-bar to the hardware store and find the right size to go inside the tube. 

Joe

[RobertC]

I just put one on my IS.... The one they recommended when I called was the H15400. What Joe said about the bags spreading is correct. It makes them spread out a bit. If you don't extend the cross bar underneath they kind of form a 'V'. I really need to do what Joe did and split my cross bar and add a piece in to have them straighten out a bit.

Other than that, the hitch works great!!. Pulled it to Galveston earlier this month and I had not trouble with the hitch at all...

I would recommend having 2 people present when installing it. I did mine by myself. Wasn't impossible, but 4 hands are better than two for sure..

Cheers,

Robert C.

[Fudd]

I just got off the phone with a lady at HitchDoc, that said if we get the Model 15420 hitch (made for hard bags and guard rails), it would not cause the bags to bow-out.  She said the longer, custom bolts and hardware would correct that.

It seems like we would be paying an extra $50 to have 'longer bolts'.  I don't see how longer bolts would prevent the bags from 'spreading out', like JoeValkIS mentioned, but she insisted that "you would never know that the hitch was there."

????

I like the function of the Aussie model, but it seems like all of the ones I've seen had bad chrome on them.  Is it just, "I happened to see a few bad ones", or do they all have substandard chrome?