Makin' Some Progress on a Re-design of the Motorcycle Carrier

The idea I've come up with is... in this case... Bigger is Better! :o)

Took a long two up ride, well for her it was! Up through Rocky Mountain National Park... Splitting the wind on a beautiful day, herself decided she wants to give "Riding Her Own" some more time to develop.

Bottom line? I'll carry both bikes... on a One Ton dragging a fiver. :o)

What I've come up with... that remains in Early Draft is that the V Star will continue to ride on it's carrier on the fiver... and the Raider will ride cross bed, behind the cab. I've thought of this way before... and just didn't do it.

Well... this decision is made... the Raider goes behind the cab... To get her up there and deal with the clearance issue at the break over point, I'll fabricate a "Dove Tail" section that will attach and extend 2' from the side of the truck. This will be built to split the difference between the flat bed and the angle of the 8' motorcycle ramp that will attach to it... and should allow the bike's low clearance to clear the edge of the bed as she's pulled up.

... and that is Pulled Up. The idea of riding up... and across the bed... into the new Wheel Dock chock... and NOT missing it :o) is not really working for me... so I'll put in a light winch to pull the bike up slow and easy!

All this requires moving the gooseneck hitch on the truck back to give sufficient turning radius... and likely a lil' suspension boost... though the total weight is under cargo capacity... uh... really! :o)

Gotta get this done pretty quick too... we need to leave! Wanted to pull out the 6th of Sept. Looks like a week later at least... But...

If I've got both Bikes along... It's worth the wait!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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I've Run into a Lil' Roadblock With My Fifth Wheel Mounted Motorcycle Carrier...

We're getting ready to pull out for a long circle with the Fifth Wheel... and though I don't consider, that loading the Bike to take her with us makes her a *Trailer Queen*... That's where she has to ride to come with us.

*Since we Live, Full-Time... in our Fifth Wheel... hauling her on a carrier is more like parking her in a Garage... not the insult of making her a Trailer Queen... Right? :o) *

So... I was just about to do some Trailer Frame bracing, to insure that I didn't pick up any Trailer Frame issues with the fifth wheel... carrying the 700+ lb Roadstar Raider, that I've not had in 10,000+ miles of carrying the 500+ lb. V Star.

SCREEECH!... That's the sound of that lil' project coming to a sudden halt!... The thought that the Raider, wouldn't fit on the existing Fifth Wheel Motorcycle Carrier  never even crossed my lil' pea brain.

The thought that, maybe, I should put a tape measure to things... before I got any further along... Did... finally occur to me... OOPS! Turns out that the front tire is 'bout a half inch too wide for the Wheel Dock Chock... and the Back tire is almost a whole dang inch!...

I knew her hips were wide... but Whew! She's a big girl!

Bottom line is... I'm either gonna have to do, another, major re-work of the carrier, to fit the bigger bike; along with the Frame Bracing to protect the Fifth Wheel RV... or ... I'm gonna have to come up with another, totally different, solution for Taking that big Red Sweetheart of a Two Wheeler with us...

One of the two Has to happen... 'cause... Leaving her behind, for any significant period of time... Is Not... something I'm gonna Tolerate! :o)

so... put on another pot of coffee... pull out some blank paper... a pencil... eraser... and start schemin'!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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