Hitch Spare Tire+Bike Mount

Hey TW, I've been searching all over the place but I'm at the point where I believe what I'm asking is too much.

I want to toss my spare tire on the tailgate of my truck but I also mount my dirt bike on the hitch using a carrier as well, is it possible to do both or is it one or the other?

This is what I'm looking at, it looks like it could actually be possible but I want to know if anybody has tried it before I decide to go with the tailgate mount for the spare tire

https://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-carrier/p/AMC-400/

 

How much tongue weight can your hitch handle? That's probably starting to push the limit, but its probably over it.

 

The tubing that goes into the hitch for the carrier would have be lengthened to allow for the rear tire and the handle bar that faces the truck. Besides making that tube longer, I would think you'd have to make it stronger too. Then the tie down tab on the inside of the carrier, along with cinching the tie down strap may be a pain to get to due to the tire.

Question, will the tire be mounted in the center or off centered? If off centered, then have the bike load up with the handle bars on the opposite side for a little more room.

Here's my Rage carrier

 

650 lbs, my dirt bike is 220 and the hitch carrier is 36lbs, I have plenty of spare room for extra weight on there.

 

It would be offset, nice smoker btw that thing is clean, I'm running an 01 yz250 steely frame, love old school two strokes.

 

Do you happen to have the clearance measurement between the bike and the truck?

 

Do you have a tailgate mount picked out? I've used hitch carriers for bikes. But with a quad in the bed, I had to lean the bike a little back and strap it kinda angled.

You should be ok, I misread and thought you wanted everything mounted to the hitch.

 

500lbs if it’s oem i believe

 

Well I might end up mounting it to the hitch if thats all that's available, I saw this one recently and was interested.

$1,415 Wilco Offroad Hitchgate Solo Spare Tire Carrier (High Clearance) - UHG33187

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/wilco...ier-high-clearance-uhg33187/_/R-BKKP-UHG33187

 

Or possibly this one

$431 Body Armor Tire/Can Swing Arm Carrier (Textured Black) - TC-5293

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/body-...3?emlprox=out&ppcfon=1&gp=1&textlink=13274347

 

Another option is to mount a reciever on the backside of your carrier, like this. I just wouldn't tow a big trailer with it.

 

Offset will work. Getting to that inside strap is a little bit of a hassle. I use a zip tie on the hook for the tie down tab to keep it from falling off while straping down the bike. Some have carabiner style attachments for the tie down points which makes it really simple. I also lean the bike out a little when strapped down so I can open the hatch on my cap. It doesn't open all the way, but just enough to put the ramp in.

You will have to remember you're putting the weight a little further back, which (to me) is really no different that hauling a trailer. However, the bouncing and swaying of the bike will be exaggerated. You may have to come up with some additional bracing to help eliminate or lessen that exaggeration.

Thanks for the compliment on my 2004 KDX220R. Bought it for $500 this time last year, tore it down and went through the bike front to back. Yep, 2 smokers are on the way back.
Loads of fun!



Here's what else I carry on my carrier, a 2010 KLX 250 with a 331cc big bore kit, FMF megabomb and Q4 silencer.

 

Not an exact measurement, but my fat ass can get between the bike and tailgate, especially between the back of the bike and the tailgate. And remember, I lean my bike out a little bit to I can open the rear hatch on my cap.

 

I haul 3 bikes wide in the bed and one on my hitch hauler. i have the 2 bike hitch hauler from harbor freight. b/c the tailgate has to be down to fit bikes in the bed, i can only use the farthest aft position for the hitch hauler.

So what you should do is get a 2 bike hitch hauler and remove the forward ramp. now you will have an extra long tongue hitch hauler giving your tire carrier room. OR you can just get a normal 1 bike hauler and use a tongue extender...

Fyi it is a lot of weight far aft but the truck handles it like a champ

My buddy does the single/extender method on his Rubicon because of the tailgate mounted tire. works great

 

This is the ticket right here

 

You'll definitely need to upgrade your suspension. I carried a pig (DRZ400) on a hitch carrier with no problems (OME Dakars on the rear and I've got an ARB and winch on the front to add some weight up there) but I wouldn't want to add a spare tire and move that weight out much further. I also wouldn't want to try anything much more than forestry service roads either, too much movement even though I had a clamp on the receiver. I have a camper shell too so I had to lean the bike outwards slightly to make sure that it had some room to move without the possibility of striking my rear window.

If I were going to do it again, I'd probably build a dual receiver hitch setup and carrier; I've seen a couple that folks built and they were a lot more stable. They welded a receiver stub outboard of the regular center hitch and the motorcycle rack had two tongues instead of a center one.

On a semi-related note, I added thin profile trailer lights to the hitch carrier as the bike made it difficult to see the rear lights, especially from certain angles.

 

I’ve got 5160s on the back with Dakar HDs and Fox 2.5s up front so the suspension is already good to go.

The bike will only be brought out to the motocross track when I’m racing and to the desert and taken off instantly after I arrive.

I posted something with a dual hitch above, not sure if you saw it, is that what you’re talking about?

 

Yes, a rear suspension upgrade is always a plus when hauling dirt bikes and having a bed full of "stuff." I currently have the Roadmaster Active Suspension (RAS) with Sumo springs along with the new (OEM recall) 4 pack leaf springs. Defintenly an impovement and works for now, but always wondering what could work better. Thinking about Dobinsons 111-R leaf springs along with the RAS and Sumo springs. I pretty sure that should be set the up for a bed full of "stuff" along with the carrier or when I'm pulling my trailer with several dirt bikes.

 

If that's all you're doing you should be fine with a regular carrier, especially with a lighter bike. I was only suggesting the dual receiver if you were planning on going off-road with it. The style I'm talking about is usually used for heavier bikes and uses two receivers instead of one center one so it provides a lot more stability. Here's the first example I found with a quick search:
https://motorcycle-rack.com/VBDB006.html

 

dude this is awesome, I’m definitely going to consider this! Appreciate the info!