Motorcycle Carrier + Class III hitch

I'm looking to haul a 250# dirt bike across the country with my '09 5lug automatic 4cyl. It has a hitch on it now, but I'm guessing the one from Toyota is a class II, with a tongue weight of ~300 pounds.

I'm looking at installing a class III hitch, which'll have a tongue weight of 500 pounds. The carrier weighs ~50 pounds, so the weight will be at 300#

I should be okay in this operation, right? I've never done any towing, so I just want to make sure I'm not going to kill somebody else, myself, or a motorcycle!

 

Why don't you put it in the bed? Those types of hitches are crap.

 

I used the hitch carrier to haul my kawi 450 1400 miles from San Diego to Idaho. I made sure I bought a quality hitch carrier. Worked like a champ with the stock hitch receiver.

 

https://www.rackwarehouse.com/products/single-motorcycle-carrier-with-ramp/sku/VH-55RO/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjeyh8M2shQMV0imtBh1FGgjnEAQYBiABEgIUjvD_BwE
i used a versa haul. It wasn’t cheap but it did the job multiple times. I sold it when I sold my bike.

 

Everyone, 5 lug is not a 4x4, they have reduced capacity.

So tongue weight max is an odd duck, its usually 1/10th towing capacity, which is 3500#

So 350# is max tongue. It's brutal when you are at max tongue. You basically ride on the bump stops and steering becomes super light.

I'd strongly suggest a small bike trailer or put it in the bed. The 5 lug is not enough to carry a bike on a carrier.

 

I'm moving cross country, and the bed of my truck will be full of stuff.

 

This is what I figured... Looks like I'll try to purchase a bike at my destination, and maybe remove the cap to transport to trails out there... thanks!