MotoTote

[NibbanaBanana]

I'm thinking about purchasing a MotoTote hitch carrier. I want to pick up a small (around 300lb) dual sport that I can take camping. Ride trails and the BDR but also tour around local roads. Which might require short highway stints so I don't want any tiny dirt bikes. Will be mounting on 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR. The MotoTote weighs around 60lbs so that would be right around the tongue load capacity for the Tacoma with a 300lb motorbike.

Was interested in Honda CRF300 and Kawasaki KLX300. Honda seems to have a recall going so unavailable now.

Any thoughts or experience. Especially with the MotoTote.

 

[AZjeff]

No experience with either just that these receiver mounted motorcycle carriers seem like they'd put more leverage on the hitch than the same amount of trailer tongue weight. Are there any/many failures reported?

New truck + new bike sounds like good times.

 

[Astro14]

We used to put my RM125 on the bumper of our 1976 Chevy Impala wagon. Back then, bumpers were steel, and the mounts connected directly to the bumper. Then loaded up the car with siblings, dogs, luggage, and off we went.

The issue back then, as now, wasn’t strength, or load capacity, it is center of gravity.

Putting the weight behind the bumper is putting it very far back, and that weight that far “aft” will unload the front wheels of your truck far more than the same weight in the bed of the truck. So, just the bike? Probably OK, but I would put extra gear and other weight as far froward as possible.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

No experience with either just that these receiver mounted motorcycle carriers seem like they'd put more leverage on the hitch than the same amount of trailer tongue weight. Are there any/many failures reported?

New truck + new bike sounds like good times.

I haven't heard of any problems. Not a lot of YT videos out there on it. One YT'er did it with a total of 500lbs on his Tacoma. It worked pretty good but he said he didn't have a lot of spring left.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

We used to put my RM125 on the bumper of our 1976 Chevy Impala wagon. Back then, bumpers were steel, and the mounts connected directly to the bumper. Then loaded up the car with siblings, dogs, luggage, and off we went.

The issue back then, as now, wasn’t strength, or load capacity, it is center of gravity.

Putting the weight behind the bumper is putting it very far back, and that weight that far “aft” will unload the front wheels of your truck far more than the same weight in the bed of the truck. So, just the bike? Probably OK, but I would put extra gear and other weight as far froward as possible.

Yea. In the manual, Toyota says the center of the ball should be 7 inches out from the hitch pin hole. The MotoTote is adjustable, but I'd be surprised if you could get the center of mass of the bike that close to the back of the truck.

Then again, all those specs are given with an abundance of caution. Taking reasonable care and common sense can extend things.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Was interested in Honda CRF300 and Kawasaki KLX300. Honda seems to have a recall going so unavailable now.

The KLX300 is a nice dual sport bike, and less cost than the Honda. KLX300 has better suspension than the CRF300 too.

What's the CRF300 recall about. My 2024 KLX300 has been flawless, zero issues.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Yea. In the manual, Toyota says the center of the ball should be 7 inches out from the hitch pin hole. The MotoTote is adjustable, but I'd be surprised if you could get the center of mass of the bike that close to the back of the truck.

Then again, all those specs are given with an abundance of caution. Taking reasonable care and common sense can extend things.

If the tote and bike don't exceed the hitch tongue load then it should be fine. No much different than a trailer that would put the same load on the hitch.

 

[02SE]

I've known a few people who have used a Moto Tote, or the bike carriers from the various other manufacturers. As mentioned, you don't want to overload the hitch, and you need to have good straps, and check them periodically while in use. I know of at least one guy who used a Joe Hauler to haul a streetbike, the straps he used were cheap, and failed...

 

[danstraylee]

This is my setup. Black widow carrier made out of steel. been using it for going on 3 years and thousands of miles. I use turnbuckles one the pegs. I no longer have the truck so it gets swapped between my GMC Sierra 2500 and Honda Passport.

 

[danstraylee]

Another option as well....

 

[danstraylee]

As far as the bike I would go as light as possible. 300 lb bike is a lot to pick up or out of a deep rut or over a rock pile.

 

[Astro14]

If the tote and bike don't exceed the hitch tongue load then it should be fine. No much different than a trailer that would put the same load on the hitch.

It could be very different than a trailer that puts that load on the hitch. The trailer puts the load on the hitch at 7” from the receiver.

That same load at, say, 20” from the receiver puts much more torque on the receiver, and is further from the CG of the truck, which loads the rear suspension differently than the same load that is closer.

It’s the same effect as applying equal force to two levers of different length - you get different torque with the same load at a different point from the fulcrum point.

 

[ZeeOSix]

It could be very different than a trailer that puts that load on the hitch. The trailer puts the load on the hitch at 7” from the receiver.

That same load at, say, 20” from the receiver puts much more torque on the receiver, and is further from the CG of the truck, which loads the rear suspension differently than the same load that is closer.

It’s the same effect as applying equal force to two levers of different length - you get different torque with the same load at a different point from the fulcrum point.

True, there would be more of a lever arm on the hitch, but doubt it's going to reduce the load on the front tires enough to really matter if the payload is within the Tote maker's guidelines. 350 lbs at 7 inches = 204 ft-lbs added to the hitch system compared to not having it out 7 inches farther. That would be like having a heavier tongue load from a trailer on the hitch but without any Tote on the vehicle. If you put enough load in the bed of a pickup, it too will compress the rear suspension and take some load off the front end, and change the CG of the vehicle. Of course, don't want to drive the vehicle like it's a rally car with any load on it. The vehicles in posts 9 and 10 seem to be working out.

 

[Astro14]

I still remember driving the ‘76 Impala with the RM-125 on the bumper hitch. The steering was much “looser” than it was unladen. Not that the car had precise steering when unladen, but the location of that weight well past the rear bumper had a noticeable impact on steering feel as the front wheels were unloaded by the location of the weight.