Tow motorcycle with a tractor (adapter for 2" receiver hitch)

[Sodo]

Often I want to bring a motorcycle to where I'm working with the tractor, so I can zoom back to get stuff, eat lunch, check my messages. Once I carried the motorcycle on the backhoe (but I sold that backhoe). Anyway I need to be able to leave the tractor at it's worksite, then zoom back to the house or the shed. Otherwise it can be a 1/2 hour round trip (walking, and uphilll too). Sometimes I leave the tractor there for a couple days.

So my plan has been to make a 2" receiver hitch carrier that grabs onto the motorcycle front wheel, and the bike trails behind on its own rear wheel.

Yesterday I got it this far along and tested it on the ATV; but there are some problems to work out. For example since the rear wheel follows the contour of the ground, the front tiedowns attach point must be on or near the front wheel (axle) axis. Otherwise the rear wheel following contours on the ground affect the tension of the tiedown straps. There will be some iterations to get it working right.

I used the orange ratchet strap to cram the wheel into the slot. The strap feeds thru the spokes, around the wheel hub and back out the spokes up to the ATV rack. Cranking the ratchet lifts the wheel slot on the "hinge" as it tightens, and lifts the wheel UP off the ground. It's a little too close to the ground on the ATV but will be higher on the tractor.



Here's a pic with it hinged down. This is the condition where you roll the motorcycle tire into the slot.



The entire structure is made of 1" square rectangular steel tubing with .065 wall. I welded it with a wire-feed on 120v, from a pair of Honda EU2000i Generators, with .030 wire & C25 gas.

The doublers are 1/8", thats where the hinge pin passes thru.

 

[Rustyiron]

Nice work, I used to haul a 4 wheeler on the forks for the same reasons. Could you just "tie" the wheel into the bracket somehow?

 

[Sodo]

So far I've just used a ratchet strap to cram the wheel into the slot. It goes thru the spokes across the hub and out the spokes up to the ATV rack. Cranking the ratchet lifts the wheel slot up as it tightens.

Definitely needed the side tiedowns, it was all floppy, looked like it might peel the tire off the rim!

 

[bcp]

Might find some ideas here:

motorcycle caddy

Bruce

 

[not2old]

I made one of these as a temporary unit before I had time to make a proper dirt bike carrier. It worked so well that I've used it many times to transport my Harley with me to ride home while my truck was repaired. I will take a picture tomorrow and try to figure out how to post it.

 

[boggen]

never would of imagine the idea in my life, very interesting!

i would think you would only want to grab a hold of the wheel. so as to allow the front suspension and rest of entire bike, to rotate off the front axle.

 

[not2old]

Here's the picture I promised. The 2x2 is 1/8 wall and the angle is 1/4. It was all scrap I had hanging around and took about an hour to make. I use ratchet straps, at the middle of contact in two places. This has been sufficient to tow my Sportster over 20 miles at up to 50mph. I usually add two straps between the bumper and the bars. Looks like I need to send another picture angle.

 

[not2old]

Here's another view. Let me know if you need more.View attachment 382374

 

[not2old]

try again for the second picture

 

[Oliver1655]

Looking at the googled photos I thought the one with the trailer jack to where the height was adjustable was fairly creative. Now if it only went all the way to the ground for easy loading...

 

[bcp]

Now if it only went all the way to the ground for easy loading...

Some do. Here is one using a small winch. More videos on the right side, too, if you click to view it on Youtube.

Bruce

 

[Sledgie]

I pulled my Honda XL 250 behind my Cordoba back in the 70's. I took the front wheel off and clamped the fork to the tow frame. The first time down the road doing about 60 I was really impressed by how well it worked. After about 20 miles it started acting funny, so I stopped to check it. I had just put the cycle in neutral, but turns out a transmission shaft was being turned by the rear wheel without being oiled and had seized up. From then on I took the chain off to tow, and pulled that rig several thousand miles.