Modern Vespa

Hi,

I want to transport my 2020 Vespa GTS 300 with my RAM 2500 4x4 with bed is 44" of the ground

I tried a 7 foot ramp and almost dropped my bike because the incline was to steep. Not only was getting up the ramp hard but because of the small wheels it got stuck at the edge where the ramp meets the bed of the truck.

Backing up against a high curb or hill is not a feasible option. It would defeat the purpose why I want to transport my scooter.

The trailer hitch on my truck is 22" off the ground so I am thinking about buying a trailer hitch to transport the Vespa.

The Black Widdow AMC-400L is the only one with a 6ft ramp
https://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-carrier/p/AMC-400L/

Black Widdow also has a steel version that I could order an extra 6ft ramp with.
https://www.discountramps.com/black-widow-motorcycle-carrier/p/MCC-500/

And there is this one that can handle 600lbs and has a track much wider then I need but it does come with a 71" ramp.
https://www.discountramps.com/hitch-mounted-steel-motorcycle-carrier/p/MCC-600/


Does anyone have experience with a hitch mounted motorcycle carrier?


The people on the phone at Discountramps are not very helpful...

Try this thread... Wolfboats has a good solution
https://advrider.com/f/threads/trailer-or-hitch-carrier.1432804/page-2

Thanks, meantime I found this alternative.

https://www.mototote.com/motorcycle-carriers.html

I use a 6' folding ramp with my hitch hauler. The shallow angle makes it a breeze to load and unload. I would often catch the underside of the scooter on the hauler using the short loading ramp that came with it.

I had the SR-B6 72" step ramp and it still was to steep to get into the bed of my truck witch is 44" off the ground.

https://stepramp.com/index.php#features

However I might have to buy and modify a 6 or 8 foot ramp to get an easy angle on the trailer hitch witch is 22" of the ground...

I used the MX600x with my GTS and now with my LX150 on the back of my Sequoia. The receiver on my hitch is likely a few inches lower than your truck so you may need a longer ramp.

Bill

https://www.discountramps.com/dirt-bike-hitch-carrier/p/MX-600X/

44" off the ground? you must have some aftermarket oversize wheels and tires no?

either way, if you back into a driveway you can lower that load in height considerably. drop the tailgate and just ease in until the tires just touch the dip. then use a ramp-- mine is a 7ft folding-- and you should be good to go.

i've never been much of a fan of hitch carriers. they're fine for dirtbikes but scooters tend to bounce around a whole bunch and are wobbly on them.

good luck with what ever you decide.

-g

Nope it came like that from the lot. Its the 4x4 drive that makes it so tall. I love the view but the height is often a pain to deal with.

Backing up against the curb is not practical, the truck will block both lanes...

With a hitch mount I can parallel park to the curb.

But yes I don’t like to look and the potential wobble either.

How about a Tilt a rack? might be a good option for your needs.

https://www.discountramps.com/tilting_motorcycle_rack/p/ACR-MOTORCYCLE-CARRIER/

Those are awesome, problem remains that my hitch is 22" of the ground and the ramp will be very steep.

This carrier is the ultimate solution if it did not cost $3000...

I have had the black widow as well as the versahaul hitch haulers. These worked fine on the motorhome. I found the the Black Widow ramp to be my favorite alternative for the pickup. It costs about the same as a hitchhauler, but the bike in the bed is much more stable. It has 3 ramps so you can basically walk/ride your bike up and down and has an arch so you don't bottom out at the top. I had a GMC 2500, don't recall bed height but it was the 4wd diesel so taller than average.
JEB

This is what I referred to above...

This is an older steel version. I haven’t used it a lot, but it worked fine with my GTV.

I have a Versahaul and it works great with my GT200. However, I'm liking that lightweight Tilt-A-Rack a lot. Looks much easier to mount since it's so light. I have three fused vertebrae in my back, so mounting my Versahaul is no longer a one man operation.

The steel Tilt-A-Rack is definitely heavy.

Versahaul makes an excellent product. I own one. The beauty of their design is the retracting tie downs that stick out so your straps are at an angle and not mostly vertical like most.

[url] http://www.versahaul.com/vh55ro.php

Lay hands on this bad boy and you know why they cost more. Steel baby! Heavy duty.

For those using the hitch racks, what is your tongue weight on the hitch and is it safe with the weight of the hitch and Vespa 300?

I use one of these for all my bike hauling...
Very easy to load and unload all on your own.

http://2mtrailers.co.za/

Depends on the hitch carrier & what you put on it vs the max tongue weight of your hitch. Most Class III hitches are rated for 500 lbs. Most Class IV hitches are rated for 1000 lbs.

I have a RAM truck with a class IV 1,000 max tongue weight, the Versahaul VH-55 RO carrier weighs about 90 pounds and my GTS300 weighs 350 pounds so the tongue weight is 440 pounds, well under my max hitch tongue weight and would likely work on most class III hitches as well.

Tony (thanks Tony) posted a link to a picture of my setup. Follow https://advrider.com/f/threads/review-tilt-a-rack-trailer-hitch-carrier.1402633/ to read my review on ADVrider of the Aluminum tilt a rack and the mods I did to make it more stable and to fit the GTS better. I’ve used it on two 1000 mile plus trips and it works great.

The receiver on my Volvo XC90 is 16” high so not too much different than your truck. I’m 5’10” and have no trouble loading the Vespa by myself. The ramp has an extension that slides out to make the incline less steep. You might be able to make a longer one to reduce the loading angle.

Since you walk on the ground through the complete loading process it’s easy to use the engine to drive the bike up the ramp. Just hold some throttle to keep the clutch engaged and manage the speed with the brake. Easier than with a manual clutch dirt bike.

An advantage of the tilt a ramp is there is no “hump” to get over with a low ground clearance scooter. It tilts to level when the weight of the scooter goes over the pivot point. Another advantage is that it breaks into two parts with the removal of one spring clip. Two 40# parts to schelp around instead of one 80# back breaker.

The rack and bike weigh about 450# so no problem for a class III hitch but the weight is hung out behind the vehicle so the rear axle load could be a constraint on a smaller than full size SUV. I did the math on the Volvo and was about 100# under the rear axle capacity with just me in the car. Will be no problem at all for your truck.

Update:

I ordered the the M3 Motortote
https://www.mototote.com/mototote-mtx-m3-motorcycle-carrier.html.

Its quite a bit more expensive than the ones you find online but the quality and customer service was excellent.

My biggest problem was the height of the receiver of my RAM2500 4X4 truck witch is 22" off the ground. I was able to get the scooter on the carrier using a couple of pavers to raise the ramp by 4". Despite my 6ft height the handle bars ended up above my shoulders making it very hard and dicy to handle the bike while up on the rack. Neither a step ladder or milk crate helped because you also need to walk forward while the bike is towering above my head.

The next challenge was to find a drop receiver to bring the carrier closer to the ground AND adapt the 2 ½" receiver on my truck to the 2" needed for the carrier. Using the adapter to reduce the receiver size caused a lot of wobble that is impossible to stabilize. Plus its illegal to use more then two accessories on a hitch. After a longggg search on the internet I found the perfect solution.
Drop by 6" AND adapt the size from 2 ½ to 2". An other aspect to keep in mind is the maximum load. This adapter is rated for 400lbs. Many others in the market are only 200lbs witch is not enough for a GTS300 + Carrier.

Small drawback is that the adapter extends the receiver, therefor I had to move the carrier way forward to bring the bike close to the tailgate. This eliminated the space for the ramp. No problem to throw that into the bed of my truck.

Link to the drop receiver / adapter from Roadmaster model 058-6 https://www.roadmasterinc.com/products/accessories/hitch/hitch.php

Now I can easily roll my Vespa 300 GTS on the carrier. It will remain upright with the front wheel locked in the bracket eliminated the need for a third hand. There is hardly any movement when I try to rock the loaded carrier. Added side benefit is that the rail lights are visible

Canyon Dancer handle bar straps and retro reflective tape to make the carrier more visible for others and myself are on its way.

I would suggest you get two of these, one each to fit each hitch joint:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068D9L6W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Hitch-Clamp-2-5-Anti-Rattle-Tightener/dp/B073X6SYMP/ref=pd_bxgy_2/133-9036699-6058819?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B073X6SYMP&pd_rd_r=e6ec9c76-344a-4244-8237-9d061610de5e&pd_rd_w=dMP98&pd_rd_wg=xtraa&pf_rd_p=f325d01c-4658-4593-be83-3e12ca663f0e&pf_rd_r=G9E8EFJNN86F40CZF2BZ&psc=1&refRID=G9E8EFJNN86F40CZF2BZ
They preload the hitch inside the receiver, and greatly reduce any sway or banging around of that joint.

Thanks I bought something similar.

The Motortote came with some special bolts that took all the space out of the hitch. Thankfully this worked since there is very little space between the receiver and rear bumper of my truck.

What I do want to add is a chain / stainless steel rope to secure the carrier in case the hitch connection fails. Just like is mandatory for trailers..

Thanks for the tip dough

I repeat...tie down straps secure a two wheeled machine SOOO much better when the straps are at an angle to the side vs mostly vertical. I have hauled motorcycles up to 900 pounds in trailers and lighter bikes on hitch mounted bike carriers. The angle of the straps is critical to keeping bikes from swaying when the hauling vehicle moves due to bumps, dips, turns, etc. I suppose each person has to decide for themself how far they may need to travel, road conditions, value of the bike being carried, and risk to your vehicle and others you are willing to take. If you want a stout hitch hauler it’s going to cost a few bucks. Versahaul is the answer!

I have the blackwidow with aluminum deck and I have been very happy with the purchase. I highly recommend getting some LED trailer lights and attaching to the bottom.