TheSamba.com :: View topic - Will Go Westy Trailer Hitch work for Dirt Bike Hitch Rack?

Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:05 pm

Have the Go Westy Trailer Hitch

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2582&category_id=&category_parent_id=

I'm wondering if I can use something like this

http://www.hitchsource.com/600lb-aluminum-hitch-tw...PAod9UIAjQ

Yes - I can get a better price on fleabay for $229 with free shipping but there is a local one on craigslist for $200 obo. The thing is that the hitch is supposed to not work on hitches that are not class III or class IV and the Go Westy one is rated a class III in strength but only considered a class I because Go Westy doesn't think you should haul more than #100 tongue weight/#1000 trailer weight. Obvioiusly my 2 dirt bikes (small XR 100 Honda and 175# yamaha IT400 2 stroke single cylinder) would weigh no more than #350 so I think from a tongue weight perspective I might be pushing it? Not sure on this. What do you guys think?

Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:18 pm

That hitch just bolts to the tow hooks. While it is pretty good for pulling a small trailer it really does not have any strength against the downward twisting force of a extended fixed load. This one http://burleysmotorsports.com/index.php?main_page=...0teipdtlp1 goes into the frame and adds a lot of strength. I'm not sure if it would hold a dirt bike though. Call Burley and ask him he much weight his hitch can support.

Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:47 pm

For that application, I suspect you're needing the strength of a Class III hitch to handle not only that weight, but also that it's cantilevered out a couple feet. Tongue weight is measured at the ball just a few inches from the hitch receiver receptacle. But moving that same weight a foot rearward means you are easily doubling the downforce on the hitch. Two feet out, well you get the picture. I'd do some quick measurements on your cycle carrier and estimate the weight more closely as you'll be taxing a ClassII hitch methinks. No way would I use a hitch mounted to the tow hooks - frame attachment at a minimum. You'll also have some very high rotating stress unless the bikes can conveniently offset one another.

DougM

Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:05 pm

Syncrozilla wrote: That hitch just bolts to the tow hooks. While it is pretty good for pulling a small trailer it really does not have any strength against the downward twisting force of a extended fixed load. This one http://burleysmotorsports.com/index.php?main_page=...0teipdtlp1 goes into the frame and adds a lot of strength. I'm not sure if it would hold a dirt bike though. Call Burley and ask him he much weight his hitch can support.

The go westy hitch is weak and IMHO not worth having , and certainly wont hold a motorcycle or any weight. Sorry I'm not trying to be smug , it's just the truth.

Burley motorsports makes a hitch that is specifically made for hauling of the motorcycle.
Go here http://burleysmotorsports.com/index.php?main_page=...sfrm37lt97

this is my page with all version of my hitches, you need the heavy duty version. I have sold many of them and everyone loves it.
Please feel free to give me a call , I am very happy to answer any questions you may have. Burley

Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:18 pm

:bay_blue: I have the go westy hitch on one of my vans. It is great to pull my small dirt bike trailer. But I never would put a hitch rack on it! On my syncro I have a 2" class 3 and I do carry a motorcycle on it with no problem. And heavy springs help to. :D

Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:38 pm

Hmmm, no problem here.
GoWesty hitch and a harbor freight hitch hauler...
CT110 maybe weighs 175. Live a little guys...been on many trips, no issues.
https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&...2914211570

However, while this works for a Honda trail, I wouldn't be putting 2 motorcycles back there...ain't gonna happen.

Forgive the link I an on my Smartie phone :-)

Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:37 am

b00t wrote: GoWesty hitch and a harbor freight hitch hauler...
.
Following you when you have that thing loaded may be dicey, it could break and fall off at anytime. IMHO

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:00 am

b00t wrote: Hmmm, no problem here.
GoWesty hitch and a harbor freight hitch hauler...
CT110 maybe weighs 175. Live a little guys...been on many trips, no issues.
https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&...2914211570

However, while this works for a Honda trail, I wouldn't be putting 2 motorcycles back there...ain't gonna happen.

Forgive the link I an on my Smartie phone :-) I did some pretty silly things with my GW hitch. i.e. tongue wieght to 300lbs.
The problem if doing it regularly, is that a lot of that force is transferred to the mustache bar..thru GW's "stiffenr bar"
At one point, I had a friemd drop my heavy trailer tongue down on the GW hitch and watched the stiffener bar from underneath. I could see the flex occur.
I did not like what I saw. Its just not a great structural solution.
Far better is Burley's hitch with tangs that insert into the van's subframe.. 18" or so.. 6 large bolts.. 3 each side.
But that extra structure comes with a price tag.

Having had these two side by side.. I could not go back to GW's hitch.. except for towing 100lbs tongue weight or less.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:15 am

Burley's website doesn't have a pic of the HD version, do you?
I already built mine but i am interested in what his looks like.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:34 am

syncrodoka wrote: Burley's website doesn't have a pic of the HD version, do you?
I already built mine but i am interested in what his looks like.
I have the "regular duty" version. I am no longer doing the rediculous towing thing so I did not upgrade when the HD version was built a few months after I did mine..

The HD version looks pretty much the same as what you see on the website.. (An HD was on the bench when I visited his shop a couple months ago).
In the HD, the tubing wall is thicker and the gusseting is bigger.
Unless you had them side by side, I doubt most would see the outward appearance to be that different.

Hey Burley.. you got a pic?

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:36 am

I imagine Burley's is the sturdiest one available, but I am not sure I would want 275 lbs back there. The highways seems like they would be o.k. but the dirt roads and trails where I go with the van would induce a lot of bounce I would think. This is what I did with my last van, and will either do this again, or get a small single rail trailer.

By the way, these work well for occassional use. Youi need good straps and can't have the front wheel too high off the ground as the bike leans in corners (leans more the higher the front wheel is) 12" or higher and it can fall over. I towed this bike and a KTM dirt bike several times.
http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Trailer-Carrier-H...7UU2NJPC4V

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:39 am

Two dirt bikes on the back of a Vanagon generally sounds like a horrible idea to me :shock: . Even if you get a hitch strong enough to handle the dead weight of the load, you'd still want it overbuilt beyond that for shear stresses of cornering and jerking up and down of potholes and speed bumps. As Doug said #350 extended beyond the hitch is a lot more than #350 at the hitch and more at the connecting points. Anything that doesn't connect directly to the frame shouldn't even be considered. Just because people have gotten away with using weaker set-ups without tearing their van apart or causing a free-way wreck doesn't mean it's the route to take. PLUS your van will drag it's ass unless you put in air bags to level it. Tougher springs will just make it ride high and like crap when empty. Even a Yukon would drag it's rear bumper without mods with that set-up.

So add up the cost of all that...the answer seems pretty obvious. If you want to bring 2 dirt bikes along you need a trailer! Your van would easily pull a trailer of that weight and you could have one for less than the parts and mods you would need to do to *maybe* make the set-up work.

*edit* Dave's set-up looks good for short distance with a single bike but it won't work for 2 and you'd wear out tires, rear wheel bearings, chains, sprockets....if you did it for very many miles or very often (or both).

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:47 am

So, no love for the GW hitch for hauling motos. What are you guys' opinions of it for carrying two bicycles (probably 150 lbs total, bikes+bike rack) on bumpy dirt roads?

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:47 am

davevickery wrote: , but I am not sure I would want 275 lbs back there.
Its pretty OK with some load levelers.. Not so much fun without.

Presslab uses air bags (no springs) for his rear suspension and he hauls a big bike.
I use air adjust load leveler shocks with Schwenk's springs.. and that has worked well for the limited hauling I do. (no motorbikes)
The coil over load assists can help as well.

Off the pavement, you just have to slow way down.. no way around it. Crawl thru the real uneven stuff. And you'll hear the suspension WORKing.

I am under my van these last couple days playing with my new Addco rear sway.. and there's no real signs of any undo wear and tear from all that silly stuff I've done.

I'd not hesitate to haul a single bike with some type of load assist to help.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:54 am

SCM wrote: So, no love for the GW hitch for hauling motos. What are you guys' opinions of it for carrying two bicycles (probably 150 lbs total, bikes+bike rack) on bumpy dirt roads?
Its just OK. Not great.
All the same reasons as above. Just not to the same degree.

Its the lever action off the back that really pushes the GW hitch design to its limits.

As said.. you can do it. I did for several yrs.. but a couple hundred bucks more and you don't need to sweat it.

I have to say.. I really abused my GW hitch and it held up to most of it.. but the stiffener ruined an exhaust in the process = $$ and hassle.
When I went to Burley's hitch, I had several inquires on the GW hitch, used.
Sold it for the cost of shipping..
I am pretty sure its still out there hauling a couple of kayaks on a trailer somewhere.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:14 pm

From the Go Westy site:

"While it is Class III in strength, we rate it to Class I (100# tongue weight/1000# tow rate) as we feel it is unsafe to tow anything over 1000lbs with a stock Vanagon"

To me, the "While it is Class III in strength..." statement is pretty generous. The whole thing is held on with 1 bolt pinching it to each tow loop. I'm sure the overall construction is strong but the mounts are subjected to serious twisting/prying action with increased tongue weight. A couple bicycles shouldn't be a big deal (those are heavy bikes if they're 150lbs with the rack!) but I'd be frequently checking those bolts and using the ones that came with it, or same/greater grade and size bolts. overall I'd just rather have something that goes to the frame rails and bolts up there.

Overall they are only willing to claim it is sufficient for 100lb tongue weight (though it's likely a bit stronger than that).

Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:38 pm

geo_tonz wrote: those are heavy bikes if they're 150lbs with the rack.

I remembered the weight of the rack incorrectly but still not too far off. Figure I'm carrying two full sus mtn bikes at about 30lbs each plus 50 lbs for the yakima Hold-Up rack. I'm at 110 lbs right there. Add some mud or the optional 2-bike extender for the rack...

I considered the Burly when I got my GW hitch but I was (and still am) undecided about whether to keep my stock bumper. $400 for a hitch that might be obviated by a new bumper is harder to swallow than the $200 or so GW is charging.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:31 pm

Another big benefit of the Burley hitch is it's higher position. I have the GW one on my DD carat and I sometimes put a 2 bike sportrack on the GW reciever. It works fine but it does drag on driveways and other transitions. My carat is stock height. I want to lower the van a little and so I'll deffinatly need to change over to the Burley hitch when I do that.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:39 pm

j_dirge wrote: syncrodoka wrote: Burley's website doesn't have a pic of the HD version, do you?
I already built mine but i am interested in what his looks like.
I have the "regular duty" version. I am no longer doing the rediculous towing thing so I did not upgrade when the HD version was built a few months after I did mine..

The HD version looks pretty much the same as what you see on the website.. (An HD was on the bench when I visited his shop a couple months ago).
In the HD, the tubing wall is thicker and the gusseting is bigger.
Unless you had them side by side, I doubt most would see the outward appearance to be that different.

Hey Burley.. you got a pic?

Hey Jim , your statement is correct and yes the outside appearance is almost the same. I apologize I dont have a pic at the moment.

Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:39 pm

Syncrozilla wrote: Another big benefit of the Burley hitch is it's higher position.
Yep.. agreed.

For OP.
Here is a thread I did a couple yrs back when the first hand full of Burley's hitches were available.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=439045&highlight=burley+hitch
Shows the GW hitch and Burley's side by side, among other things.
Keep in mind this was a prototype fitting and since then he has made some subtle improvments.