Transporting an XS11

[Geezer]

I may be relocating from the Pacific Northwet to Austin, TX. My bikes won't fit in my cage so I was thinking about welding up one of those bumper carriers that hoists the front wheel up and lets the bike ride on it's rear tire.

I've known people that have moved bikes cross country in using this style carrier but those were chain drive bikes with the drive chain removed. Anybody know if this will screw with the XS11's transmission?

Geezer

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Geezer,

From what I've read or seen posted, you would want to unbolt the U joint, and remove the drive shaft. My concern would be that it could pop into gear from a bad bump at speed!? The final and middle drives are bathed in that 80-90wt hypoid, and not under any pumping action when the bike is running. However, the middle driven gear in the Middle gear section is mated with the Middle drive gear which is splined and would be turning the countershaft assembly and gears on it all the time, and they are only in the 20-50wt oil and with the engine NOT running, the oil isn't under pressure running thru the engine and getting cooled, as well as not being pumped thru the shafts and bearings of the tranny!?
T.C.

[Pat Kelly]

I had a roommate that used one of those hitches to tow his bike from CA to AZ. One thing I remember....
DON'T BACK_UP!!!!!
Avoid using reverse at all costs. The bike lays over and bad things will happen

[pathfinder]

Get a Trailer

Not worth the hassle nor the worry of screwing something up.

[DiverRay]

I agree, get a trailer. U-haul if need be. You can alway's put the "extra" stuff around the bike once it's lashed in place.
Ray

[Geezer]

Thanx guys. I've desided that if I make the move, I'm going to stash the Mongrel and fly back in spring and ride it to my new digs. However I'll probably have to unload my parts bike and 79 Standard restoration project. (

There's a 50/50 chance I will stay put but I need to keep my options open.

Geezer

[dntemp_ca]

Good call, Geezer. I tried one of those front wheel brackets back in the '70s on my Ducati 750. One trip around the block and I pitched it! Pat is correct, the bike leans over....lots! Even in normal driving around corners. Never tried backing up. The lean angle is so severe that I almost lost site of my bike in the rear view mirror while turning a corner at an intersection! I think it puts way too much stress on the front end. I trailer my bike now. For 100 bucks or so, I adapted a small utility trailer as a bike hauler. The bike sits a bit high up in the wind and I'd like a lower trailer deck some day, but it works fine.

[Geezer]

I'm looking for a cheap trailer but my truck is rather gutless and I'm not sure it's up to dragging much behind it.

Geezer

[John]

Hey Geez! How's about askin' some of us who live in Texas to meet you somewhere near Lubbock and we could ride them in for you When do you plan on moving?

[Czekus21]

You could alway rent a truck that's got enough gonads to haul all of your stuff. Or.... get SWMBO to drive your cage and ride

[Geezer]

Originally posted by John
Hey Geez! How's about askin' some of us who live in Texas to meet you somewhere near Lubbock and we could ride them in for you When do you plan on moving?

I'll do that if I end up moving to texas. It would be around the first of Feb.

Geezer

[Geezer]

Originally posted by Czekus21
You could alway rent a truck that's got enough gonads to haul all of your stuff. Or.... get SWMBO to drive your cage and ride

This is an exodus not a planed move and I don’t have the funds for a 20+ foot truck. Also being single I don't have to obey any woman. ;o)

I'm tempted to ship my tools down by forward air and ride the Mongrel down. I'd then stash the the cage for future retrival.

Geezer

[chevy45412001]

hitch haul

what about a heavy duty kind of carrier ,like the ones you see on the back of suv's? Like a real heavy duty home made overkill type? you know the kind that slides into a 2" reciever then has a 5x3 foot platform . I'm sure yov'e seen the little wimpy ones?

[Jerry]

Moving your XS

I've now moved my XJ between states 7 times. This includes a haul from Oregon to Wisconsin, and another from Maine to Wisconsin. Do yourself a favor...rent or build a trailer to haul the XS.

Those bumper transporters, and the ones designed to fit into a receiver hitch, have a max rating of 500 pounds. A stock XS or XJ comes in closer to 600 pounds. Not only will you overload the carrier, but that much weight hanging out past the rear bumper will make for some *very* interesting handling characteristics. Don't go this route, even if you plan to build a carrier. They work OK for Honda Trail 90s up to a Honda 350, but thats about it.

Most class II and many class III hitches are rated to only 500 pounds tounge weight, so the hitch itself, let alone the carrier, is not rated for the XS/XJ weight.

You don't need much of a car or truck to tow a small trailer. The U-Haul 5 x 8 does a nice job, and I used my '86 Toyota 4x4 pickup (4 cylinder) to pull my trailers on most of my moves, all of which required freeway speeds.

The idea of shipping your tools and riding the bike, then getting back for the truck, sounds like a good option. However, renting a trailer will allow you to move the bike and tools in one trip, saving the Forward Air costs, gets all your stuff in one place at one time, and eliminates the need for a 2nd trip to retrieve the truck. I know cash flow dictates a lot of what can be done, but you can move a hell of a lot of stuff on a 14 foot landscape trailer:




Moving my XJ, yard tools, garage tools, from Arizona to Colorado. Tow vehicle is my '76 Scout II with a tranny about to die. ( I have a spare to put in, but it made the 660 mile trip OK.) Trailer is mine, as I bought it to move from Wisconsin to Arizona. Price new was $1,050.00. These can be had used or in southern states for quite a bit less if you have time to shop. Check eBay.

Let me emphasize...do not use a receiver or bumper carrier to move a heavy bike like an XS or XJ.

[nashville_bill]

I tried to find a deal on ebay on a trailer, but finally bought a new one for $600 that was exactly what I wanted. It's a 6X10 with expanded steel for a floor and a drop down gate. After seeing the prices of used trailers, I figured I could buy a new one, use it for a few years and then sell it for almost what I paid for it. Like Jerry said, they will haul a lot of stuff and you can pull it with anything.